Todays Moto

[jinelson]

I was reading through some old Leatherneck magazines tonight and thought this would give you pups some moto.

Jim



Once A Marine


Once an old Marine was walking
Down life's long and winding road
When on the trail before him, A mighty cloud arose.
It was Terror, Wrath and Genocide
Out to make their rounds,
Tearing up the countryside
And pillaging the grounds.

Then they checked up toe to toe
With the lone Marine.
They said "You're looking weary, Boy,
And just a little lean.
You know we're in hurry,
So you'd better step aside,
And if you know what's good for you
You'll find a place to hide."

Well, the old salt never uttered a solitary word,
But slowly drew his K-Bar
As he mustered up the nerve.
Then he said, "You aint passing here -
Not while Im on watch.
But if your feeling lucky,
Lets crank this up another notch."

And when it all was over
The carnage was a sight;
Seems Terror, Wrath and Genocide
Had lost the will to fight.
So dont you be discouraged
And dont give in to fright
"Cause there's "Always a Marine" watching
And ready for the fight.



By Jackie R. Duncan

[Hectic]

Thank you sir, I find that very inspiational. If you or anyone else finds some please post them.

[jinelson]

I can and will do that Hectic and I will post em to this thread.

Jim

[JIPeterson]

Great poem SSGT!!!

[ElDiablo]

Here's one...

You can keep your Army khaki,
You can keep your Navy blue,
I have the World's best fighting man,
To introduce to you
His uniform is different,
The best you've ever seen,
The Germans called him "Devil Dog"
His real name is "Marine."
He was born on Parris Island,
The place where God forgot.
The sand is eighteen inches deep,
The sun is blazing hot.
He gets up every morning,
Before the rising sun.
He'll run a hundred miles and more,
Before the day is done.
He's deadly with a rifle,
A bayonet made of steel.
He took the Warrior's calling card,
He's mastered how to kill.
And when he gets to Heaven,
St. Peter he will tell,
One more Marine reporting, sir,
I've spent my time in Hell.
So listen, all you young girls,
To what I have to say;
Go find yourself a young Marine,
To love you everyday.
He'll hug you and he'll kiss you,
And treat you like a queen,
There is no better Fighting Man,
The United States Marine

Now that to me is moto

[ElDiablo]

Here's a website...pretty much history and facts about the Corps...
http://www.usmcpress.com/heritage/usmc_terms.htm

[IamaMarine]

Jim- I also look forward to seeing more. And I enjoyed what I have seen so far.

[Blaster]

very motivating.

[jinelson]

Today I searched and found a poem that I felt said a lot about who we are and was worthy of sharing with those who will soon attempt to carry the torch as a Marine. Its written by a Marine so I did a quick search to give you some more information on the Marine that wrote such an outstanding poem. I was deeply saddened to learn that he was killed in action last year in the war. This made his words so extremely emotional to me that I hesitated to share them with you for a moment. But he would have wanted me to share them otherwise he wouldnt have left them behind. I am also posting the link to the site that I got when I researched his name.

Jim

http://www.iraqwarheroes.com/plouhar.htm



http://www.iraqwarheroes.com/photos10/raymond_plouhar01.jpg

This Is Who I Am
-SSgt. Raymond Plouhar USMC-


This is me this is who I am
I am a Marine to the very end
I live by the motto that is Semper Fi

I come to countries in far off lands
To fight for freedom for which most are to scared to stand

Do not judge me for what I do
For what I do I do for you

I will kill for those who cannot kill
I will die for those to scared to

I will leave my loved ones, my kids, my wife
I will leave them all behind to give you a better life

I have seen and done things that will haunt my dreams
I have given up many things for you to be free

Do not feel pity for me, for this is my choice
I chose this life so people like you can have a voice

I will die on my feet, I will not live on my knees
I will do this so America can stay free

This is me this is who I am
I am a Marine to the very end


Rest in peace brother and and thank you for leaving your words behind for us.

Semper Fi Staff Sergeant Plouhar

Jim



http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/usflaghlfstf-1.gif
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/semperfi05in.gif

[CJA]

Today I searched and found a poem that I felt said a lot about who we are and was worthy of sharing with those who will soon attempt to carry the torch as a Marine. Its written by a Marine so I did a quick search to give you some more information on the Marine that wrote such an outstanding poem. I was deeply saddened to learn that he was killed in action last year in the war. This made his words so extremely emotional to me that I hesitated to share them with you for a moment. But he would have wanted me to share them otherwise he wouldnt have left them behind. I am also posting the link to the site that I got when I researched his name.

Jim


http://www.iraqwarheroes.com/plouhar.htm



http://www.iraqwarheroes.com/photos10/raymond_plouhar01.jpg


This Is Who I Am
-SSgt. Raymond Plouhar USMC-



This is me this is who I am


I am a Marine to the very end
I live by the motto that is Semper Fi

I come to countries in far off lands
To fight for freedom for which most are to scared to stand

Do not judge me for what I do
For what I do I do for you

I will kill for those who cannot kill
I will die for those to scared to

I will leave my loved ones, my kids, my wife
I will leave them all behind to give you a better life

I have seen and done things that will haunt my dreams
I have given up many things for you to be free

Do not feel pity for me, for this is my choice
I chose this life so people like you can have a voice

I will die on my feet, I will not live on my knees
I will do this so America can stay free

This is me this is who I am
I am a Marine to the very end




Rest in peace brother and and thank you for leaving your words behind for us.

Semper Fi Staff Sergeant Plouhar

Jim




http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/usflaghlfstf-1.gif
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/semperfi05in.gif



That's just amazing.
Great moto, gives me chills.

[USMC90]

This is great moto. Some of those even sent chills down my spin. Thank you for sharing this with us.

Here's one I found not long ago and saved.


I was just a private with a rifle in my hand
Along with fellow Marines, we go to make our stand
The plane ride took forever as the tension filled the air
To a place called Vietnam, our country sent us there.

I've been on base, we're packing up our ammo and some knifes
Heading out into the foreign fields where we could lose our lives
The jungle all around us, we're crawling on the ground
The enemy is very near, and the sun is going down

That night was just the first of many, the death roll moving on
The men I fought with side by side was also someone's son
Time just kept going by, everyday slower than the other
I yearned to see the smiling face of my dear old mother

The blood shed and the smell of death from villages we would roam
Hoping that we were closer to the day we're going home
Two years in Vietnam had come to pass when it finally caught up with me
I saved a soldiers life by taking out my knee

They flew me back to the U.S.A. I was going home at last
In a wheelchair with half a leg that was wrapped up in a cast
But what was waiting for me when I got home made me sick as I could be
People were protesting against this war. Is this reality?

I watched my fellow Marines die with honor and valor, in a country far away
For the rights of your freedom, their lives they had to pay
Words like liberty and honor you'll never understand
We provided you these privileges with our rifle in our hand

Semper Fi! Dedicated to all the Vietnam Vets.


http://www.grunt.com/scuttlebutt/corps-stories/poems/rifle.asp

[jinelson]

A Marines Poem


There is a story,
that I love to tell,
of thirteen weeks of misery,
thirteen weeks of hell,
I was living in the city,
working everyday,
Until one day a man in blue,
happend to cross my way,
I signed my name,
upon the dotted line,
Packed all my trash,
got on the plane,
Off to serve my time.

They sent me to an Island,
Where they made Marines,
They say a thousand boys may come,
But only men may leave,
They issued all my gear,
Combat boots and skivy shirts,
In a few short hours,
They had me in the dirt,
My Drill Instructor,
Trained me rough and hard,
He taught me how to fight,
He taught me how to march.

In three short months,
As long as it had seemed,
I finally had earned,
The Title of Marine,
How well I remember,
Graduation Day,
As I left I swore,
I wouldn't be back this way,
I went to my Drill Instructors,
And gave them my hand,
They made this boy a Man.

I served my time proudly,
Out in the FMF,
But back at Parris Island,
There was something I felt I left,
So I'm back a second time,
A smokey in my hand,
Training U.S. Marine Recruits,
The vary best I can,
I found out what I lost,
In the very end,
The making of Marines,
Down Where It All Began.

Author unknown

[CHAOS27]

Thanks to all for the moto. I look forward to it everyday.

Self thrashing will commence in five seconds.....:flag:

[SmokeyBandit]

If I ever go to war Mom, Please don't be afraid.
There are some things I must do, To keep the promise that I made.
I'm sure there will be some heartache, And I know that you'll cry tears,
But your son is a Marine now, Mom, There is nothing you should fear.

If I ever go to war Dad, I know that you'll be strong.
But you won't have to worry, Cause you taught me right from wrong.
You kept me firmly on the ground, yet still taught me how to fly.
Your son is a Marine now Dad, I love you OORAAH, Even if I die.

If I ever go to war Bro, There are some things I want to say.
You've always had my back, and I know it's my time to repay.
You'll always be my daybreak, through all of life's dark clouds,
Your brother is a Marine now, Bro, I promise I'll make you proud.

If I ever go to war Sis, don't you worry bout me,
I always looked out for you, but I can't do that anymore,
Cause I'm a big bro to all in America.
I love you so much and you know that, Your brother is a Marine now Sis,
So wipe your eyes, I'll be fine even if I die.

If I ever go to war my Friends, We'll never be apart,
Though we may not meet again, I'll hold you in my heart.
Remember all the times we had, Don't let your memories cease,
Your friend is a Marine now, Dear Friend, And I'll die to bring you peace.

And when I go to heaven, And see that pearly gate,
I'll gladly decline entrance, Then stand my post and wait.
I'm sorry Sir I can't come in, I'm sort of in a bind,
You see I'm still a Marine Sir, So I can't leave them behind

[jinelson]

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j176/murtigo4/marines/Marines1.jpg



UNITED STATES MARINES

By David M. BilyeuGySgt, USMC, Retired



Once upon a time,
a very long time ago.
A group of men together,
formed the Eagle, Anchor and Globe.

Throughout twenty-three decades,
we've been put through every test.
And with each and every encounter;
We've proved we were the best.

Whether it be a youngster,
just brand new in the Corps.
Or one of the survivors,
when we had fought World Wars.

You can tell that we're the best,
with each and every stride.
Cause no matter what we do,
you can always see our pride.

There are no others like us;
and it is plainly seen.
Just why they always call;
Upon the United States Marines.

"Semper Fidelis"

[jinelson]

http://lilripple2001.tripod.com/reflection.jpg



Soldiers of the Wall

by Gary Jacobson © July 1999


Oh we’re soldiers of the wall,
We’ve fought and died for one and all.
We’re just resting here you see
To see if our blood shed kept you free
A patriot’s dream for liberty.

We didn’t wish to die,
When we heard that clarion cry,
A call to arms set us on this course.
And we’d do’er again without remorse.
For we’d rather be men than shirk
When our country needs us to do dirty work
For we know that freedom is not free
And our children must grow tall in liberty

We can see the purple mountain majesty,
From our wall,
See huddling masses yearning to be free,
From our wall.
We see a nation built on honesty,
Fought for with our blood of integrity.
We see great courage maintained in modesty
From our place here on the wall
Standing so proud and so tall.

We are the ones our country called
To trample tyranny beloved freedom galled.
We bore in might
Righteous spirit of right.
We fought evil in Vietnam devastating.
Armed with fire and lightning,
Forces of communism dissipating,
Vietcong bastions wherein wrath lay stored
Fell to America's terrible swift sword.

American soldiers prayed goodness
Of justice would at longlast prevail
Common freedoms to Vietnamese avail.
But it was not to be...
Now as soldiers of the wall
Forever stand we,
Symbols of courageous struggle for liberty,
Of the best of us valiantly fallen
Blest youth forever stolen.

We hope our sacrifice wasn’t in vain
For we gave our lives in suffering pain.
Where heroes proved
More than life, their country loved.
Endowed with great courage and strength,
We went to any length,
Fighting in Nam’s gore and mud
To inspire young men’s red blood
To crown our nation with noble brotherhood.

We fought to make a difference
To stand in might, for right's defense.
We watched our buddies die,
Followed them in death by and by
Standing brave, and standing tall.
Finding gloried honor on this granite wall.

Oh we’re soldiers of the wall,
We’ve fought and died for one and all.
We’re just resting here you see
To see if our blood shed kept you free
A patriot’s dream for liberty.

We heard the distant sound of the gun
To Vietnam did run.
We did not look behind
As valorous courage we seemed to find.
So do not shed for us faint tears
See our dream for country,
See beyond the years

As we bled in the jungles of hell
We knew we were doing our duties well.
For we answered our country’s call,
'Cause someone had to do it.
We soldiers fighting in Nam's misty pall,
Gave a gift to our beloved...our all.

Oh we’re soldiers of the wall,
We’ve fought and died for one and all.
We’re just resting here you see
To see if our blood shed kept you free
A patriot’s dream for liberty.

It’s lonely and so cold here.
I hope people never forget us here,
In this black marbled granite bier.
For the sign of a man,
Is the amount of respect he gives
For fathers and brothers who gave all for them
Who now on that lonely wall lives.

Was our sacrifice worth it, can you see
Do you honor our proud victory
Fought and won for you and me...
Though sad we be for our sainted mothers,
Do not cry for me my brothers
But give to my death meaning
beyond my moldering grave greening.

We pray with all power in our hearts
For men guiding,
Standing safeguard protecting
Our great nation,
Brave men standing between loved ones
And war’s unholy devastation.

Always remember with love and respect
Those who strains of freedom reflect
From that hallowed wall,
Revered now by us all.
Remember those living in darkning shadow
Who with courage and honor jousted
With freedom’s malignant foe.

Oh we’re soldiers of the wall,
We’ve fought and died for one and all.
We’re just resting here you see
To see if our blood shed kept you free
A patriot’s dream for liberty.

[USMC90]

Remember Them
By Jeff Hooker

Lying here beneath this ground
Never again to make a sound
When alive, they were so brave
And carried honor into the grave

They were all the best of men
Courage earned by all of them
Medals pinned upon their chest
At last the peace, of final rest

In the ranks they stood so strong
Voices raised in battle songs
Marching forward defying fear
For the land they loved so dear

On that final Judgement Day
When they all stand up to say
We gave up all we owned you see
At duties call to set men free

So when the flag waves in the wind
If but a moment, Remember Them
For they all paid the final cost
So freedoms truth, would not be lost.

[jinelson]

The first trimester has come and gone...
Written By Marine Mom, Marti


The first trimester has come and gone,
the broken man, the man I've become.
My youthful ways has left my skin,
I bring up my armour, the man within.
A Marine I'm learning to be
so you and I can be free.
Onto the mastering of what I have to give and more,
my strength, my endurance, the best I implore.
For the Marines I have pledged my oath,
to give my heart and soul, I give my both.

[jinelson]

"Through His Eyes I've Seen"


Author: Victor A. Giagrante
Dedicated to the past and present Men and Women
of the United States Marine Corps.

Many years ago, in 1969
I was a lad of 19, doing mighty fine.

Out of school and working, for United States Steel
Pockets full of money, going for every meal.

Driving my 67 Chevy, with a worked 396
Getting pretty popular with all the local chicks.

