Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego --
“When you live for a
strong purpose, then hard work isn’t an option,” said Steve Pavlina, an
American author. “It’s a necessity.”
Private
First Class Christopher M. Gardner, Mike Company, 3rd Recruit Training
Battalion, grew up in Richmond, Mo., a small town of 5,000 citizens, where the
land was for farming and the football fields were the glue that kept the
community together.
“Everyone
knows everyone in a small town,” said 18-year-old Gardner. “Football is the
talk of the town, and on game day, everyone is there ready to see some
contact.”
There
wasn’t much to do in the small farm town, so by the age of 10, Gardner was
competing in football and wrestling. During his off time, he practiced his
skills in karate as well as soccer.
“I
love to compete and do some kind of sport that involves a brotherhood and
shared misery between a group of guys putting in the hard work,” said Gardner.
“Me and my brother spent a lot of time in the yard wrestling each other until
we were both out of energy.”
Gardner
and his brother are about as close as two brothers could be. They both competed
on the wrestling and football teams together, but eventually they went separate
ways.
“I
love football, and when I started receiving scholarship offers, I was thankful
I could further my football career,” said the 6-foot-1-inch linebacker. “My
brother, on the other hand, is really good at wrestling. He’s 16 years old and
ranked in the top ten in the nation. I know he’ll pursue his wrestling career
in college.”
Gardner
explains his father was a big inspiration on his brother and him and always encouraged
them to stay active in sports and school.
“After
my father passed away when I was 13, I stayed motivated and kept competing
because I know he would’ve wanted that for me,” said Gardner.
Competition
wasn’t the only thing on the young man’s mind. He had something else he felt he
needed to complete.
In
the family’s garage sat an ‘88 Fox Body Mustang, which they were going to bring
back to life.
“He
bought it for a father-son project,” said Gardner. “I decided I was going to
finish it in his memory, and it was easy at first.”
The
car was stolen from the garage and when they found it, there wasn’t much left
other than the body and the motor.
“Once
I got the car back, I started working different jobs to raise the money to fix
it,” said Gardner. “I was driving the car down the road by age 16 and still
drive it today.”
Gardner’s
father not only motivated him to be an athlete and car enthusiast, but also he
gave him the inspiration he needed to join the military.
“My
father was an Army Airborne Ranger, and that always kept my interest sparked
with the military,” said the new Marine.
Gardner
will be a reservist in the Marine Corps, which gives him the opportunity to go
to college and pursue his football career.
“I
received offers from a few places, but I decided to go with Wartburg College in
Waverly, Iowa,” said Gardner. “After I graduate, I plan to attend Officer
Candidate School to become an officer in the Marine Corps.”
Before
he can hit the gridiron though, he will be attending the School of Infantry in
Camp Pendleton, Calif., where he will go through Marine Combat Training. Upon
completion of MCT, he will pursue his military occupational specialty as a
field radio operator. Following his Marine Corps training, he will begin his
dream of playing football, too.
“I’m
honored to be graduating with my platoon and as the company honorman,” said
Gardner. “My drill instructors trained me well, and I look forward to my future
experiences with the Corps.”