This my friend, is why the USMC stands above all.. (Even my Navy)..

United States MARINE

If you have seen the movie  or the play “Fiddler on the Roof”, you know the song “TRADITION”

Out of all the services, the United States Marine Corps has it in spades.

While every other service, I.e the Navy, Army, Air Force, come up with new catch phrases, (“Army of 1” who’s knucklehead idea was that?) every few years , the Marine Corps stays the course.

“THE FEW, THE PROUD,  THE MARINES!”.

I am lucky to have served with the Marine Corps as their Doc, my wife too, was a Doc of Marines.  While we served with them, PT’ed with em, and pretty much did everything we could to fit in, we still were not “MARINES”.

It pisses me off sometimes to here Corpsman complain about how Marines treat them etc.   They sound like immature little crybaby’s. (Would you like some cheese to go with that “WHINE?).  What I have found is if you work hard, and respect the Marine, and fit into their lifestyle as best as you can, you will be accepted.   They will take care of you, more so then you even realize.

They might hold your life in their hands someday.

The time to listen to them is not when the “$hit” hits the fan.

It was like MAJ. Gann (Now COLONEL) told me and instilled in this Doc.
“We sweat and work and push in peacetime so we don’t bleed during wartime.”

Imagine if you will young Sailors, a Navy Chief Petty Officer “LOCKED AND COCKED”, getting “REAMED” by the then Maj.  Some of you would hold a grudge, others would cry, most would walk out saying that “)(%*$()#()#$#)(#$*#() !!!

I didn’t,  you know why?

The Maj was trying to teach this HMC as fast as possible how to get his $hit in one basket in the event we deployed to IRAQ or in other places, and he had to do it on Fast Forward after 9/11.

He mentioned to me, don’t waste your time holding a grudge, just because I’m a Chief doesn’t mean I stop learning.  Hell I had to, as I didn’t serve with the Marines until I was a Chief Petty Officer and was now a BN Med Chief for a Arty BN.  His famous (to me) last words as I was leaving his office, “Chief, this is business, not personal.”

He meant it, 2 days later we were all at a Oakland A’s Baseball game and he bought me a beer.  No harm, no foul. (Get it? Baseball analogy.. Oh never mind….)

One of our biggest contributers of the site is a Father of a Doc, but a Marine as well, and is highly active in our forums because of his Marine Corps beliefs.  I get a kick sometimes when he gets flabbergasted by us swabbies and the whining that goes on.  Corpsman.com could not be CORPSMAN.COM, without, you guessed it, a MARINE steering us along.  (Trust me when I say, he does more then he ever gets thanked for.) I salute our friend “8404” for his Commitment to our site.

What I am getting at, is Marines stay the course.

“HONOR, COURAGE,  COMMITMENT“

Honor

Honor guides Marines to exemplify the ultimate in ethical and moral behavior; to never lie cheat or steal; to abide by an uncompromising code of integrity; respect human dignity; and respect others. The quality of maturity, dedication, trust and dependability commit Marines to act responsibly; to be accountable for their actions; to fulfill their obligations; and to hold others accountable for their actions.

Courage

Courage is the mental, moral and physical strength ingrained in Marines. It carries them through the challenges of combat and helps them overcome fear. It is the inner strength that enables a Marine to do what is right; to adhere to a higher standard of personal conduct; and to make tough decisions under stress and pressure.

Commitment

Commitment is the spirit of determination and dedication found in Marines. It leads to the highest order of discipline for individuals and units. It is the ingredient that enables 24-hour a day dedication to Corps and country. It inspires the unrelenting determination to achieve a standard of excellence in every endeavor

These are the Marines, “The FEW, The PROUD, The MARINES”.

I salute you all..

D/C

P.s this all started when I read this article below: Click the link. 🙂

A long wait for an intense experience