I was cool and lucky. I thought I had it all
Then I watched a Marine walk past, it made my skin crawl.

He looked to be 40, gray around the side
His eyes were filled with something, also in his stride.

I started a conversation. Said he was looking mighty fine.
He then told me his age, he had just turned 29.

"12 months in 'Nam," he said, with an icy stare
"Death, destruction and sorrow, nothing can compare."

He turned and walked away, without even saying good-bye
It made me really angry, but that Marine began to cry.

"Hey Marine!" I yelled, "I thought you guys were tough and taught how to kill."
"I guess you must be the only one, who just can't fit the bill."

With that he turned and said, almost in a scream
"You can't judge a man, until through his eyes you've seen."

I laughed a nervous laugh and by him I walked around
He just stared and watched me walk away, never made a sound.

As I lay in bed that night, wondering what it was like
Death, destruction and sorrow, the unknowing air strike.

I thought of that Marine, I really don't know why
I couldn't get him out of my mind, then I started to cry.

The next day when I woke up, I talked to my Dad
I told him of the Marine and how he was feeling so sad.

He said, "My son, I've been there, when I was young like you"
"It wasn't Vietnam, it was called World War II."

I was on Iwo Jima for the raising of the flag
As I was placing my buddy in a body bag.

"He was right, my son. Those things must be seen."
"I never want to do it again, but I'm proud to be a Marine."

"It's something I can't explain, no one ever will"
"But that Marine was right, and yes, he fit the bill."

When I left the house that day, I was full of frustration
The next thing I knew, I was at the recruiting station.

I ended up in Vietnam. At the time I was only 19.
I thought of what my Dad had said, and that sad and doleful Marine.

Four years later, as I was walking down the street
This friend of mine said, "Here's someone I'd like you to meet."

My friend said this guy was once a Marine. So I had to set him straight.
"Once a Marine, Always a Marine," I didn't hesitate.

But the person he wanted me to meet, never made a sound
He just kept looking at me, eyeing me up and down.

He then said, "It's been a long time my friend. There are things I know you've seen."
"Tell me, do you feel different now that you're a Marine?"

No words had to be spoken. I had nothing else to say.
Now I remembered him from that long ago day.

It's been thirty years, since I went away
But memories of Vietnam, will always be here to stay.

So if you're on the street and see a Marine go walking by
Don't be afraid to look at them directly in the eye.

And say, "Thank you my friend for all that you have done."
"For if it weren't for people like you, we'd still be on the run."

From Iwo Jima, the Gulf and even in Desert Storm
Make all the Marines that come home, feel welcome and warm.

For I'm sure there's a friend or two, they had to leave behind
But the memories will always be there, in the back of their mind.

If you know of someone who's been "THERE", be kind and not mean
Because you can't judge a man until, through his eyes you've seen

[futuresoldier08]

They are all awesome and inspiring

[poolee2008]

I know what I write will never compare to what the Marines can write, but this is a poem i wrote. Hope it's ok.

Dress right dress
about face,
being confident
without a trace
of frustration
we are
the next generation
Generation X
X-cel, X-treme
X-ceed all limitations and walls
shooting straight
running hard
helping a comrade who falls
down
another dies without a sound
brave they say
but after the funeral
we fight the same day
PFC, he was the same rank as me
so you’ll all remember, FREEDOM ISN’T FREE
Fighting for what’s right in the night
They're scared, I shoot, They dodge
My wits bared
Military is my choice, patriotic not hateful
Semper Fi
Standing tall, and no matter what
Always faithful:flag:

[jinelson]

My Marine - a poem from a Marine Mom

I don't know of any mother more proud than the mother of a Marine! My son, SSGT Dean J. Beardslee is a career Marine, serving with the 3/6 in Iraq. Though my fear is real every day, I pray for God's speed and a safe return. I wrote this poem in honor of my son and every son or daughter who wears the "Dress Blues."



My Marine


My little baby boy,
Blond with eyes of blue.
Held close within my arms,
My son, I love you.

So many memories
Throughout the years,
Years filled with happy times
And sometimes filled with tears.

Dandelions in chubby hands,
Filled a water glass.
Then he’s in a fishing boat
Trying to get that big bass.

How quickly those years passed,
More quickly then we knew.
Soon the little boy was grown,
Now a man with eyes of blue.

Graduation and college bound,
Too big for Mama’s knee.
So many times I’ve wished
That little boy, again he’d be.

He is a man of pride,
A husband and a father.
Standing straight and tall,
A man of strength and honor.

I look with pride upon the man
My son has grown into.
Now he wears a uniform
And the colors of "dress blue."

The colors that he wears
Tell the story well.
He fights for our freedom
As he gives the Marine Corps yell.

The fierceness of a "Devil Dog,"
And the courage of a bear.
Don’t raise a hand against our flag!
Don’t you ever dare!

He puts his life upon the line
For you and I each day.
He is a man of iron,
Not one with feet of clay.

He’ll walk through the fire
And wade through the flood
And make a sacrifice for you
Even with his own blood.

He leaves behind his family,
Wife and children dear,
Mother, sisters and brother
And fights without fear.

He fights for right and freedom
And proudly bears our flag
As he goes into the battle
With feet that never drag.

He proudly wears the colors
Of khaki and desert green,
My son, one of the few and proud,
My son, United States Marine!

March 1, 2007
By Ruth E. Beardslee
In honor of my son, SSGT Dean J. Beardslee, USMC

http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/showthread.php?t=42631

SEMPER FI and OOH-RAH from this Marine Mom

[WanderWannabe]

Some of the most motivating things I've read, period....thank you Sir.

There is one I am trying to track down, it was read to us during graduation week. It had a couple lines about how we stole the Eagle from the sky, the Anchor from the Navy, and the globe from God. I can't seem to find it anywhere.

[Marinewannabe15]

great moto...keep em comin if u can SSgt. cant wait to earn the title and carry the tradition!

[jimusmc55]

This is for all the moms who've lost sons in our Nations' wars.

There's an empty place at the table
Once filled by a laughing boy
Whose favorite game was playing war
A gun, his favorite toy
There's an empty bed in a room
That cherished all his dreams
A picture of the girl he loved
A fish caught in the streams
Everywhere I look, it seems
I should see his tousled head
The vacant emptyness still rings
Of his footsteps as he tread
I watched him grow from year to year
Thru childhood to a lad
Who donned Marine Corp green
And looked exactly like his Dad
How proud I was the day he left
To fight in foreign lands
But now I hold a telegram
Clutched in my trembling hands
This is the price we pay for war
We Mothers who bear the son
Then lend him to our Country
So that a war be won
There's an empty place at the table
A room that will never be filled
An ache within a Mother's heart
A pain that will never be stilled
And yet I know if he could speak
To me I'd hear him say
Put your trust in God, dear Mom
We'll meet again someday
And so till then I musn't weep
Nor laden my grief on another
I'll just thank God I had a son
Who was proud to call me Mother

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/header10.jpg

Eric Returns To Camp Pendleton
J. C. R. Forehand 2002

My first grandson, Eric B. Forehand, returned to Camp Pendleton
for additional training after his 10 day boot camp leave.


It had been nine months since the terrorist attack.
Eric was on his boot camp leave but now he was going back.
He had spent some time with his Mother, he had hardly been here.
But he packed up his sea bag and kept out the uniform that he would wear.
He had his Marine dress greens cleaned and ready to don.
His garrison cap fit exactly right when he put it on.
Two fingers were under the brim but you could still see the gaze
That only smiled rarely since his boot camp days.
The Kelly green uniform had been pressed so spick
That you could shave on the crease with nary a nick.
Even without the uniform you knew this was a Marine
For he marched instead of walking and was serious and keen.
But in his class A dress there wasn't any doubt
Here was a Marine and he was going out.
Now Oceanside and San Diego see Marines every day
They are inured to seeing men march that special way
But Houston seldom sees Marines in green uniform
In South-east Texas this was surely not the norm.
So when Eric marched into Hobby Airport that fine day
The traveling crowd did more than just give way.
It was like Moses crossing the Red Sea as the crowds split asunder
And the waiting room grew quieter like after a clap of thunder.
After a period of time like in a movie scene
A voice spoke up and said: "Look, a Marine!"
The ticket agents rushed to him and put him first in line.
The people waiting nodded like for them that was just fine.
He didn't seem so big and strong to raise up such a scene
But he stood straight and proud, because he was a Marine.
They checked his bags and gave him a boarding card to keep
They turned off the security machine because the Marine emblem would make it beep.
"I'll feel safer if he is on our flight." You could hear some people say
While he marched the aisle in cadence to his loading gateway.
Well Eric has gone now and he has called to say
That he made it to Camp Pendleton and everything is OK.
But here in El Lago we miss him every day
And a voice inside keeps saying, "Our Marine has gone away!"

[echo3oscar1833]

Semper FI !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:marine:

[jinelson]

[CENTER]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/206787.jpg

ONLY THE FEW
Murl D. Long

[B]Let me provide you a small glimpse of real life
Of a man preparing for coming strife
It begins with training unsurpassed
Compared to all others, far outclassed

It begins at 4 AM with the 'Devil' pounding a stick on a garbage can
We sit up straight in our bunks, to a man
Without question, for sure you are awake, to the head you run
Shower, shave, dress, police your area, the day has begun

Fall out in the dark of night
Straighten up the line, dress to the right
In cadence, run to the Mess
Chow down. What i

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/d1abb47f8c48e1efac1795fbf4bcd1d0.jpg

U.S. Marine Grunt
By S. Haffey


We marched and marched some more
And sung about the Corps
When we got to the town
We all looked around
There was no one to be found
Gunny told us to hush
Explosions and bullets ripped through the air
We were caught in an ambush
I felt the wiz of a bullet go past my ear
Grunts all hit the ground
While rpgs rained down
My friend was hit in the gut
So I moved him into a hut
The fire did not let up
I could hear the cries of the U.S. Marine Grunt
“Corpsman up front”
I was pinned down in a bend
I knew this was the end
But I had been trained to be a Marine Grunt
So I started to fire, I was the best
As I fired I grew calmer
Then a bullet hit me in the chest
But did not go through my body armor
The bad guys were held up in a fort
So we called in close air support
The battle was over
The next week at the funeral
They played taps as they were put in the ground
We lost ten good men in that god damned town
We all knew they were heaven bound
We went on patrol the very next night
But there was no one around
As we sat in a tight 360 the rain did not let up
We were all on the hunt
This is the life a U.S. Marine Grunt

[jinelson]

http://www.arlingtoncemetery.org/images/ANC_surroundings/images/image04_jpg.jpg


“Paid in Full”

To Honor The Service of Fallen and Injured Marines



Marines through and through, they paid the price
Six thousand miles away, we live the life
For which they paid with their blood, spirits and bodies
We will never forget what they paid in full

We hope and we pray that somehow their loved ones find comfort
In God, in the flag, in the memory of their loved ones’ bravery
They’re gone now but we see them still…proud, strong, willing
Covering each other’s backs… courageous, moving forward

What kind of love did they have for us to be willing
To give it all for the Black, White, Jew, Christian, Muslim?
We don’t comprehend but we honor you now and forever
You are Our Marines…some living…some not
Forever in our hearts we will cherish your lives

Lives too short yet immortal they’ll be
Highest brotherhood of the Few, the Proud
They stand at attention, and we gaze with awe
Some know their names not, but our admiration for them
Flows limitless within us, between us

They sacrificed their limbs or their lives
Freedom still rings, a soft sound across the miles
It tolls slowly; all of creation takes note
Of the lives that were lost for people unknown

Out of sight but not lost; forever among us
The starched blues marching straight
Toward the place where we will meet them
Many years from now…how we loved them…
Well done beloved Brothers and Sisters…You’ve paid it in full
Always Faithful Marines, You Have Paid it in Full

[jinelson]

&quot;Cream of the Crop&quot; <br />
<br />
<br />
The Cream Of The Crop <br />
The United States Marine Corps <br />
<br />
We the few, the proud, the Marines. Hated by the other branches, with the exception of Seabees and Hospital Corpsmen...

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/ad98434ef4deea5e165710e87105277c.jpg

A United States Marine
Written by: Hershey S. Gehris, CCAM

I am
A United States Marine.
My Tenets are Duty, Honor, and Commitment
in services to God, Country, and Corps.
No matter the Cost;
No matter the Sacrifice
Even to the last full measure;
I will do my Duty.
I will Honor the traditions of those Marines who have gone before me;
As they have passed to me so will I pass to those who follow,
The sword of Freedom, the banner of Courage,
the unblemished Honor of the Corps.
For services without Honor is not our tradition.
I will serve with Honor.
I will be, at all times, always faithful
To my Corps, my Division,
To my Regiment, my Company
To my Platoon, my squad,
To my Fire-team, and to these Tenets
I will be Committed.
I am a United States Marine
I am neither an Ex Marine nor a Former Marine
I am or I am not
For a Marine, there is no middle ground.
I am
A United States Marine.
H & S 1/8
USMC
1963

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/header12.jpg

Semper Fidelis
by Breann Arant


Drawing closer and closer
to where our new home would be
Parris Island came in to view
for all recruits to see

A funny felling in my stomach
grew as we drew near
A feeling I've often felt before
a feeling known as fear

The funny feeling grew and grew
as we were swallowed by the isle
My hands were growing clammy
my heart pounding wild

The sky was black as black could be
the air was slightly chilled
fear, excitement, adrenaline
my heart was completly filled

Quickly and quietly we gather our things
as all recruits hurriedly piled out
our eyes bombarded by darkness
our ears invaded with shouts

We were issued standard clothing
allowed one phone call home
to tell out parents we were ok
and make our presence known

The weeks that followed were crammed with work
as we all longed for home
all we did was drill and drill
although none were alone

The time went by so very slow
graduation so far ahead
thats all we ever dreamed about
at night when we lay in bed

Before we knew it ten weeks had gone by
the final test drawing near
I felt a feeling all too familiar
a feeling known as fear

Reville was sounded at three a.m
the crucible comming soon
we gathered our equipment and our strenght
as we marched as one platoon

We overcame our obstacle and solved our problems
we did it as a group
we made it through one of the toughest days
with little time to recoup

With little food and little rest
we pushed on harder and harder
our final goal was in reach
so we went farther and farther

We fought with courage and with pride
as the final march was done
we had achieved our goal with honor and commitment
all out battles won

All platoons lined up in formation
as the ceremony proceeded
tears came to everyone eyes
because we knew that all had succeeded

I recieved my eagle globe and anchor
I shook my drill instructors hand
I realized I was no longer stranded at sea
but that she alone had led me safely to land

I now serve our country proudly
in the air, on land, at sea
I have been more proud to claim the title
of UNITED STATES MARINE

Semper Fidelis

[CJA]

Wow... that just.. makes me smile.. awesome



http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/header10.jpg

Eric Returns To Camp Pendleton
J. C. R. Forehand 2002



My first grandson, Eric B. Forehand, returned to Camp Pendleton
for additional training after his 10 day boot camp leave.



It had been nine months since the terrorist attack.


