MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- When Pvt. Mohamed Sesay left Dallas 13 weeks ago and arrived here at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego and his bus pulled up to the famous yellow footprints, he knew he was in for a challenge. What he didn’t know was that he would be greeted by someone who had made the same journey he had several years prior, someone who just so happened to be family.
Sesay’s journey to the depot was a long one. Although he came here from Texas, he was actually born and raised in Freetown, Sierra Leone, a West African country bordered by Guinea to the north and Liberia to the southeast. The Civil War of Sierra Leone had just recently started in 1991 and fighting was breaking out all over the country.
“My father left Freetown when I was 2 and came to the United States to try and start a better life for us here because of the civil war that was starting,” said Sesay. “My mother eventually came over as well while my brothers, sisters and I stayed in Freetown with my uncle.”
As the fighting spread through the country his uncle was forced to relocate, taking Sesay and his siblings with him.
Eventually, around his 10th birthday, Sesay and the rest of his family were able to rejoin their parents in the states. It wasn’t until he got to San Diego, however, that he would meet a family member he didn’t know made the trip to the states.
When Company G classed up 13 weeks ago, there were two Sesay’s on its roster: One recruit and one drill instructor.
Sgt. Yusuf Sesay, drill instructor, Company G, Second Recruit Training Battalion came to America in 2001 from Sierra Leone, joined the Marine Corps, and was waiting for his new group of recruits when Recruit Sesay arrived. Although he would be in charge of a different platoon than the one recruit Sesay was assigned, he noticed the name right away.
“The name Sesay is unique,” said Sgt. Sesay. “I know for a fact that we are related but I just don’t know how.”
Because he is a drill instructor, rules dictate that the sergeant can’t have a personal conversation with a new recruit. But as Company G graduates this week, that status of drill instructor and recruit becomes one of fellow Marines and they can talk about how they are related.
“I never favored him because of the relationship we may have,” said Sgt Sesay.
Although there was never any favoritism, Sgt. Sesay gave Pvt. Sesay special attention the way drill instructors are famous for.