Family Given and Family Chosen
by U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Valerie Nash September
23,
2020
The Fields family of Dyersburg, Tennessee is awaiting baby number
nine, bringing them just shy of a full-sized Marine Corps rifle
squad. This family of almost 11 has provided at least two of those
children with the foundation of leadership and teamwork that is
inherent among Marines. Much like the close-quarters living that
many junior Marines experience, living with so many people under one
roof can often be fun, frustrating, noisy, and chaotic, but the
bonds it creates among them are unbreakable.
Jaquan Fields, left, and his younger sister Alexia Fields, right, both poolees with Permanent Contact Station Dyersburg, Recruiting Substation Jackson, Recruiting Station Nashville, discuss the importance of family and explain how they see the Marine Corps as another part of their extended family at their home in Dyersburg,
Tennessee on August 28, 2020. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Gunnery Sgt. Valerie Nash)
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Jaquan and Alexia Fields, the second and third children in the
Fields' family lineup, learned to overcome their year-long discourse
to travel a path together in hopes of becoming the best versions of
themselves. Just a few months ago they never imagined they would be
traveling the path together.
Alexia, an athlete and naturally
competitive person, began to heavily weigh her life options when she
was a junior at Dyer County High School. In January of 2019, a
friend of hers, who happened to be a part of the Marine Corps pool
program, asked her if she wanted to exercise with him. Being an avid
track and field participant in school, she agreed and he brought her
to a physical training session at Permanent Contact Station (PCS)
Dyersburg, Marine Corps Recruiting Substation Jackson in Dyersburg,
Tenn. After that first pool function, she was hooked and continued
to attend the physical training and pool functions with dedicated
regularity. She said she felt as though the recruiters, the newly
returning Marines, and the other poolees who she met at the
functions were quickly becoming another part of her extended family.
"I've been (coming) here for about a year and a few weeks,
and I've already got family here," said Alexia, the 17-year-old Dyer
County High School student. "I'm not even in the Marine Corps yet,
and they are already making me feel like family."
Officially
joining the pool was such a priority for her that she made it a
point to join at the earliest available opportunity. She was
attending pool functions as a guest since January of 2019, and this
year on her 17th birthday she swore into the delayed entry program.
At the time she became interested in the Marine Corps, she and
her older brother Jaquan were not on regular speaking terms, despite
being close in age and having similar personalities and interests.
As they grew through their teenage years, their disagreements became
an overwhelming obstacle that overshadowed their close friendship.
"Neither of us could humble ourselves to apologize to the other
person because we both felt the other person was in the wrong,"
Alexia recalled with distant eyes and a sad tone. "He became a
stranger to me. I know that is weird, and maybe I shouldn't think
like that, but that is how it felt. I hadn't talked to him in a
year."
Yet, because the Fields' family ties were as strong as
they were, she said she felt a sense of obligation to share this
rewarding experience with her older brother whom she had drifted
apart from. She felt some apprehension about bringing him to the
pool event simply because she did not know how their interactions
would be. She didn't want it to be awkward for them or the others
around them, but something told her to set aside her pride and
invite him. Due to their similar personalities, she felt that he
actually might be as enthusiastic about the Marine Corps experience
as she was.
"I've always seen the Marine Corps spirit in him. He likes to
exercise and is very talkative and so I invited him to the pool
function," Alexia reflected on why she thought it would be a great
idea for him to join her at the event. Her feelings proved to be
right.
"My sister Alexia would be the main one I
would turn to and depend on, before our falling out," Jaquan said.
The loss of their close relationship was noticeably absent. He
described the air between them as uncomfortable and somewhat hostile
to the point where they could not be in the same room or attend
family functions together.
Each of them yearned to make
amends, but their identical stubbornness prevented the
reconciliation that could have ended the friction weeks or months
sooner.
"One day there was a serious family issue that we
needed to discuss. So I made the decision to throw my stubbornness
away and told her that I think we should really talk about this and
put our differences aside," recalled Jaquan about the moment that he
decided that things could no longer continue down this hostile path
with his sister Alexia. They spoke, but after such a long time of
silence, things didn't automatically return to what would have been
considered normal about a year and a half prior.
