thedrifter
05-06-06, 07:54 AM
Operation: Boot Camp
KSFY
It's music rings familiar in every American's ear and its fanfare precedes the procession of all newly graduated marines, but despite the honored reputation of the marine Band San Diego, Michael Thorson of Sioux Falls is used to one similar refrain when discussing his musical mission. "Oh, the band. Oh, where do I begin because most of the people think, 'you're the band, you play instruments,' but you're a marine first, so you may have to do the marine thing too," says Michael.
In fact, Michael followed in the same footsteps of all new marines upon entering the corps. And more than two years in, the marine thing still includes all the physical training, skills qualifications, and martial arts practice of a regular marine, in addition to roughly four hours of rehearsal a day for some 400 gigs a year. "A marine musician is very hard to come across. You have to meet certain requirements even to be considered into the marine corps you know, and to be a marine corps musician, that's a notch higher."
But Michael says he'd give it all up, for one seemingly unusual request. "I'd like to deploy oversees to Iraq, but unfortunately you know, they need a certain amount of people to do a certain job, so unfortunately I have to stay here."
Michael says he realizes many people would think he's crazy for wanting to leave a mission set on the beaches of San Diego for a deployment based in the deserts of Iraq, but he says it's not about him. "I mean, no one wants to be in combat, but a lot of my friends, a lot of my fellow marines are over there, so I just want to be over there with them."
Whether they carry guns or drumsticks, that team perspective is something Michael says unites the entire corps from the start. "That's a marine thing. When you go to boot camp they break you down to point zero, you know, and then they build you up to a marine and that's just what's instilled in you."
For the onlookers who still don't understand, Michael says his desire to serve with his fellow marines is something you can't appreciate until you've lived by a certain hymn. "It's tough to put into words because it's just going to boot camp, you're made into a marine and that's what we do."
By Kent Erdahl
Ellie
KSFY
It's music rings familiar in every American's ear and its fanfare precedes the procession of all newly graduated marines, but despite the honored reputation of the marine Band San Diego, Michael Thorson of Sioux Falls is used to one similar refrain when discussing his musical mission. "Oh, the band. Oh, where do I begin because most of the people think, 'you're the band, you play instruments,' but you're a marine first, so you may have to do the marine thing too," says Michael.
In fact, Michael followed in the same footsteps of all new marines upon entering the corps. And more than two years in, the marine thing still includes all the physical training, skills qualifications, and martial arts practice of a regular marine, in addition to roughly four hours of rehearsal a day for some 400 gigs a year. "A marine musician is very hard to come across. You have to meet certain requirements even to be considered into the marine corps you know, and to be a marine corps musician, that's a notch higher."
But Michael says he'd give it all up, for one seemingly unusual request. "I'd like to deploy oversees to Iraq, but unfortunately you know, they need a certain amount of people to do a certain job, so unfortunately I have to stay here."
Michael says he realizes many people would think he's crazy for wanting to leave a mission set on the beaches of San Diego for a deployment based in the deserts of Iraq, but he says it's not about him. "I mean, no one wants to be in combat, but a lot of my friends, a lot of my fellow marines are over there, so I just want to be over there with them."
Whether they carry guns or drumsticks, that team perspective is something Michael says unites the entire corps from the start. "That's a marine thing. When you go to boot camp they break you down to point zero, you know, and then they build you up to a marine and that's just what's instilled in you."
For the onlookers who still don't understand, Michael says his desire to serve with his fellow marines is something you can't appreciate until you've lived by a certain hymn. "It's tough to put into words because it's just going to boot camp, you're made into a marine and that's what we do."
By Kent Erdahl
Ellie