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thedrifter
06-24-02, 12:37 PM
1.Best haircut. Hands down. You can't have a bad hair day with a high and tight.
And you spend less on shampoo.


2.Dress blues. They're the coolest uniforms in any military worldwide.


3.Bloused trousers. Another distinctive Marine look that sets the proudest service
members apart.


4.The rest of the Marine sea bag. From the Alphas to the camouflage utilities, uniforms
just look better on a Marine than any other service member.


5.Marines don't wear dungarees.


6.Most respect I. When the Marines pulled out of Haiti and Somalia, the media reported the U.S. military was pulling out -- as if tens of thousands of Army troops weren't still in the country. Now that's respect.


7.Most respect II. When the Corps came back to Haiti after 60 years, an old man on the Cap-Haitien beach said ``Welcome back!''


8.Toughest mascot. The Marine Corps' is a bull dog. The Navy's: a goat.


9.Esprit de Corps. Even if you can't spell it or pronounce it, the Marine Corps has it in
spades. One example: When sailors get tattoos, they do it to express their
individuality, and their choices range from Betty Boop and Mickey Mouse to raging sea
serpents. When Marines get tattoos, they do it to express their solidarity, and choose
bull dogs, "death before dishonor,'' and "USMC.''


10.Best war monument: Iwo Jima


11.The Marines invade, then go home. The Army has to do the occupying.


12.The silent drill platoon. Just watching them ply their trade makes you want to wear dress blues.


13.Status. Sailors live and work on ships. Marines go for cruises -- then hit the shore.


14.Best fast attack vehicles: LAVs.


15.Best fighting knife: Ka-Bar.


16.Best duty assignments: Okinawa, Kaneohe Bay, Camp Pendleton, Diego Garcia, Moscow, North Carolina. Plus any ship at sea.


17.Worst duty assignments: Okinawa, Kaneohe Bay, Camp Pendleton, Diego Garcia, Moscow, North Carolina. Plus any ship at sea.


18.Most exotic duty assignments: Kuala Lumpur, The White House.


19.Best phone number. Call 1-800-MARINES and you've got the Corps. And if you're a civilian with the mettle to be a Marine, a recruiter there will be happy to sign you up.


20.Toughest DIs. They're so tough that when the Navy wants to train its officers, who do they call? 1-800-MARINES.


21.Toughest boot camp. When San Diego was still training Navy recruits, legend has it that recruits occasionally would jump the fence and accidentally land in Marine boot camp. The Marines would keep them a couple of days, and when the recruits were sent back, they were ready to be sailors!


22.Best motivational cry: Ooh-rah!


23.Best emblem: Eagle, globe and anchor.


24.Best campaign covers: The Smokey Bear hat.


25.Separate heads for enlisted and officers. Everywhere else, officers and enlisted use the same pot.


26.The only official, congressionally sanctioned hymn for any of the services: ``The Marines' Hymn.''


27.Best slogan I: ``Once a Marine, always a Marine''


28.Best slogan II: ``Tell that to the Marines''


29.Best slogan III: ``Send in the Marines.''


30.Best nicknames I: Jarhead


31.Best nicknames II: Leatherneck


32.Best nicknames III: Devil Dog. Trivia question: Where did this term come from? Answer: The German Army in World War I, whose soldiers' greatest fear was running up against the toughest American fighting men, the Marines. They called them "teufelhunden,'' or Devil Dog.


33.Most remarkable airplane: The Harrier. No other service's jets can take off and land on a dime.


34.Most dangerous airplane: The Harrier. Not a simple science, but luckily more of a danger to the enemy than to Marine fliers.


35.You're a Marine. Not a soldier or a troop.


36.That's Marines, with a capital M.


37.Tradition! The Corps is older than the republic itself!


38.Marines symbolize: Discipline, courage, honor, commitment, valor, patriotism, military virtue.


39.Best recruiting gimmick I: Those darn Knights-in-Shining-Armor commercials.


40.Best recruiting gimmick II: ``We're looking for a few good men.'' OK, they left out women. The Corps is looking for a few good women, too.


