[September 7, 2023] Sergeant Jimmy John Grayson was an NCO in my U.S. Army Platoon back when I was a new Lieutenant. One day, he came to me to tell a story about a young woman he had met and wanted my opinion. I was willing to listen but am usually guarded with my opinions, especially in relationships. But since he was adamant about getting my attention, I was willing to sit down and listen. This is a good news story.
I let Sergeant Grayson talk. I remember it because what he said was so out of the ordinary. Grayson had spent more than ten years in the Army and had dedicated his life to the service and our country. He was the kind of Soldier any leader would want to have: mature, honest, helpful, hard-working, positive attitude, willing to do anything asked of him, happy with life overall, and the kind of guy you could give a task and it would get done without worrying about. He was what officers call a Soldier’s Soldier. Grayson was 28 years old.
One evening, Grayson was in a local hospital because he brought into the ER a buddy of his with a knife wound. His friend had been attacked by a group of thugs while leaving a restaurant. Grayson was rightly worried, so he wandered about the hospital complex and, at one point, found himself in the hospital’s mainframe computer room (back when they had these). There, he was met by a young woman who smiled at him. As he tells it, she was cute, well-built, and seemed interested in him. He got her phone number and left. A few days later, he called her.
After speaking with her a few times, he asked for a date, and she readily accepted. The date went well, so he asked her for a second date, this time to a movie and dinner. She invited him to her parent’s house, he accepted, and he met her family. The family seemed friendly, and her dad enjoyed his time with Grayson, cooking burgers on a backyard grill, playing with the dogs, and eating at a large outdoor family-style table. There were eight kids. The dad also encouraged Grayson to continue dating his daughter.
On the third or fourth date, Grayson told me he became suspicious of the young girl because she had a few minor problems keeping up with his conversation. Then he asked her outright how old she was. She said 15 (legally below the age of consent). You can imagine the shock. She was what we called jail bait; too young to be dating a 28-year-old, and if caught, he could be prosecuted. He quickly took her home. The young lady was disappointed and said that she would soon be 16 and, besides, she had her father’s permission to date older men, and her dad liked Grayson.
He asked me what to do. He liked her. I asked him if it would be possible to bring her to the military base to give her a tour and to meet with me and the unit Chaplain. He agreed. They were clearly compatible, seemed happy with one another, and she was obviously enamored with Grayson but was 15. It was agreed that if they wanted to continue the relationship, any date had to be at her parent’s home until she was 16. They both agreed.
A couple of years ago, Grayson called me out of the blue. I’d not heard from him in decades, and I had lost track like so many folks I’d met over the years. He called to thank me for the advice and getting the Chaplain involved. He wanted also to give me an update.
Grayson said he followed our advice, dated this young lady for two more years, and then married shortly before her 18th birthday. They are still married, have four children and 13 grandchildren, living in South Carolina on a small farm, and recently retired from a second career as the owner of a construction company.
Now, that is indeed a good news story of the day. No regrets.
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yes! a true good news story
Like so many folks that write here in the leadership forum of this blog by Gen. Satterfield, we spend a good deal of time throwing ideas around. Then, on occasion, Gen. S comes up with something totally out of the ordinary and this is the kind of article we get. Thank you sir.
More of them is okay with me.
Gen. Satterfield knows so many people that I am outright amazed. Good for you Gen. Satterfield. This is one of the huge advantages of being in the Army. I know you don’t recommend it today because the Army is WOKE and that means sucking up the Marxist ideology imposed upon the troops by political generals, but after affirmative action Lloyd Austin III is kicked out and finally put out to pasture, then maybe we can fix things and get back to the real mission of our military.
A truly happy ending. But not yet an ending. Are more grandkids on the way?
“Grayson said he followed our advice, dated this young lady for two more years, and then married shortly before her 18th birthday. They are still married, have four children and 13 grandchildren, living in South Carolina on a small farm, and recently retired from a second career as the owner of a construction company.”
👀👀👀👀👀 Look for this in your life. Don’t buy into what the liberal social media morons are telling you.
Yes, a feel good story of the day. Thanks.
Yep, and more like this is fine with me. But, I also enjoy social and cultural trends, and understanding them too. Gen. Satterfield has done a great job of explaining social trends and the harm that often comes with “new” and more “modern” trends. This is on the back of the feminist movement that constantly lies to women that they are exactly like men and only men are holding them back. Or that the most important thing in a woman’s life is her career. Remember that those same women get to the age of about 30 to 35 and suddenly realize they are hitting their biological wall for having children and now have to make critical choices fast or forever be childless and die alone with their cats.
Ouch, Janna, I do think you’ve hit upon something “modern” women have completely missed. They believe that marriage is slavery (part of the feminist ideology) and thus reject marriage outright. That is why half of all women are single and childless. As they move into their 50s, the suicide rate jumps and they admit, finally, they were suckered. by then it is too late.
Well said, Janna. 😊 And so true. Nothing is worse than dying alone.
For political liberals, they want to die alone because it’s their “right.”
Big age gap but it worked out. Imagine going out on a date and the girl looks like she’s 21 but is actually 15. That is one mature girl.
Lovely story ……. ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
A real love story! Thanks Gen. Satterfield.
And well done. I’m happy to hear that those who marry young, stay married. Those who marry late after “playing the field” are much more likely to divorce.
Where did u get that last part of your argument, Pooch? Playing the field, so to speak, is the modus operandi of modern society and that is why most women seeking matrimony today have such a high body count and because of sex with so many men, they can no longer be satisfied with one man and develop a strong emotional bond with him. Oh, I made your argument for you.
Wow, didn’t know that…..