Eric was on his boot camp leave but now he was going back.
He had spent some time with his Mother, he had hardly been here.
But he packed up his sea bag and kept out the uniform that he would wear.
He had his Marine dress greens cleaned and ready to don.
His garrison cap fit exactly right when he put it on.
Two fingers were under the brim but you could still see the gaze
That only smiled rarely since his boot camp days.
The Kelly green uniform had been pressed so spick
That you could shave on the crease with nary a nick.
Even without the uniform you knew this was a Marine
For he marched instead of walking and was serious and keen.
But in his class A dress there wasn't any doubt
Here was a Marine and he was going out.
Now Oceanside and San Diego see Marines every day
They are inured to seeing men march that special way
But Houston seldom sees Marines in green uniform
In South-east Texas this was surely not the norm.
So when Eric marched into Hobby Airport that fine day
The traveling crowd did more than just give way.
It was like Moses crossing the Red Sea as the crowds split asunder
And the waiting room grew quieter like after a clap of thunder.
After a period of time like in a movie scene
A voice spoke up and said: "Look, a Marine!"
The ticket agents rushed to him and put him first in line.
The people waiting nodded like for them that was just fine.
He didn't seem so big and strong to raise up such a scene
But he stood straight and proud, because he was a Marine.
They checked his bags and gave him a boarding card to keep
They turned off the security machine because the Marine emblem would make it beep.
"I'll feel safer if he is on our flight." You could hear some people say
While he marched the aisle in cadence to his loading gateway.
Well Eric has gone now and he has called to say
That he made it to Camp Pendleton and everything is OK.
But here in El Lago we miss him every day
And a voice inside keeps saying, "Our Marine has gone away!"

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/57147.jpg

Semper Fidelis - Yesterday, Today, & Tomorrow
by David Bounds



From battlefields of the past
To those currently in the news
Marines have fought to defend our land
And to protect our Liberties
Uncommon Valor is that common thread
That runs throughout The Corps
Binding each generation of new Marines
With those who have gone before
Where do they come from
And why do they fight
always willing to pay the price
For freedom isn't free my friend
It often requires the ultimate sacrifice

From the Halls of Montezuma
To the Shores of Tripoli
And on to the beaches of World War II
Marines have fought for me
They overcame the frozen hell
Of the Chosin Reservoir
Marines battled and bled in the jungles
Of a distant land called Vietnam
In Lebanon they came in peace
But terrorists would not reason
And the bombing of the Beirut barracks
Placed more Marines on Guard Duty in Heaven

Today's Marines continue the fight
And pay the price for Freedom
Many have bled and many have died
In the current War on Terror
Though some have questioned the job they do
And may even view them with hate
These brave Marines continue to serve
And courageously fight our battles
They are warriors who aren't appreciated
Yet they realize their mission is vital
These Marines are now and always will be
Deserving of America's honor

This says it all thats why I have repeated it!

Jim

[jinelson]

Here is a poem that I wrote when I was in the DEP myself. It means more to me now than it ever did.


By: Lisa Spencer, proud wife of Cpl Jason Spencer Wpns Co 3/25 loving mother of Sydney,9, Dylan,6, and Dakota,2 praying until he comes home safe


It's a crazy world we live in
Surrounded by cruelty and strife
We all need heros to belive in
Role models who live a good life

Where are these heroes you may ask
I've heard nothing about them at all
My favorite hero's hardest task
Is throwing or catching a ball

You can find them anywhere
Scattered all over the world
Marine Corps heros everywhere
Semper Fi, their motto unfurled

HONOR--no matter the circumstance
COURAGE--no matter the test
COMMITMENT--to freedom with confidence
MARINE CORPS--UNITED STATES BEST!!!!!

[jinelson]

&quot;Cream of the Crop&quot; <br />
<br />
By Gregory A. Phillips 5-23-2004 <br />
<br />
The United States Marine Corps <br />
<br />
We the few, the proud, the Marines. Hated by the other branches, with the exception of Seabees and...

[JAMarine]

The start of a HUGE Thread I believe. Keep it up Brother.

Semper Fi
rich

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/header4.jpg

A Marine's Day in Court

Written By: Cpl. Andy C. Purchase
USMC Retired


From the halls of Montezuma to the deserts of Iraq
We may bleed and die but the Corps has got your back

I read the letters telling of another standing at the Pearly Gate
It makes us sad but I'm quite sure St Peter is irate

Because they say that heaven is a place of peace alas
But just last week an old Jar Head kicked somebody's ass

As you might imagine this caused some great uproar
It's been since the days of Lucifer someone was shown the door

So in the High Courts of the Mighty his fate would be determined
Should we keep the trouble maker or send him to the burnin'

All rise they heard High Court is now in session
Our brother he stood tall heels together at attention

Defense was loud and long then came cross examination
Is it true Marine you proudly served your God your Corps and Nation

The answers they came quickly as the Sgt. spoke with honor
Two Purple hearts and a Silver star and I'd like to thank my Father

For teaching me to stand for what I believe is right
Even if that means I die I'll not give up the fight

And so before you ban me from this beautiful Home Base
You should know the one I fought with once used to roam this place

It was Lucifer himself I don't know who let him in
But I do thank God it happened and I'll explain just why I grin

In the Great Book it is written Satan pays the final sacrifice
Who better to get the job done now please take my advice

If you want this place to stay as peaceful as it's been
Let me stay here and guard it from the Devil and his Den

Case Dismissed was all you could hear then the gavel came down like thunder
The Mighty judge smiled at the prosecutor and his mighty blunder

Then He walked up to the stand where stood the proud Devil Dog
Semper Fi he said returned his salute and I'm proud to be your God

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/header25.jpg

Gone for way to Long

Author: U.S. Marine, Al Sad, Iraq OIFII "the Sunni Triangle" 040714



We've been layin' here tryin' to find ourselves. We look behind ourselves, We need to go back ourselves..Always looking for the big pay back listen for the news distorted play back They say that all men bleed just like us.

Were never number one always the last in line. We watch our friends go by but it doesn't help pass the time. Were fed to many pills that never eases the pain. We took a couple towns but it doesn't help erase the pain. Nobody really knows us but that's the price we pay.

People try to mess with us we, kinda stick out in a crowd. And when these towns come crumbling down, we will all still be around. People don't know bout the things we've been through and the things we've seen.

Its been so long since we've been home...Lookin back we've been gone way to long. Maybe we've forgot all the things we've missed and maybe there's more to life then this.

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/07company01-3.jpg

With a Rifle in my Hand
Written By Melissa Wood
Former Corporal, USMC


I was just a private with a rifle in my hand
Along with fellow Marines, we go to make our stand
The plane ride took forever as the tension filled the air
To a place called Vietnam, our country sent us there.

I've been on base, we're packing up our ammo and some knifes
Heading out into the foreign fields where we could lose our lives
The jungle all around us, we're crawling on the ground
The enemy is very near, and the sun is going down

That night was just the first of many, the death roll moving on
The men I fought with side by side was also someone's son
Time just kept going by, everyday slower than the other
I yearned to see the smiling face of my dear old mother

The blood shed and the smell of death from villages we would roam
Hoping that we were closer to the day we're going home
Two years in Vietnam had come to pass when it finally caught up with me
I saved a soldiers life by taking out my knee

They flew me back to the U.S.A. I was going home at last
In a wheelchair with half a leg that was wrapped up in a cast
But what was waiting for me when I got home made me sick as I could be
People were protesting against this war. Is this reality?

I watched my fellow Marines die with honor and valor, in a country far away
For the rights of your freedom, their lives they had to pay
Words like liberty and honor you'll never understand
We provided you these privileges with our rifle in our hand

Semper Fi! Dedicated to all the Vietnam Vets.

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/300px-MCRD_Lights_Out.jpg

Reflecting

By Tom Bartlett
Leatherneck Association, Inc


We waded ashore in
"65,
with weapons in our hand;
Not a single shot
was fired, as we dashed across the sand.
Since then, six
long years have passed, and we recall with pride
The grins and pains
of many friends who fought and bled and died.
Bleeding isn't glourious; there's no success in dying.
But to keep
men free of slavery is worth the grief of trying.
So, God,
if You'd accept the men who passed the final test,
We'd appreciate
Your kindness if You'd grant them
lasting rest.

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/157052.jpg

Marine Sniper

By: Bradley Karr Holland



I am a Marine Sniper
Alone and fearless I fight
I sit still not making a move
As I wait in the pale moonlight
I wait for some helpless soul
To walk into my sight
I slowly squeeze the trigger
As a shot rings out through the night
A red mist fills the air
I can smell the blood from here
As I put away my gear
I take one last look in my scope
His head was blown completely off
He did not shed a tear
And when it troubles me in my sleep
I try to get my conscience clear
I will see their faces for the rest of my life
But this is the burden I choose to bear

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/160457.jpg

Ten Days Until an Ounce

by Janeen Robichaud


The ten days after Marine boot camp...until he leaves again.

The excitement rose when graduation was over

Finally Marine boot camp was over....he could come home for 10 days.

While he was home, I took in every ounce of what I missed about him...

The silly pranks

Playing the keyboard

Late night talks

The loving name-calling (it's a family thing)

His respect for me.....and vice versa

His amazing good looks

His generous nature

His love of family

Just the all-around love of being in his company

The ten days are over now. It's back to missing him...but this time it's not for 13 weeks. It may be for life! Only the government knows...how long my son will be gone.

God be with Zach! Thank you

Janeen Robichaud on authorsden.com

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/d1abb47f8c48e1efac1795fbf4bcd1d0.jpg

A United States Marine


Written by: Hershey S. Gehris, CCAM


I am
A United States Marine.
My Tenets are Duty, Honor, and Commitment
in services to God, Country, and Corps.
No matter the Cost;
No matter the Sacrifice
Even to the last full measure;
I will do my Duty.
I will Honor the traditions of those Marines who have gone before me;
As they have passed to me so will I pass to those who follow,
The sword of Freedom, the banner of Courage,
the unblemished Honor of the Corps.
For services without Honor is not our tradition.
I will serve with Honor.
I will be, at all times, always faithful
To my Corps, my Division,
To my Regiment, my Company
To my Platoon, my squad,
To my Fire-team, and to these Tenets
I will be Committed.
I am a United States Marine
I am neither an Ex Marine nor a Former Marine
I am or I am not
For a Marine, there is no middle ground.
I am
A United States Marine.

H & S 1/8
USMC
1963

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/105890.jpg

Welcome To Vietnam


By Pfc Ray Keck United States Combat Veteran, Veitnam


Poor boy in Hell, rich boy in Yale
Off the plane, into the rain
Nineteen, still green
Ding Dong, Viet Cong
First day, learn to pray
Mud 'n rain, men in pain
Dawn's early light, firefight
Day patrol, keep your head low
Mortars at night, Charlie's delight
Incoming rockets, arms out of sockets
Trip flare, men who dare
Punji stick, pull out quick
Incoming tracers, lots of sad faces
M-60 whistling Dixie
M-16 hot, damn, another jam
Flak jacket, gotta hack it
Helmet on head, nights I dread
Pointman, Promised Land
Willie Pete, minced meat
Smell of death, hold your breath
Search and destroy, Charlie's ploy
Hand grenades, babies in graves
RPG, who will it be
Fill sand bags, days that drag
Best friend dies, days of cries
Mail call, time to bawl
Morning mist, the smell of ****
China beach, out of reach
Long Bin cell, a place in hell
DMZ, no place to be
Down on the delta, no shelter
Sniper fire, gooks in wire
Claymore mines, works so fine
Fox hole, a place to go
Rock 'n Roll, high death toll
Shooting gooks, a place of spooks
Distant faces, far away places
USS Repose ship from heaven
Purple Heart, broken parts
Jungle hot, feet rot
NVA, bad day
Lock 'n load, saddle up
Out of luck Corpsman up
Booby traps, open yaps
Humping the bush, no rides just push
Concertina wire, open fire
Short round, hearts pound
AK 47, sure way to heaven
Tag 'em and Bag 'em going home early
Get some, Charlie's on the run
C4, even the score
Men in tanks, welcome yanks
Men in jets, sure bets
B-52's, Charlie's got the blues
Medivac, won't be back
Napalm bomb, HELP Mom
Friendly fire, no desire
Monsoon, days of gloom
Skeeters 'n snakes, God's mistakes
Elephant grass, this war will last
Dead dinks, Nam stinks
Kool-Aid, got it made
Malaria, it do scare ya
Hole watch, lives lost
Hot LZ, not for me
Tunnel rat, black cat
Body bag, gun or frag
R & R, far away bar
Boon docks, hard knocks
Rock pile, no smile
Bouncing Betty, soldiers get ready
Twilight's last gleaming, young men screaming
Body counts, death toll mounts
Fire in the hole, last patrol
Ho Chi Minh SUCKS
Shot timer, fence climber
13 Months no more grunts
Freedom bird, back to the world

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/header32.jpg

For My Brother, A United States Marine

By: Tracy Crowe



The announcement was sudden and quite unexpected
My dad stood motionless, my mom looked dejected
My eyes filled with awe; I stared at my brother
He had made this decision without asking another

My dad, troubled but proud, hugged him and asked,
”Have you thought this through? Are you up to this task?”
“You are 26 years old with a college education.”
The words of a father, voice of contemplation.

Dad joined the Marines in 1964.
He knew what lie ahead and what John was in for.
The reprimanding, commanding and constant direction,
the intensity of training and demand for perfection.

John is strong in body and stable in mind
This test would leave his courage defined.
He had made his decision, signed up as a recruit
It seemed this was final and not up for dispute.

Mom had been silent in complete disbelief.
Her eyes filled with sadness and heart filled with grief.
She barely could talk as she choked back her tears,
“When giving birth to a son, this was my greatest fear.”

John held her close and said not to be scared.
He knew what to expect and felt very prepared.
“The world is calm now and no need for war,
I’ve always wanted to join the Marine Corps.”

He left the day after Christmas in 1996.
It was a terrible moment, one I’ll never forget.
Boot camp awaited and it was time for goodbye
We prayed that three months would soon fly by.

John walked to his car and gave me a wave
I wondered aloud how he could be so brave
I wanted to stop him and beg him to stay
We waited for letters and prayed everyday

Graduation soon came and we anxiously waited
To see our Marine this Corps had created
Soon came an announcement and he marched into sight
“There he is, There he is,” we exclaimed with delight.

Who was this thin, strong, strapping young man?
“Didn’t they feed him and look at that tan!”
We smothered him with hugs and words of adoration
Emotions ran high during that graduation.

A 6-year commitment with five years complete
He’s a man of 32 with a new career at his feet.
The word came by letter and asked them to report
They had 48 hours to get ready to deport.

I arrived at my grandmas; she greeted me at the door
I looked in her eyes and braced myself for
The news that awaited and despite my prayers
They needed more in Iraq and John soon would be there.

I fell into her arms and she held me so tight
“He’s tried to reach you and will call back tonight.
Now Tracy, be strong for your Mother’s sake”.
I nodded, breathed deeply, yet felt my heart break.