41.Best recruiting gimmick III: ``If you have the mettle to be a Marine.''


42.The Commandant's House. It's the oldest occupied residence in Washington, D.C.


43.Chesty Puller. You gotta love a service that has heroes with names like that.


44.Former Commandant and Mud Marine Al Gray (Anecdote I): His official portrait, in cammies.


45.Former Commandant and Mud Marine Al Gray (Anecdote II): He drank from a four-star canteen cup.


46.Former Commandant and Mud Marine Al Gray (Anecdote III): Business leaders are so impressed with his ethic and style, they're using his Fleet Marine Force Manual 1, "Warfighting,'' to hone their skills for boardroom battles.


47.Unity. Every Marine is a rifleman.


48.The Marine Air-Ground Task Force. Marines attack by land, by air and from sea -- simultaneously.


49.The ``docs,'' -- Marines' corpsmen-in-arms. They're sailors, but they're as tough as Marines.


50.Mud. You wanna see pure joy? Look at a group of Marines after a mud fight.


51.Starch. Clean 'em up, put 'em in starched cammies, and they look sharp.


52.Poetry in motion. They're weapons, not g-u-n-s. And if you don't know the pithy verse that explains that, don't ask us. We blush to tell.


53.Point of the spear, out in front, kicking down the door. What the Marines do best.


54.Marine spouses. God love 'em. They have it then worst of any of the service spouses. They endure six-month deployments and one- and two-year unaccompanied tours. The ones who survive a career are as tough as the Marines they married.


55.Marine kids. God loves them more. They know the meaning of duty, honor and country at too young an age.


56.The Air Force. Aren't you glad you're not an airman? They're pampered, yet they still find time to whine.


57.The Army. They get all the best equipment first and Marines still do it better.


58.The Navy. Give them credit. They have it almost as tough as Marines. But who wants to be a limo service?


59.The Coast Guard. Tell the truth: If you couldn't be a Marine, would you be a Coastie? In those powder blue uniforms? Not on your life!


60.CH-46. Say a Hail Mary and climb aboard. Nobody makes 'em anymore, but Marine ingenuity keeps 'em flying. And with a safety record that's nothing short of a miracle.


61.The Close Combat Manual.


62.Leadership I. In the Corps, E-3s and E-4s get to do more than most E-6s in other branches.


63.Leadership II. Every Marine above the rank of corporal can tell you what it takes to be a leader. It's spelled out clearly and drilled in relentlessly. And it pays off under fire.


64.Leadership III. Corporate America could -- and does -- learn from the Corps' leadership curriculum. All Marines who enter the private sector take those lessons with them.


65.Combat correspondents. They're journalists in the Navy, but in the Corps, the job is combat correspondent, thank you very much.


66.Marines do more with less, and they like it that way.


67.Amphibians one and all. Like the Army, Marines have tanks and armored vehicles. But theirs not only fight... they swim.


68.Air power. When the grunts look to the sky for support, they see Marine pilots, not zoomies.


69.Style. Nothing beats the canopy of sabres during a full dress Marine wedding.


70.Wetting-down parties. No one celebrates promotions with more flair and admiration.


71.Mess etiquette. Enter covered and drinks are on you.


72.Mess night I. Those who make the most pay the most.


73.Mess night II. ``1775 Rum Punch'' -- four parts dark rum, two parts lime juice, one part pure maple syrup. Grenadine to taste.


74.Non-Comms rate their own ceremonial sword!


75.Fighting style I. When the U.S. went into Haiti, Army soldiers sought cover behind their rucksacks. Marines DUG IN!

Con't......................

thedrifter
06-24-02, 12:40 PM
76.Fighting style II. When the Air Force deploys, they carry their Samsonite bags on luggage carriers and stay in hotels. When Marines deploy, it's two seabags and your weapons. And a tent in the...

thedrifter
06-24-02, 12:41 PM
151.Fleet submission II. ``Marine Corps spirit and purpose define American resolve and intent.'' -- Carrol Childers, a civilian employee at Quantico's Amphibious Warfare School.


152.Leadership. The Corps trains its leaders young and expects a lot out of them. And, gosh darn it, they get what they ask for.


