What I've Learned: Gabriel George

Photo By Sgt. Levi Schultz | Lance Cpl. Gabriel George, Special Intelligence System Communicator, Headquarters Battalion, is an avid reader who had the childhood dream of joining the 101st Airborne Division and fighting in World War II. Due to the impracticality of his childhood dream, he followed in his twin brother’s footsteps and joined the Marine Corps. (Official Marine Corps photo by Pfc. Levi Schultz/Released)  

TWENTYNINE PALMS, CA, UNITED STATES

06.08.2015

Story by Pfc. Levi Schultz 

Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center

TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. - Lance Cpl. Gabriel George, Special Intelligence System Communicator, Headquarters Battalion, is an avid reader who had the childhood dream of joining the 101st Airborne Division and fighting in World War II. Due to the impracticality of his childhood dream, he followed in his twin brother’s footsteps and joined the Marine Corps.

When I was three or four years old, I used to say when I grew up I was going to join the 101st Airborne Division and fight Nazis. Then a couple of years later I learned what time was and realized I couldn’t do that.

I grew up in Joliet, Ill., which is located about 40 miles from Chicago.

I read a lot and, in the past five months, I’ve been through about 26 books. I like science fiction, romance, action and thriller but I read just about anything.

I have a pretty strong imagination, so it’s easy for me to get lost in the book. I’ll throw in my headphones and listen to music that can draw me into the world of the story.

I like that fact that I can experience the lives of all these fictional characters.

You can immerse yourself in a movie as well but a book lasts so much longer. Books pull you out of the world you’re actually in and bring you into a completely unique world with different people who have varying outlooks on life.

I’d recommend the 16 book series, ‘Pip and Flinx,’ by Alan Dean Foster, also John Green is a big upcoming author with books like ‘The Fault in Our Stars,’ ‘Looking for Alaska’ and ‘Paper Towns.’

My dad was the person who got me interested in the science fiction genre when I was young.

My ‘to-read list’ is so big I’ll probably never be able to finish it in my lifetime.

One of the best jobs I’ve ever had was as a delivery boy.

The man I worked for used to be in the Marine Corps and was a drill instructor. He started a sandwich delivery shop in downtown Joliet, Ill. As long as the delivery was less than a mile away we were allowed to take it by foot. The good thing about that was I got a lot of running done, about 12 to 13 miles a day.

It didn’t pay very well but I worked with a lot of good friends.

I didn’t listen to AC/DC until I started delivering to a judge in our town who would order the same thing every day. She would listen to AC/DC and when I would bring her order, she would invite me in to have a conversation. I met a lot of people that I never would have met if I didn’t have that job.

I have a fraternal twin brother who joined the Marine Corps two years prior to me. When he joined I realized that just because I couldn’t be in the 101st Airborne didn’t mean I couldn’t join the military.

I thought “if my twin can do it, I could too.” Instead of wasting my time not doing anything with my life, I decided to try something I’ve always wanted to do.

I’ve been in the Marine Corps for a year and three months. I work as a Special Intelligence System Communicator with the Special Security Office.

Before I joined the Marine Corps, I lived back home with my family. I didn’t really know what I wanted to do with my life so I didn’t want to waste money trying to figure out.

If I could go back in time, there is no way that I’d choose something else. The friends and people that I’ve met mean so much to me.

Everything in life is an experience, that’s how I’ve always looked at it.

• Date Taken: 06.08.2015
• Date Posted: 06.10.2015 21:35
• Story ID: 166212
• Location: TWENTYNINE PALMS, CA, US
• Hometown: JOLIET, IL, US