Customer Reviews

Keeping Faith: A Father-Son Story About Love and the U.S. Marine Corps

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3 star:		(4)
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1 star:		(2)

 

 

I recently received a copy of the new book, "Keeping Faith" by Frank and John Schaeffer for review. This book is a collaborative effort between a Marine (John) and his father (Frank). It not only tells the story of one young man's journey from a "nasty" civilian to a Marine, via Paris Island, but it explores the feelings between a son and a father during that
transition. Though two of my own kids made that journey nearly four years ago, this book dredged up all the emotions of that time-the selfish disappointment at having a child leave home, the anxiety over whether they would make it, and the pride in having a son or daughter become a member of America's most elite fighting force. It also brought new understanding to what the training at Parris Island accomplishes and painted the vivid details that my own kids omitted when recounting their experience.

Throughout the book, the chronological story of the training at boot camp is interspersed with John Schaeffer's poetry and letters to his dad and Frank's letters to Recruit Schaeffer. "Keeping Faith" unveils the love and emotions of a father and son in an intimate way and examines the subtle changes in that relationship that the journey from childhood to adulthood, via the Marine Corps, brings. If you are a the parent of a poolee or new recruit, this book will be invaluable to understanding what your son or daughter is about to undertake and what it will mean to you. For those who have already made the journey, "Keeping Faith" will rekindle all those emotions, from your recruit getting on the bus, to the pride filled day of graduation. It should be mandatory reading for all Marine parents. Even your non-Marine friends would gain an understanding of why Marines and their parents are so proud of the title, United States Marine.

I highly recommend this book to all.

Neal Wells
Proud Father of...

2 Marines and an Airman

Keeping Faith details, through Father and Son journal excerpts, letters and conversations, the days leading up to, and during, Frank Schaeffer's youngest son John's enlistment into the USMC. The book presented me with moments of hilarity, and tears. I recommend it strongly not only to Fathers and Sons, but also to military families everywhere.

For Fathers the book provides an honest look inside a father's heart as he struggles with the issue of letting go of his youngest child, while facing the realities of the empty nest.

For Sons the book gives an intimate look and one son's path to manhood, as he breaks away from his father's shadow and enhances his sense of self, without ever leaving his father's heart.

For USMC fans the book offers an intimate look inside the Corps experience. From the hell of boot camp life and the interdependence it fosters among the recruits to the often-frustrating life within the Corps that follows boot camp graduation. What an eye opener for those whose only experience with the Marine Corps is that which is presented by Hollywood!

What a book!

This book covers a cross section of subjects. While I think the father intended it's focus to be about his relationship with his son, the son's in-depth narrative of boot camp and his transformation into a Marine were much more touching to me.

As to the father-son relationship, this is the tale of a loving father who is losing his son as he grows to a man. And this really starts before he enters the Marines as he becomes more attached to a girl of whom the father does not approve...When the son John enters boot camp, the real excitement starts as you live through the experience with him. The brainwashing of these recruits seems extreme until you watch these recruits grow into the type Marines the DIs wanted. I'm not sure I could survive the mental and physical effects of boot camp and anyone who has passed boot camp is to be commended. It's interesting to watch these guys struggle the last few weeks with injuries that should be treated but would only delay the recruit's training.

After boot camp, the book then shows the negative of the military. This motivated recruit is sent for Morse Code training for 4 months only to be sidelined for over a year, as his security clearance has not been processed in Washington. What a waste of taxpayer money and young people's lives. But even this demeaning treatment does not shake the extreme pride in the Corp.

Probably the most important lesson of this book is how a son from an upper-middle class family chooses a career in the Marines while suffering the ridicule of the liberal friends of his parents and how his father's attitude changes about this. I felt this could have been covered in more depth. More importantly, this recruit bonds with the fully integrated Marines and learns to share many experiences with most other recruits less fortunate.

I strongly recommend this book to learn more of one of our greatest natural resources, the men and women who choose to serve in the military. The most heart-wrenching part of this book is seeing the stories of Marines with families who qualify for food stamps. People, something is not right with that concept

The caterpillar to butterfly story of the development of young men who have joined the military is an old, old story. Certainly many books poke at this timeless theme, and Hollywood certainly isn't unfamiliar with the same theme. John Schaiffer and his father Frank do justice to this idea without becoming trite or syrupy.
The book examines what it mean to become a Marine. But it also directly and indirectly digs into the idea of commitment to a higher idea...in this case giving up oneself to become a member of an elite group of fighting men, and in the process getting back more than one gave up. It flip flops between John's narrative and his fathers observations. Interesting.
As a former Marine I found a connection with John. Having gone through bootcamp in June of 1967 in San Diego, the connection to this new generation of Marines is immediate and profound. This, as all former Marines know, isn't new. The membership in this club spans all generations. No generation gap here.

