For Cristhian Varas, as a father, this year’s Father’s Day was tougher than most.

Varas traditionally spends the day with his son. But this year he was hundreds of miles away from him undergoing the challenge of training on Parris Island.

In spite of that separation and the rigors of training, on Father’s Day, his son was the only thing on his mind.

Months after Father’s Day, Varas finally earned the title “United States Marine.”

“He has been my inspiration since the first day,” Varas said. “Everything I did, eating, training, working, I imagined him next to me. He was my main motivation for all this.”

Varas looked back on how his son has motivated him ever since he first made the decision to enlist. Even when he was training as a poolee, his son was beside him the whole way.

“When I was back home training, he would always say ‘Papi, push push!’” Varas said. “Sometimes you are tired, hungry, sleepy, etc., but when you’re a father you have to keep pushing no matter how you feel. You cannot quit on yourself, because that means quitting on those around you. I don’t want my son to have a dad that quits.”

Throughout the cycle, he mentioned everything he was doing was for his son. He wanted to provide his son a better life and be a role model for him by being part of the most elite fighting force in the world. He expressed how it felt earning his eagle, globe and anchor.

“I still remember that day perfectly.” Varas said “When that eagle, globe, and anchor was in my hand, I saw that my son, my family, were all behind me watching it all. I was proud of myself, and most importantly, my family was proud of me. All those months, all the sweat and tears, just for this moment.”

Pvt. Cristhian Varas graduated with Fox Company from Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island on Aug. 28. While his journey began as a selfless endeavor for his son’s sake, he is now giving his all for his son and his country.