Moorpark Marine Joined the Corps Because of 9/11

Ten years ago Moorpark resident John Brockus Sr. stood in front of his TV in shock as he watched one of the Twin Towers burning, apparently struck by an airplane. Shock turned to horror as he watched another plane strike tower two, and then they started to collapse.

As he sent his son John Brockus Jr. off to school, not wanting him to see the news, he had no way of knowing that by the the time he returned from school that day, his son would have decided he wanting to become a Marine.

Shortly after, Brockus Jr. joined the Young Marines and his training began. For a while there was little talk between father and son about his interest in joining Corps.

Years passed and, as his 18th birthday approached, the Moorpark High School graduate went to see a Marine recruiter. The time to do his part in the fight for freedom was nearing. Brockus Sr., while trying to be supportive, also tried to dissuade his son from joining the military, but was very clear his young son had made up his mind five years earlier on the day the Twin Towers fell.

If his son was going enlist, he wanted him to explore all his options and took him to speak with recruiters from the Army, Navy, and Air Force but Brockus Jr. was U.S.M.C. all the way.

Finally he asked his son, "Why do you want to be a Marine so badly?"

"Dad," he said, "I want to be the first guy through the door."

Having had a career in law enforcement, dad knew excactly what he meant, and he was proud.

The entire nation has had to make changes and adjustments since 9/11. Going through airport security will never be the same, and we learned to live with terror alerts that kept changing colors.

But those who stay behind while their wives, husbands, children and parents go off to war and worry about the safety of their loved ones every day as they go into harm's way. Brockus and his wife, Erin, know this all too well.

"Even though John is a grown man, he's still my son and I was used to always knowing where he was and if he was ok. I could always check on his well being, the not knowing is the hardest part," Senior said.

In the Patch interview, a news report about a Sept. 11 terror plot that was just uncovered airs on television and the tension in the room ramps up quickly as Brockus leans forward to listen carefully to the details. The concern on his face is evident as he waits to hear if his son may be affected. When the report is over, he says "the news is so much more intense for me now."

John Brockus Jr. is now a crew chief on an amphibious assault vehicle deployed in Japan as part of a disaster relief mission. He is a proud member of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit. If you'd like to send him notes of appreciation, you can write to jmbusmc@gmail.com.