Tattoo idea

[jahuski35]

When I join the marines I want to get a tattoo, I am still to young for one but any ideas of tats would be awesome. My current idea is the polish eagle carrying the USMC flag in this kind of way.
http://www.usdamilitaryfamilies.org/ ( its the top left one)
I was thinking if this idea might be offensive in any way? I'm trying to unite my Polish heritage and the American/USMC into one tattoo. Then I wanted to write a quote under the tattoo, not sure what yet. Something about war and brothers. My current idea is the one by Shakespeare "We few, we happy few, we band of brothers, for he who sheds his blood with me shall be my brother, be he ne'er so vile. This day shall gentle his condition."
Any further thoughts or ideas would be great guys, thanks.
By the way, this website should create a forum thing for tattoos pics/ ideas.

[chulaivet1966]

When I join the marines I want to get a tattoo, I am still to young for one

Yes...I agree you are too young to be contemplating any tattoo especially a USMC related tattoo.
You don't specify your age but I would suggest becoming a Marine first provided you are qualified.

Some food for thought at this juncture:
http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/showthread.php?t=103724

That's my take on it......

[jahuski35]

Yes...I agree you are too young to be contemplating any tattoo especially a USMC related tattoo.
You don't specify your age but I would suggest becoming a Marine first provided you are qualified.

Some food for thought at this juncture:
http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/showthread.php?t=103724

That's my take on it......

There would be no way in hell i would get a USMC tattoo before joining lol. Thats probably the dumbest thing in the world.

[Apache]

Chu Lai said it, too young to be thinking about a tat

Earn the title. Then put thought into this
While you're thinking - input you will have this the rest of your life.
Take into consideration the Corps requirements and future (?) civilian requirements
I've seen good people couldn't get a. Job as a valet because of tats !

[Old Marine]

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

Agree 100%.

[sparkie]

There's always the old twin squirrel tatoos for you civilian types.

[Are you allowed to post here in the Squad Bay?]

[The DUKE]

Sensability is key,
you've got to wear it for the rest of your life,
not my life,
not your friends life,
YOUR life,
I have a couple of tats,
modest ones,
the USMC is enamored on my left shoulder ,
USMC with the standard bulldog mug shot beneath it,
says what I wanted to say and that's enough for me,
I see a lot of guys like others have said doing menial tasks with sleeve tats,
and stuff on their face and forehead and all over their body,
well that's fine if that's what your into,
I wonder sometimes how they really feel late at night sitting in their one room efficiency bungalow's making minimum wage on account of those tats and think
"I bet they wouldn't do it again" if they had another shot.

[YLDNDN6]

The Marine Corps is not a biker gang or band of pirates. Why does everyone instantly think of tats when they join the Corps? The Corps has standards for tats for a reason...I believe they would rather the ranks didn't look like a ragged bunch of hoodlums, covered in poorly conceived and poorly executed body art. In my humble opinion, if you want tats, go to prison...there's no limit on bad ink and you don't have to take the ASVAB or worry about what MOS you'll get....Carry on.

[FaDeD]

i have a half sleeve on my right arm, a piece on my upper back and a Scout Sniper logo on my right calf, my wife's name n my left forearm, my kids name on my bicep.. all of it was fun when i got it and after the oohs and ahhs are over, its just another thing the real world stereotypes as a trouble maker. I can walk into a gas station in civies and people will treat me like crap, same day i can come in in blues and get the royal treatment.. stand bye for moments like that.

[chulaivet1966]

Regarding tats....to comment further.

One night in Oceanside I was with another Brother testing our limits of libation consumption and we walked into a tat parlor.
I came very close to getting a USMC tat exactly what The Duke had gotten.
For some reason (maybe not enough libation) I changed my mind at the last minute and don't know why.
But...I had already been to Nam and my motivation was not based on looking cool, a tough wannabe thug or peer pressure.
I would not have regretted the tat I was pondering at all as it was out of respect to the Corps and my own personal pride in surviving my experiences.
Yes...stereo types exist for those that sport all the ink but stereo types by society exist based on some truths whether we like it or not.

That's my take on it....carry on....

[Sgt Leprechaun]

Moved to proper area. Please check out our rules, posted at the top of this section.

And good advice given on the tat idea...

