FauserEric

The Northport Observer

In Grandfathers Footsteps

By Rob Morrison

At age six. Eric Fauser Jr., of Northport, would often rummage through the closet at his grandparent's home and dig out his granddad's old U.S. Marine Corps uniform, saying, "someday I'm going to fit into this. Granddad." Though the uniform hung off his body so many years ago, Eric's grandfather's uniform fits him well today. But he does not sport his grandfather's wares any longer because he has his own uniform to wear. Answering the call of semper fidelus, the U.S. Marine Corps standard, 13 years after his boyhood fashion shows, Eric followed in his marine corps upon graduating high school in 2000. Now Corporal Eric Fauser Jr. with the 2nd Force Service Support Group of the U.S. Marine Corps, faces the biggest challenge of his life: serving in a motor pool somewhere between Kuwait City and Baghdad.

"I love him and am very proud of him," said Eric's father Eric Fauser. "I could not have asked for a finer son. I'm proud that he's answering his country's call. They are going to see things that will change their lives forever. As much as we want them to come home the same, they will be changed to a certain extent."

According to Eric's mother Joyce Fauser, she remembers Eric always being interested in the military. At her son's Cub Scout dinner about 12 years ago Eric stood on a chair between her and his dad as the song "Proud To Be An American" was played. Operation Desert Storm had just begun. When she looked over at her son she saw tears in his eyes. That is when she knew he had the U.S. Marine Corps In his heart. But it was not until he was a sophomore in high school that she says her son become seriously interested in serving in the armed forces. "As much as I didn't want him to go I knew I couldn't make it my decision," Eric's mother said. After graduating from Northport High School in 2000, Eric went into the marine jcorps. He left for boot camp on Paris Island August 14, 2000. Spending 12 weeks on Paris Island, he graduated boot camp November 10,2000. He then spent the holidays with his family before being sent to a base in Missouri and his final destination at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.

Although the time he spent away from his family was distressing for him and his loved ones, the most painful news came Friday, December 13,2002. . His father gathered the family early to break the news that Eric would soon have to be deployed to Kuwait. "We did the crying thing. We did the group-hugging thing. We got in our vehicles and drove down to see him for the weekend. He was great. He ended up leaving two weeks later," Eric's mother said.

He was able to spend Christmas with his family, but had to report back to Camp Lejeune December 26, 2002. With very little notice, Eric was informed that he would be leaving the next day.

"He said, 'I'm ready for this. I love you. I miss you,'" Mrs. Fauser said about a phone call she had with her son before he left for Kuwait. Without time for him to say good- bye to his family in person, Eric left North Carolina with an unknown destination somewhere in Kuwait.

"I always felt bad about it because I didn't get to go down there and say good-bye," his father said. "It was hard. The feelings are mixed. I'm very proud of him. In my opinion he was trained by the best. I feel deep within my heart that he is going to be okay. Unfortunately with war there is death and destruction. He's got a good head on his shoulders. Part of me feels that he should be here and I should be there fighting and protecting him." Within the first two weeks of his deployment, Eric was able to call his family once and even had the opportunity to call his mother on her birthday February 2. Though many letters have been exchanged since, the last correspondence the Fauser family received from Eric was March 13. "Stay smiling," he wrote. "There's nothing more important to me than the happiness and health of my girls," referring to his mother and three sisters, Kellie, Jaime and Kristle, in his letter.

The four siblings have a strong bond, maybe stronger than most brothers and sisters, according to the Fausers. "He's not only our brother, he's our best friend," said Kellie Venini, Eric's oldest sister. "We share all our best memories together. A part of our family is missing without him here. We want him to come home so we can be whole again. He's an amazing person. He's loyal, caring, sincere and fun. He's a perfect brother."

"I feel very lucky to have a brother like him," said Eric's younger sister Kristie. "He's very close to everyone in our family." The three' sisters were heartbroken to see Eric go, but knew that he would not have it any other way. The marine corps was his passion and no one could take that away from him. "I think about him all the time," Kristie said. "I hate going out without him. The hardest part is knowing that if I went to pick up the phone and call him I can't." Since the U.S. declared war on Iraq last week, the Fausers have been glued to news broadcasts in an effort to hear some news as to the whereabouts of their son, brother and grandson. "The past week has been Indescribable," Eric's mother said. "Nothing is normal for anybody. I can't find normalcy. It is so emotional. It's overwhelming."

Eric's grandparents are also nearby, waiting for word from their grandson. "I love him very dearly, "Eric's grandfather Peter Fauser said. "I love all my grandchildren. I don't like to see any of them exposed to danger."

"I'm very anxious and not just for him but for all of our servicemen,"' Eric's grandmother Elite Fauser said. "I have difficulty just focusing on one young man. They are all in it together." Some days are better than others for the Fausers, who continue to wait to hear some word from Eric. They know they cannot contact him, but it is the waiting that causes much of the heartache. The community is very supportive," Mr. Fauser said. "People are always asking how we are. You just have to pull it together. It's like going through your day walking through quicksand. I don't know if I'll have a good night's sleep until he comes home." The Fausers continue to send letters to Eric. The letters contain tidbits about their everyday lives in Northport and personal wishes for him to return safely. Until he comes home, however, the Fausers all wish him well and pray for him each day, hoping the war that took him away from them so abruptly will end soon. "I love you and I know you're doing what you're-doing because it's what you want to do," Kellie said. "I'm proud of you. Be safe. Be you and smile every day. Come home."