That seemed to encourage him.
“Well, let me give you an example.”
Margaret closed her eyes briefly, the way someone does when they know a storm is coming. Frank leaned back in his chair and began describing a training exercise from the early seventies. Young Marines under pressure. Command decisions made in seconds. Mistakes that could cost lives. The story itself wasn’t exaggerated. I had heard similar ones before from men of his generation. But as he spoke, his tone slowly shifted. It moved from storytelling into something else. Instruction.
“See,” he said, pointing slightly with his fork, “command isn’t about being smart. Plenty of smart people fail.”
“That’s true,” I said.
“It’s about judgment, character, the kind of backbone you only build through experience.”
Daniel rubbed his temple. Margaret focused very carefully on cutting her chicken. Frank continued.
“You’ve got to know how Marines think, how they react under pressure.”
He paused, looking at me.
“That’s not something you pick up from spreadsheets.”
“No,” I agreed.
He nodded, satisfied.
“Exactly.”
There was another short silence. Then Frank added something that changed the air in the room.
“The trouble nowadays is people think leadership can be taught in classrooms.”
“Dad,” Daniel said quickly.
Frank ignored him.
“They hand out rank like it’s just another promotion.”
Margaret finally spoke.
“Frank, that’s enough.”
“I’m just saying what everyone’s thinking.”
He looked at me again.
“No offense.”
I smiled faintly.
“None taken.”
But Daniel had had enough.
“Dad,” he said firmly, “Elaine understands the military better than you think.”
Frank raised an eyebrow.
“Oh, yeah?”
He leaned forward slightly.
“How so?”
Daniel hesitated. Because Daniel knew exactly how so, but the moment hadn’t come yet, so he simply said:
“She’s worked around it for years.”
Frank gave a skeptical grunt.
“Well, working around it isn’t the same as living it.”
I let that pass. Margaret tried again to redirect the conversation.
“Elaine, you grew up in Ohio?”
“Yes. Small town outside Dayton.”
“Military family?” Frank asked.
“My father was Air Force.”
Frank perked up slightly.
“Oh, yeah? Maintenance officer?”
I nodded.
“Good branch.”
