Around the Springfield Interchange Information office on Tuesday, Jan. 14, things started out as always; but after Debbie Polychrones received a call from her son, Jason, who is a Marine, life would never be the same for either of them. Jason Polychrones got his orders to ship out, destination unknown, but all the recent events pointed to the Middle East, possibly Iraq.
"He called me a half-hour after he found out," said Debbie Polychrones. "I knew it was coming. When I got off the phone, I broke down."
The Marines are short on words sometimes, as well. Jason was issued his desert gear on base, and he knew something was up.
"If you’re getting your desert cammies, [camouflage] you’re going somewhere," Jason Polychrones said.
Debbie's only child, he enlisted at 18 and is now part of Marine Wing 271 out of Cherry Point, N.C. His position is aircraft support, but his mother isn't sure exactly what he does, except for getting a good score on the rifle range with the M-16 rifle, which he bragged about.
"He's real vague on what he's telling me. The Marines, I have no idea why he joined the Marines," Debbie Polychrones said.
Office mate Tracey Keiger remembered that day in the office, too.
"First day was rough for her," she said.
At their house in Annandale, Debbie Polychrones plans on honoring one wish her son had.
"The day he leaves, he wants the flag to go up and not come down until he comes home," she said.
JASON POLYCHRONES GRADUATED from Annandale High School in 1999, and his mother wasn't aware of any plans he had after graduation. Together they looked into Emory-Riddle College, and then he said "take me by the recruiting office," his mother recalled. "I was proud, of course," she added.
Jason wanted to go to school, but it wasn't the time.
"I wanted a change of pace," he said.
Jason Polychrones enlisted for four years' active and four years’ reserve. It carries on a tradition in the family, though, one that his mother is proud of, as well. One of Debbie Polychrones' uncles survived Normandy in World War II, another uncle did two tours in Vietnam, and her father was in the Navy. She noticed a change in her son right after boot camp.
"He came out a different person, in a good way. He grew up a lot," she said.
Since getting the news, Debbie Polychrones watches the news and reads the newspaper about the situation in Iraq and worries.
"I read about everything there is to read now," she said. "I'm hoping it's nothing. I hope they can resolve the issues, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen."
Debbie Polychrones does plan on keeping in touch with Jason, as well.
"Hopefully he can have his laptop there, we don't know," she said. "He'll call home, and I'll write letters every day and keep that flag up. I'll be waiting for that e-mail now every day."
Jason Polychrones plans on keeping a journal, but since he doesn't really know what his situation will be, nothing is final.
"I'm going to try to," he said, but there was an air of adventure in his voice.
"I'm not going to have any regrets," he said of his enlistment.