Father and Son to Fight Together in Iraq
Feb. 20, 2005 — -- When Chris Phelps left Camp Lejeune, N.C., for Iraq last week, he said goodbye to his family, but the 34-year-old Marine major told his father he would see him shortly.
That's because Master Gunnery Sgt. Kendall Phelps, a 57-year-old music teacher from Silver Lake, Kan., will be joining his son there next month.
Last Fought in Vietnam
Members of the 5th Civil Affairs Group, the Phelpses will spend seven months together in Al Anbar province, one of the most dangerous areas of Iraq.
"I'm psychologically imbalanced, " joked Kendall Phelps, a Vietnam Veteran who last saw combat 37 years ago.
He reluctantly retired from the Marine Reserves in 1999, but after Sept. 11 Kendall began trying to re-enlist.
He became even more determined when Chris' Marine unit reached Baghdad in March 2003 and he e-mailed a photo home to his dad with the caption, "Wish you were here!"
"I just felt like I had all this knowledge and training," recalled Kendall. "And here I am sitting at home eating Post Toasties while young devil dogs like my son are over there. And I just needed to be a part of it."
Last November, Kendall's campaign paid off. He was invited to join a Marine unit helping Iraqis rebuild their society. It turned out to be the same unit his son is in.
Chris said he then asked his dad, "Why do you want to do this?" and his dad's response was, "I'm a Marine. I'm an American. I'm patriotic. I believe in what we're doing. And I wanna make a difference."
Rare Type of Family
It is rare for members of the same family to serve together in the same unit. Ever since World War II, the military has discouraged it. But if relatives volunteer to serve together there is no policy against it.
"I think they will take comfort in the fact that they're both there, but for us it will be twice as hard," said Kendall's wife, Sherma.
Chris' wife, Lisa, says her four young boys are having a tough time with dad's second tour in two years.
"A 6-year-old and a 5-year-old -- they don't understand why," said Lisa, beginning to cry.
Still, Lisa and Sherma support their husbands' mission and are thankful they'll keep an eye on each other in Iraq.
"It's not me watching after Chris or Chris watching after me," said Kendall. "There are other Marines watching out over each other. And that's what the Marine Corps teaches us -- to look out for each other."