Christian Jacobs wanted to be a Marine ever since he was a little boy – a dream inspired by the memory of his late father, Marine Sgt. Christopher Jacobs, who died during a training accident in California in 2011.
Eight years after donning a pint-sized U.S. Marine uniform and hugging President Donald Trump at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day in 2017, the Gold Star son is reflecting on what that moment meant to him.
“I thought it was really cool that I got to meet him,” Christian, now 14 years old, told “Fox & Friends” Tuesday.
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“I didn’t think of it like I would now. I thought it was just some person, but now I think of that as so much more.”
Christian and his mom Brittany have kept the tradition of making a pilgrimage to the hallowed grounds every Memorial Day to honor the late sergeant. This year, they crossed paths with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who interviewed them on “Fox & Friends” in 2017 after 6-year-old Christian’s meeting with Trump.
Hegseth even snapped a photo with Christian – now visibly older – still honoring his father’s memory with the same pride.
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Some U.S. Marines also welcomed Christian and told him more about his father, helping piece together an image of what he meant to those he knew.
“He loves getting to talk about his father to people, and he enjoys hearing about his dad,” Brittany told guest host Charlie Hurt.
“And yesterday there were Marines at Arlington who got to tell him about his daddy and give him some pictures, so that was nice. For him, I’m sure that was comforting.”
As for what he wants to be when he “grows up,” Christian’s answer is the same.
“I still want to be a Marine,” he said, explaining that three generations on his father’s side have proudly worn the uniform, and he wants to follow in their footsteps.
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