Her eyes glistened with tears and they fell down her face
“This never gets easier, no matter the case.”
Her husband, her son and now her grandchild,
Yet somehow she managed to keep emotions compiled.

This must come with wisdom, experience and age
For I felt myself reeling and seething with rage
Yet I knew she was right, keep positive perspective
Face down our fears and maintain objective.

My parents arrived and I stared at the door
awaiting their reactions, wondering if they knew more
My mom’s eyes were red, tired and swollen
My dad’s face was blank, yet full of emotion.

We were all still in shock and unsure how to feel
Not sure whether to believe if this news was real
The Marine Corps is famous for changing their plans
Yet deep-down we knew it was all in God’s hands.

The phone rang and I knew it was John on the line
I picked up the receiver and tried hard not to cry
He sounded the same, calm and collected;
If he was afraid, his voice didn’t reflect it.

He was gathering his things, making last minute plans
Moving his belongings, saying goodbye to his friends.
My voice began to crack and tears filled my eyes
“Don’t worry Trace, I’ll be just fine.”

Days and nights passed and plans changed a bit
The departure delayed but not canceled yet.
Soon the inevitable came and he called with goodbye
His voice strong and steady yet different this time.

It was late in the afternoon when I arrived home that day
Dialed my voicemail and I heard him say,
“It may be some time before I call again
We’re boarding the plane, but don’t worry and when
They give us a chance, I’ll be in touch,
Have a good summer and I love you so much.”

I phoned my parents and mom answered the line,
“Tracy, we just have to believe that John will be fine.
He’s being strong for us, so we will do so for him,
I know in my heart, we will see him again.”

Mom bought yellow ribbons and we hung them from trees
They flow ever so gently with each passing breeze
There they will stay until John returns
As a reminder of our love, hope and concerns.

It was almost a month before the first word arrived
He was doing ok and trying his best to survive
The harsh desert heat, lack of showers and shelter
Sleeping in tents, his life all helter-skelter.

My dad grows more anxious with each passing moment
Questioning the motives of each political proponent
Are his son’s well-being & innocent Iraqi’s worth such destruction?
Is this truly about Saddam or just oil production?

Time moves so slowly as we wait for each call or letter
Just praying he’s safe and that conditions get better
We go through the motions, trying hard every day
To stay strong and have faith while he’s so far away.

His friends call and write to ask how he’s doing
To find out the latest and what plans are ensuing.
Many send their prayers, love and concern;
All wanting to know, of course, when he’ll return.

We’ll remain optimistic until that days comes
And continue to pray to The One up above:
God, bless him, keep him and protect him each day
Please help him and guide him to find the right way
May danger avoid him and hardship be gone
Please bring him back to us, where he belongs.

I love you, John. I miss you more everyday.
May God protect you and bring you home soon.
Your loving sister,
Tracy
6/03

This poem was written for John who left for Iraq in April. We are still awaiting his return home. It was a form of therapy for me and a tribute to him and will hopefully allow him to know how much we love him and miss him while he is away.

I hope that John made it back home safe and sound.

Jim

[jinelson]

http://www.thefreedompage.org/view/uploads/EnlistedDressBlue01.jpg

The American Marine!

Written by Sybil Shearin


He stands straight as an arrow
Dressed in Red White and Blue
His dress blues starched and pressed sharp as a tack.
America, He's heart and soul dedicated to You.

His shoes are spit shined to perfection
Like a mirror in which he can see his reflection
His gloves are white like the new fallen snow.
His rifle loaded and ready to meet his foe.

His hands are calloused
But onward he marches never missing a step.
His eyes keen like the eagles
Scouring the fields for a buddy who may need his help.

His heart is sealed from God above.
His letters written to Mom and family with love.
It's his God and his country America's pride and joy.
Standing on the carrier ready to deploy.

No one sees his hands sweat and slightly tremble.
No one sees the tear fall from his American eyes.
No one feels his heart break when a soldier beside him dies.
Only God sees the pain the American soldier with honor defies.

He still remembers when the Twin Towers fell.
He still remembers the American Liberty Bell.
He still remembers "In God We Trust"
He still remembers Saddam's dungeons and mass graves called prison cells.

He remembers Mom's apple pie each Sunday at noon.
He remembers the ball games and rock and roll tunes.
He remembers Ole Glory there will never be another.
He remembers saying goodbye to his baby brother.

He will fight with honor with his blood spilled upon the hot burning sands.
He will dig down and live in the fox holes called the very pits of hell.
He will fight in swamps, jungles or in the dusty desert lands.
He is the American soldier with trigger cocked who will soon bid this war farewell!

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/header13.jpg

ONLY THE FEW

Murl D. Long



Let me provide you a small glimpse of real life
Of a man preparing for coming strife
It begins with training unsurpassed
Compared to all others, far outclassed

It begins at 4 AM with the 'Devil' pounding a stick on a garbage can
We sit up straight in our bunks, to a man
Without question, for sure you are awake, to the head you run
Shower, shave, dress, police your area, the day has begun

Fall out in the dark of night
Straighten up the line, dress to the right
In cadence, run to the Mess
Chow down. What is this stuff? Take a guess

30 minutes. Fall back in ranks, back to the barracks in quick time you go
Brush your teeth, wash your face and assemble again. What next? You don't know
86 men learn to march in sync
They move as one, in tandem they think

The day wears on, every minute used to learn
No time to rest, not one second to burn
Lights out exactly at 10.
Rest 6 hours, another day will begin

Proper dress, hygiene, history, protocol, chain of command
Weapons, survival, defense-hand to hand
Repeat it over and over again, until
The 86 move as one, body and mind, at will

You trust and respect that comrade by your side
He, too, has taken this most difficult ride
77 days out of the pages of 'Hell'
You, and the other 86 have similar tales to tell

About pain, sweat, doubt and fear
There is a powerful mystery born right here
Nothing you have learned will you ever forget
An inner strength has been formed, you will never regret

A hundred years you may be allowed to live, God willing
Your life has been forever changed, indeed, fulfilling
Like a fine steel from the hot forge of fire
Your goals will always be higher

Only those who have weathered this gut-wrenching test
Will be referred to as "The Best"
What sets this man apart from all others who strive for perfection, as we have seen
The answer is simple, dear friend. He's a MARINE!

Murl D. Long
November 10,1945

[fastroper]

All of this moto is getting me fired up, I guess I won't be hitting the rack tonight. Semper Fi Devil Dogs!!

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/header10.jpg

My brother left for San Diego on August 13, 2006 which is my mother's birthday. So I wrote him this poem, and I just wanted to share it.


Boot Camp

Author Unknown


We learn to fight
Down at dusk up at dawn
Building our bodies
Gaining brains, gaining brawn

I learn of my rifle
And all of its strengths
I crawl, and I climb,
And I run great, great lengths

I remember my home
And I miss its smell
If only I had known
This would be such hell

My girl, my girl
How could I leave her side
If only I were there
I would make her my bride

But now I must go
And put thoughts of home behind me
My world is right here
And the rest of the world is blind to me

Graduation is closer
Every single day
I wish it were here
These words I pray

Once it is over
I will have become a man
They say I will be strong
Strong enough to fight for this land

But in my mind
I am learning to fight for my home
That is where my brightest light
Has always shone

My family and friends
Will say where’s your canteen
But my dad will say
Have you met my son “The Marine”

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/entrance2.jpg

Our Brother The Marine


by Omie Johnson



Our Brother The Marine
Our brother the Marine ~
is one of the toughest we’ve seen

He is off to travel far & wide ~
& we pray that God stays by his side

The things he’ll see & the things he’ll do ~
Is all to protect me & you

He’s serving our country in a time of trouble & doubt ~
We gave him some gadgets to make sure he is not without

A second generation Marine- we know he has a tough act to follow ~
So the words courage & honor will never be hollow

Our debt of gratitude for his service to our nation~
Is one that will be never be taken~

lightly or with out thought or prayer
for we know he is the one who is there~

on the front lines so we can stay safe & sound
for a family who loves him more could never be found

So here’s to our brother the Marine ~
Who is one of the toughest we’ve seen

May God bless him & keep him safe from harm~
Until we once again can hold him in our arms!

Our brother LCpl. Leon Deraps was killed in action on May 6th 2006, in Iraq. He was 19 years old. He was a baby of 6. I would like to see if you would put the poem I wrote to him when he was home for Christmas in your Newsletter. Take care!
~Omie Johnson

"In loving memory of LCpl. Leon Deraps ~ beloved brother & hero" Slow hand salute LCpl Deraps Semper Fidelis - may you rest in peace with Chesty.

Jim

[ssgtt32]

:iwo: RIP LCpl Deraps, you will not be forgotten!

Jim, thanks for the poem

Maurice

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/07company01-1.jpg

What I Am

by Donnie Marler


Tempered by the fire of battle,
Tested by fear and doubt,
Held up by my God and my brothers.

I have suffered,
I have hurt,
I have bled,
I have lived,

And I have died.

I have wept for fallen brothers,
I have prayed for my family at home,
I have hoped,
And I have loved.

Though I've died, I yet live,
I am reborn in each new generation of my brothers,
I live in them,
They carry my memory in their hearts,
They honor me,
And they will never forget me.

This land I love,
I have given it all I had to give,
And I would do it again.

I am one of The Few and the Proud.
I am a United States Marine.

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/Done.jpg


TILL THE DAY THEY DIE


Hank Donnerstag



The birth of a Marine is on that day
Having earned the Eagle, Globe and Anchor.
For that’s the day of standing tall
With a pride that couldn’t be greater.

Throughout the rigors of basic training
There’s a metamorphosis taking place;
A past life ends while another begins
With a title that can’t be erased.

With a heritage passed on
And distinctions so easily seen,
It’s more than just the uniform
In the making of Marines.

It’s fortitude and conviction,
Values taken to their graves;
It’s honor after tours have ended
For the remainder of their days.

The fire contained within the ember
Hides its heat without a glow…
It’s the Marine’s fire that burns forever,
The “Spirit” within their soul.

“Once a Marine, Always a Marine!”
It’s the ultimate of all truths,
For there is no other service on Earth
That’s paid such heavy dues.

Whether they served for 30 years
Earning ribbons and medals galore,
Or never having tasted battle…
They are Marines for evermore.

To say a Marine is “X” or “Former”
Will warrant immediate retraction.
Marines are Marines till the day they die…
But even then, the Title is everlasting!

[Kildars]

Cool SSgt, you used my angel picture. Sweet, it looks nice with that poem.

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/157054.jpg

Side By Side

by Pfc Jay Keck United States Marine Corps Combat Veteran, Vietnam




Side by side we fought an died
One by one we came home to hide
Side by side for twelve or thirteen months
They didn't call us soldiers, they called us grunts

Side by side, and day by day
Our squad leaders trying to show us the way
Side by side, black, brown, red and white
Risking our lives in a firefight

Side by side, mostly young men
Fighting a war we thought we could win
Side by side, in jungles and mountains
The rivers and streams became our drinking fountains

Side by side, in rice paddies and plateaus
In a far away country that we didn't know
Side by side we went to war
To stop the communists on a foreign shore

Side by side, trying to keep buddies alive
Everyday and every night it took all our training to survive
Side by side we laughed and cried
So many being wounded, so many that died

Side by side we fought for our flag
So many of our friends in a body bag
Side by side we fought for what was right
Coming home to America was such a fright

Side by side we are forever more
Never to be forgotten by the Vietnam War

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/FourthofJulyParade050.jpg


Untitled...


By Bruno Bonaldi



Yes I am joining the Marine Corps
Yes I am requesting my MOS to be Infantry
Yes I will be trained to fight to kill to protect freedom and democracy
Yes I want to be at the FRONT!
I will make the Corps my house where I will guard it from all evil
My fellow Marines will be my family, and I will risk my life to save theirs
My Strength, My Honor, My Pride, My Courage, My Commitment, My Desire will be my shield against the enemy...
I will fight for the Red, White and Blue and everything it stands for...
The Same Red that represents the BLOOD of all Warriors that fought this country's battles
The Same White which represents PEACE
The Same BLUE which represents our Blue sky where we look up to dream away, to wonder, to imagine, to look for hope...
Yes I am joining the Marine Corps

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/millrat-bday-large.jpg


Veterans Hat


Robert Charles Steinmeyer



I had a man come up to me
He asked me why I wore a hat in such a manner as I did
With patches and pins that clearly read Veteran United States Marine
I turned and proudly answered, well my friend it goes like this
I wear this hat not just for me
Although I certainly earned the right to bear the title of the United States Marines
No, I wear it for the veterans who served long before both you and me
Both on and off the battle fields offering their greatest sacrifice, again for you and me
I wear it for all who serve today both in the air, on the land and on the sea
I wear it as a reminder for all those who stand around and next to me
Of the blanket of freedom and security
These veterans afford us every day and every night we go to sleep
But most of all I wear in my fathers memory
Who valiantly served the 1st Marines fighting in Korea
Who when I volunteered and joined the Marines
Was so very proud me
I wear it in honor of my mother who endured the tears and sleepless nights
Waiting for her loved ones to call alone, homesick and filled with fright
You see my family has quite a military past
My Father and I in the 1st Marines
My brother in the US Navy
My Brother in-law retiring from the US Coast Guard
And now my Niece is in the Marine Corps and married to a Marine
Now with so much corruption and disregard for basic human rights
You might be comforted in knowing we who wear these hats
Still believe and are ready, able and willing to fight
For God, Country and decency
And for this I wear my hat so proudly
As the conscience and the heart of a person who will never forget
God Bless the USA and all its US military Vets
And Semper Fi to all my brother Marines

Robert Charles Steinmeyer
United States Marine Corps Veteran
Semper Fi

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/remember.jpg

Fallen Warrior

by JOE TOLEDO, USMC



A Warrior Fell Today
How He Is Remembered Is Up To You
How Will You Remember Hm?

Will You Remember The Warrior?
Will You Remember The Husband?
Will You Remember The Father?
Will You Remember The Son?
Will You Remember The Brother?
Will You Remember The Friend?

