On Thursday May 17, 2007, I was at Ft. Benning to see the graduation and commissioning Ceremony of Stephen Von Jett. Stephen, a.k.a. as "Sparky." Sparky is the son of HarleyDad and Brokerbelle and the Grandson of the Grand Patriarch and Grand Matriarch living in Tyler, Texas. The Grand Patriarch was a lieutenant and a glider pilot during WW II. Sparky is in their tradition. He joins a long line of Jetts and Von Jetts in military tradition, including service in WWII, the Texas rangers, the Civil War, the Revolutionary War and even going back to the First Crusade. On Brokerbelle's side he joins her father, one of the first Seabees who trained as a marine and was seriously wounded in the fighting in the South Pacific during WWII.
Sparky's father, HarleyDad, considers himself a man of peace, a poet and a lover as opposed to a warrior. He also is a Harley rider, a photographer and is seriously proud of Sparky.
Sparky is married to beautiful Bridgette. Sparky and Beautiful Bridgette speak sign language and you can see them doing things with their hands in some some of the pictures above. HarleyDad thinks that they may be sign language and suspects that sometimes these two young adults are talking behind his back.
Sparky spent time out in the field in Southern Afghanistan and from time to time had a few reality moments, apparently wondering about relevance of a few of the matters that he was doing. I guess that is a by-product when you think for yourself.
Sparky is an interesting guy. He is a very humorous person and a few of the pictures above will show that he is not your normal officer, nor would we every want him to be. He is creative and funny and clever and inventive. He has been in DLI and MI.
He takes his obligation to his soldiers very seriously. Those who he will oversee will be very fortunate because he honestly cares for carrying out his missions and taking care of his people. And sometimes it is awfully hard to do both at the same time.
My congratulations to all the newly commissioned officers of Echo Company, 3rd Battalion, 11th Infantry Regiment.
HarleyDad
1 comment:
My congratulations to LT. Sparky! (and of course to H.D. & B.B. on raising yet another smart, witty, & brave child...He's got as much color on his uniform as the Maj. Gen. for gosh-sakes!)
P.S. No one invites the Marines, they just show up where their needed! ;o)
Post a Comment