Parris Island graduate becomes 7th Marine in his family

Sebastian Haag wanted to be like his father.

And so when he decided to join the Marines, it was his father who helped him prepare.

“I had him reduce his caloric intake and increase his cardio,” Erik Haag, Sebastian’s father, told a Marine Corps public affairs officer. “We also went to the gym five days a week.”

When Sebastian graduated boot camp at Marine Corps Recruit Depot in September, he became the seventh Marine in his family — a line that includes Erik.

“Seeing the way my father carried himself professionally, I wanted to follow in his footsteps,” Sebastian said in a Marine Corps release.

Erik said he could feel the pressure his son was under from reading the recruit’s letters during boot camp. Sebastian, 18, is from Montgomery, N.J.

Photos from Parris Island show Sebastian participating in combat drills, patrolling during the 54-hour Crucible and finally standing with the fellow Marines in his family when the 13-week training was complete.

“To me, being a United States Marine is the highest honor,” Erik said in the release.

This story was originally published December 2, 2016 at 10:52 PM.