From Local Roots to Marine Corps Recruiter: Saylor Haarsma’s Journey of Service and Dedication

At just 25 years old, newly promoted Staff Sargeant Saylor Haarsma stands as a shining example of dedication and service—both to country and community, serving as the area’s United States Marine Corps Recruiter.

Saylor is the son of Bob and Kris Haarsma, who are originally from Minnesota but have lived in London for 30 years now. Bob was a co-owner of a cabinet-making business in Corbin for 20 years before opening Soelberg Industries, which was tragically destroyed by the tornado that ripped through the community earlier this year. Saylor’s mother, Kris, is a teacher at Cold Hill Elementary School. His sister, Lexie, works as a teacher in Minnesota.

Saylor graduated from South Laurel High School in 2018, but before he even walked across that stage and got his high school diploma, Saylor had already enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. For much of his life, Saylor thought he would one day take over the family business, but those plans changed when he answered the call to serve.

Despite a grandfather who had been drafted into the US Navy in World War II, Saylor had no prior family who had ever served in the military, but he just knew it was where he was meant to be.

“It was my senior year, I was 17 and playing football, when I thought I just wanted to do something different. I had worked for my dad for so long and that was my plan to take over the business, but I said I wanted something that is not handed to me. I wanted to challenge myself and there’s no better place to do that than the United States Marine Corps.”

In October 2018, Saylor left his hometown and went to Paris Island, South Carolina to start Marine Corps boot camp, a rigorous 13-week training program meant to transform people into Marines.

“It was definitely physically demanding, but I would say more than anything, it was the mental aspect of it that is the most challenging,” Saylor said.

After weeks and weeks of intense training, Saylor finally graduated from boot camp on January 11, 2019.

“I just felt proud, like I really did it. It was something I put my mind to, and I really did it. But oh man, I couldn’t wait to get off that island.”

Following his graduation from boot camp, Saylor found himself at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, where he received Marine combat training and then off to Military Occupational Specialty School at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri where he received training to become a Military Police Officer.

For Saylor’s first assignment, he was stationed in Quantico, Virginia, where he worked with the presidential helicopter squadron in Washington, D.C.

“That was definitely one of the coolest experiences of my life and I did not realize it when I was in it, so I took it a little bit for granted,” he said.

Saylor had the opportunity to travel the world while working in close quarters with the President of the United States, helping to secure the presidential helicopter.

“I've been to 12 different countries, and I've been to almost every state in the United States besides like the Northeast. So, the travel opportunities were insane. I say I took it for granted because a lot of times we would travel, we would go somewhere for a week, then we would come back, I'd do laundry and then the next day I'd be flying somewhere else. So, it was a little stressful. But that opportunity is something that, as a 17-year-old, I never thought I would have, and I was only 20 years old at the time.”

As a part of his duties, Saylor also had the unique opportunity to visit the White House every week to deliver packages.

“That was the craziest thing I've ever done in my entire life, like just being able to walk into the White House to hand off these packages. I never thought I would have had the opportunity to do that.”

One of Saylor’s favorite memories from that time was at Camp David, when President Donald Trump invited some of the Marines to watch Top Gun with him. Being a corporal at the time, Saylor wanted to give some of the Marines in his squadron the chance to go, so he opted to sit that opportunity out, giving those in his squadron a once-in-a-lifetime chance to watch a movie with the President of the United States.

“I sent three of my Marines out there to go watch a movie with President Trump and one of my friends actually sat right next to him the whole time,” Saylor said.

Then, in 2023, Saylor was stationed in Hawaii where he worked as a military police officer, where he had a new opportunity to help younger the Marines who served under him, while having a chance to put his police officer training to the test.

“It was a huge time of growth for me,” he said. “Just taking care of those people, having the opportunity to change people's lives that have already made that decision to change their life by joining the Marine Corps.”

Then, in May of this year, Saylor returned home on recruiters’ assistance to help his hometown following the EF-4 tornado that ripped through our community. Saylor was able to be back at home to help his parents following the loss of their business, as well as his community with cleanup following the devastation left behind.

In June, Saylor was given the orders to go to San Diego, California to train to become a Marine Corps Recruiter. Because of this connection he formed with the recruiters in London while helping with tornado cleanup, Saylor was given an unexpected but welcomed chance to return home as the area’s Marine Corps Recruiter.

“It's honestly the biggest blessing I've ever had happen in my entire life is being able to be back here,” Saylor said, officially starting his newest assignment as recruiter at the beginning of September, serving Laurel, Whitley and Knox counties.

“We're not here to change people's plans, we are just here to enhance them. So realistically, you know these 17, 18-year-olds that maybe don't know exactly what they want to do in life, we just give them the opportunity to see that there is something there for them. If they want to challenge themselves, if they want to become a part of the few and the proud, then that's what we're here for is to give them as much information as possible and ultimately, if it's something they want to do, help them get there so.”

Though this is quite a change of pace for the Marine, Saylor is looking forward to serving his country and community in a new way, by helping the young people of his hometown to decide if the Marine Corps is the right fit for them.

“Being in my hometown, I think it means more to me. If I was anywhere else, I don’t know how I would feel about it, but being here, knowing these kids and knowing some of the things they go through here, it makes it that much better.”

This assignment has also allowed Saylor to be back under the same roof as his parents since he went away to boot camp seven years ago, an opportunity that Saylor has not taken for granted.

“It couldn't have been a better time for me to come back just to be with my family,” Saylor said. “I'm just so happy to be back here. I love this place.

“I definitely took this place for granted when I was growing up. Moving away, being in so many different places, I think that's the greatest thing about what I've been through. A lot of kids, a lot of my friends even, have never left this town. And I just think there's nothing wrong with this town, but you just never really realize what it is until you leave.”

Though Saylor said he doesn’t know what exactly the future holds for him, he hopes to finish out his 20 years in the Marine Corps and then eventually become a history teacher and a football coach. But for now, you can find Saylor out in the schools and in the community, hoping to encourage others to take on the challenge of becoming a United States Marine.

“It's just like any other job, you are going to have your good days and your bad days, but the good days always outweigh the bad. It’s been a blessing, and I honestly am so grateful that I made the decision. It's by far the greatest thing I've ever done in my entire life.”