153.Fleet submission III. ``Those hardcharging NCOs that have done so much with so little for so long.'' -- Capt. James Lopez, Quantico, Va.


154.Fleet submission IV. ``The smell of gunpowder in the morning on the rifle range.''
-- Cpl. Bradley Cameron, Quantico, Va.


155.Fleet submission V. ``It's my life.'' -- GS-8 Diane Pierce.


156.Fleet submission VI. ``The feeling of belonging. Whenever you go, there will always be someone you know, someone with something in common and someone willing to lend a hand'' -- anonymous Marine. 157.Fleet submission VII. ``The Corps is the world's biggest fraternity. All our present and past members are, and always be, members of the Semper Fi fraternity. And unlike other fraternities, ours is open to women.'' -- CWO Mark Roulette.


158.Fleet submission VIII. ``Knowing when you're in need, a Marine will be there.'' -- SSgt. Cheryl Oban, Quantico.


159.Hollywood loves Marines. (Part II: Marines who went to Hollywood).


160.Don Adams.


161.Charlton Heston.


162.Bob Keeshan (Capt. Kangaroo).


163.Lee Marvin.


164.Steve McQueen.


165.Burt Reynolds.


166.George C. Scott.


167.Gene Hackman.


168.Bea Arthur.


169.Tax advantages I. VHA & BAQ -- your housing allowances -- are tax-free.


170.Tax advantages II. You don't pay tax at the exchange either.


171.Marine wives. They put up with a lot but they have their limits. See No. 94.


172.Fleet submission IX. ``It is a family.'' -- anonymous Marine.


173.Fleet submission X. ``It teaches us to be strong people both mentally and physically.'' -- Cpl. Maria Retan, Quantico, Va.


174.Fleet submission XI. ``I love the Marine Corps for those intangible possessions that cannot be issued: Pride, honor, integrity and being able to carry on the traditions for generations of warriors past. After I have done what I can for the Corps, I can say that I was a Marine'' -- Cpl. Jeff Sornij.


175.Fleet submission XII. ``The pride of going home on leave, putting on the dress blues and everyone knowing you're a member of the world's finest fighting force.''
-- Sgt. Chase Gilbert, Laurel Bay, S.C.


176.Up-to-date fashions at overseas Exchanges.


177.Congress loves the Corps. The congressional ``mafia'' of former Marines now in positions of power or influence over the defense budget includes:


178.Rep. Ronald Dellums (D-Calif.). The chairman of the House Armed Services Committee is sometimes lampooned as a dovish cutter of defense budgets. But he's a former Marine, too. And once a Marine, always a Marine, as the saying goes.


179.Sen. John Glenn (D-Ohio), chairman of the Senate Armed Services subcommittee on military readiness and defense infrastructure.


180.Sen. Chuck Robb (D-Va.) All right, he may not be reelected Nov. 8. But if he loses, look who'll take his place: Republican nominee and retired Marine, Oliver North.


181.Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., chairman of the House defense appropriations subcommittee.


182.Sen. John Warner, R-Va., ranking Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee and armed service committee member who is a former Navy secretary. He served in the Navy in 1944-46, became a civilian, and then went back to do it right: He joined the Marine Corps and served from 1950-52.


183.Other former Marines in Congress include: Rep. Lane Evans, D-Ill.; Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Montana; Rep. Gerald Soloman, R-N.Y.; Rep. Paul McHale, D-Pa.; Sen. John Chafee, R-R.I., a former Navy secretary; Rep. Arthur Ravenel, RS.C., a House Armed Services Committee member who is retiring; Sen. Jim Sasser, DTenn.; Rep. Frank Tejeda, D-Texas; Sen. Howell Heflin, D-Ala.; Sen. Dale Bumpers, D-Ark.; Rep. Matthew Martinez, D-Calif.; Rep. Al McCandless, R-Calif.; Rep. David Skaggs, DColo.; Rep. Dan
Schaefer, R-Colo.; Rep. Andy Jacobs, D-Ind.; Rep. Pat Roberts, R-Kan.; Rep. Wayne Gilchrest, R-Md.; Rep. Thomas J. Manton, D-N.Y.; Rep. Amo Houghton, R-N.Y.; Rep. Austin J. Murphy, D-Pa. (who is retiring); and Rep. Craig Thomas, R-Wyo., a House Government Operations Committee member.


