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| A Father's Farewell |
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Michael D. Fay, USMCR
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Acquisition Number: 2008.63.9
Medium: Graphite on Paper
A young Marine reservist with G Company, 2d Battalion, 25th Marines, 4th Marine Division, at Picatinny Arsenal, Dover, New Jersey, gets a last hug from his father as he mobilizes for duty in Iraq in 2008. The artist reminds us that being a Marine—in garrison or on deployment—requires the full attention and commitment to duty of every man and woman who wears the uniform. But how is that possible when they leave those they love and provide care for behind, knowing that there are no guarantees that they will return? The families of war-fighters are also asked to commit to the mission and ethos of the Marine Corps, in the hope that their support and understanding will make it easier for the warriors to do their jobs, especially when they are far from home. In recent decades, the Marine Corps has offered an improved array of family programs, counseling, and peer networking that hopefully makes farewells and homecomings easier to bear.
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