If you're a former Marine, you'll want to read the book for obvious reasons. If you're not, read it anyway. You'll gain some respect for the youth of today.

I am a United States Marine and I wish that this book had been around before I joined. This book gives a great insight into what recruits go through on Parris Island. My son will be going to recruit training in a few months and he is reading it now. I can think of no way to better prepare a young man or woman for the emotions and day to day life of recruit training than to read this book. This is a wonderful way to prepare a child for life and adulthood in and outside of the military. This book has brought my son and I so much closer in the past few weeks. My wife loved it almost more than I did. You have to read this book.

Fathers and sons will especially enjoy this strong portrait of a relationship transformed by the US Marine Corps.

The writing is full of Frank Schaeffer's cleverly sardonic wit and sweetly honest emotion which punctuates his previous work in the novels "Portofino" and "Saving Grandma".

John Schaeffer is a gifted writer in his own right, conveying the struggle of Parris Island with strength and determination, honesty and insight.

This is a timely book that will change your perception of the Marine Corps and what it means to serve, while revealing what a beautiful relationship fathers and sons can have.

As a mother I have a lot of books to choose from when it comes to mother-daughter relationships. God knows there are enough books about women these days! KEEPING FAITH is a lone voice crying in the wilderness. This is the best book I have ever read for getting under the skin of our menfolk. Want to undersand what really makes men "tick?" Then KEEPING FAITH is for you.

Sure it is about the Marines but this book is really a profound and touching self-revelation about family love and the gentle side of manliness. Any one who has ever loved a child (or a man) will find their heart beating a little faster as she turns the pages. On thing: You won't be able to put it down. Get three pages in you'll be hooked.

Do you want to know what the men and women of our armed services do for our sakes? Do you want to understand what it is like to be the parent of someone in the military? Do you want to know what the voice of a loving father sounds like? Then read KEEPING FAITH. And if you happen to have a Marine or former Marine in the family then forget about your Christmas list. KEEPING FAITH is the only present to give. It is the best read I've had in years. I REALLY DID LAUGH AND CRY.

I am a proud mom of a U.S. Marine. The story was a very familar one to me. I have read many Marine books but this was the first one that seemed to clarify the up/down emotions that a Marine and his parent travels through during the Marine Corp rollercoaster ride. The very last line of the book written by the father made this Marine Mom weep with understanding.
My son at stationed at Camp Lejuene and after finishing this book I immediatly got on Amazon.com and ordered this book for him.

I wish I could sit down with both John and Frank Schaeffer over some pizza. By the end of their book, I felt as if I had gone through the experiences with them. (Although, I'm sure I would not have lasted through the first day of Marine bootcamp!)

This is a moving story between a father and son, and both of their changing perceptions of what it means to be an American citizen. The story is also told from a unique vantage point in that the Schaeffer family is atypical from most military families.

While John Schaeffer is away at Marine bootcamp, the reader watches the individual transformation of John's ideals while he's being instilled with USMC values. It's unbelievable how an 18 year old can change so completely within a few months; his life worries are worlds apart from the typical college freshman. I think this book would be helpful for anyone planning to enlist in our armed services, it gives a very personal narrative of the bootcamp experience. The surprise bonus is that John Schaeffer is a beautiful and powerful poet.

The reader also sees how Frank Schaeffer is transforming into a very different American outside in the civilian world. The father's way to feel close to his son, is to re-evaluate the how he views America's place in the world, the luxuries of being an American citizen, and the treatment of our Armed forces. His questions and his insights made me re-evaluate how I also view these subject matters.

"Keeping Faith" is so powerful because it is written with such personal honesty and empathy. Of course it also helps that both Schaeffers have beautiful writing styles!

I wish I knew how the Schaeffer family has been holding up this last year.

This terrific book made me realize that there is hope for those old anti-military boomers. When his son joins the Marines, the father in this book is horrified and can't understand why. His friends are bewildered and amazed by the decision. It follows the son from high school graduation to Marine Corp graduation. It also follows how it profoundly changed the father as the son overcomes each hurdle to becoming a Marine. It is a great story of the making of a soldier and the lessons we can all learn from the fantastic commitment these young men and women have to the Corp and our country. Using excerpts from letters written by both men, it is a personal and intimate look at father and son and the military experience.