The Warrior Stood Before You
And Deflected Danger Before It Got To You
He Didnt Ask For Your Thanks
He Didnt Ask For Your Praise
It Was Second Nature To Him
That This Day Might Happen Was Before Him
And Still He Stood There

The Husband Was The Man Who Loved His Wife
He Too Stood Before Her And Deflected Danger From Her
It Was Second Nature To Him, He Did It Without Thinking
Her Love For Him Was All The Thanks He Ever Needed
He Loved To Make Her Happy

The Father Watched After His Children
He Watched Them Like A Wolf Protecting Its Litter
Delighting In Thier Smiles And Laughter
He Enjoyed Playing With Them And Making Them Happy
He Made Sure They Had The Best He Could Afford
Going Without Himself To Accomplish That Goal
Teaching Them Right And Wrong, Watching Them Grow

The Son Was The Man Who Made His Parents Proud
He Would Do Anything For Them
They Rejoiced In All He Did, They Helped Him Grow
They Watched Him Transform Into A Man Right Before Thier Eyes
Moving From Baby To Little Boy To Teen And Into Man
He Loved Seeing His Parents Happy And Always Did His Best
What He Was And What He Stood For Made Them Proud

The Brother Was The Man Who Watched After His Siblings
He Played With Them And Bickered With Them As Well
They Didnt Always Agree But They Loved Each Other
He Strived To Help Them, And They Strove To Help Him
He Loved To Be Around Them And Missed Them When He Couldnt Be There
Thier Bond No One Could Break

The Friend Was Always There For You
You Could Count On Him In A Pinch
Call Him In The Middle Of The Night And He Always Answered
He Was There When You Needed A Shoulder To Cry On
He Was There To Celebrate Your Accomplishments
He Backed You Up When You Got In Over Your Head
And Asked For Nothing In Return

Which Part Of Him Will You Remember
I Choose To Remember Them All
Each And Every Part Made Him What He Was
I Never Met Him But A Brother To Me Has Been Lost
He Will Always Be Remembered
My Brother Has Fallen But He Is Not Forgot

Joe Toledo
Sgt Usmc 1987 - 1993
Sgt Us Army 1993 -2000

[thezero]

This moto is like the Energizer Bunny keeps me going and going. Plus it is gong to help me pass english, I have to memeroize a poem or speech. jinelson, sir thanks for all of these great poems, and the ones that will be coming soon.

Matt

[ElDiablo]

Keep them coming, sir. I look forward to new moto everyday.

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/219528.jpg



THE FINAL INSPECTION


~Author Unknown~


The Marine stood and faced God,

Which must always come to pass.

He hoped his shoes were shining,

Just as brightly as his brass.


"Step forward now, Marine,

How shall I deal with you?

Have you always turned the other cheek?

To My Church have you been true?"


The soldier squared his shoulders and said,

"No, Lord, I guess I ain't.

Because those of us who carry guns,

Can't always be a saint.


I've had to work most Sundays,

And at times my talk was tough.

And sometimes I've been violent,

Because the world is awfully rough.


But, I never took a penny,

That wasn't mine to keep...

Though! I worked a lot of overtime,

When the bills got just too steep.


And I never passed a cry for help,

Though at times I shook with fear.

And sometimes, God, forgive me,

I've wept unmanly tears.


I know I don't deserve a place,

Among the people here.

They never wanted me around,

Except to calm their fears.


If you've a place for me here, Lord,

It needn't be so grand.

I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand.


There was a silence all around the throne,

Where the saints had often trod.

As the Marine waited quietly,

For the judgment of his God.

"Step forward now, you Marine,

You've borne your burdens well.

Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,

You've done your time in Hell."

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/0510.jpg


The Marine Corps War Memorial (Iwo Jima)


By: Del "Abe" Jones 02-20-2005



Said a Vet from Nineteen forty-five,
"Men were dying by the score."
An eyewitness to a famous Battle
Immortalized forever more.
Quartermaster on a LST
"Eyewitness to a sad, horrible day."
"A slaughter right there on the Beach"
Is what, this Veteran had to say.
Coast Guardsman Robert Resnick
Was more than just a witness there
He furnished the Stars and Stripes
In that picture all generations share.
A symbol for the Marine Corps
Cast in bronze for all to see
The Flag raised on that mountain top
Is part of our Nation’s History.
One of the bloodiest Battles of the War
Fought for thirty-six days and nights
More than twenty two thousand Japanese
In one of the Marines fiercest fights.
The first part of Japan we invaded
And as Resnick’s ship sat on the beach
Marine Gagnon asked him for a Flag
And a long pipe to raise it’s reach.
They lost their sight of the Marine
As he headed to that Mountain top
Amidst the gun’s bullets flying
That never, ever seemed to stop.
As they began to leave the Beach
A tremendous cheer went all around
And, "Every ship tooted it’s horn."
As they raised the Flag that he had found.
For years another was credited
Until the year, Two thousand-one
When at a Fifth Marine Convention
The Marines learned he really was the one.
A big, old Marine bellowed out,
"Do you really mean to tell me,
That you never realized that you
Won that Battle, single-handedly?"
The President of the Fifth Marines
Made him an honorary member
And as they did some tears were shed
As they all began to remember
About that day sixty years ago
Up there on Mount Surabachi
When the Stars and Stripes were raised high
Was still a vivid, cherished, memory.

[jinelson]

Welcome Home

By: Marge Reich


Welcome Home, my Hero, my boy, my Son
You've been through a lot, of this I'm assured.
For both of us it's been a very long time
The good of what you've done yet to be heard.

I watched you as you gathered
the things you would need
Seeing your excitement,
innocence glowing in your eyes
Not wanting you to do this,
not wanting you to grow up
I sat in your room, biting my lip,
saying our goodbyes

You went to build sand castles
across the sea
Your goals were to give Freedom
to the oppressed
With the best of intentions
for people of that land
In your camos,
with weapons and backpacks you dressed.

September went quickly,
even though you were far away
The phone calls and emails
were coming often enough.
October flew by,
but I could tell things were picking up
And I realized, with dread,
the next month would be tough.

November came with news
that our guys were in Fallujah.
I sat glued to the TV,
watching the news day and night.
Watched as our guys went door to door,
house to house
Finding insurgents who on this city were a blight.

During this time, news came
we lost some good men
To name a few, Blecksmith, Kirk, Smith,
your roommate Kielion
These were hard times, not only for you guys,
but also for us.
December finally dawned - another blow -
I heard it was Rund.

These awesome men gave it all,
for their country and kin
We will always remember their sacrifice,
hold their memories dear.
We thank them for the gift
they have bestowed upon us
So we could tuck our children into bed
each night without fear.

January finally dawned and the elections drew near
We counted down the days
'til the people cast their vote
Stood up to be counted, braved the lines,
made a stand
You helped all this happen, you stood guard,
WE took note.

Americans felt vindicated, stood up taller,
filled with pride
Seeing how important this was,
beyond our wildest dreams
The Iraqi people showed the world
that they were truly strong
Knew what they wanted,
or are learning, much as it seems.

Time to brush the dirt from your britches,
shake off your hat
Gather your weapons, dump sand out of your boots,
Come back to those that love you,
thankful for your service
Come back to America, amid loud hollers and hoots.

When you come back to California,
I will be standing there waiting
Longing to hold you close, see your smile,
count your fingers and toes
Knowing you are on US soil again
will put a spring in my step.
How many grey hairs you have given me,
nobody knows.

YOU are MY HERO, my only boy, YOU ARE MY SON
Freedom is secure because of you warriors,
WE have seen
You stand with those men
who have always given their best
You are one of the few, the proud,
a UNITED STATES MARINE.

I had a woman on one of my MOM boards ask for a Welcome Home poem from a Marine Mom to Marine... I became inspired as I never EVER again want another military member to come back and not feel WELCOMED HOME... I always tell every VET I meet, Welcome Home and give them a huge hug... ya know... Marines are required to give Marine Moms hugs, and once a Marine / Marine Mom always a Marine / Marine Mom... my son is with the 3/5 and will be home within the month... and I wanted to share this with you... if you feel its good enough to share with the world, you have my permission to use it on your site.

Marge

[ElDiablo]

This has to be my favorite thread on here. Keep it coming, sir. I'm nothing without my morning moto...:)

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/header12.jpg

Semper Fidelis

by Breann Arant



Drawing closer and closer
to where our new home would be
Parris Island came in to view
for all recruits to see

a funny felling in my stomach
grew as we drew near
a feeling i've often felt before
a feeling know as fear

the funny feeling grew and grew
as we were swallowed by the isle
my hands were growing clammy
my heart pounding wild

the sky was black as black could be
the air was slightly chilled
fear, excitement, adrenaline
my heart was completly filled

quickly and quietly we gather our things
as all recruits hurriedly piled out
our eyes bombarded by darkness
our ears invaded with shouts

we were issued standard clothing
allowed one phone call home
to tell out parents we were ok
and make our presence known

the weeks that followed were crammed with work
as we all longed for home
all we did was drill and drill
although none were alone

the time went by so very slow
graduation so far ahead
thats all we ever dreamed about
at night when we lay in bed

before we knew it ten weeks had gone by
the final test drawing near
i felt a feeling all too familiar
a feeling known as fear

reville was sounded at three a.m
the crucible comming soon
we gathered our equipment and our strenght
as we marched as one platoon

we overcame our obstacle and solved our problems
we did it as a group
we made it through one of the toughest days
with little time to recoup

with little food and little rest
we pushed on harder and harder
our final goal was in reach
so we went farther and farther

we fought with courage and with pride
as the final march was done
we had achieved our goal with honor and commitment
all out battles won

all platoons lined up in formation
as the ceremony proceeded
tears came to everyone eyes
because we knew that all had succeeded

i recieved my eagle globe and anchor
i shook my drill instructors hand
i realized i was no longer stranded at sea
but that she alone had led me safely to land

i now serve our country proudly
in the air, on land, at sea
I have been more proud to claim the title
of UNITED STATES MARINE

Semper Fidelis

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/marine203.jpg

THE MARINE


By: Corporal Aaron M. Gilbert, US Marine Corps


We all came together,
Both young and old
To fight for our freedom,
To stand and be bold.

In the midst of all evil,
We stand our ground,
And we protect our country
From all terror around.

Peace and not war,
Is what some people say.
But I'll give my life,
So you can live the American way.

I give you the right
To talk of your peace.
To stand in your groups,
and protest in our streets.

But still I fight on,
I don't *****, I don't whine.
I'm just one of the people
Who is doing your time.

I'm harder than nails,
Stronger than any machine.
I'm the immortal soldier,
I'm a U.S. MARINE!

So stand in my shoes,
And leave from your home.
Fight for the people who hate you,
With the protests they've shown.
Fight for the stranger,
Fight for the young.
So they all may have,
The greatest freedom you've won.

Fight for the sick,
Fight for the poor
Fight for the cripple,
Who lives next door.

But when your time comes,
Do what I've done.
For if you stand up for freedom,
You'll stand when the fight's done.

By: Corporal Aaron M. Gilbert, US Marine Corps
USS SAIPAN, PERSIAN GULF

[USMC90]

I hope you don't mind me posting this SSgt.

Two of the best Marine Corps videos out there!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=pF4RUMdhOwE


http://youtube.com/watch?v=Bh5SNU2_H3s&mode=user&search

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/ReaganQuote.jpg

PRIDE

By: K. Shearon



Honor, courage and commitment as one is Pride
so pure and strong as a stallion at full stride
Its grace and beauty like an eagle soars through the sky
pride that is seen in every Marines eye

To hear the words of our nations hymn brings tears of delight
our stars and stripes waving in the breeze, a heartwarming sight
Young children with innocent faces, hands on their heart
our veterans saluting, remembering how they fought their part

These are but a few privileges we Americans have every day
we have choices to believe in God and the choice to pray
Our troops are fighting with pride for this gift to you
let us show them the power behind the red, white and blue

Support our sons and daughters, husbands and wives
who are fighting for justice and freedom with their lives
Lets not forget about that awesome feeling of pride
let us unite as a nation and stand strong side by side

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/07Company01.jpg

A Quick Marine Ditty


By Chris Madeira



Semper Fl
Marine am I
Fashioned by my DI
San Dye-ego or PI
Gal or guy, bold or shy
Float or fly, sea or sky
Wet or dry, head held high
Eye to eye -- do or die
Sailor boy or ex-GI
Family or no such tie
Marching private
Quiet corpsman
Even so called
Sea-going doorman
Far or nigh
Curse or sigh
None deny
Sir, aye aye
Marine am I
Semper Fi
!
SAL PARLATO Jr
(aka Chris Madeira

[Black Heart]

THE MARINE- is one of the most inspirational things ive ever read in my life.

"In Battle One Must Risk Their Life..To Take Another"

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/222578.jpg

What We Do

By Corporal Aaron M. Gilbert USMC
via letter to his dad



We all came together
both young and old,
To fight for our freedom
to stand and be bold.

In the midst of all evil
we stand our ground,
And we protect our country
from all terror around.

Peace and not war
is what some people say,
But I'll give my life
so you can live the American way.

I give you the right
to talk of your peace,
To stand in your groups
and protest in our streets.

But still I fight on
I don't *****, I don't whine,
I'm just one of the people
who is doing your time.

I'm harder than nails
stronger than any machine,
I'm the immortal soldier
I'm a U.S. Marine.

So stand in my shoes
and leave from your home,
Fight for the people who hate you
with the protests they've shown.

Fight for the stranger
fight for the young,
So they all may have
the greatest freedom you've won.

Fight for the sick
fight for the poor,
Fight for the cripple
who lives next door.

But when your time comes
do what I've done,
For if you stand up for freedom
you'll stand when the fight's done.

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/47990.jpg


Walk On, Warrior!
(Farewell, Beetle Bailey!)


by Doug Todd, SGT, USMC



The Warriors path ran through that valley
Where the shadows had no end--
Where the password was "My Brother!"--
Where the answer was "My Friend!"
Those who walked that path together,
For all eternity are bound
In a state of trust and friendship
That, nowhere else on earth is found!

For only those who walked there with us
Know the half of what we feel--
Know the ties that run between us,
Stronger than the finest steel!

I recall a savage summer
When young men grew old too fast;
Where every minute seemed eternal
Where every breath might be our last;

Where they sowed us from the choppers
Like a farmer sowing grain--
(Now, in the stillness after midnight,
Demons plant that field again!)

When the Midnight Madness takes us
Back to scenes from long ago,
There's a wide field strewn with bodies--
All with faces that we know!

There--- the mud and smoke and thunder--
-- someone crying out in pain!
There-- the blood and sweat and heartache
--- and we live it all again!

There-- the mountain and the graveyard--
There-- the paddy with it's dikes;
There-- the land mines and the mortars
And the punji traps with spikes--
Where we fought long past exhaustion,
-- young men came and old men went--
Tired and tortured-- touched with madness--
Still we fought where we were sent.

It seems our youth was but a moment
And the years just slid away--
Suddenly we face the twilight,
Warped and wasted-- bent and gray!

Now, some are gathered 'round this bunker
In the shadows of the end,
Where the password is "My Brother!"
Where the answer is "My Friend!"

Where no one of us need ever
Stand another watch alone,
For there's a spirit here that bonds us--
Blood of blood and bone of bone!

Brother David--- someone tells me
That you've saddled up once more--
That you're walking point again
The way you always did before--
If I could I'd walk it for you--
(So would any man that's here!)
But, our orders were to "Hold Position!"
Though the reason's far from clear!

So, walk on, Brother Warrior!
Go with God and with our prayers
That He'll, at long last, ease the burden
Of your pain and of your cares.

Rest assured your name is honored
Here among The Walking Dead
And, we may step a little quicker
Knowing that you're up ahead.

And, in the shadows of the evening,
When we pause to smoke and talk,
There'll be someone to remind us
"Beetle Bailey walked the walk!"

So, walk on, Warrior! Keep a look-out
For long lost Brothers you might find;
Tell them all we'll meet at sunrise--
We're just a click or two behind!

Walk on Warrior! Let us help you
Saddle up and load your gear--
With you up front as point-man
We know there's nothing there to fear.

