Veteran Spotlight: Pete Gladstone

Pete Gladstone is a former United States Marine. As a Marine he gave to his country, and now he’s giving back to his community as a teacher, a firefighter, and a father.

“I served as a military member in the United States Marine Corps from 1993-2003,” Gladstone said.

Giving back to his country as a Marine was challenging but also rewarding.

“It all was challenging,” Gladstone said. “I had to adapt to everything because your situation could change at any point in time.”

The loyalty and reassurance from his fellow marines while serving in the Corps is something Gladstone continues to cherish to this day.

“The bond, the trust, the friendship, and the brotherhood was very rewarding,” Gladstone said.

As a teacher in the Hebron Public School District, Gladstone has the daily opportunity to make a difference in local children’s lives. He’s taught a range of ages – from elementary school to middle school.

“Last year, I taught second grade. This year, I am teaching fourth and fifth grade math,” Gladstone said.

Originally Gladstone wanted to be a police officer, but was not able to due to injuries sustained while serving. Since many of his family members were teachers, he came to consider and ultimately pursue a career in teaching after his time as a Marine.

“When I was a kid growing up, my dream was to be a police officer,” he said. “I ended up not being able to handle the physical responsibilities of that job from my time serving, so my next idea was to educate – many members of my family were teachers.”

Born and raised in the south suburbs of Chicago, Gladstone and his wife raised their family in Hebron. Gladstone’s wife is from Dyer, so they were familiar with the area prior to making the decision to reside in Hebron. They saw it as a safe place to raise their three children – Oliver, Josie, and Piper.

“If we could provide a safer community, we’re going to give that to them,” Gladstone said.

In total, Gladstone has had six spinal surgeries from his service. He’s not letting these surgeries keep him from his very active role as a volunteer firefighter. He decided to volunteer partly due to his childhood interest in joining the police force, as there is overlap between these two forms of service, but also to show his students the impact of positive leadership. 

“It’s important to me that my students see their teacher as a leader — someone who isn’t afraid to do hard things,” Gladstone said “I hope to inspire their young minds to challenge themselves, to grow, and to step beyond their comfort zones. If I can spark even a small belief in them that they too can accomplish great things, then I’ve done my job.”

The bond Gladstone holds with his fellow firefighters reminds him of the bond he had with his fellow Marines while serving.

“I missed it when I left, and the volunteer firefighters have that same bond,” Gladstone said.

Gladstone credits his successes in life largely to his wife.

“My wife Nicole is my biggest supporter,” said Gladstone. “There’s no way I could have done this without her.”

As a teacher in the district where his children attend, Gladstone sees them regularly at school. His children love seeing their father at school.

“Their faces light up,” he said.

Gladstone’s life is certainly very full of service. He served his country for multiple decades. Now he’s serving his community, another generation, and his family.