John David Hughes Turns 30!

Often this week, my thoughts have been on John and that this Saturday he celebrates his 30th birthday. I'm probably a little more reflective than usual because he's either in Kuwait or back in Iraq, and because it's his 30th. One memory that popped up was of a birthday when he was 3 or 4 and his cake had a tow truck on it. John was fascinated by trucks (and still is) and he said, "When I grow up I'm going to have a tow truck so I can help people." Like most, his ideas of what he wanted to do when he grew up changed several times. At one point, he thought being a forest ranger would be his thing.

But by his mid-teens, his passion was serving in the military. He read everything he could get his hands on, and joined the Marine Corps Reserve shortly after high school graduation. Being a dad, I wanted him to go to college and get on with career rather than going and playing GI Joe. Turns out John knew more about what was good for him than I did. Boot camp and the Marine Corps experiences were life changing for John, and on top of that, he was living his dream and having a great time. Later he did the college and career thing, graduating from A&M and going to work in the maritime industry.

But military service has continued to be a major part of his life, and John often seems happiest when serving. He transferred into the Coast Guard Reserve due to his career interests during the summer of 2001. And since 9/11, John's spent about as much time on active duty as he has in his day job. His current tour is his third active duty stint since that day.

When John broke the news to me that he was being activated and heading for his second tour in Iraq, I asked him how he felt. "Well, it's probably not good for my career at American Eagle, but Dad, you know how I love playing GI Joe."

As he turns 30, I'm proud of the man John is. He's comfortable with who he is, he knows the things that provide meaning to his life, and he is living up to his strong sense of duty, honor, and serving. He misses his wife, is sad that he missed the first Christmas in their new home, and would love to have a shower with clean water, to get to sleep in a real bed for one night, and to have a decent meal (Pappasitos). But who he is says sacrifices are part of serving.

Happy 30th birthday, John. Be safe.