"My son is a graduate from class #4. Words do not easily convey the gratitude my wife and I feel for your program.
Our son was making all the wrong decisions in his life. He was 18 years old and flunking out of high school. He was seriously involved with drugs and becoming more and more violent at home. No matter how hard we tried he was going further from us. We had become "the enemy". I was absolutely certain that he would be dead or in jail within a year.
Our hearts were breaking. This was our son, our own flesh and blood. Nothing we tried mattered and everywhere we turned couldn't help. Then a high school assistant principal told us about FLYCA. My son was on the verge of being expelled along with flunking out. You could see in his eyes that he didn't want to trash his life, but he didn't know how to turn things around. He agreed to go to FLYCA.
We sat on him 24/7 for the whole month before he went to FLYCA to ensure he didn't use any drugs and disqualify himself on his initial drug test. When he stepped on the bus to go to Camp Blanding my wife and I felt a huge relief, but not everyone was so lucky. I saw other families absolutely destroyed when their son or daughter didn't pass that drug test and could not go. As we walked to the car to leave I wondered what would become of their children, and I thanked God that mine was on the bus.
The change was small at first. His letters home were more upbeat. Then he began to speak of his life after FLYCA. He wrote of his plans to get a job and to become the son we could be proud of. He wrote about the mistakes he had made in the past and what he was learning from FLYCA. It was hard. No doubt about that. His descriptions of the military boot camp lifestyle brought tears to my wife's eyes. But we could see that he was changing. Soon we found out how much he was changing. Family Day.
We drove five hours to Starke, Florida and on the appointed day at the scheduled time we waited with a crowd of parents and friends on the grounds of Camp Blanding. Hundreds of people waiting almost silently, afraid of the moments for which they had prayed and wished so hard. Suddenly we heard boots on pavement. Cadence being called and a huge grey mass was coming down the street towards us. In precision with heads held up our sons and daughters paraded past us. We cheered and screamed. More than a few tears flowed freely. We listened intently to the various staff members, but we really only heard our own thoughts as we waited for the moment when the formation was dismissed and we could touch, hug and talk to our cadet.
The time went far too swiftly. The cadets formed into their various groups and marched away. Again the tears flowed. But we had renewed hope. The difference had been obvious. Our son was polite. He was clear headed. And he was going to survive this and even flourish in this environment.
The rest of his time at FLYCA went by sometimes slowly and sometimes swiftly. There were mountains of letters back and forth (most from his mother). Home visits came and so quickly finished. Finally we were at the end. Graduation! We made the long trip to the hotel where the graduation was to be held. Again at the appointed day and time we waited. Then we heard the sound. Boots marching. Cadence being called. Our son was here. The graduation was a blur to me. It seemed that we had crammed literally thousands of people into the ballroom for the graduation. All of them just like me happy, relieved, cheering and most of all proud.
My son is working fulltime now and has established himself in his own apartment. He has been considering enlisting in the Army. He is living his life on his own terms. He isn't always exactly where he wants to be. He isn't always doing everything he wants to do. I guess that means he is living as an adult now. My son never went to jail. He never died from drugs or violence. He now faces challenges, disappointments and happiness as a man. FLYCA is responsible for my son being able to live his life. This is a debt that I owe FLYCA and can never fully repay. Thank you!"
Randy
