Once a Marine Always a Marine - Family

Our young lady, to the surprise and delight of her parents, joined the Royal Navy. She had completed a year at college and then a 4 year cabinet makers apprenticeship, followed by a year in Oz and a year as a receptionist. Now she was ready for a challenge. She signed on to become a helicopter engineer. 

She was on weekend leave just after joining HMS Raleigh, she explained that she was the class leader and it was her responsibility on the following Monday morning to report the class to the Colour Sgt Booty drill instructor. The class had been told in no uncertain terms to address him as Colour Sgt and nothing else; so I smiled at the brat and said, “You are family, take a deep breath and call him ‘Colours,’ he will ask you a question but you will be OK, she was worried but promised to do it. On Monday she fell the class in at Open Order presented them to the Booty and said, quaking in her boots, “Class at Open Order ready for inspection Colours.” Apparently there was a sharp intake of breath from the naval Gunnery instructors but Royal just leaned forward and asked, “Your Dad a Bootneck?” “Yes Colours.” Royal peered at the rest of the class over her shoulder and bellowed………….
“She can call me Colours, you lot will address me as Colour Sgt!”

As her class marched towards the Parade Ground for their pass-out parade it was obvious to me that a few were already imagining weekend leave. I slipped into gear…..”GET IN STEP!” A nervous voice from the class said, “My God, it’s her Dad!!”

When she left for training my words were, “Never let them break you, always smile, say yes and get on with it. You can hack it.” At her pass-out she whispered in my left ear, “Dad, go and ask the instructors how I got on.” I approached the group of six or so Naval Instructors and asked, “Can anybody tell me how my little girl got on please?”
“Which one is she?
“Emma.”
“It was you, you bastard!!! We did everything we could but she never cracked, never gave up and was brilliant.” 

Six years later during her promotion course she was taking the class for drill. The Bootneck Sgt wandered up and said, “Well done, a little nervous at first, then you got a grip of them, who taught you that?” 
“My Dad Sgt, he was a Booty.” Make you cry wouldn’t it!