Four brothers and sisters are united by the desire to serve their country; they are all either joining or already serving in the U.S. Coast Guard.
The Walkers will all reunite for the first time in years Friday at a Coast Guard Academy graduation ceremony. Graduation is imminent for Officer Candidate Nicholas Walker.
“Couple hours, just counting down. I'm really excited,” Nicholas said.
After the ceremony, Nicholas is headed to Sector St. Petersburg, Florida.
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He is not the only one on the path of serving his country, with both of his sisters and brothers also choosing careers in the Coast Guard.
“I personally did not expect all four of us to join the Coast Guard. Our mom didn't want anybody in the military, and that ended up happening,” Dana Walker, a freshman at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, said.
The Walker family has a military background, but the oldest brother started the Coast Guard trend.
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“It definitely caught me off guard initially,” Lt. Junior Grade Edward Walker said.
Edward is serving at the Coast Guard Atlantic Area Command Center in Virginia. He is thrilled to see his younger siblings following in his footsteps.
“Once I actually one-by-one saw them starting to join, you know, it really, really gave me a high sense of achievement, knowing that my family is not only taken care of but taking care of others,” Edward said.
The Walkers grew up in Macon, Georgia, and since they are all so close in age, they spent a lot of time together.
“We’ve all gone to the same schools our whole lives, and now we're all in the same service,” Lea Walker, a senior at the Coast Guard Academy set to graduate this spring, said.
Lea and Dana now share memories from the Academy along with their brother.
“I just cherish all the opportunities that we get to, you know, be together in one place to, you know, relive some of our childhood just a little bit,” Nicholas said.
The Coast Guard ethos vows to protect, defend and save, something that drew all of the Walker siblings into that branch of the military.
“One of the things that resonated with me was that the Coast Guard saves lives, they don't take them,” Dana said.
They all share that passion for humanitarian service.
“I wanted to be able to help people, regardless of what I did,” Lea said.
As Nicholas steps into his new role Friday, his graduation will be a family affair.
“My big brother Edward, he's going to give me my commission,” he said. “And my little sisters, they're going be my first salutes.”
With their parents present as well, it will also be a family reunion, the first in years.
“It will be first time that all six of us are together since COVID hit,” Dana said.
It is a significant moment for the brothers and sisters.
“Family is really important to me, and just having them there in a big milestone, it means a lot,” Nicholas said.
As they commit to lives of service, they believe their bond will tie them together.
“Even though we might not be able to spend every holiday together or every birthday, we know at the end of the day that we are choosing to serve our country, and it brings us together,” Edward said.
