Photo By Staff Sgt. Christopher O'Quin | (Left) Pfc. Brandon Willibey, an aviation ordnance technician student and this brother...... read more read more
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BUFFALO, N.Y. - Those fortunate to have brothers share a unique bond that few without can understand. Through life, they experience vastly different trials and tribulations into adulthood, yet that bond remains. For brothers Brandon and Justin Willibey, they share another bond – a bond earned through blood, sweat and perseverance on an island some would describe hell. And through their three-month test, they have earned their place in a brotherhood that few will ever know. They have earned their place as United States Marines.
Last summer, Brandon, age 23, and Justin, age 19, left their home in Springville, New York, and their jobs at Ralph Wilson Stadium, for Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island to become Marines. They both chose the Corps to enrich their lives. The brothers stepped on the “Yellow Footprints” on Parris Island in June of 2015, and since that fateful day, they have never looked back.
“Ever since I graduated recruit training, my capacity for patience and attention to detail has been the biggest change,” said Lance Cpl. Justin Willibey. “I’ll spend a lot of time making sure the position of my ribbon on my uniform is straight or checking for neatness. That feeds into the pride I have.”
“My girlfriend notices now how much more organized I am,” said Lance Cpl. Brandon Willibey. “She loves that I have that situational awareness.”
While the Marine way of life left an impression on the Willibey’s, the two left an impression on the Recruiting Substation commander, Staff Sgt. Eric Crumley.
“When they came into my office and the delayed entry program, they were already very well disciplined, well manned and forward leaning motivators,” said Crumley. “Sometimes when people go into recruit training, they lack the drive or don’t have the focus, which was not the case with these two. Their upbringing and job responsibilities started them on a good foundation that the Corps was able to build upon.”
Before the Willibey’s raised their right hands in swearing service to their country, the two had already worked for years with their father as part of stadium operations at Ralph Wilson Stadium where the Buffalo Bills play. Brandon often worked security, while Justin worked with day to day operations and construction.
“They’ve been with me on game day, they’ve helped me straighten goal posts on windy days, hang the dozens of flags and take them down before and after the game,” said Jim Willibey, operations associate for Ralph Wilson Stadium. “I was already proud of all they did before they joined the Marines, Brandon had a Bachelor’s Degree, Justin had an Associate’s Degree.
But wow, what a difference it was seeing them for the first time in three months on the Moto Run. I was beaming with pride, heck I still get choked up thinking about how far they’ve come. I gave them a good start on life, but the Corps was a catapult for their future.”
Brandon and Justin graduated Recruit Training with Platoon 1077, Bravo Company, 1st Recruit Training Battalion, September 18th, 2015, leaving the depot with an experience they could share that few others could ever comprehend.
“It’s funny. The Drill Instructors would get us confused because of similar appearance and just call us ‘Thing 1’ and ‘Thing 2’ or when we were doing good in boot camp they called us the ‘bash brothers’,” said the Willibey’s with a smile. “Also when one of us was going through physical incentive training at the [front of the squad bay], the other had to go up too. Both us would be doing push-ups together. We would be sweaty and sore, but it was something we improved on together.”
Now that the brothers have earned their place as Marines, they are learning their unique job skills, which they will use throughout their time in the Marine Corps.
Brandon is currently training at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point N.C. to become an aviation ordnance technician where he is learning the specifics of fixed-wing aircraft ordnance.
“It feels great to be in training. Today, I got to see the insides of some ordnance and learn the ins and outs of such a unique trade,” said Brandon. I’m also happy because I’m also doing what I joined to do and that is travel, see more of the world.”
Meanwhile, Justin is more than 1,000 miles away from his brother, currently in training to be a military policeman at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.
Brandon is considering serving 20 years as a “lifer” while Justin is still undecided on his enlistment plans in the next four years. Both Marines have careers ahead of them, and while there may be miles between them, the brothers share a bond that few others will ever know – the bond of brotherhood strengthened by the eagle, globe and anchor etched onto their hearts.
| Date Taken: | 03.01.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 03.01.2016 16:32 |
| Story ID: | 190735 |
| Location: | BUFFALO, NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: | 252 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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