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MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (MCN - 12/2/2011) —
Her grandma was a Marine, her mother was a Marine and in
2009, LCpl. Richelle D. Kline continued the tradition.
Lance Cpl. Richelle D. Kline, an administration specialist for Headquarters Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, holds a picture of her grandmother (left) and mother (right) in their Marine Corps service uniforms, aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., Dec. 1,
2011. Kline is a third generation Marine and hopes that when she has children that they follow in the family tradition.
Photo by USMC Cpl. Walter D. Marino II |
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While in boot camp, Kline carried a picture of her
mother and grandmother in their service uniforms to remind
her that she would succeed in earning the title of Marine.
When her drill instructor presented her the eagle,
globe and anchor - signifying she was now a Marine, Kline
said, she burst into tears.
Unfortunately, neither
her mother nor grandmother could attend the graduation. Her
mother had already passed away many years ago when she was
still a child and her grandmother died while she was in boot
camp.
I was able to talk to my grandma before I left
for boot camp and she told me, ‘Good luck and I can't wait
to see you graduate,'” said Kline, sadly. “The photos were a
source of motivation when things got hard. Having them let
me know I could do it.” |
Before the Corps, Kline, an
administration specialist with Headquarters Battalion, 2nd
Marine Division, grew up in the small town of Greeley,
Colo., where many times her family didn't have much money.
“I remember as a kid my mom crying because we were poor. I
remember me and my brother would slip pennies under her door
so she wouldn't cry,” said Kline.
While in high
school she worked two jobs to save money for college because
she said, she knew her family wouldn't be able to pay for
it. During her senior year she said she had two ambitions -
to join the Marines and to enter an art school for painting.
First on the check list was the Marine Corps.
“Even
if I had the money to go to the art school I still would
have joined the Marines,” said the 20 year-old Kline. “It's
just something that I've always wanted to do.”
The
Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune Marine is both loved and
respected by her fellow junior enlisted and senior
leadership.
“I trust her,” said, Cpl. Cisnerosmedina,
an administrative clerk. “She's hard working, independent
and works on her weaknesses. She's a listener, and she's not
judgmental.
“She has an immense amount of pride in
being a Marine and I can only assume she gets it from her
mother and grandmother,” said Master GySgt. Don R. Miller,
the personnel administration chief for 2nd Marine Division.
“Lance Cpl. Kline is a highly squared away Marine who has
the honor of carrying on a family tradition of service to
the Corps and the Country. It is an honor to serve with a
third generation Marine and I am certain through her
boundless potential that she will have a very successful
career in the Corps.”
Although not
sure yet on whether or not she will stay in the Corps, Kline
says she is planning on using the Post 9/11 GI Bill for art
school. When she has kids, she said she is is going to pass
on stories of her Marine Corps experiences that will
hopefully lead her kids to follow in the Marine tradition.
“I plan on having a few kids and I want the Marine
Corps to definitely be in the family, Kline said. “I'm not
going to force it on them or anything, but it would be
nice.”
By USMC Cpl. Walter D. Marino II
2nd Marine Division
Marine Corps News
Copyright 2011
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