By KEITH GRANT
The son of Neal and Gwendolyn Thompson of Birch Court, Kurtis deployed to Kuwait on Feb. 14, Valentine's Day, to take part in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Thompson had joined Marines right out of Long Beach High School, not knowing where his military career would bring him.
"His goal is to go to college," his father Neal said. "I don't think he thought he'd have to go to war!
His son, he said, has always been just a regular guy. A nice kid, who tended to quietly keep to himself. His parents were surprised by his interest in the Marines, but were supportive when he said his desire was to earn his way into college.
"We weren't really nervous at the time," his mom said. Now, though, they sit and wait for some word from their son who had called almost daily in the weeks before he shipped out.
"That's the hard part," Neal said. "Especially when you hear of people getting killed. They have to identify the bodies, and you don't know. You have to wait. We just hope for the best."
Thompson, they remembered, wasn't thrilled with the idea of going to war in Iraq when hostilities first seemed inevitable. But as time went on, he became anxious to play his part.
"In the end, he was ready," Gwendolyn said. "He wanted to go. I know he was ready."
Thompson, a lance corporal, has been stationed full-time at Camp Lejeune, N.C., since completing the Marines' rigorous 12-week boot camp at Parris Island, S.C., not long after his graduation from Long Beach High School. The Marines' basic training is no summer camp, and when he made it through, Thompson was extremely proud of his accomplishment.
"When he did that, he was very proud!" Neal said. "He was very proud he made it through."
"And we were proud of him," Gwendolyn added.
Her son had always been a bit of a history buff, Gwendolyn said. He used to come home from school and tell her what he learned in history that day. But the parents also noticed an infatuation he had with the military at a young age. As a kid, his floor would be littered with tiny green toy soldiers.
Yet, they still recognize a touch of irony with his current situation. Kurtis was born in Trinidad and was living there when the first Gulf War broke out in 1991. Knowing only that America was at war, the youngster, his parents recalled, was afraid to come to the U.S.
"And look where he is now!" his mother laughed.
The Thompsons, though, miss their son and are anxious to hear from him. They hope to be able to send him a videotape message soon. They already know exactly what they want to say to their son.
"Whenever I talk to him, I always tell him I love him," Gwendolyn said. For Neal, he would tell his son to "stay strong."
"Stay strong, whatever you're doing, and come home alive and in one piece."
