By: Shadrian Hamrick
Dreams that were fulfilled, scared of failure, but left a never-forgotten accomplishment to the Army
Adrian B. Hamrick is a military man in every sense of the term. The military helped him fulfill his dreams, deal with his fear of failure and give him a never-forgotten sense of accomplishment. The Army made him into what he is today.
Adrian was influenced by his father to join the Army. “My father was a Soldier during the Korean War; I enjoyed hearing some of his War time stories that influenced my decision to join the Army,” he said. His father didn’t convince to join; he just went by his example.
Adrian joined the Army on Feb. 17, 1983 as an infantryman, just as his father had done before him. He served a full 25 years before retiring.
People often ask him the same question: “Why did you stay so long?”
“It takes a special person first to serve his/her country, then to recognize how serving changes your perspective on life,” he says. “Prior to my enlistment my priorities were God, family, friends, and money and at some point country would have been important to me. After joining the Army, my priorities changed to God, country, and family in that order.”
Growing up Adrian had no other ambitions for his future than joining the Army.
“I always knew exactly what I wanted to become and that was a soldier. I did not believe or think that I would accomplish all the things that I did while serving,” he said.
He grew up in the inner city of North Charlotte, NC, the fifth child of seven.
“We were one another’s keeper,” he says. Our parents instilled in us the value of learning a trade or going to college after completion of high school. In our household graduating from high school was an implied responsibility and not something you gave a thought of not accomplishing,” he explained.
But he also saw some difficult things in his neighborhood: gang activity and people being murdered every other day. The police were afraid to come into certain areas after hours. He learned early how important life is. And he was ready for a more positive atmosphere.
“The Army allowed me to grow and become a man of honor; my kids can be proud of that. The Army allowed me to take those negative influences in my life and make a positive change,” he said.
But as much as he wanted the military life, he found it hard to leave his family behind. He has one daughter and three sons. He realizes there were many special moments he missed out on that he cannot get back.
He was involved in four war zones over his 25 years yet his biggest fear was how to make his family understand how important his job was and the reason why he could not be at home as often as they wanted him too.
“I coped with not being around my family by knowing that I am a part of an organization whose main goal is to protect its country and all it citizens,” he said.
The most devastating situation he faced with his family was when he heard the news of the unexpected death of his brother.
“I received a late night phone call from my family telling me that my baby brother, whom I was very close to, had died in a car accident. The Army was becoming a part of my life, but my family was my life even though I was not able to be around them like I wanted to,” he said. It hurt but he says he became even stronger and more centered on the military.
Adrian not only had to cope with the death of his younger brother, but also with the loss of numerous friends and family members in a different sense.
“I lost many colleagues due to war, and I lost the connection with family members because I was a part of the Army. I cannot label the number of lives that were lost due to war, but it was many of them,” he said. He realizes how lucky he was that he wasn’t ever gunned down.
The Army left a positive impact on his life in many ways. For example it gave him the opportunity to experience different countries. The Army taught him to be self reliant and how to handle the hardest circumstances one can ever be faced with in life.
“The greatest feeling and most modest accomplishment in my career is being selected 367th person to earn the Guard Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Identification badge, a national monument located in Arlington national cemetery. This is not only part of military history, but in my opinion it is black history.”
He earned the rank of Sergeant Major (E-9), which is the highest rank for an enlisted soldier to achieve. He explained that the enlisted rank starts at E-1 and ends at E-9.
“Being a Sergeant Major is an amazing feeling,” he said.
“I do not regret joining the Army. As a matter of fact it turned out to be the best decision I ever made. It changed my life in many positive ways; I became a man of honor, by protecting my country and its citizens. I became the man my parents were proud of. I am now a positive image to young males who think that the street is a way of life for them.”
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