Last Name Question

lacebolla

lacebolla

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Joined
Aug 17, 2020
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I'm not sure if this seems like a silly question or if I am thinking a bit too far ahead, but I just wanted to ask as I am trying to prepare myself to be the best officer I can be. My last name is one often mispronounced. In an environment such as an SA or a strict ROTC program such as Texas A&M's Corps of Cadets, and an upperclassmen were to say my last name wrong, should I correct them? I know that these will be people I will be seeing a lot, and I just wanted to ensure that it would be okay if I were to acknowledge that if that were my place. If yes, how would I go about doing that? I just foresee this being an issue.
 
What if they are mispronouncing it as a form of light hazing or harassment?

Maybe they call you Lice Bowl or acehola?

If you knew they were messing with you would you correct them?
 
Devil Doc said:
What if they are mispronouncing it as a form of light hazing or harassment?

Maybe they call you Lice Bowl or acehola?

If you knew they were messing with you would you correct them?
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Definitely not. It's just that it almost never gets pronounced correctly, so I just wanted to be sure.
 
I'd correct them, unless it was clear that were doing what the Doc suggests. Just a simple "Iacebolla, sir" should suffice (or ma'am, as appropriate, of course). Just one man's two cents. After all, how embarrassed/upset do you think they'd be to find out they have been mispronouncing it for a month or two?
 
lacebolla said:
Definitely not. It's just that it almost never gets pronounced correctly, so I just wanted to be sure.
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I think the military is the first place that got it right for my last name. Because they use last names.

I suspect that they might ask you first. They want to get it right. A polite correction is proper.

And if they don’t, you should accept it like I have my whole life. Like my father.
 
kinnem said:
I'd correct them, unless it was clear that were doing what the Doc suggests. Just a simple "Iacebolla, sir" should suffice (or ma'am, as appropriate, of course). Just one man's two cents. After all, how embarrassed/upset do you think they'd be to find out they have been mispronouncing it for a month or two?
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I'll definitely keep this in mind. I don't want to embarrass anyone.
 
A1Janitor said:
I think the military is the first place that got it right for my last name. Because they use last names.

I suspect that they might ask you first. They want to get it right. A polite correction is proper.

And if they don’t, you should accept it like I have my whole life. Like my father.
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I've definitely gotten used to accepting it haha. I'll surely be as polite as possible.
 
See if you can work yourself into a cool nickname. The best nicknames are given by others.

Check out this guy’s name. You can bet he got a ration of bull in his younger days. He may very well be the next Commandant of the Marine Corps.

www.tecom.marines.mil

Lieutenant General Lewis A. Craparotta

Lieutenant General Craparotta is a native of South Windsor, Connecticut and graduated from the University of Vermont. He was commissioned in May 1983. He has attended The Basic School, the Infantry
www.tecom.marines.mil

You’ll be fine.
 
Devil Doc said:
See if you can work yourself into a cool nickname. The best nicknames are given by others.

Check out this guy’s name. You can bet he got a ration of bull in his younger days. He may very well be the next Commandant of the Marine Corps.

www.tecom.marines.mil

Lieutenant General Lewis A. Craparotta

Lieutenant General Craparotta is a native of South Windsor, Connecticut and graduated from the University of Vermont. He was commissioned in May 1983. He has attended The Basic School, the Infantry
www.tecom.marines.mil

You’ll be fine.
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Oh lord, poor guy. I could only imagine. Thank you for your help, though. I appreciate it!
 
In “A Civil War,” John Feinstein’s outstanding book about the Army-Navy Game, Army star linebacker Jim Cantelupe recounts an incident from his plebe summer. His squad was eating dinner and the squad leader was quizzing the plebes about the ethnic origins of their last names. When it was Cantelupe’s turn:

Leader: “How about you, what’s your last name?”
Plebe: “Cantelupe, sir!”
Leader: “What kind of name is that, Cantelupe?”
Plebe: “Produce, sir!”
 
Respectfully, I would give up being sensitive about it being pronounced incorrectly. My last name is one syllable and 4 letters, and it gets pronounced wrong all the time. No name is safe. Early on in your career, you will learn that in the military if you have a shiny red button as part of your make up, everyone around you will try to push that button as often as they can. If you show your sensitivity/irritation about your name, others will key on that and you will wish you didnt. Best course is to ignore it and move on. If you are the nail that sticks out, you will be hammered down. Good luck.
 
Yeah it's just a simple

"Oh, sorry, it's pronounced _____"

Shouldn't be a huge deal. My last name has a z thrown in it for some reason so I end up having to spell and tell people how to pronounce it.
 
Jarhead713 said:
Yeah it's just a simple

"Oh, sorry, it's pronounced _____"

Shouldn't be a huge deal. My last name has a z thrown in it for some reason so I end up having to spell and tell people how to pronounce it.
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Good, I see you quit smoking. How's things at Oxford.
 
lacebolla said:
I'm not sure if this seems like a silly question or if I am thinking a bit too far ahead, but I just wanted to ask as I am trying to prepare myself to be the best officer I can be. My last name is one often mispronounced. In an environment such as an SA or a strict ROTC program such as Texas A&M's Corps of Cadets, and an upperclassmen were to say my last name wrong, should I correct them? I know that these will be people I will be seeing a lot, and I just wanted to ensure that it would be okay if I were to acknowledge that if that were my place. If yes, how would I go about doing that? I just foresee this being an issue.
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If it really bothers you, politely correct them.

Here's something else to consider and ponder. I also have a difficult last name to pronounce, and I don't remember anyone when I was in AROTC (many years ago) ever mispronouncing may last name on purpose, unless it was in done in a fun and lighthearted manner. You will have the opportunity to make many friends, and some of those cadets/midshipmen may end up serving with you on active duty. I always looked at my last name as a way to start a conversation with someone I didn't know.
 
My son has a whopper of a last name (I'll say no more in order to keep anonymity for him). USNA screwed it up on some of his name tapes and he didn't bother to have it corrected during Plebe summer. He caught hell from his company SEL (a gunnery sgt) - to the effect of, "Why didn't you get your tapes fixed? Are you ashamed of your name or are you just chicken-s*&%?" All his detailers and his upperclassman went out of their way to learn to pronounce his name from day 1.
 
Within the realm of the General, I have a couple more. When I was a lowly Ensign, one of the officers at a fleet
school that I attended had the last name "Honey" and she was extremely attractive. Many of the males just LOVED calling her
Lieutenant Honey with perhaps some emphasis on the latter word.
A classmate of mine had the last name "Smart" and he was definitely rode a bit with it. Pretty big guy so it probably
limited how many people felt froggy enough to do so.
 
Jarhead713 said:
Yeah it's just a simple

"Oh, sorry, it's pronounced _____"

Shouldn't be a huge deal. My last name has a z thrown in it for some reason so I end up having to spell and tell people how to pronounce it.
Click to expand...
Good, I see you quit smoking. How's things at Oxford.
 
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