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Patrick8605
11-11-04, 09:59 PM
I'm sure there have been a few of these threads in the past but I am looking for some feedback on why you have joined the Marine Corps. I know I signed up for the love of my country and I felt I have been called to help protect freedome.

Your words are appreciated.

The Toad
11-11-04, 10:25 PM
I joined to serve my country, work towards a noble and common goal, and have some adventure.

DeNichilo 0300
11-12-04, 02:05 PM
I joined for much of the same reason, Pride and wanting to kick some terrorist a$$.

O0h and the looks Marines get from chiks while in uniform isnt bad either........cant wait :)

snipowsky
11-12-04, 02:06 PM
I joined up to grease a dirty raghead. Never happened, but loved my time serving my country.

radio relay
11-12-04, 05:35 PM
MY Dad was career Army, and a combat Veteran of WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. So, it was a given that I'd also serve. However, I always thought it would be in the Army, too.

However, I had a close friend, whose son was a Marine, serving in Vietnam, at Khe Sahn. I would visit her often, and she would read me his letters. In November, of 1967, after listening to Reena read one particularly moving letter from her son, about the rough conditions, the rats, not having enough to eat due to the problems in getting supplies, and losing a close friend in combat, I knew it was time to get off my butt and do my part, too. I also knew I had to do it as a Marine. So, I went down to the recruiter's that day, and signed up on the Delayed Entry Program.

I arrived at MCRD, San Diego, on May 28th, 1968, and the rest (as they say) is history...

Tom D
11-12-04, 06:12 PM
I was leaning toward the Navy(YIKES), but then at the recruiting office I saw a Gunny in his Dress Blues and I thought to myself, I want a set of those! So I joined the Corps.

hrscowboy
11-12-04, 06:21 PM
I am a 5th generation Marine that says it all....

Toby M
11-12-04, 06:56 PM
I didn't appreciate my country as much as I do now but I joined at the request of the judge. I have thanked him a million times since...This is the greatest country in the world and I am proud to have been given the opportunity to serve. The Marines furthered that opportunity to succeed!

layedoutsdime
11-12-04, 09:09 PM
My best friend is in the AF, and we vowed a long time ago always to have each others backs though anything. Soon ill be watching him from the ground and he'll be keepin an eye on me from the sky... funny how the world works.

troop901
11-12-04, 11:48 PM
I joined because mohammed promised me 1000 virgin's. Then it was the dress blue's and then it was because no one else in my family had ever been a Marine. I was told a few months ago that my nephew had joined the air force, I was like ok, I will accept that. Then I talked to my brother, his dad, who said, no, he aint decided yet, we dont want him to go military but if he does' we want him to talk to you and we want him to be a Marine. And yes, a tear rolled down this ol jarhead's cheek when he said that. But what ever he decide's on I will support. But I am hopin Marine's cause I want to stand there on the island when he graduates, is that selfish. That is another question all into it's self I guess. So I guess the answer is, THE PRIDE. We are a brother and sisterhood and no one can take that from us and yes, lets hope my lil nephew who was born while I was in da jungle picks our Corps.

zanai12345
11-17-04, 11:20 AM
I joined the Corps at 17 during the midst of the Persian Gulf War. At 18 I went off to college to make sure that joining the Corps was what I wanted to do. I have always been a person who liked challenge. I easily get bored when things get tedious. So, after one semester of college I decided that that was not where I wanted to be. At the age of 19, I went off to boot camp. It was a challenging experience to say the least. I grew into my person while in the Corps. I learned teamwork, responsibility, leadership and a wealth of other attibutes. I will never forget what I have learned in the Corps and would not trade the experience for anything.

Namvet67
11-17-04, 11:31 AM
My reason was a combination of why radio relay and Toby M joined. It worked out for me. I have never regretted it.

Cole11
11-21-04, 02:37 PM
Why did i join? I joined the Marines because, you can join the army and be a soldier for 4 years, join the airforce and be a airman for 4 years, join the navy and be a sailor for 4 years, or join our beloved Corps and be a Marine for life! ONCE A MARINE ALWAYS A MARINE! OORAH DEVIL DOGS!

Patrick8605
11-22-04, 09:39 PM
OOHRAH to that.

HardJedi
11-22-04, 10:59 PM
wanna know the truth? that honest to god, really emberassing goofy truth? Cause I wanted to be a knight in King Arthurs court as a kid. The Marine Corps was a close as I could find to it once I realised that there were no more knights (at about 9 years old).

go ahead and Laugh. I do all the time.


I also joined because I felt thatr, given what some of my uncles and great uncles had given to this nation, that I could not do any less.

