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Then join hand in hand, brave Americans all, By uniting we stand, by dividing we fall; In so righteous a cause let us hope to succeed, For heaven approves of each generous deed.

– The Liberty Song, penned in 1768 by John Dickinson

Four generations, two branches.

One common goal – standing united for freedom.

It was December 1968, Larry Hart had earned his bachelor’s degree in education from Eastern New Mexico University.

With his wife, Dena, and 3-month-old son, Mick, by his side, he accepted a coaching job at Texico, N.M.

A few months later in May 1969, he returned to “walk the stage” and officially accept his diploma with dreams of fulfilling a long career in coaching.

But that would have to wait.

Second Generation

Three days later on June 1, Hart was drafted into the U.S. military to join the fight against communism in the Vietnam War. He would continue in the service his father and five uncles had performed in World War II.

A group of 300 draftees gathered to receive their orders and two would be selected to serve in the U.S. Marine Corps. Hart was one of them.

He was sent to California for six months of training while his wife and son returned to Eunice, N.M., to be near both their parents.

It was pretty intensive training, Larry said.

“It was very physical,” he said. “They were training you to not be timid.”

They instilled the idea that everyone was on the same team and had to become one strong link, he said.

“They came in at 3 a.m. and said grab your bags. We had been training for it, but this time it was the real thing,” Larry said.

Hart and his fellow soldiers were transported to a firebase about a mile from Da Nang, Vietnam.

“Our job was to go on patrol guarding the fire base and protecting the artillery canons positioned on an observation hill,” he said.

During the time Hart was in Vietnam, he said it was fairly calm and America was beginning to withdraw troops.

“We had some close encounters, but never came into true combat,” he said.

Not long after being deployed, his unit returned to complete its service stateside.

For the remainder of his service, he was stationed at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, where his family joined him and a daughter, Michele, was born.

Of his time in the military, Hart said, it was a good experience that strengthened him and his family.

“It is an important job and I think it would be good for everyone to serve their country for two years,” he said.

After he completed his service in the Marines, he resumed a career in coaching.

He coached football, along with other sports, in Lovington, N.M., and Guymon before coaching football and baseball in Kingfisher for more than 10 years.

During his 30-plus years of coaching, Hart had the privilege of coaching his son, daughter and two grandsons.

Third Generation

Continuing the Marine Corp legacy, Mick enlisted in 1988. He spent about a month in Honduras as his unit was sent there on a military mission.

In 1990, he was deployed to Saudi Arabia during Desert Shield/Storm as the U.S. military prepared to liberate Kuwait from the Iraqi tyrant, Saddam Hussein.

When he arrived in August, he said, the average temperature was 120 degrees and it took some time to adapt to the heat.

“The first six months we did a lot of waiting,” Mick said. “We would be out in the field in foxholes covered by huge nets and occasionally get a little time off back at the barracks.”

On one humorous occasion, a curious camel surprised them by sticking its head in the tent and “it didn’t know the danger it was in, because everyone had rounds on them locked and loaded,” he said.

After being “in country” for about three months, Mick and some of the other Marines received an assignment to secure and protect an Army water purification unit that had been set up to turn sea water into drinking water.

“The desert is so extreme,” he said. “In August it was 120 degrees, but around December the weather changed dramatically.

“It rained for four days…. in the desert…and got really cold. It took some time to get the gear we needed for those conditions.”

In January, the U.S. and coalition forces began the bombing campaign of Kuwait and Iraq, continuing for about 30 days.

Every night, he said, they would see an occasional blinking light as the U.S. Air Force flew northward and then they would “light up the horizon.”

“We would gather around and watch the Air Force do their job and just cheer them on,” Mick said.

Then it was time for the infantry to move.

As an infantry machine gunner, Mick and his unit pulled out in amphibious troop carriers (Amtracs) and made their way northward through the desert.

“When we left Saudi Arabia heading north, it was nothing but sand,” he said. “It took most of a day and a night to get to Kuwait and at night the sand looked like snow with the moon shining on it.”

It was a different story when they went into Kuwait.

Oil wells too numerous to count were on fire, shooting flames and oil 50 feet into the air with thick smoke making the day look like night, Mick said.

Initially when the Marines encountered Iraqi soldiers, they met some resistance, but they dispatched the threat pretty quickly, he said.

A mortar round did hit their unit and three men were injured.

“It was a quick ground war lasting four days and I was lucky,” he said.

“We rolled up and those guys for the most part rolled out.”

They were outmanned and they were giving up, waving a white flag, by the 50s and 100s, he said.

“I was so impressed with how it all worked together,” Mick said. “Every branch of service worked together as one force and it was devastating to the enemy.”

