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NAVAL AIR STATION FORT WORTH JOINT RESERVE BASE, Fort Worth — On
a warm spring day, a female Marine walks into Irving High School in
Irving, Texas looking sharp in her dress blue uniform. She is
surrounded by slamming lockers and students hurrying in every
direction. She was ready to spread the word of the Marine Corps.
While there, the Marine found a young lady who was extremely
motivated but needed some help to reach her goals. The young
Hispanic girl was going to school, working and helping her family,
but she couldn't pass the military education entrance test.
“She was motivated but needed help keying in on her goal,” said
Sergeant Darlissa Leatherwood, the legal chief for the 8th Marine
Corps District. “So I took her under my wing.”
Leatherwood
spent a number of days with the young lady reading and studying. She
would exchange calls and texts with her young prot�g� on a regular
basis. During their time together, the women began to see themselves
more like sister rather than just friends. After months of studying,
the young girl passed the test.
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Sergeant Darlissa Leatherwood, the legal chief for the 8th Marine
Corps District, carries Gatorade to people participating in a
charity event. Leatherwood volunteers when ever she can because of
the model set by her family.
(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Alfredo Ferrer, September 16, 2013)
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Their relationship didn't end there.
“I had no
doubt in my mind that she would pass the test,” said
Leatherwood. “She actually did better than I expected, but I
knew there would be more obstacles along the way. My job
wasn't finished yet.”
Leatherwood still works with the youthful
aspiring Marine continuously with physical training and
keeping her motivation up. The young girl reports to recruit
training next month, but she wouldn't be prepared for the
challenge without the help from Leatherwood.
“I'm
glad I had a positive effect on her,” said the Leatherwood.
“I can't wait to see her become a Marine.”
Leatherwood is dedicated to service and duty because of the
model set for her by her family.
“My mom taught me
it's good to give back,” said Leatherwood.
She
recalls when she was younger, children from her neighborhood
came to her house because they didn't have the means for a
great meal. Also, her mother would volunteer feeding the
homeless at soup kitchens.
Leatherwood, like her
mother, enjoys helping people. She volunteers at many
district activities, whether they involve the color guard
events, sports, school talks, her husband's recruiting
events, or civilian events.
Leatherwood said one of
her favorite times volunteering was at Recruiting Station
Oklahoma City. The recruiting station has a quarterly
function for all the female poolees, where they invite
female Marines to speak with the applicants about recruit
training, participate in physical training, and simply spend
time with them.
“The reason I volunteer so much is
because I just enjoying helping people,” said Leatherwood.
Leatherwood joined the Marine Corps because of her
husband, Sgt. Timothy Leatherwood, a recruiter at Recruiting
Substation Lewisville. She took note of his confidence and
his strong demeanor, and that was something she wanted in
her life.
“I'm in competition with my husband, but he
doesn't know it,” said Leatherwood, a Memphis, Tenn. native.
She said that he is the standard of a Marine that she
wants to be. He is first class in his physical fitness and
combat fitness test, has no problem correcting people if
they are wrong, and pretty much “meritorious everything”, so
she has to be at her best at all times.
“He keeps me
motivated, because I see him still going, and if he's still
going, I should keep going,” said Leatherwood.
She
explained that his original Marine occupational specialty is
crash fire and rescue, so on his free time, he volunteers at
a local fire department. A loss of life is possible in his
job and extra duties. She sees him move on from those
experiences, and she thinks “why, can't I move on from the
little things that happen in my life.”
Leatherwood
will continue to her volunteer work, but her career might
take a turn. Leatherwood is putting together her Marine
Enlisted Commissioning Education Program package and is
slated to be on a board in June 2014. If she is selected,
she will get to receive her degree and then become an
officer in the Marine Corps.
“I feel that being
selfless and helping other people is paramount to being a
great Marine,” said Leatherwood. “It shows that you would be
willing to sacrifice your life for someone else, in my
opinion, so for me I won't stop volunteering. I want to be
able to do all I can to help others. I feel that it makes me
a better person even if I don't receive recognition for what
I am doing or have done in the past. That is what being a
Marine is all about.”
By U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Dustin Fugate
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2014
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