CHS grad thriving as a Marine & family man

By Jay Turner

On Thursday, May 24, U.S. Marine Corporal Joseph Derby celebrated his 23^rd birthday back home in Canton with his wife, Alexis, and his 4-month-old daughter, Emma, both by his side.

USMC Corporal Joe Derby

For Cpl. Derby, the birthday was one of many reasons he had to celebrate — not only had he just become the proud father of a healthy girl, but he was also just days removed from his greatest military achievement since completing boot camp in June 2009.

Assigned to a four-week leadership course specifically designed for corporals, Derby must have made quite an impression on his instructors as he finished first in his class of 34 Marines, graduating with honors on May 16 in Cherry Point, North Carolina.

“They presented me with a sword, a handwritten letter from the base colonel, a plaque, and a certificate of commendation,” said Derby, beaming with pride. “I always wanted to do [the course], but once they sent me on it I guess I set the bar high.”

A member of the wrestling team while at Canton High, Derby likened the accomplishment to winning a state championship on a high school sports team. He said it could also help him eventually achieve the rank of sergeant, which has become one of his goals now that he’s decided to reenlist for four more years.

For the truth is that Derby, after making some poor choices while in high school and immediately after, is proud of the man he has become and has no intention of turning back now. He credits the Marines with giving him the structure and discipline that he needed at the time, and he remains absolutely convinced that the experience helped “save [his] life.”

Although it took him a few years after high school to overcome some obstacles and make it to Parris Island, Derby said he had long been interested in the military as a career option.

“I wanted to do it since my sophomore year of high school,” he said. “I was like, I’m not taking the SATs. I’m not doing this; I’m not doing that. All I wanted to do was graduate and get into the service.”

And while it may have taken a bit longer than he had hoped, Derby’s Marine Corps journey thus far has been filled with adventures — not all enjoyable ones, but adventures nonetheless.

Already he has completed two deployments, including a seven-month tour in Afghanistan and a four-month excursion to various Latin American countries as part of the Southern Partnership Station, a multi-national program headed by the U.S. Navy that focuses on “subject matter expert exchanges.”

“Pretty much you go and you train with their militaries,” explained Derby. “We show them a bit of what we know, and they show us a bit of what they know.”

The Southern Partnership deployment brought Derby to countries such as Guatemala, Honduras, and Colombia, where rebels have been at war with the Colombian government for the better part of 50 years. Derby did not witness any active conflict during his stay in Colombia; instead, he worked with the Colombian military and learned a lot from the experience.

He also stopped at Guantanamo Bay, which he said is as big as a city. “It’s huge,” he said. “And there’s a lot of history behind that place.”

As for his time in Afghanistan, Derby was part of a support squadron and his primary role was that of a field wireman, which is his military occupational specialty (MOS). He was responsible for installing and maintaining wire networks at two different bases — first at Camp Leatherneck in Helmand Province and then at a base at Delaram in Nimruz Province.

Derby said his stay at Leatherneck was relatively quiet, particularly compared to his last three months at Delaram, where the dangers were far more visible and intense.

“They were trying to hit the birds that we flew in on,” recalled Derby, who was not at liberty to elaborate much further.

Beyond his two deployments, Derby has also spent time at the Marine Corps base in Twentynine Palms, California, where he completed both his MOS schooling and field training to prepare for the Afghanistan deployment. He is currently stationed in Cherry Point, North Carolina, where he lives off base with his wife, daughter, and two dogs.

The couple married in December 2010, but they have been friends since the sixth grade, according to Derby. They did not date while in high school, but they remained in touch after graduating in 2007 and began seeing one another nearly three years later — just two weeks before Derby was to be deployed to Afghanistan.

Lexi and Joe Derby with their daughter, Emma, in North Carolina

“[Lexi] stuck with me all through Afghanistan,” said Derby. “She was in her third trimester all throughout my South America deployment, by herself in North Carolina with the two dogs. She’s a tough one.”

Although a relationship is never easy in the military, Derby said they are both as happy as can be, especially since the arrival of their daughter, Emma.

The young family has since headed back to North Carolina, where Derby will finish out his first four years. He is already in the process of reenlisting and would ideally like to pursue a job at Parris Island.

“I’m planning on trying to have a nice, quiet four years and hopefully stay stateside,” he said. “I want to get my daughter’s first words out of her, her first steps, and if that goes as planned then I might try to pursue being a drill instructor if I stay in my next four after.”

All in all, Derby said he loves serving in the Marines and has made too many good friends to count. “If I was to drive through all 50 states,” he said, “I’m sure I’d have a house to stay at in every single one of them.”

Of course, he also still maintains close relationships with his family and friends in Canton, and he is proud of the fact that he and his two closest friends, Glenn Allen and Dan Myers, are all doing well.

“As long as I’ve got my wife and my kid and they’re good,” said Derby, “then I’m good. And as long as my family and my two closest friends are fine, then I’m fine.”

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