[BetioBastard]

A tat isn't something you should get just to have a label on yourself. I got a Meat tag and I only got it before my second deployment because I realized that it might've proved useful plus it meant something. Don't be like all the other boots (new grads) and get a motard tat that you will later regret. You won't regret getting it but you will regret not giving it enough thought. If you want it today, You should still want it a year from now because it will be there for life.

My two cents

[jahuski35]

Thanks for all the advice about tattoos Devil Dogs. I'm not one of those guys that wants to get a tattoo straight out of boot, all motto tatted and all. I just simply wanted advice on what should my tattoo look like even if i got one. And a ink spot on me would mean something, not simply a tribal tattoo that means nothing (no offense to any one with one,even though they look sick.) And if i got one I would get it a lot of thought and put it on my back or chest or upper arms so its not showing with PT gear.

[SgtAvenge]

When I was a tiny little brat I remember sitting on the lap of an old friend of my dads and running my fingertips over an anchor tat that was on his inner forearm. After graduating boot camp and ending up in 29 I went to one of the thousands of tattoo parlours with a bunch of my brothers and I immediately decided on an EGA on my left inner forearm. That was 10 years ago and I've never regreted it for a second! Since then I've slowly added to it, a flag, Gadsden flag (I would hope every Marine knows what a Gadsden flag is, "Don't Tread On Me" below a rattlesnake), "Liberty or Death", some concertina wire wrapping around my forearm and made to appear as though it's going in and out of my skin underneath the EGA, the Fallen Marine Memorial, and since being medically retired in 2010 I had my Sgt chevron mixed in, so in all it's a half sleeve that once again I don't regret any of it! The only tattoo I slightly regret is a Celtic Cross on my right arm with a Crown of Thorns intertwined and wrapped around my bicep, and the only reason I slightly regret it is because I didn't put a whole lot of time and research into finding a decent artist to do it, he didn't do a terrible job on it but since all of my tats not only have a lot of thought put into them, they all hold deep personal meaning to me, but I also personally designed all the artwork too, all the minor errors just stand out to me!
Here's the key to getting a lasting tattoo that you won't regret, put A LOT of time and thought into it, making sure that it really mean something to you, and finding a GREAT tattoo artist to do the work! In high school this idiot got his parents to sign a waver for him. Well this mofo decides to get a huge Tasmanian devil, and I'm not talking an actual Tasmanian devil from like "Tasmania, Australia", yeah I'm talkin' the looney toons "Taz", I can't even remember the dumb ass phrase he had below it but you get the point, I'm sure this dood just walked in with his mother and after flipping through the book for zero seconds says " I want that one mommy, snicker, snicker, snort, snicker, it'll make me look tough) (it definitely didn't pull that off for him). If I were him I'd have regretted my very existence, but this tool would pump his chest out, always have that sleeve either rolled up, or somehow something kept his sleeve from covering his bad ass tat! I wouldn't be surprised if that douche glued his damn sleeve up! I haven't seen him since (thank God!) but even though I would hope he now regrets having something so childish and utterly ridiculous, I somehow still imagining that dood still strutting his stuff, now joined by a full sleeve and back piece of the rest of his loony toon palls!


I personally have not had any problems finding work even with a half sleeve, I've made it a point to collect letters of reference throughout my career, I worked my ass off for NCO of the quarter, Military Persons of the Year, and several other awards and recognitions that all helped immensely. When I applied and interviewed I wore a full suit and tie which covered all of my tats, and until I made a good impression I wore nothing but long sleeves, and in fact still do for the most part especially when interviewing people to hire or working with customers. Even with all of my tats I've still managed to be successful, I'm currently an engineer for an Aerospace company. But yes there are still times when I feel judged for my tattoos, but mostly outside of the work place since I've worked hard to develope a good reputation in what I do. And the times I feel as though I'm being judged for my tats, it's all people that don't know me and I just say **** em! It's all up to you whether you're successful or not, no one else so don't let them think for a second that they are! It's all about hard work gents! My grandpa has has this poster on his wall that's burned in my memory since I learned to read it! It says the following:
"I'm just lucky I guess, and the harder I work the luckier I get!"
So if you want to be all tatted up do it, it's on you and how hard you work that counts most! Although as I've stated, it doesn't hurt to keep them hidden for first impressions sake. It shouldn't be too far out of the realm of "Common Sense", but I suppose if you don't have that, you may be ****ed no matter what you do! Just a thought lol.


I wish the best for you!
Semper Fi
Sgt Miller