Semper Fi!United States Marine Corps

Marines. The name itself sparks many thoughts. Some of the thoughts are of heroism in battle, but most are of the uniform. Shiny, black shoes, blue trousers with the red stripe up each side. A jet black jacket on a chest as big as a tree trunk with scarlet trim and gold buttons. A chiseled, strong face, topped by a bright white hat with a black brim, and adorned with the gold Eagle, Globe, and Anchor of the United States Marines. Seeing it for the first time in person, most can only manage to squeak out a quiet �woooow�!

Many of you have probably seen the commercials of the man fighting the lava monster, not promising anything but the challenge of becoming a Marine. I spent 5 years of my life meeting this challenge every day. I�m going to tell you why becoming a Marine has been so significant to me. I�ll start by telling you why I chose the Marines, what it means to me to be a Marine, and how my service has changed me.

I�ve always been asked, �Why the Marines? Well, my fascination with the Marines started the first time I saw my best friends father in his uniform when I was in 5th grade. I stood there for what seemed an hour, just staring at him, intimidated and amazed at the same time. I got the chance to hear him talk about his experiences while enlisted. His chest would stick out at least a mile every time Jeremy and I would ask him about his job. I knew even at that young age that I wanted that when I grew up. I didn�t know what it was at the time, but it sure looked good! I started reading books about the Marines and their actions in WWII and Vietnam. I couldn�t fathom what it meant when I read about the �cheerfulness with which they went to their death� during the battle for Okinawa. Or when Pacific Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz remarked on the bravery shown by Marines on Iwo Jima, saying �Uncommon valor was a common virtue.� Reading these words in junior high only made my desire greater. I knew that I wanted to be part of all of this, part of something bigger than myself. I wanted to find out if I was up to the challenge. I found out that the challenge brought some great rewards.

The best reward I got out of all of this was just being able to call myself a Marine and knowing what it meant. It gave me an almost overwhelming sense of pride and a responsibility that I to this day cherish. It meant having a great sense of pride in the Corps and all those that served before you to give you the chance, knowing that some of those men paid the ultimate price. I thrived on the thought of someday getting to prove to the world that I was a part of the world�s greatest fighting force, a defender of freedom. That maybe what I do will give someone else a chance.

Has anyone ever heard the phrase �Once a Marine, Always a Marine?� From the first day you walk in to the recruiter�s office, you see it on stickers, coffee mugs, and hear the Marines talk about it. Being a Marine is not a job or career, it�s a lifestyle. You have to earn the title, you are not called a Marine until after graduate from 3 months of intense hell. It doesn�t matter after that if you are active duty, retired, or reserve, as long as you are a Marine. You share a special bond that not many others understand. An example of this just occurred this past weekend at Soldier Field in Chicago. While I was there I met a Marine that got out in 1970. Now even though we had never seen each other, probably never will again, we talked like we were best friends since the age of 3, and for no other reason that we were both Marines. I know that I will always have tremendous pride, not that I was a Marine, but that I am and always will be a Marine.

My time in the Marines produced a huge change in me. It produced in me a drive and motivation that was not there beforehand. It gave me the knowledge to set and accomplish goals. I learned what commitment was, not only to the Corps, but to my family and myself. It taught me what is important in life. Before the Marines, it was just me, I was all that was important. After spending some time on 24 hour alert, you realize that your family and friends are really the only thing that matters in life. The rest is just details.

The Marines gave me great leadership training, too. They took away the fear of responsibility. I now have no problem taking charge of a situation if the need arises. I have a longing be the one that people look up to. I want to be that pillar of strength. The Marines changed me in more ways than any recruiting poster could ever offer.

This evening, I�ve told you why becoming a Marine has meant so much for me. I�ve told you why I chose the Marines, what it means to me to be a Marine, and how being a Marine has made me in to a better person. With the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, I�ve had a feeling that I wish words could express. It�s an overwhelming feeling that I should be there with my Marines, alongside of them throughout the upcoming years of fighting. It�s like I said, being a Marine is not a physical state, but more a state of mind, one that never ends. You can use many words to describe how I feel about the Marines, �Gung Ho�, loyal, proud, but I guarantee you that �regretful� will never be one of them!

last - next

Missed These?

Hospital Stay for Dad
S-L-O-W-E-R
Long time, no write
Soul Sucker
What the F*(&^ is Fibromyalgia?