184.And finally, pulling strings for Marines behind the scenes on Capitol Hill are two Marine-friendly power brokers: Marine Corps Reserve Brig. Gen. Arnold Punaro, staff director for the Senate Armed Services Committee, and retired Lt. Col. P.T. Henry, the staff director for the Senate Armed Services subcommittee on force requirements and personnel.


185.Global presence, global reach. As the Hymn notes, so spread out are Marines around the globe that some can watch the sun set while others are watching it rise.


186.Despite their service to U.S. presidents, no Marine has ever been a president. Now that's smart!


187.Respect. The State Department chose Marines, not soldiers, to protect our embassies.


188.Good taste in gifts. Wanna know how much a Marine missed his family during a deployment? Check out the china and toys in his seabag on the return trip, and then look at his credit card bill.


189.The 1st and 15th of each month. Gotta pay for those good gifts.


190.Marines are winners. Consider, for example:


191.Tarawa.


192.Saipan.


193.Guadalcanal.


194.Tripoli.


195.Belleau Wood.


196.Chosin.


197.Hue City.


198.Peleliu.


199.Leyte Gulf.


200.Guam.


201.Tinian.


202.Iwo Jima.


203.Okinawa.


204.The Officer's Sam Browne Belt.


205.Top Guns I: The Marine Corps Rifle Team. After a record-setting performance at the interservice rifle championships in July, the Marine team blew away the 1,200 civilian and military rivals at the U.S. Nationals in August. No doubt about it, Marines are the best riflemen in the country.


206.Top Guns II: MSgt. Donnie L. Heuman. After 17 years of competitive rifle shooting, he took top individual honors at this year's Interservice Rifle Championships, shooting a record-breaking 995 out of a possible 1,000 points with 50 bull's-eyes. His nearest competitor was nine points and 10 bull's-eyes behind.


207.Top Guns III: The Marine Corps Pistol Team. They won the U.S. National trophy six years running, establishing themselves as the champion to be beat. They were second this year, but don't expect the trophy to stay in anyone else's hands for long.


208.Top Guns IV: Marine snipers. Oneshot, one kill, one thousand yards.


209.The 174,158 men and women in Marine Corps uniforms as of Oct. 1, 1994.


210.Top Guns V: Marine Corps wrestlers and boxers. They don't use weapons, and they don't need them, they are regular medalists at the Olympic Games.


211.Navy chow. It's better on the ship than in the field.


212.Navy chaplains. You gotta love a man of the cloth when the cloth is camouflaged. One example: Lt. Cmdr. Dennis Rocheford, wounded twice in Vietnam as a Marine infantryman, is now a Navy chaplain aboard the USS Wasp.


213.MREs. You hate to love 'em, but when you're hot and sweaty and in the field, nothing satisfies like the beef frankfurters and beans.


214.The Marines take care of their own. On the battlefield, nobody's left behind -- dead or alive -- and the homefront is always secure.


215.Commitment and devotion. ``You gotta love it,'' says Col. Richard D. Stearns, commanding officer, Marine Corps Air Station, Beaufort, S.C. ``Just liking it won't get you through the day.''


216.Image. ``I'm inspired by the integrity of Marines: uplifted by the pride, focus, discipline, flexibility and motivation to do the right thing in thebest way. I'm honored that, by service to the country, they are serving citizens like me. All this, and they are fun colleagues and co-workers.'' -- Jean Forrest, civilian instructional systems specialist, Marine Corps Institute.


217.The Birthday Ball I: The cake.


218.The Birthday Ball II: Remembering all those Marines who gave their life for their service and their country.


219.The Birthday Ball III: Seeing who's the oldest and youngest Marine in your unit.


220.Ooh-rah!

Sempers,

Roger

USMC0311
06-24-02, 01:12 PM
#201 Liberty :)