We must not waste one precious moment
On a tear-soaked, sad, "Good-Bye"--
Just let me take you by the shoulders--
Toe-to-toe and eye-to-eye--
And, we'll just say "So Long" like Brothers--
Walk on Warrior! (Hand Salute!) Semper Fi!

[jinelson]

http://www.navy.mil/management/photodb/thumbnails/thumb_030402-M-3138H-009.jpg

I'm The One Called Doc


BY: HARRY D. PENNY, JR. 1997


I SHALL NOT WALK IN YOUR FOOTSTEPS,
BUT I WILL WALK BY YOUR SIDE.
I SHALL NOT WALK IN YOUR IMAGE,
I'VE EARNED MINE WITH PRIDE.

WE'VE ANSWERED THE CALL TOGETHER,
ON SEA AND FOREIGN LAND.
WHEN THE CRY FOR HELP WAS GIVEN,
I'VE BEEN THERE RIGHT AT HAND.

WHETHER I AM ON THE OCEAN
OR IN THE JUNGLE WEARING GREENS,
GIVING AID TO MY FELLOW MAN,
BE IT SAILORS OR MARINES.

SO THE NEXT TIME YOU SEE ME,
AND YOU THINK OF CALLING ME 'SQUID',
THINK OF THE JOB I'M DOING,
AS THOSE BEFORE ME DID.

AND IF YOU EVER HAVE TO GO OUT THERE
AND YOUR LIFE IS ON THE BLOCK,
LOOK AT THE ONE RIGHT NEXT TO YOU...
I'M THE ONE CALLED 'DOC'.

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/griggs1.gif


Whisper Semper Fi


Author Unknown


He was sitting on a park bench, hunched and looking low
It was hard to imagine how he'd looked, so long ago.
His beard was long and shaggy now; his sparse hair white as snow
But his steel gray eyes were piercing, and I turned away to go.

He looked lonely and forgotten, and maybe homeless too
Like life had dealt him a bad hand, maybe quite a few
He was probably abandoned by those who didn't care
I wondered what had happened, what drove him to despair.

He said, "Son, I'm a Leatherneck, of wars before your time"
His eyes grew still more piercing as he looked deep into mine
"Your uniform says you're a Devil Dog, the man I've waited for
And there's something I want to tell you -- things I've never said before."

The tattoos on his weathered arm read "Mom" and "Semper Fi"
"Let's sing our hymn together, son, once more before I die."
As we sang of Montezuma's halls and the shores of Tripoli,
The old man stood straight and tall, and he looked down at me.

"Bury me at Arlington; put an EGA upon my chest.
Tell all the world I died for them, that I was one of the best.
I was with the Fifth on Iwo, and I fought in Korea too.
During that ugly war in Vietnam, I stood proud, and cheered for you.

"Get me a straight edge razor, lad, and give me a good, clean shave.
I want to look my very best as I go to my grave
Cut my hair; shine my boots; let me borrow your best blues.
You have them back after I'm gone, and all my medals too.

"I don't want no flowers, an American flag will do
My life was lived and given for the Red and White and Blue.
Whisper 'Semper Fi' my boy, so loud that all will hear
Fire them rifles in the air; they're music to my ear."

As he told me his last wishes, I saw him standing tall
I could see the ribbons on his chest, in the dim light of the Mall
And as he closed his steel gray eyes, I thought about the Corps
He'd lived the life of a real Marine, who could ask for anything more?

"Whisper 'Semper Fi,' my lad," his voice lingered in my mind
I thought about all my buddies, those I'd left behind
Today, I'd met a real Marine, a hero through and through
Forgotten by his country, but not by me and you

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/100_0316.jpg


No True Glory


by Cpl. DeJohn



No true glory was given to the men,
who fought in Fallujah, a terrorist den.

A cauldron of hatred and evil lived here,
and Marines were again at the tip of the spear.

Zarqawi's base camp was Fallujah's cancer,
and rooting it out was the only answer.

Neither politics nor patience could change this course,
so the order was given to eliminate the source.

Both Marines and Army fought side by side,
to crush a cruel enemy and to turn the tide.

Battalions 1/8, 1/3, 3/1, and 3/5,
the Army's 2-7, and 2-2 went into the hive.

Brave heroes were made as the battle did unfold,
but due to media bias, these tales were not told.

Casualties and Abu Ghraib was instead the news du jour,
with very few exceptions the reporting of valor was poor.

Many were wounded and many did die,
Brothers in arms, they won't be denied.

For warriors of the past there was no true glory,
if there were no songs or poems to tell their brave story.

Unsung, the noblest deeds will surely die.
To the men who fought this historic battle, we salute you - Semper Fi.

Last year I read the book "No True Glory - A Frontline Account of the Battle for Fallujah" by retired Marine Corps General Bing West. What a truly stirring retelling of the latest of many epic battles executed by the Marine Corps. It was a story that needs to be told and retold. The last paragraph of this great piece of work deeply moved me; "In The Illiad a warrior in the front ranks turned to his companion and said, "let us win glory for ourselves, or yield it to others." For Greek warriors, there was no true glory if they were not remembered afterward in poem or in song. There will be no true glory for our soldiers in Iraq until they are recognized not as victims, but as aggressive warriors. Stories of their bravery deserve to be recorded and read by the next generation. Unsung, the noblest deed will die." A chill literally went down my spine when I read that and immediately after putting the book down I wrote the following poem summerizing the story:

No True Glory

This was my way to ensure that these brave warriors are never forgotten. I understand that Bing West has plans to make his book into a movie that he will be overseeing. That way Hollywood hopefully won't butcher it by twisting the facts. I also understand that his plans for this movie are under attack from those who would rather criticize the military and the heroism attached to it. I hope that this is not true and if it is that this movie is made regardless. I'm sure that it will be comperable to other great movies that capture the spirit or heoism, patriotism and sacrifice such as "Black Hawk Down" and "We Were Soldiers". Pass the word for this story to be told. Semper Fi.

Cpl. Daniel P. DeJohn
Wpns. Co. Dragons Plt. 1/6
Operation Desert Storm
'89-'93

[jinelson]

http://www.beirut-memorial.org/graphics/photos/bigstamp.gif


The Man of 20,000 Names


Author Unknown


23 OCT 1983 Is the Date chiseled into one's mind
Of those who had gone into the dusty mists
And the twisted grip of concrete and metal spirals
Men of the great fighting Corps -- in its heap
Those dearly missed --- and remembered again and again
And here, at the forefront, carrying the flag
The Gunny stands, at present arms
Eyes forward, with the flapping cloth in the wind
Looking towards the many faces and souls
That lives and breathes as if they were alive, right there ---
Switching between watches time to time
While he gathers his 20,000 names.

He paces to and fro, looking from east to west
Never really retired, never really asleep.
There's more to be found --- he says today
Why Wouldn't You? --- Is the slogan cried continuously
And every day that passes, it reappears upon the forefront
Continuing to be the beacon of the lost and the remembered
With the dove which flies into the blue skies above
Waving the Red-the white-and the blue ---

Remember these brave souls asleep in their own plains of existence
Remember their names, their part, and their memory
And those who are left to carry their packs in the now.

For he does partake in the great fight --- they would say
The eternal Gunny, making sure no one gets left behind
By keeping the fires burning brightly to wade across the Styx
And the bright lighthouse beams to tell everyone present
To come and press their names into the record
And place a monument in their behalf ---

So march on! --- March on! --- I hear the divine cadence call
The left and the right --- followed by the echoes of boots
As the lock step Marines of Beirut assemble in mass
And Gunny Snell, polished boots --- creases in order ---

Leading his Marines to their due spot in time.

[jinelson]

http://marinepoetry.homestead.com/files/f4s.gif

A Grunts Salute To Wingers


by Don Johnson



The Siege began in the Khe Sanh Valley

Surrounded by hills filled with haze

When the fighting and killing finally ceased

We had held out for 70 days.


Our darkest hours had darkened yet more

And the worst of the battle soon found us

We dug out our trenches and readied ourselves

The huge enemy force was around us.


We didn't despair but we soon realized

We were clinging to hope by our fingers

But we knew we could count on the bombs and supplies

Courtesy of our Marine Corps Wingers.


As rockets and mortars rained down from above

And many fellow Grunts were dying

The fighter-bombers and choppers en masse

Were already prepped and were flying.


Our forces outnumbered near 4 men to 1

We struggled to keep morale high

But the odds were soon evened and our butts were saved

By the angels that came from the sky.


The Wingers were pilots and crews overhead

And ground support with duties where

They tended those birds for hours on end

Making sure they could take to the air.


Most of us survived the Siege of Khe Sanh

And I think, looking back at it all

I'm living to tell you this tale of the Wing

And not taking a place on The Wall.





About the author:

Don Johnson ("Bugle")

Corporal/0311

USMC 1967-69

RVN 1967-68

Echo Co./2nd Battalion

26th Marines

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/Five4STARS.jpg


The General


Laura Lacey/1998



In walked the general
perfectly straight
immaculately groomed
and the prescribed weight.
He said all the right things
and kept others in line
he knew when to eat
and when rather to dine.

But he came to a place
to be with men he'd not lead
but with who he had fought
and he had bled.
Then no matter the ribbons
he was nineteen again
simply a Marine
with many an old friend.

I watched him from a distance
as the layers came away
he was no longer the General
just Cpl. Jim Day.
He taught me a lesson
that I should have already seen
that even the best Generals
will first be a Marine.

[SgtHMH]

It is not something that can be inherited, nor can it be purchased. No amount of money will buy it. It is not for sale and it may not be barrowed. It isn't a birthright and it doesn't come easily. It must be earned. It requires honor, courage and commiment. It's reward is a result of hard work and even spilled blood. It is a sacrifice. It remembers those lives that went before. Once earned, It can never be taken away. You and the brotherhood of the Corps, maintain it forever.

The Title

United States Marine

Once A Marine, Always A Marine

Marines don't stand behind the flag, Marines stand in front of the flag

Semper Fi

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/2004110909c_72.jpg


Maggie's Drawers


by James Stockton


A hundred Marines sat on the line,

Rapid fire, and all was fine.

The rifles cracked, Bull's Eyes, we know;

Down came the targets, now they'll show.


White spotters adorned targets left and right,

Looked like snow, a pretty sight.

But Wait!!!! What's that where I shot?

Not a single one! . . . not one white spot.


I look for black ones 'round the "bull,"

No luck there either, I feel a chill.

They start the disks, white for bulls,

None for mine . . . there they were still.


A single pole rose o'er the butts

Waved back and forth, like in a rut.

A red flag waving, a miss of course,

And that red flag is "Maggie's Drawers."


Suddenly a commotion is heard on line,

I thought, "My coach, and it's my time."

But a good-lookin' dame comes down the track:

"My name is Maggie — and I wants 'em back."



About the author: James Stockton was a gunner with C Co., 5thTkBn, 5thMarDiv on Iwo Jima Feb-Mar 1945, and Tank PltSgt with B Co 1stTkBn, 1stMarDiv in Korea 1950-1951, as well as other posts throughout the Corps during a 20-year stint.



http://marinepoetry.homestead.com/files/maggiesdrawers02.jpg

[jinelson]

http://marinepoetry.homestead.com/files/DIdaughter.jpg


Marines Ain't All Muscle


by Cpl. Robert L. Cook




A Marine ain't all blood and guts,

There is something more inside:

There is love of country

And an awful lot of pride.

There are times when he is tender,

There are times when he is tough,

There are times when he has courage

To stand and say, "Enough!"


He may seem rugged

But inside he’s mush,

When he sees a little child

Who stands in need,

He reaches out with loving hands

With care at godspeed.

He sees the damages of war

All about his place

And feels the need

To fix it,

To keep the peace and faith.


He’s not happy

To have to kill and maim;

There is no satisfaction

Although it is his game.

He’d rather be at home

Among kith and kin than

Packing guns and ammo

And having to dig in.

To stand a watch in darkness

Never knowing if he be safe,

Awaiting another dawn,

Another killing day.

About the author: Robert Cook served with Reg. Weapons Co.(2d-2d) from 1942~44, at Guadalcanal and Tarawa, during a 33-month overseas tour.

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/160462.jpg


SEMPER FI!


by Hank Oliver



[CENTER]When one greets another
They say "Semper Fi!"
The others don't know
What it means
For they never served
In that great fighting force
Nor earned the title
Of U. S. Marine

They don't comprehend
The strong brotherhood
They don't understand
"Do or Die!

But they sense the fierce pride
Marines have deep inside
When they exchange the words -
"Semper Fi!"

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/belleau020.jpg



Weep Not For Me, I am a Marine


By Bill Pierce (Weapons Co., 29th Marines - 6th USMC Div.)



Do not stand at my grave weeping, I am not there; I do not sleep. I am a thousand winds drifting gently over the land, I am God's diamond, a light glistening through the sky's, His snow crystal riding winds, carrying not where fate takes me, happy to flow through endless beauty. I rise, I soar, I change, gently, I am the sunlight on ripened grain, I am the seasons that call to the earth, becoming the gentle autumn rain caressing land. You awaken to the dawn hush, I am the swift, uplifting warmth of the morning breeze.

At night, I am the stars that shine, I was old yet, you see me, able to run once again as I shoot through the night sky. I am the splendor of the harvest moon. Do not stand at my grave and cry, I am not there, my spirit soars on the wind; I did not die the way you think

Because...

All Marines die in the red flash of battle or the cold loneliness of a nursing home, their bodies broken, aged because of war. In the vigor of youth or the infirmity of years all eventually cross over but our Marine Corps lives on. Every Marine who ever existed is living still through our young Marines who claim our title today.

It is the sense of brotherhood that outlives our mortality. It is belonging to our Marine Corps, which gives us light to live by; our honor to uphold, traditions to pass on, our warrior code to give our new generation...

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/DSCN0165sm.jpg



I Am A Marine


by Paul Posney USMC


I am a Marine, I stand tall and proud

This I say, to my enemies out loud!

I serve my country, where she needs me

The Heart of the corps, is its fidelity

We are the best, at what we do

Which my friend, is protecting you

We fight for freedom, and our flag

This is a fact, not just brag

We've been called leathernecks and jarhead too

We're first to be called, when there's fighting to do

We're known as... lean, green, fighting machines

But, I prefer... The few, the proud, a U.S. MARINE


Once a Marine, always a Marine-Semper Fi

Dedicated to all Marines, past, present & future

Paul (ChryWizard) Posney 2006

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/GitRDone.jpg

Why


by Bryce Walters



There are people who don't understand
Who just don't realize
Why I'm doing what I am
And why I'll pay the price

I tell them someone's got to go
It might as well be me
But if you really want to know
I do it for Liberty

Because the freedom we all have
Didn't come for free
It was won with the lives
Of others just like me

Sons and daughters who gave it all
Who put it on the line
Some of whom would sadly fall
And leave us all behind

They left their friends and family
Doing what was right
Protecting those in need of help
That couldn't stand and fight

With honor shinning in their eyes
They held their chins up high
And now they're waiting for the day
When we will reunite

So as you see I made this choice
Because I love this land
And will defend it with my own life
Until the very end

Some mom and dad and sis and bub
I have to leave you now
And if we never meet again
I hope I made you proud

So if your wondering who I am
Or if these words I mean
I'll simply say just one thing
I'm a United States MARINE

My name is Bryce Walters. Im from comanche texas and Im 18 years old. Im enlisted in the Marines and ship out for San Diego on July 20th of 2007. My older step brother is also in the Marines and currently serving in Baghdad. I wrote this poem to my family so they would understand why im making this choice that others are too scared to make.
Bryce

OORAH!!! Poolee!

