For their entire teenage lives — and maybe even a little longer — R.J. Edwards and Jaiah Grondin knew what they wanted to do upon graduating from high school.
Last year, the two Sedona Red Rock High School seniors signed on the dotted line and this summer will be joining the U.S. Marine Corps.
“Being a Marine has been a lifelong goal and a dream of mine,” Edwards said. “It’s kept me motivated through sports, going to the gym and things outside of school in order to get me closer to my goal. Being a member of the special forces is what my passion has been, probably since the seventh grade.”
As for Grondin, he, too, has been thinking about this for years.
“I want to serve my country and the Marine Corps is the first thing I thought of because they’re the best around,” he said. “Going into the military has always been a dream of mine.”
Both said that while college may be for them in the future, at this time their sights are focused on what’s immediately ahead of them.
“The fact that the Marines are known for challenging you and their basic training is the longest and the hardest of all the branches in the military was appealing to me,” Edwards said. “I think everyone will be more like-minded in that branch of the military.
“Once a Marine, always a Marine, and there is a sense of pride in just being a Marine on its own.”
Grodin agreed and said, “The Marines are first to deploy and I felt like that was more my style. It’s like a family and they have each other’s back no matter what. They’re such a tight-knit family in the Marine Corps and they’re your brother or sister and will do anything for them.”
The two, who have been active in high school sports over the years, have been focused as of late on weight lifting but also a lot of cardiovascular work in preparation for basic training. But as Edwards has been told, being a member of the special forces is 20% physical and 80% mental.
“When we’re training, when you get to that point where you want to quit, you have to force yourself to do one more and one more after that,” Grondin said. “You can’t quit in the moment and that’s where the mental aspect kicks in.”
While their families and friends are proud of what they’re doing, both said their relatives had their fair share of concerns, especially since the country is still actively engaged in wartime action overseas in countries like Afghanistan.
“My family has always been very supportive and there’s obvious concern, especially among my sisters and mom,” Edwards said. “They worry about it a lot. My dad is very supportive but is concerned about my safety as well. They don’t want to change my mind or skew my path because of the way they feel about it. Overall, they are very supportive.”
For Grondin, his relatives weren’t so keen on the idea in the beginning but have since come around to the idea.
“They realized this was my goal in life,” he said. “I think for them it’s more of a shock that it’s almost here being that I have been talking about it since middle school. I understand their concerns and appreciate their support.”
It’s not just their friends and family who are supportive of their decision.
“It makes me very proud to hear that two of our graduates are joining the Marines,” said former Sedona City Councilman Bill Chisholm, who served in the Marines for 10 years. “We [the Marines] have a proud tradition going back to 1775 and I am encouraged that our ranks continue to be filled with patriotic men and women. Semper Fi!”
Sedona-Oak Creek School District Superintendent Dennis Dearden agreed.
“I can’t think of two more talented students to serve our country in the Marines,” he said. “Having a son that chose the military and is now in his 17th year, I know firsthand the dedication these men have to protect our country. The Marines are very fortunate to have both Jaiah and R.J. They will make us all proud.”
