[mrs tiggywinkle]

**He looks thinner in the Marlboro photo, and like a man.**

That's what happened to my nephew after he enlisted in the Navy. He went in looking like a kid. We saw him a year later (recently) and he's all of a sudden very manly.

[momf]

Boot camp grows them up in a hurry. Our son went to MCRD as a "tough" football tackle just out of high school. When we went to his graduation my husband laughed as me for searching all of the new Marines parading to the ceremony. Said I'd never find him because they all look alike - all grown men now. There were a lot of them - all standing straight and tall. They all had their chins tucked in, all looked like Marines. A lot matched his 6'3", but I did. Looked for his size 13 boots. 8)