Through a mother's eyes: Marshfield triplets, high school seniors join the US Marine Corps

MARSHFIELD − As an "older" mother at age 42, Michelle Wehr had two surprises in 2004.

First, she was told she'd have twins. Then, that changed to triplets.

Now, at 60, she's just had another triplet surprise: all three of her boys, seniors at Marshfield High School, have joined the U.S. Marine Corps. Under the Delayed Entry Program, they will head off for basic training at Parris Island in South Carolina in July.

Griffin, Matthew and Connor Wehr were born on Sept. 10 at Tufts New England Medical Center after a difficult pregnancy that required complete hospital bed rest for the last 40 days. Michelle and her husband, Kenneth, joyfully welcomed their three sons, born prematurely at 33 weeks and five days, weighing 3 and 4 pounds, and brought them each home at different times with help from family and friends.

Our latest story - they're home: Marshfield's Wehr triplets ready for next steps as U.S. Marines

Michelle, who had four other children from a previous marriage, rolled with the demands. Kenneth, an electrician, came home from work every three hours for several months to help with the feedings, using baby bottles in three colors: red, blue and green.

"I couldn't hold them a lot because I was always busy doing laundry, changing diapers (150 per week) and housework," Michelle said. "They were good babies and didn't really cry. ... We were lucky."

For the past 18 years, it's been an exciting, always busy ride. The family moved in 2006 from South Boston to Marshfield. There were many trips, to Disney World, Virginia Beach, Dollywood in Tennessee, and constant sporting events. The boys started running at ages 4 and 5, and took up baseball, flag football, cross country, track and field and rugby.

Over the past year, their parents would ask what the triplets planned to do after they graduated. Different ideas were mentioned and then, on Aug. 31, 2022, Matthew came home and announced he had enlisted in the Marines. A week later, a Marine recruiter visited to get the parents' signatures because Matthew was still 17.

Matthew said he had thought about his next step for seven to eight months. He hopes to eventually become a firefighter, and decided the training available in military service and the educational benefits afterward were his best next step.

"It'll be tough," Matthew said.

A Good Age: At 105, Phyllis Chapman is busy living the good life of a 75-year-old

A Good Age: Readers reach out to World War II veteran, former Braintree teacher

A month later, Griffin, by then 18, came home and said he had also enlisted.

"I thought it was a good thing to do," Griffin said. "There are good benefits and I just like to have everything planned out early and get it over with. And it's an honorable thing to do."

Griffin said he has considered making the military a career. He said he's "a little nervous" about the requirements of a regimented lifestyle, but added that "it's good to be disciplined."

Shortly after, Connor followed. He enlisted on Nov. 14.

"This came as a total surprise," Michelle said. "They did this on their own and now, all three will be gone. I am very proud, but to be honest, I am not ecstatic, knowing the world today."

Michelle explained that the boys grew up in "a military family" − their older half-brother Michael has served in the Air Force and the Army; an uncle and a grandfather were both in the Air Force; and five cousins were Marines.

Even with that history, she said it is highly unusual to have triplet boys all join the military, in the same branch, at the same time.

"It's a tough call for me. I'm not happy with their decision but I'm proud," Michelle said. "It'll be tough to see them go off, when they've been here with me for so long, and tough worrying about them being gone. It's tough to be a mom and to give up all those rights and not to have them here and not to see them every day ... though they do drive me crazy most of the time. Teenagers are a tough group for sure."

Soon to face the empty nest, Michelle has plenty to keep her busy. She is a freelance photographer, specializing in children, families and fine art, and also works in retail sales at Marshalls in Marshfield.

Newsmaker: Marshfield man pushes lost item recovery 'to the limit' with metal detecting

Photos: Drive-through holiday show lights up Marshfield Fairgrounds

Remembering Doris Johnson

I was sorry to learn that Doris M. Johnson, a former multitalented reporter at The Patriot Ledger and other newspapers, passed away peacefully at age 91 on Nov. 25. She had been a resident of the Hebrew Rehabilitation Center in Roslindale since July 2020.

I remember Doris, then Doris Melville, as a very knowledgeable and well-connected presence in the newsroom in the 1970s, with entertaining stories and strong opinions. If you needed to know something, you would ask Doris. It was a different era, and she was courageous and determined to show how well women could perform in what was then a largely male profession.

She wrote a history of the town of Kingston, played the organ and sang, loved sailing, told funny stories and was always lively. I remember once, when I was out of town, she stayed overnight at my apartment in Cambridge and, when I returned, I saw the sink gleaming. It was cleaner than it had ever been.

Thank you, Doris, for that and many other good memories.

Reach Sue Scheible at sscheible@patriotledger.com.

Thanks to our subscribers, who help make this coverage possible. If you are not a subscriber, please consider supporting quality local journalism with a Patriot Ledger subscription. Here is our latest offer. 

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Through a mother's eyes: Marshfield triplets join the Marine Corps