today is the 234th birthday of the United States Marine Corps.
Happy Birthday, Marine Corps. Happy Birthday, Marines.
I've been a Marine for a little over nine years now, and I've never regretted joining the Marine Corps. There have certainly been a few times when I would have preferred to be somewhere other than where the Marine Corps had sent me, but I wouldn't trade those experiences for anything now. I know that there are people, not a few of them here, who...if they don't actively despise the Marine Corps...are disgusted by the work that they think that it does, by the necessity of having people who are specifically trained to kill other human beings...who wonder how any sane, decent person could volunteer themselves to carry out that kind of task. All I can say is that I have found the Marine Corps to be an interesting microcosm that mirrors our society in a special way. All kinds join the Marine Corps and from all kinds of backgrounds. The upper class do tend to become officers and the lower and middle class fill in the rank of file of the enlisted. We have former gang members and would be petty criminals. We have geeks and intellectuals. We have jocks and self-professed badasses. And all in all, nearly every Marine I've worked with or been around has been a good, hard working, dedicated human being. I've very seldom met any that took any delight in combat, but they all still did the job.
My time with them may or may not be ending soon. I'm looking into my own options in staying with them. I could probably do better to go on and focus on career and education, but the Marine Corps is a special place made up of some very crazy and intense and hilarious individuals.
You don't have to thank us or praise us or make any kind of big deal about what we do. Just don't forget us. And don't be indifferent or dismissive. Disagree with us all you want. We really don't mind (ok..most would say that they "don't give a fuck"), and question what we do until you are satisfied. Shit...Marine gripe and question what we are doing on an hourly...if not more often...basis.
Happy Birthday, Marine Corps. Happy Birthday, Marines.
I've been a Marine for a little over nine years now, and I've never regretted joining the Marine Corps. There have certainly been a few times when I would have preferred to be somewhere other than where the Marine Corps had sent me, but I wouldn't trade those experiences for anything now. I know that there are people, not a few of them here, who...if they don't actively despise the Marine Corps...are disgusted by the work that they think that it does, by the necessity of having people who are specifically trained to kill other human beings...who wonder how any sane, decent person could volunteer themselves to carry out that kind of task. All I can say is that I have found the Marine Corps to be an interesting microcosm that mirrors our society in a special way. All kinds join the Marine Corps and from all kinds of backgrounds. The upper class do tend to become officers and the lower and middle class fill in the rank of file of the enlisted. We have former gang members and would be petty criminals. We have geeks and intellectuals. We have jocks and self-professed badasses. And all in all, nearly every Marine I've worked with or been around has been a good, hard working, dedicated human being. I've very seldom met any that took any delight in combat, but they all still did the job.
My time with them may or may not be ending soon. I'm looking into my own options in staying with them. I could probably do better to go on and focus on career and education, but the Marine Corps is a special place made up of some very crazy and intense and hilarious individuals.
You don't have to thank us or praise us or make any kind of big deal about what we do. Just don't forget us. And don't be indifferent or dismissive. Disagree with us all you want. We really don't mind (ok..most would say that they "don't give a fuck"), and question what we do until you are satisfied. Shit...Marine gripe and question what we are doing on an hourly...if not more often...basis.
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I celebrated by approaching some random motard with high and tight and digi-camo backpack. He introduced me to another Marine and we just stood there shooting the shit.
It's remarkable that two guys I don't even know suddenly were like the only people at my whole school who I felt like I knew at all.