As for the things he witnessed, Mick said, it was rough for a while after he got home and he had to deal with it, but he was thankful the war was short.

The longer you’re exposed in that environment, the harder it is to deal with it when you come back, he said.

He returned to the U.S. on St. Patrick’s Day of 1991 and received a warm welcome everywhere he went.

“I was able to be part of an organization with a lot of pride and respect,” he said. “I was also lucky enough to have a warm welcome home.”

When he decided to enlist, he said he chose the Marines because of their strong reputation and also because his dad was a Marine.

“My dad was impressive to me,” Mick said. “He is such a fiery, competitive person, but at the same time he is such a loving man.

“As a coach, he would scream, holler, scare and motivate you on one hand and pat you on the back with the other. It was always balanced.”

Also, he said, his mother was concerned for his safety when he joined the military, but was always very strong and supportive.

“The U.S., by far, is the best country I’ve ever been to,” Mick said. “I couldn’t wait to get back on American soil. It was where I felt the safest and where I wanted to be.”

Several years later, Mick also served a year in the Army National Guard.

Fourth Generation

Last year when Mick’s daughter, Erin, joined the National Guard, he said, it was one of the hardest things he’s done leaving her at boot camp.

Of the Hart’s six grandchildren, four have enlisted in the Army National Guard, carrying on the family tradition of service. Not in the military, as of yet anyway, are Lindsey and Reese, Mick’s oldest and youngest children.

Erin completed her training in February with her cousin, another of the Hart’s grandchildren, Paige, Michele’s daughter.

“It was super rainy and cold all through training, but it was awesome getting to do it with my cousin Paige,” she said.

“We enlisted together, trained together and now we go to drill together.”

Erin’s family’s tradition in the military influenced her decision to join, she said.

When asked about her grandparents she said they are wonderful, Christian people and have been a great influence in her life.

“They always support us and are both hardworking, honest people who love their community, their family and God very much,” Erin commented.

Peyton, Michele’s daughter, is the oldest grandchild and was the first to enlist. Her brother, Trey, also joined within months of his sister and, after completing basic training, is currently training to become a firefighter.

Peyton has worked as a recruiter for the National Guard and will soon take on a new position with the 63rd Civil Support Team - Weapons of Mass Destruction and has plans to continue her service in the Active Guard Reserve for years to come, she said.

“I have absolutely loved every single second of my military career, even the difficult moments,” she said.

Initially, she said, she joined the National Guard for the benefits they offer and to gain a career with purpose, leaving the world better than she found it.

Over the past several years, she said she has learned so much, with one of the biggest aspects being the confidence she has gained.

“I have 100 percent faith in my own abilities now,” Peyton said.

She has also learned many lessons about taking ownership for her actions and how to be an effective leader, she said.

“Giving speeches and having rank or a position of authority doesn’t mean you’re an effective leader. It takes maintaining open communication and developing trust in order to lead,” she said.

As a leader, inspiring words mean nothing when your actions haven’t inspired others, she said.

A Grandad’s Legacy

When asked about her grandfather, Peyton said, “From my earliest memories, I can only recall him being an absolute pillar of joy, love, inspiration and a perfect example of character and integrity in my life.

“I use the word pillar because he is rock solid in his beliefs and it shines through in his everyday actions.”

Those are traits she has always admired, she said, and can now see how his time in the military might have cemented them even further.

“I didn’t know him as Larry Hart, the U.S. Marine, but I have always known him as my granddad, my hero,” she said.

Larry and Dena said they are so proud of their children and grandchildren.

Over 1.1 million American soldiers have sacrificed their lives in combat since the American Revolution, with many others wounded and lives changed forever.

As we remember . . .

“It is an important day because it honors all the veterans,” Larry said.

“Many sacrificed a lot - an arm, a leg, a life - and we owe so much to all the veterans, no matter the branch of service.”

Mick commented, “When I pray, the first thing that comes to my mind are the veterans who have served and the people who have lost their loved ones trying to protect this nation.

“I realize how blessed and lucky I am. My heart goes out to those people and there will still be people willing to take that chance for this nation, no doubt.”

Having only been in the service for a few years Peyton has her own inspiring and poignant words for this Memorial Day.

“I have so much gratitude for the sacrifices of the men and women of previous generations who served in the military,” Peyton said.

“I am thankful for the roads they’ve paved and the opportunities they’ve made available for all of us now and we should take advantage of the opportunity of life, not letting their sacrifices be in vain.

“I would also add that one service member isn’t just one. It’s that soldier/ marine/seaman/airman gone, but it’s also their mom, dad, grandparents, children, friends…forever impacted by the loss,” she added.

“Every soul has a ripple effect and I’m glad that we are able to acknowledge that ripple effect.”