Timber
11-26-04, 12:19 PM
I joined for many of the same reasons above, PRIDE, the uniform and the fact that if I was going to be a part of the best armed forces in the world you have to be the best of the best. I am also the only Marine in my family. Everybody else covered the other 3 branches.

hector verduzco
11-26-04, 12:44 PM
The reason why I enlisted was my stepfather. He was in the corps back in the 70's stationed at Camp Pendelton,CA. Everytime my mom, sister and myself would pick him up at the bus station, he was in uniform. The word MARINE was tough and still is. The uniform he wore was a perfect fit. He taught me the manual of arms but with a broomstick. And to this day I'm am one of the "Few The Proud A United States MARINE!!!

Thirsty Pilgrim
12-02-04, 07:41 PM
Had a Marine Corps recruiting poster on my wall at 10 years of age. I just always wanted to be a Marine.

Goose
12-02-04, 08:32 PM
My fore fathers were all Army...I joined the Marines at the age of 17plus one day. I left for bootcamp at the age of 18 plus two days. I joined because I love this Country and everytime I see the flag I get goose bumps. And if you don't get the He!! out.

Eric Robinson
12-02-04, 09:06 PM
I honestly did not join to serve my country or to protect anyone (not that i wont). I joined simply because i wanted to be a MARINE. Oorah!
Semper FI to the Corps

Sgted
12-02-04, 09:36 PM
My Father and his brother (my Uncle) were both Marines. WWII.
They were both proud son-of-a-guns and carried the Corps pride within their souls.
I wanted to realize the mistique.
My Father never pushed me but let me know if I decided to join the Marines I would not regret it.
With Vietnam emerging my Mother was against my joining.
But I was very idealistic and knew I wanted to do my part for my country.
In June,1965, 2 of my buddies and I joined and were eventually sworn in at H&S Co, 6th MTBn, USMCR, Port Newark, NJ July 24, 1965.

TRLewis
12-11-04, 09:04 AM
I had no place to go, I was graduating high school. Parents were spliting up(they both came together to see me graduate), why not join the Marines and see the world? I saw Hawaii, while not bad I was hoping for the east coast for a med cruise.

rockhopper
12-11-04, 09:13 AM
I had a family history of naval service. I wasn't joining the damn Navy, so off to the Marines I went. :marine:

munciecarl
12-11-04, 09:23 AM
My father was a Army WWII veteran.

AshleyMS
01-16-05, 11:11 PM
Well I think there was alot that made me join the Marine Corps. Love for this wonderful country, family in the Marines and many of my friends were/are in. But I feel that the main reason I decided to join the Corps is because, my country has done so much for me, my family and everyone else, I felt as though I needed to give something back. To help defend this beautiful nation of ours for our future generations. To be able to help keep this freedom we have and give our kids something to be proud of, to never wonder what its like to be like everyone else. If that makes sense! I know that I want my kids, when I have any, to be able to grow up and do anything that they want to do, to be able to be a docter or lawyer or a service member. I want this country to still be free many many years from now, for my kids and their children and so on and so on. I love my country and I was so proud to be an American, but now I am even more proud to be an American because I am and forever will be a United States Marine. I hope that you can look onto this post and understand what I am saying because sometimes its very hard for me to put into words what I feel and think. Semper Fi!!!!!

airframesguru
01-17-05, 12:24 AM
Had to get away from the cows, a small town, and wnted to be something...anyhing....S.o.A.b. it was soooo worth it.

AshleyMS
01-17-05, 06:39 PM
LOL, Cows...???!!! What were the cows doing so wrong that you left them...they are probably traumatized now...poor things...lol

B A Hall
01-17-05, 07:03 PM
My Father a former Marine,My Brother,Myself,And now my oldest son a Marine,It's pride my father retired I wish I would have.I got in to it with my small engines teacher quite school and thought now what you hot headed sh!!.couple of days later I joined.The Corps puts so much pride in us we live it.I tell the kids clean your room,ok it's done,I inspect,I don't think so,gosh you gonna get your white gloves out?You gotta love that ****.Semper Fi...And Dad tried to tell me join the air force they have better schools..I quit school.

cajunguy
01-17-05, 07:06 PM
Figgered that joinin' the Marines was the only way I could get to wear that great lookin' DRESS BLUE uniform. :marine:

Abe's
01-17-05, 07:51 PM
My first choice was not the Marine Corps. It was the Army. And I was not joining to serve God and country, it was because I did not plan things while in highschool, college did not interest me, and frankly I was a loser, with a capital "L" on the forehead. If I had continued on this course I would have crashed and burned in life. Or at the very best, been a bum.

I ended up joining the Corps because I was impressed when the Marine recruiter, GySgt Tanner, snagged me before the Army and I was just 16 and a junior in highschool. My age and the fact I was skinny and scrawny did not even bother him, he sat me down in his office, and began talking to me about the Corps, pulling out the benifit tags on me, and gaving me the plan straight truth about the life a Marine. This impressed me. I joined in November of 1975 and shipped May of '76.

The funny thing, when I served as a recruiter, '83-'86, when times got hard, I would always think of GySgt. Tanner and wonder, "what would he do?"