Mike Eakins
I graduated on June 22, 1997, from Clearwater High School in a small Southeast Missouri town which my stepfather moved us to after he retired from 23 years in the Navy. There have been a number of relatives that did various tours of military service throughout my family both on my biological father’s side and my stepfather’s side. By the time my teenage years hit it took me 2 states, 3 cities, and 3 high schools to complete 4 years and grab my diploma. I was the professional new kid, but I would be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy every minute of it because I still have great people to talk with to this day from those travels.
I remember walking into the Marine recruiting office and thinking I was going to hunt land mines and be badass. I signed the paperwork to go to the processing station in St. Louis and as I did that’s when he went on a rant about foxholes, and how the Marines were the best in the world etcetera, etcetera. Now don’t get me wrong I dig the Marines and it does take a special someone to take up that title. I’m not that person. I decided to go next door to the Navy recruiting office as I knew more about that branch anyway and they live on ships, not foxholes, that’s a point in the “win column” already. Fast forward to July 17, 1997, Great Lakes, IL home to Navy boot camp, and one of the best and scariest times of my life. To this day I still look upon those days with awe-inspiring eyes and a grateful heart.
If you were to tell 18-year-old Michael that he would do 20 years he would have laughed hysterically while trying to convince you he had some sort of plan after his initial contract was up. Truth is, I reenlisted because it was the best thing for my wife Nicki and I had going at the time. Sure, we would talk about options but nothing solid ever came up, however, I did come extremely close to getting out twice but at the last minute decided to give Uncle Sam a few more years. Each time I felt like I was doing the right thing for me and my family, not the Navy, not my country…me and my family which was always first and foremost in any decision I would makeover my 20-year career. Military life is hard. I don’t give a damn what branch you are a part of, if the family is not a cohesive unit, it will not work. I consider myself lucky and have never taken for granted the fact that I’m working on 20 years of marriage with the same incredible woman. Even now that I’m retired, I still count my lucky stars that she showed incredible strength and character, my 20 years would have not been possible without her.
Every Veteran’s Day I sit back and about think those who have gone before me. Douglas MacArthur (a personal hero of mine), George Patton, Carl Brashear, Colin Powell, just to name a few “famous” military personnel that have paved the way and set the benchmark for honorable service but what about those who don’t get their story told on the evening news or in history books. My grandfather served in Korea, my stepfather served 23 years, my father-in-law served his time in the Army honorably, my grandfather-in-law served 20 years in the Army not to mention 3 tours in Vietnam and I must mention all the tremendous leaders that I had the absolute privilege of serving under in my career.
I am so lucky to be able to name leaders and friends from every duty station that I have been a part of and each of them still plays a part in my life when situations arise, I am automatically whisked away to a specific timeframe in my career when their wisdom was first imparted upon me. I will carry their teachings to the grave and beyond. Some of those leaders I am BLESSED to be able to keep talking to them thanks to social media, my luck continues to rear its humble head.
“Do you realize how many anniversaries, birthdays, and holidays you have missed”? – Nicki Eakins
I’ll never forget when my wife said the above quote to me. I was stationed in San Diego at the time on minesweepers and has just come home from a deployment and we had a conversation on how I don’t feel comfortable with people thanking me for my service and me feeling like some sort of false hero of service. During my active years, I tried my best to never be in uniform in public so I could avoid people thanking me for my service or avoiding any conversation about me being in the military. I didn’t do this out of humiliation for my career choice but rather me not feeling up to par with my fellow service members who never got to come home or if they got to come home they were missing limbs, or their mind refused to let them feel peace, or perhaps they didn’t have a home to go to.
As I write this my emotions are starting to get the best of me as this is a topic that is very near and dear to my heart and soul and something that I carry with me everywhere I go. I strive to remain humble and keep my soul as honest as possible because my outcome could be vastly different, and my family’s celebration of Veteran’s Day could be just as different. My career was never based on the “need to serve” but being 18 with no plan. Do I think that America is the best thing going…sure. England has better food, but we have it better. I don’t take my career for granted and I never will. I realize I did my time and sacrificed a hell of a lot but more importantly, I am part of a unique group made up of some of the best people in the world, the United States Military.
I am extremely proud to have served alongside some of the greatest people I have and will ever know. Regardless of our political affiliation at the end of the day, we all had one common goal, to come home. Happy Veteran’s Day, and thank you for your service.
