For his sixth birthday—so, we’re on the couch, and it was his sixth birthday was coming up that weekend. And—so keep in mind I was a single mom with two kids, and I say, “Okay,” I say, “It’s a special day this weekend, you got a birthday coming up. If you could have anything you wanted, what would you want for your birthday?”
And he just looked up at me, he goes, “I would want a mom that doesn’t smoke” because I was smoking at the time. And it was like, oh man, I quit smoking that weekend. (laughs)
Without a doubt. He just had a big heart. Just had a big heart. He was a good kid. And he was very small: when he was born he only weighed three pounds six ounces, even though he was pretty much full term—he was only two weeks early. And so he’s really had to work harder his whole life to keep up with his class and, you know, his size with the kids.
And I can remember him playing softball, and they ordered him the smallest shirt that they had, but it still came down to his knees. It looked like a dress, almost. He always ended up walking, mostly, when he would get up to bat, because they could never find his strike zone it was so small.
But for him to become a Marine, to be that small and to work as hard as he did his whole life and to become a Marine—that was a huge thing.
He struggled his whole life. He did have a speech disability, so he stuttered. So, he had to work extra hard for everything. And plus, with his speech impediment, you know, he had to also blend in with the kids. And, you know, kids can be kind of cruel. But they were all really good to Scotty, he really didn’t have any bad times with bullies or anything.
He just, he’s just always had to work super hard his whole life and he always did, he was always a great kid. He knew what was expected of him, and he did it.
Scotty had a big heart. I can remember my stepfather, and his comment was—Scotty had come over, and he was, you know, away from the family for a little while. And Scotty came up and Paul went to extend his arm out for a handshake. And Scotty just pushed his hand aside and just gave him a big hug—he says, “I’m a hugger, not a shaker.” He was just—he just had a big heart. Big heart for a young man.