Photo By Master Sgt. Brian Hamilton | Retired Maj. Maurica Jones, grandmother of Danny McClure, watches via Skype as her...... read more read more
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CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Twenty-five years ago, in January of 1990, Capt. Maurica Jones administered the oath of enlistment to her son, Joshua, at a small Military Entrance Processing Station in Pittsburg, Kansas.
Today, June 19, 2015, Joshua, now a captain with the Army Reserve assigned to the 108th Training Command (IET) in Charlotte, North Carolina, returned the favor.
“So help me God.” And with four simple words, Joshua’s son, Danny, joined a long list of McClures to enlist into military service. He also becomes the third generation of the family to be sworn in with a parent presiding over the oath.
“Being able to see it live and not just see the pictures of it is amazing. Pictures just don’t have the same effect,” said Jones, now a retired major, working as a Department of the Army civilian at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, who witnessed the ceremony via cellphone using Skype.
“I have to take my grandma hat off for a second and put my Army hat on. I know all of the danger in it, but it makes me so proud. Young people like my grandson who are willingly volunteering to serve this great country of ours, just make me so proud,” Jones said.
Due to a few glitches in the enlistment process, Jones, who was there to swear Joshua in during his initial enlistment as well as render his first salute when he became a commissioned officer, was unable to attend the ceremony. But that didn’t deter her.
At first the McClure crew suggested enlistment via video teleconference, but after some good old-fashioned Army ingenuity, they figured enlistment via Skype was the way to go.
“I used to go to work with Grandma and seeing what she did every day just inspired me,” Danny said.
“I would have liked for her to be here and with her swearing my dad in, she would have liked that too. But it just didn’t work out, so I guess being able to Skype her in is the next best thing.”
Joshua says his mom, went out of her way to make sure she didn’t miss an opportunity to share the moment with her family.
“Mom [Jones] had intended to retire way back when. But she put off her retirement in the Army Reserve just so she could render that first salute at my commissioning ceremony,” he said.
Jones continues to work in the civilian sector with the Army and her dedication to not only her biological family, but her Army family as well, is displayed with her dedication to duty every day.
“She works in the technology sector with the Army and she’s very good at what she does,” Joshua said. “She wanted to retire last year but with everything that’s going on today, they asked her to stay a little longer, and of course she said okay.”
But for today, the elder McClure, whose mom has been at every milestone for her family, says the family matriarch’s superhuman cloak that is donned at every passing of the Army torch is shrouded by a bag of mixed feelings that is displayed as he holds back his emotions after coming to grips with the reality of having a son enlist in the Army.
“I think mom’s happy, sad, proud, scared and hesitant, just like me,” Joshua said. “It’s a little scary as a parent, so as a grandparent, knowing all she knows, it’s probably worse. We hate to see him go, but we’re so proud to see him go as well. This is what he wanted to do, and I’m proud he’s doing it.”
| Date Taken: | 06.26.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 06.26.2015 19:28 |
| Story ID: | 168369 |
| Location: | CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 306 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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