Semper Fi, Marines!

240 years ago in a small tavern in Philadelphia, a couple of guys got together and established 2 battalions of Marines. Before the Declaration of Independence was written, Marines were there. Before our original 13 colonies were even The United States, the Marines were there.

There is an interesting thing about Marines that a lot of people don’t understand. We share the traditions of every Marine. We carry the legacy of Chesty Puller, Dan Daly, John Basilone, Douglas Zembiec. We share the victories and losses of our brothers and sisters still fighting. We are one.

Now more than ever I despise politics and all its corruption. Now I can see it for what it really is. I have no respect for the people governing this nation who send our children to war for political or economic gains. These men and women leading our nation exploit the blood of our youth for their own purposes. Countless lives have been lost – and for what? So we can bring democracy to a country that has been at war for over 1400 years that just happens to be one of the richest oil nations in the region. 

This is the job of the Marine in most people’s eyes. We were conditioned from the very beginning to believe that the Marines were the best. Who didn’t grow up with movies like Iwo Jima? 

Marine loyalty, dedication, tradition and camaraderie do not come from carrying out the orders of politicians. Marines are mighty because they are selfless. This may come as a shock to some of you, but follow along with me here. 

Dakota Meyer willingly went into almost certain death to extract 12 of his comrades in Afghanistan. John Basilone fought against 3000 Japanese soldiers until, at the end, only he and two other Marines were left standing. Chesty Puller led Marines in WW2 and Korea and did so in a way that immortalized him among us. He led from the front, without fear of death, and he loved every single one of the Marines under his care.

Story after story is told of courage under fire, modern day stories of Marines helping their community, being the example.

One thing I will always be grateful for is that they were the first to teach me about being a part of something bigger than myself. I learned to accept death in my 20’s. There is a freedom that comes with that like you cannot imagine. 

You may think that Marines are arrogant, short fused, egotistical and reckless. They are. It serves a purpose. We boast not only our own accomplishments, but those of the Marines that came before us. We share a legacy with heroes. I served with heroes. I walked among men who served their time in the Marine Corps, then got out to continue that service to the public by being police officers, paramedics, scientists, teachers. Most of the time they do it with more passion and COMpassion than their civilian counterparts. Marines know what it feels like to be beat down and miserable, you see.

The Marines make you realize that your life is insignificant in the grand scheme of things, while at the same time placing you on a pedestal so high that you become invincible. Marines are the epitome of living in the moment. Give them a task, a hill to take, or a person to protect, and they will literally give their lives to see it completed.

They teach us to not take things seriously. Some of the funniest memories I have were in the grimmest of circumstances. The night before we went into Kuwait our Company Commander got us all together and said, “Look to your left. Now look to your right. One of those two Marines won’t be there tomorrow.” I immediately turned to my friend Ricky and said, “It sucks to be you!”

We cheat death, we prevail, we win. We lead, we love hard and fight harder. And we would do it all at the cost of our own life if it meant that another could have the chance to walk out of it alive. That doesn't end when our oath of enlistment is over. It's part of us.

Today I hope I have brought a new perspective to this anomaly called Marine, and I challenge you to look past the arrogance and to thank that Marine for volunteering to serve. Tell a Marine “Happy Birthday” and watch his chest swell up with pride. Watch his eyes as his thoughts go back to harder days and see them brighten. 

We don’t do what we do because we want to, we win because we are more afraid of letting our brothers down than we are of dying. That makes us mighty. 

Mighty selfless.

Semper Fi, Marines. I hope today finds you at peace.