Jim

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/marines_newuniform.jpg


I see


by Taylor McElroy


I see strengh, and courage
in that future Marine's eyes
in his hugs I feel kindness and warmth
yet I know that he is scared
I already miss him
yet he is standing right next to me

He is a Marine back on leave
i see more than the world
in that Marines eyes
in his hugs i feel security
yet i feel he knows that no one is safe

I see a worried little girl
when I look into the mirror
I feel scared that he wont comeback
but in the end he always does

He is a Marine
He is a Friend
He is Family

[jinelson]

http://www.grunt.com/images-stories/poem/fenhaus.jpg
My Dad recently passed away…he was a Vietnam Force Recon Marine (’68-’70) I wrote the following poem for him…RIP LCpl Ronald Fenhaus 2/28/51-8/20/06




Tribute to my Dad


by SLH



I'd like to share a story of a young man just seventeen…
In trouble with the law, he chose instead to be a Marine.

He was off to San Diego in the Spring of '68
Going into boot camp, young and full of hate

"GET OFF THE BUS!!!!" They screamed, as soon as they hit the base
From receiving to graduation...someone always in his face.

In a few short weeks, when he wore that Khaki & Green
He felt a sense of pride in earning the title of Marine.

That pride turned into fear, as he packed his bags for war
Off to fight in battle, on a far off foreign shore.

He was the best of the best...the fighting elite,
First Force Recon...He couldn’t be beat

The sweat, the blood, the loneliness were often hard to bear,
Buddies lost within the ranks, the "1000 meter stare"...

Coming home he wasn't greeted with a hero's welcome
He was spat on, shouted at and treated like he was scum.

The horrors of war...the images of the dead...
He tried to drown with alcohol what was embedded in his head

He'd made it out of hell alive, found a job, a wife, a kid
But he couln't shake those memories...no matter what he did.

Years of drinking took their toll...his family grew apart
This wasn't what he wanted; there was sadness in his heart.

People on the outside didn't see his troubles or his pain,
They didn't have to live with his anger and distain.

To them he was a stand up guy...a lot of fun to be around
But his family knew hostility...anger and sadness abound.

After years of trying to suppress the memories he couldn't forget
He found himself in Waco expressing his deep regret

He began to open up, and talk about the past,
But his illness was taking over and he was fading fast.

This young man of seventeen, was now older, tired, and worn,
It is for him we come together this day to pay tribute and mourn.

He wasn't perfect...this young man of seventeen...
But he was a friend, a husband, a Dad...and a United States Marine.

OORAH!!! Marine may you rest in peace brother you raised a good son!

Jim

[CantWaitToSign]

Dam sir...that is a very motivating poem!

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/Dustin20Vincent.jpg



SACRIFICE


CWO CEVALLOS USMC



No one ever thought
That our troop hearts will be
For many and for all

War is not easy and just
But if they can make a difference
Their mission will be done

Not many people agree with
This conflict afar
But their honor and commitment
Drives their courage within each other heart and pride

Years have passed and they continuing
To fight this battle away from our land

Many are hurt and many are gone
But their humble heart remain
As the symbol of their humility
And virtues endowed from above

If we can only hold their valor
With faith and hope

Fear not their fate
But the thunder in their spirit of success

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/238116.jpg

"SO THAT YOU DONT HAVE TO"

by LCpl Hugo R. Lopez USMC



Why did I join the military?
Why did I give up an easy life?
Why did I swear to protect my nation?

SO THAT YOU DONT HAVE TO

Why did give up my life for so many years?
Why did I leave my parents and brothers and sisters at home?
Why do I leave my newlywed wife at home?
Why did I leave my children at home?

SO THAT YOU DONT HAVE TO

Why do I put my life on the line for people I dont even know?
Why am I willing to sacrifice my life?
Why did i go over to Iraq?
Why did I die?

SO THAT YOU DONT HAVE TO

A lot of people dont understand why
Some cant fathom it at all
The simplest reason I can give you is this

"SO THAT YOU DONT HAVE TO"
Six simple words that convey so much, I never personally knew the man who spoke them, but in reading them my passion for writing once again has stirred.

This is the answer Lcpl Lopez would give his friends when asked why he was going over to Iraq

Lcpl Hugo R. Lopez USMC
WIA Nov. 20 2005
Died Jan 27 2006 from his wounds

Lcpl Lopez is survived by his mother, his brother and his sister.

[hawks]

<table style="width: 682px; height: 172px;" align="center" bgcolor="#ffffff" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="2"><tbody><tr><td align="center">Very good stuff.
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[jinelson]

http://marinepoetry.homestead.com/files/marineband02.jpg



A Band of Marines


by Cpl. Robert L. Cook USMC




From the raising of the colors
To the playing of "Retreat,"
With flourishes and ruffles
Each morning do they greet.


I am thrilled by their precision
As they march so smartly by,
Their uniforms are spotless,
Their horns reflect the sky.


Their drums beat out the rhythm
For every step they make,
There can be no finer
From company to brigade.


Their duties end not in music
For they have a greater span,
For they are still warriors
Like every other man.


When the Corps goes into battle
They take along the band,
They may not be fighting
But they lend a helping hand.


When called upon for service
They are there upon the spot,
Be it runner for the Colonel
Or to help a man who's shot.


When the fight is over
And we have won the day,
They are there for ceremony
Be it sad or be it gay.


So let the band be honored,
To them, let's give a cheer,
For the magic of their music
I'll remember through the years.


http://marinepoetry.homestead.com/files/marineband03.jpg

About the author: Robert Cook served with Reg. Weapons Co.(2d-2d) from 1942~44, at Guadalcanal and Tarawa, during a 33-month overseas tour.

[devildoghopeful]

Found this while surfing the web:


THOSE DAMNED GYRENES

The Marines, The Marines, Those Damned Gyrenes,
Those Swaggering, Bragging, Sea-Going Bell-Hops,
In Their Brass Button Dress Blues And Combat Greens.

The Marines, They Write Their Own Glory Stories By The Ream,
From The Halls of Montezuma To The Shores of Tripoli,
Belleau Wood, Iwo Jima, Korea, Viet Nam; Sea To Shining Sea,
And They Even Claim That Heaven’s Scenes,
Are Guarded By The United States Marines.

The Marines, They Are In The Air, On The Land And Sea,
First To Fight And Always On Guard To Keep America Free.

When The Brave, And The Proud Sing The Song Of The Few,
Words Which Are As Well Known As Our Red, White And Blue,
The Army, The Navy And The Air Force Too,
Silently Wish They Could Sing The Song Without Paying The Due.

Should There Be Any Doubt That These Words Are True,
Ask Any United States Marine,
One Of The Proud, One Of The Few

[Hobson]

This thread makes me proud to be a Marine SSGT. ****ing Moto.

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/237683.jpg


A Marine is a Marine


by Cpl. Robert L. Cook USMC



Where e'er he may go,
Be he dressed in civvies
Or the uniform
We all know,

Be he fresh from
Boot camp,
Or a veteran on the go.
You will find him
Dressed so neatly

Be it khaki,
Greens Or blues.
If he's wearing overalls
He'll look that way too.

You can count on him in crisis,
He'll be there all the way,
Be he in a battle
Or a crash along the way.

He keeps his head about him,
He's cool beneath it all.
He knows he's a winner
Because it's his style.

I'm so glad the nation
Seems to favor, Us Marines,

They know they can
Count on us To keep the nation free.
If you can find another Corps
That can best us in the field,
We'll surrenderTo that force,
And vow no more to yield.

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/237993.jpg


Time in Hell


by Richard Milne



You can have your Army Khaki
You can have your Navy Blues
But here is another uniform
I'll introduce to you
This uniform is different
The finest ever seen
The Germans called it Devil Dog
But the man is just a Marine
They make them down in Diego
The land that God forgot
Where the mountains are high
The rivers run dry
And the Sun is blazing hot
Now listen all you pretty girls
Cause here's a tip for you
Get yourself a young Marine
There's nothing he can't do
And when he goes to Heaven
St Peter he will tell
Another Marine reporting sir
I spent my time in Hell

Chisom KIA 4-20-68 USMC

Cpl Richard Milne
0331/0141 WIA 421-68 USMC

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/237685.jpg



With a Rifle in my Hand


Written By Melissa Wood
Former Corporal, USMC



I was just a private with a rifle in my hand
Along with fellow Marines, we go to make our stand
The plane ride took forever as the tension filled the air
To a place called Vietnam, our country sent us there.

I've been on base, we're packing up our ammo and some knifes
Heading out into the foreign fields where we could lose our lives
The jungle all around us, we're crawling on the ground
The enemy is very near, and the sun is going down

That night was just the first of many, the death roll moving on
The men I fought with side by side was also someone's son
Time just kept going by, everyday slower than the other
I yearned to see the smiling face of my dear old mother

The blood shed and the smell of death from villages we would roam
Hoping that we were closer to the day we're going home
Two years in Vietnam had come to pass when it finally caught up with me
I saved a soldiers life by taking out my knee

They flew me back to the U.S.A. I was going home at last
In a wheelchair with half a leg that was wrapped up in a cast
But what was waiting for me when I got home made me sick as I could be
People were protesting against this war. Is this reality?

I watched my fellow Marines die with honor and valor, in a country far away
For the rights of your freedom, their lives they had to pay
Words like liberty and honor you'll never understand
We provided you these privileges with our rifle in our hand

Semper Fi! Dedicated to all the Vietnam Vets.

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/240887.jpg



The Marine Corps War Memorial (Iwo Jima)

By: Del "Abe" Jones



Said a Vet from Nineteen forty-five,
"Men were dying by the score."
An eyewitness to a famous Battle
Immortalized forever more.
Quartermaster on a LST
"Eyewitness to a sad, horrible day."
"A slaughter right there on the Beach"
Is what, this Veteran had to say.
Coast Guardsman Robert Resnick
Was more than just a witness there
He furnished the Stars and Stripes
In that picture all generations share.
A symbol for the Marine Corps
Cast in bronze for all to see
The Flag raised on that mountain top
Is part of our Nation’s History.
One of the bloodiest Battles of the War
Fought for thirty-six days and nights
More than twenty two thousand Japanese
In one of the Marines fiercest fights.
The first part of Japan we invaded
And as Resnick’s ship sat on the beach
Marine Gagnon asked him for a Flag
And a long pipe to raise it’s reach.
They lost their sight of the Marine
As he headed to that Mountain top
Amidst the gun’s bullets flying
That never, ever seemed to stop.
As they began to leave the Beach
A tremendous cheer went all around
And, "Every ship tooted it’s horn."
As they raised the Flag that he had found.
For years another was credited
Until the year, Two thousand-one
When at a Fifth Marine Convention
The Marines learned he really was the one.
A big, old Marine bellowed out,
"Do you really mean to tell me,
That you never realized that you
Won that Battle, single-handedly?"
The President of the Fifth Marines
Made him an honorary member
And as they did some tears were shed
As they all began to remember
About that day sixty years ago
Up there on Mount Surabachi
When the Stars and Stripes were raised high
Was still a vivid, cherished, memory.

[jinelson]

http://marinepoetry.homestead.com/files/leatherneck03.jpg


http://marinepoetry.homestead.com/files/leatherneck04.jpg


by Cpl. Robert L. Cook USMC




I'm glad I take
Leatherneck.
It's a damn good
Magazine.
I've read it in
A foxhole
When I was
A young Marine.


I keep up with
The young'ins
Where e'er they
Must roam.
I read about
Old outfits,
That were once
My home.


I keep up with the
Weapons,
The gear and
All that stuff.
I wonder if
They need it,
To tote it
Must be tough.

I recall the miles
I hiked
Through mud,
And sand,
And slime.
And wondered
If I could have left
Most of it behind.


I never saw
A fightin' man
Who didn't
Toss his gear.
It's tough enough
To shoot and run,
Without a pack
Upon your back
Not helping
With your fear.


Marines don't fight
Like others do,
Has always been
My thought.
If we don't win
The landing,
What use is
All be brought?


So lighten up
On gear we pack.
Don't load us down
With junk.
If you can't get it to us,
The whole campaign
Is sunk.


http://marinepoetry.homestead.com/files/machinegun.jpg

[jinelson]

http://thewall-usa.com/buttons/namwall.jpg



Heroes Carved In Stone


By Sabrina Stidham



I stood staring in awe as my gaze settled upon a black granite wall of memories.

As I stood there not a muscle in my body twitched, except for the rhythmic beating of my weary heart.

Before me, a great wall, with the names of Fathers, Sons, Brothers, Daughters; Soldiers; Heroes...carved in stone. As I looked at the granite I saw behind it. A scene of tangled jungles, mud covered boots, people crying, as their lives came to an unwritten end. On the ground I saw the bodies of fallen soldiers, bloody and cold from death. In my heart I felt their pain and fear, which lingered in their unforgotten souls.

In my mind I could see them standing around me, in what was left of their tiger-striped tattered camouflage. Blood covered, dirty calluses had formed on their hands, and memories of home were lost in the emptiness of their stares.

I saw beside me the American Flag, still and unmoving in the bustling air. I shivered at the eerie sight. Suddenly, I felt that I wasn’t alone, as though I were in the presence of a soldier; I paused, not believing in my feelings. A chill went down my spine as I felt a touch on my shoulder. I turned to see a woman; a mother, with tears in her eyes, reading the name of her son. At that moment I realized that the soldiers have not been forgotten. They live on in our hearts; then, now, and forever.

As I turned to leave, I hesitated; looked back at the wall and said aloud, "Thank You", and I swear I heard a voice carried on the wind whisper..."Never Forget".

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/header23.jpg



The Battle and The War


Cpl. Wendy Cox USMC



Sitting at the table
Sipping morning coffee
Thumbing through the paper
Searching for any mention of the units I’ve been in Ears acutely tuned to CNN in the next room

Still no news today
Three agonizing years since this war began No word of friends No word from my Marines

Daily battling dark thoughts and self doubt Will be my only war Trained to fight My resolve tested only by worry

Did I train them well enough…
…to keep them alive a little longer
…how to clean up after the chemicals rain down How many made it home safe?
Is their blood on my hands?

