Posted on 05/14/2006 1:44:10 PM PDT by LouAvul
Holdenville, OK (AP) - A U-S Marine graduates from Holdenville High School, but isn't able to walk across the stage with his fellow graduates.
During last night's ceremony, Michael Lueking stood in the stands in his dress blues uniform. School officials had told Lueking he wouldn't be able to participate in the ceremony if he refused to wear the school's standard royal blue cap and gown.
Lueking finished high school a semester early so he could fulfill his longtime dream of joining the Marines. He graduated from the 13-week Marine boot camp on May 5th, in time to be home for his high school graduation.
Holdenville Superintendent Shellie Gammill says she couldn't bend the policy or else exceptions would have to be made for other students.
I just returned from graduation weekend at Texas A&M where young men and women who are in the Corps of Cadets graduate in full dress uniform. I think the attempt to marginalize our military and keep them "out of sight, out of mind" is really sad. We need to be reminded often that these young men and women are our sons and daughters, the neighbor kid from down the street, that girl who sang in the youth choir. It really would not be that hard to add one little line to the school handbook authorizing cap and gown and active duty military dress uniform. Every community needs to know who is serving for them, even if they are just 18 years old.
I admire him. He is a "thunder puppy" Chomping at the bit to become one of the BIG dogs! He will make a great Marine. Bless him and God speed.
It's about the service member who came to the graduation as an obvious surprise to his mother, who was graduating with a master's degree as well. He looked young enough to be coming back from boot camp.
When she came off the stage after receiving her diploma, he greeted her at the bottom of the stairs to the side of the stage, and escorted her down to the aisle back to her chair, where she sat while the rest of her class went through the ceremony.
When the ceremony was over and the graduates were parading out, he stood at the end of the aisle and walked with her again. The person directing traffic made sure they paired up again.
Now this has me curious, because in two years my son will be commissioned on Friday of the second weekend in May, and graduate from under-grad college ROTC the next day.
I don't know if he has considered this yet, and what he will be wearing on college graduation day. But I do know he'll be in USAF uniform for at least 4 years after that. And I'm sure he will know what the regulations are about this before the situation arises. Check back with me and I'll let you know how it turns out.
He wore it for all those Marines that never got the chance to graduate high school, he wore it all those Marines that died serving this country, he wore it to honor every other Marine that wore it before him.
Seriously as any Marine that has ever worn a set of Dress Blues will ever tell you, they are the most uncomfortable uniform that there is to wear.
You cannot move in them,
they itch,
they are hot,
you can't eat in them,
The collar will choke you,
and if you haven't cut down the studs on the collar emblems, the eagle globe and anchors will wear into the soft flesh of your throat to the point where you will bleed especially if you look around a lot and don't just look straight ahead
You wear Dress Blues for really one reason only to honor others, and the pain you feel while wearing them constantly reminds you of those you honor.
I understand his strong feelings, but he could have worn his uniform under the cap and gown. BTW, my sister graduated a semester early and was not allowed to participate in the normal graduation ceremony.
How do you know it is illegal? How many years will someone get in prison for doing so? I suspect it is in the regs but that is between a marine and his commanding officer to figure it out.
If the Marines think it is proper for civilian ceremonies then why the hell no offical protest from the Marine Corps about this? Shouldn't it be in the regs that Marines must be in class blues for civilian ceremonies? Class blues cost the taxpayers alot of money if they are just suggested for civilian use.
Personally I would of let the kid walked with his uniform but I can see problems for the school as well and frankly I think they have the right to run things they want.
I'm a military family and 1000% behind our military , but -
Amen.
1. The Service Dress Blues A can be worn for those situations where the dress is formal or semiformal. A Marine doesn't have to "ask his commander" for permission.
2. It would be a violation of the uniform regulations as well as appropriateness to wear any uniform while "selling cars". While the Reserve Marine is on active duty, which includes those times they are serving their reserve drill periods, they are subject to the laws and regulations as any other active duty Marine.
3. The Dress Blue uniform is not the same as a civilian "suit"; it is a dress uniform for special occasions.
In my opinion, the young Marine picked an appropriate time to wear his Blues and in earlier, more patriotic times, he would have been expected to wear his dress uniform at his graduation. During World War II, a young man was considered somewhat less than a man if he didn't wear his uniform to all important public events.
I agree with the school on this one.
Marines, of all people, should understand the concept of the "uniform of the day".
What a ridiculous post.
Why can't he wear it under the cap and gown?
He had the right and the privilege to wear the uniform.
No,he didn't. He didn't have the RIGHT. This was a high school graduation. You wear what they want you to wear. Now, he did have the right not to participate, which is apparently what he did. But please, don't mix the two up.
When I talked about having to buy my own set of Blues I did, at the time I wasn't required to have them.
As a Marine I had to replace every uniform item the second it became unfit to wear for any reason, every time my Cammie's got ripped I had to buy new ones, every time a shirt got stained, a new one, every time an issue sock worn out I had to buy a pair, and God Forbid that my sea bag of uniforms ever got lost or stolen I'd have to buy everything all over again and have it altered and the stripes sewn on and dry cleaned and spend hours upon hours removing all the Irish pendents from a new uniform.
and of course every time you wear a set of blues they got to be cleaned and pressed to perfection, the taxpayers don't pay for that either, all that dry cleaning comes out of the Marine's pocket. Marines pay for all their uniforms including military issue underwear and the tiny stipend that the taxpayer pays monthly towards a Marine's uniform allowance barely pays for a set of issue boxers, and a years worth couldn't buy a Blues jacket, much less the whole issue and all the cleaning that goes into keeping serviceable
I can see problems for the school as well and frankly I think they have the right to run things they want.
and if they decided that all graduates must be nude you wouldn't have a problem with that as well?
A Marine out of uniform might as well be nude, since he can no longer be recognized as a Marine.
Sighing on the dotted line earned him that right. That uniform is right up there with the flag. The school is wrong.
It isn't.
Where you might get hurt or die in any other "job", from roofer to swimming pool cleaner to factory worker - with higher risk going to cops and firemen in the big cities - no other position is as close to death or mutilation than our service men and women are enduring today.
The papers don't cover it in much detail but a simple visit to Arlington or the hospitals will show you the price these young people are bearing for all of us. It's not a "job", it's a knowing sacrifice carried out by these brave and patriotic young men and women and their families.
If you think that wearing the dress uniform to a public ceremony is "grandstanding" then you haven't paid enough attention to what the young man is preparing to endure.
We could use a lot more people like him.
sorry but you are wrong.
back in "the day" the sight of a person graduating with a military uniform was very normal.
The protocol for a JAG bound graduate was to take the hood from the graduates one arm and then drap it over the other as you are not allowed to wear it over the military uniform.
We need to put this wrong BACK to what was normally done and give proper respect to military bound graduates.
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