The
following day Alexia reached out to Jaquan and invited him to a
cookout with some of her friends. He was surprised by the
invitation, so he told her that he would consider it.
He
called Alexia the day of the cookout to inquire about the time. The
call was timely as she told him they were already on their way to
the event. Eager to continue the path of making amends, she and her
friends decided to turn around and picked him up.
He
describes the car ride to the event as feeling awkward. Neither he
nor his sister were quite sure how to interact at that point, and
there were others in the car, increasing the somewhat awkward
feeling between them.
It wasn't until they arrived that he
realized it was a Marine Corps pool function. She hadn't told him
specifically where they were going. Caught completely by surprise,
he said he was actually interested in learning and participating in
the event. Even though he was interested, he still felt hesitant.
"She was more confident than I was," said Jaquan about his
interactions with his sister during the event. "I tried not to mess
it up. But she seemed somewhat carefree toward me. She seemed
confident. And if she wasn't, she did a darn good job at portraying
it!"
Because Alexia interacted so naturally with her brother
so quickly after their initial reconciliation, he felt more engaged
at the function and got a feel for what his sister had been doing
over the past year and a half.
Alexia Fields, left and her brother Jaquan Fields, right, both poolees with Permanent Contact Station (PCS) Dyersburg, complete a physical training session with the other poolees of PCS Dyersburg, Recruiting Substation Jackson, Recruiting Station Nashville at Dyersburg High School, Dyersburg, Tennessee
on August 27, 2020. Poolees participate in physical training sessions with the recruiters to ensure they are physically prepared to endure the challenges of Marine Corps recruit training. Jaquan and Alexia have overcome adversity in their relationship with each other resulting in growth and gained confidence, which further solidified their decisions to join the Marine Corps Delayed Entry Program. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Gunnery Sgt. Valerie Nash)
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Staff Sgt. Brylon N. Shockley,
a canvassing recruiter, PCS Dyersburg, RSS Jackson, Recruiting
Station Nashville, recalls that the first time he met Jaquan was not
at that pool function, rather it was about a year prior when he was
at the high school and Jaquan stopped by his table.
"He
wanted some of the swag, I think a water bottle or something, so I
told him only if he could do 50 push-ups. He dropped down and
knocked them out with no problem," said Shockley who has been
recruiting with PCS Dyersburg since December 2018. "After talking
with him I realized Alexia was his sister."
Shockley went on
to invite Jaquan to a physical training session, but he never came.
Not to be deterred, he regularly spoke with Alexia about inviting
Jaquan to the PT sessions or pool functions.
That first
interaction with Shockley planted the seed of the Marine Corps in
Jaquan's mind. After going to the event and observing his sister in
the competitive yet supportive environment, just as she knew, he
also knew that it was the right place for him to be.
He did
not wait long to officially join the delayed entry program, and just
like his sister, his dedication and love of competition keeps him
motivated to attend and excel at every PT session, and to
participate in all of the pool functions.
Shockley, the
Spencer, Tennessee native, describes Alexia and Jaquan in much the
same way. He said they both exude a "quiet confidence. They can be
kind of shy and quiet at first, but they are dedicated and work very
hard.”
He went on to say that Alexia has improved since she has been
attending the pool functions and she is gaining even more confidence
as time goes on. He also noted how well she absorbs the Marine Corps
knowledge and is always eager to learn more.
Alexia credits
herself for bringing her brother to the Corps and loves the constant
friendly competition that exists between them, bringing out the best
in each other. They are each other's strength, and they rediscovered
their special sibling bond through a simple Marine Corps recruiting
station cookout.
The siblings are quick to crack jokes, each making claims about
their own superiority in various areas from PT to leadership and
everything in between, but the love and encouragement they give to
each other is unmistakable. They overcame their own battles and
continue to seek out the next challenges to overcome. If they have
their way, they will take their competition as far as the Marine
Corps will allow, which, to their mother's shock, includes the far
reaches of Japan.
Jaquan is slated to attend Marine Corps
recruit training toward the end of 2020. Alexia is eagerly awaiting
the completion of high school before she can attend recruit
training.
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