Cpl. Wendy Jo (Cunningham) Cox
1993-1997
MWSS 171, NBC Platoon
2nd MarDiv, Division NBC Platoon
Semper Fidelis

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/header5.jpg



BALLAD OF THE 5TH MARINES


Fighting men from our land
They have shaken the devil's hand
And when they wear their battle greens
They are known as the 5th Marines

We're the men of the 5th Marines
Dirty rotten and fighting mean
From the states we came this way
Couldn't care less about the Green Beret

We stalk the paddies night and day
Don't need shutes or a green beret
Have no wings upon our chest
U.S. Marines our countries best

We patrol and kill V.C.
Fighting Cong to make men free
One hundred men overun today
We saved their ass the Green Berets

I saw Marines who gave their lives
So Green Berets could tell their lies
If I should die in this far land
I hope it will be for a better man

While they jump and sing their songs
We search the fields and kill the Cong
We are the men who fight each day
Since 76 its been that way

Back at home a young wife waits
Her brave Marine has met his fate
He has died so others could live
For his land that's what he'll give

I know this song won't be a hit
But a good Marine don't give a sh*t
And when it comes to glory and fame
We'll kick your ass and take your name

[jinelson]

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o275/devildog_2045/supportdatroops.jpg

[ElDiablo]

This thread just keeps getting better. Keep 'em coming sir.

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/header24-1.jpg


Globe And Anchor


Written by GySgt Gene Norris, USMC (Ret)



They called us "Devil Dog" and "Leatherneck,"
"Jarhead" and "Gyrene"
But to those who wore the globe and anchor
It will always be "Marine."

In places like Tarawa, Iwo
And Korea's frozen north
We did the job; we kept the faith,
For we know what freedom's worth.

As twilight years approach,
Don't let life become a drag.
Remember that tingle down your spine
When you viewed the passing flag?

When the final "Taps" has sounded
And echoed its last sad chord,
We'll climb St. Peter's ladder
And "Request permission to come aboard!"

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/234341.jpg

Thinking Of Our Times


by (our very own) JWG



As I sit here, in my confy computer chair.. a TV blaring in this room, a second in the other, I am completely in exstacy. I am FREE.. I do not have bombs blowing up around me.. my buddies screaming out to my right and left and there is not a thing I can do.

No. I am in my confy computer chair, sitting here typing this very thread, because of the Freedom I have from that chaos just imagined and experienced by many before me, currently, and most likely experienced by myself in the future as we do not know it. Most likely hellish.

Despite all the coushined couches, blaring TV's, cold glasses of milk; orange juice; or water. Hell, if you want, you can pick up some Coca-Cola or Pepsi.. or Sprite if you choose, although I would not pick any of them. We can choose that, because, of the FREEDOM we have.. and it CERTAINLY isnt free.

Many times, and it is not uncommon WHAT-SO-EVER.. I will imagine how the future will be. It is a very big possibility at this rate.. that we will be picking up arms and defending this country on our very lands and not on others.. or be at far away lands fighting. I picture the bombs, and overhead gunfire, and the rest of the all-so-real possibilities that the conflicts are going get a whole lot worse.. real fast.

Although there are others like me, preparing for the very possible future that is ahead of us.. there are MANY MORE people who sit in their confy chairs, sofa's, and watch their MTV on their Television sets.. and that is ALL FINE AND DANDY.

The thing that seperates that and the rest of us who see the possible future, and are CONCERNED and do not IGNORE it in everyday life.. is the fact that THEY IGNORE IT! They may very well have considered the dangers that lie ahead.. and here is where we differ.

THEY consider it.. see it.. and then decide to IGNORE IT and cushion themselves in the safety that is NOW.. and not preparing for the danger that is the FUTURE.

Myself and many others like me.. see it, many many times.. and they DO SOMETHING about it. Now, that doesn't mean you need to go and enlist in the Marine Corps.. no not at all. That would mean the Marine Corps is not, "The Few, The Proud."

Supporting your troops.. voting for leaders who represent our country who will do the BEST JOB to keep it safe and allow the Marines and Soliders and Militarymen and women of America to keep it... A-M-E-R-I-C-A. That is just one in MANY others ways to DO SOMETHING about our future.

God Bless the United States of America.

But most of all..

GOD BLESS THE MARINE CORPS and those who are the Marine Corps who allow there to be such a thing as..

GOD BLESS ALL OF YOU!


MOTIVATED,

-Jon

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/2004110909c_72.jpg


A Million Miles Away


by A Marine Wife


A Marine by title~A Marine all day and night.
When will you have time to be a husband to your wife?
You will be there for her in spirit and always in her thoughts.
You try to make her happy, though the Corps twists your plans in knots.

A Marine's Wife by title~called a privelege by the few.
She'l stick by her husband, that's what she will do.
He may be at home or a million miles away,
But in his heart she will always stay.

He loves his wife, he loves the Corps.
He must make the m BOTH priority of course.
They work together as a couple to achieve a common goal.
Without support from one another~he'd be a bad Marine you know.

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/header12.jpg




Semper Fi


by Gary Jacobson




Semper Fi...
How hallowed the phrase, Semper Fi
Marine speak for do or die
There is no want ... there is no try
For a United States Marine
Best damned fighting machine the world’s ever seen
Proudly Marine’s bear America's banner in honored tradition
Semper Fi meaning never tolerating rebellious sedition
For good men, brave and true
Who evil eschew
From the halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli
Bearing patriot’s pure dreams for liberty
Fighting battles that keep free men free
Watchguards of our countries right
Vanguards to the fight
Battling for freedom’s brave light
Since way back in time
Marines have walked the line
Though knowing good and true men may fall
The best of men bearing the honor of us all
Brothers ... devil-dogs
Who machination of evil clogs
Leathernecks
Sinister plan of evil-doers wrecks
Brave men hearing the call
Standing proud and standing tall
For America...
Through ancient beat or modern metallicca
Borne a glory from sea to shining sea, for America
Marines glory, laud and honor esoterica
Doing tough duty ordained on high
Where blood, sweat and tears sanctify
Preserving this land’s blessed divinity for you and I
Semper Fi...

[MCWRESTLER2006]

That was very insperational sir Thank you

[chrisathey1989]

these are amazing!!!

[PatriotGirl422]

I'm sure I'll be having a few Sergeant Drill Instructors there to point out all my faults next week when I go to PI!

[CantWaitToSign]

My Recruiter Station had our annual function last saturday. We had 3 DI's come up from Parris Island. I thought I was kind of ready for boot but now I know I'm no where near. So I already know of my faults for bootcamp. I just thank the Lord I have 2 months and 2 weeks to fix them as best I can haha...keep them coming sir!

[jinelson]

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"Why God Created Marines"


by Barbara L.Erdley Haught


Why God created Marines to fly the American flag. God knows what we would be before we were born and therefore He made some men to be Marines. So every parent that has a Marine in their home shall be blessed and honored with the God Lords love. What people in this world don't realize and understand is that the parent of this Marine sacrificed there son to war. And the parents of this Marine pray every night and say, "Thank you God", for he is one of the proud, brave, and few. And as we look at our American flag that our Marines fly at the time of sun rise till sun set not one of us should ever forget what our American flag stands for and always honor our Marines who lived and died for us. When the Marines fly the American flag it should tell each and everyone of us a story. So what does the American flag tell your heart or does it mean nothing to you. Well I'll tell you from the bottom of my heart what the American flag means to me as well as our Marines. Well when I see our American flag, that our Marines fly, I see our country America. When I see the red I see the blood and the Marines that lived and died for me. When I see the blue I see a Marine that is true to his God and country. When I see the stars on a flag I see every state in the country. When I see the stripes of red and white it reminds me of the proud, brave and few. So when I see our Marines fly our American flag it tells me of how our Marines, lived and died just for me. So for our country America and the Marines that gave us our freedom to live, love and honor. So to the family of every Marine that flies our American flag my heart goes out to you all for sacrificing your son to war. To the ones that devoted there lives in Desert Storm and all wars. And fighting for what they thought was right at peace time as well as at war.

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/240266.jpg



FREEDOM


By: Sergeant Aaron M. Gilbert USMC



In my life, I have had wanted nothing more than what I now am, a Marine. A single 6-letter word that speaks volumes to multitudes. Just the name, Marine, carries pride, honor and courage. Many men join for many different reasons, but they all start off with the same goal along the way, to become a Marine. To be one of the few, the proud. Proud, pride, strength when united. Every background, every creed and every color. All come together under the same promise. The promise to protect this country against all enemies, foreign and domestic. All who join have accepted this price, this calling. The price of having to leave all behind, to journey to a country where people hate you, and all you stand for.

The American Dream, Martin Luther King Jr's Dream and the Dream of our Forefathers. This dream of freedom and the right to preserve it. And who is called upon to undertake this task, the United States Marines. We rise to the call to lay down our lives. We fight and die for the freedom that some people cherish, some people spit upon and the very freedom that most people think they deserve. But who really deserves this freedom, the People or the Patriot.

Thomas Jefferson said it best when he said, "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time, with the bloodshed of patriots and tyrants."

But how many really understand and believe that statement. How many know what it is like to sleep alone, cold, humbled and unappreciated. How many know what it is like to lose a friend or loved one who fought and died for the freedoms you were given. And how many have received a folded American flag, followed by a 21 Gun Salute. How many, we don't know. But whatever the number, they are the ones who gave so much for their Country and freedom that they lost it all.

Our Nation will see our conflicts on T.V., they will see our men and women, our sons and daughters who have openly accepted the possibility of death, and they will turn the channel without a second thought.

But you remember this. While you sleep at night with your parents, your wife, your children, there are always men out there awaiting the call to lay their lives down, and as J.F.K. said in his Inaugural Speech, "I do not cower from this responsibility, I welcome it."

[ElDiablo]

Kinda long, but definetly worth reading.

This letter was written by Charles Grennel and his comrades who are veterans of the Global War On Terror. Grennel is an Army Reservist who spent two years in Iraq and was a principal in putting together the first Iraq elections, January of 2005.

It was written to Jill Edwards, a student at the University of
Washington who did not want to honor Medal of Honor winner USMC Colonel Greg Boyington.

Ms. Edwards and other students (and faculty) do not think those who serve in the U.S. armed services are good role models.

To: Edwards, Jill (student, UW)
Subject: Sheep, Wolves and Sheepdogs

Miss Edwards, I read of your "student activity" regarding the
proposed memorial to Col. Greg Boyington, USMC and a Medal of Honor winner. I suspect you will receive a bellyful of angry e-mails from conservative folks like me.

You may be too young to appreciate fully the sacrifices of generations of servicemen and servicewomen on whose shoulders you and your fellow students stand. I forgive you for the untutored ways of youth and your naivete. It may be that you are, simply, a sheep. There's no dishonor in being a sheep - - as long as you know and accept what you are.

William J. Bennett, in a lecture to the United States Naval Academy November 24, 1997 said: "Most of the people in our society are sheep. They are kind, gentle, productive creatures who can only hurt one another by accident." We may well be in the most violent times in history, but violence is still remarkably rare. This is because most citizens are kind, decent people who are not capable of hurting each other, except by accident or under extreme provocation. They are sheep.

Then there are the wolves and the wolves feed on the sheep without mercy. Do you believe there are wolves out there who will feed on the flock without mercy? You better believe it. There are evil men in this world and they are capable of evil deeds. The moment you forget that or pretend it is not so, you become a sheep. There is no safety in denial.

Then there are sheepdogs and I'm a sheepdog. I live to protect the flock and confront the wolf. If you have no capacity for violence then you are a healthy productive citizen, a sheep. If you have a capacity for violence and no empathy for your fellow citizens, then you have defined an aggressive sociopath, a wolf. But what if you have a capacity for violence, and a deep love for your fellow citizens? What do you have then? A sheepdog, a warrior, someone who is walking the unchartered path. Someone who can walk into the heart of darkness, into the universal human phobia, and walk out unscathed.

We know that the sheep live in denial, that is what makes them sheep. They do not want to believe that there is evil in the world. They can accept the fact that fires can happen, which is why they want fire extinguishers, fire sprinklers, fire alarms and fire exits throughout their kids' schools. But many of them are outraged at the idea of putting an armed police officer in their kid's school. Our children are thousands of times more likely to be killed or seriously injured by school violence than fire, but the sheep's only response to the possibility of violence is denial. The idea of someone coming to kill or harm their child is just too hard, and so they chose the path of denial.

The sheep generally do not like the sheepdog. He looks a lot like the wolf. He has fangs and the capacity for violence. The difference, though, is that the sheepdog must not, can not and will not ever harm the sheep Any sheep dog who intentionally harms the lowliest little lamb will be punished and removed. The world cannot work any other way, at least not in a representative democracy or a republic such as ours. Still, the sheepdog disturbs the sheep. He is a constant reminder that there are wolves in the land. They would prefer that he
didn't tell them where to go, or give them traffic tickets, or stand
at the ready in our airports, in camouflage fatigues, holding an M-16.
The sheep would much rather have the sheepdog cash in his fangs, spray paint himself white, and go, "Baa." Until the wolf shows up. Then the entire flock tries desperately to hide behind one lonely sheepdog.

The students, the victims, at Columbine High School were big, tough high school students, and under ordinary circumstances they would not have had the time of day for a police officer. They were not bad kids; they just had nothing to say to a cop. When the school was under attack, however, and SWAT teams were clearing the rooms and hallways, the officers had to physically peel those clinging, sobbing kids off of them.

This is how the little lambs feel about their sheepdog when the wolf
is at the door. Look at what happened after September 11, 2001 when the wolf pounded hard on the door. Remember how America , more than ever before, felt differently about their law enforcement officers and military personnel? Understand that there is nothing morally superior about being a sheepdog; it is just what you choose to be. Also understand that a sheepdog is a funny critter: He is always sniffing around out on the perimeter, checking the breeze, barking at things that go bump in the night, and yearning for a righteous battle. That is, the young sheepdogs yearn for a righteous battle.
The old sheepdogs are a little older and wiser, but they move to the sound of the guns when needed, right along with the young ones.
Here is how the sheep and the sheepdog think differently. The sheep pretend the wolf will never come, but the sheepdog lives for that day.
After the attacks on September 11, 2001, most of the sheep, that is, most citizens in America said, "Thank God I wasn't on one of those planes." The sheepdogs, the warriors, said, "Dear God, I wish I could have been on one of those planes. Maybe I could have made a difference." You want to be able to make a difference. There is nothing morally superior about the sheepdog, the warrior, but he does have one real advantage. Only one. And that is that he is able to survive and thrive in an environment that destroys 98 percent of the population.

There was research conducted a few years ago with individuals
convicted of violent crimes. These cons were in prison for serious, predatory crimes of violence: assaults, murders and killing law enforcement officers. The vast majority said that they specifically targeted victims by body language: slumped walk, passive behavior and lack of awareness. They chose their victims like big cats do in Africa , when they select one out of the herd that is least able to protect itself. Some people may be destined to be sheep and others might be genetically primed to be wolves or sheepdogs. But I believe that most people can choose which one they want to be, and I'm proud to say that more and more Americans are choosing to become sheepdogs.

Seven months after the attack on September 11, 2001, Todd Beamer was honored in his hometown of Cranbury , New Jersey . Todd, as you recall, was the man on Flight 93 over Pennsylvania who called on his cell phone to alert an operator from United Airlines about the hijacking.

When they learned of the other three passenger planes that had been used as weapons, Todd and the other passengers confronted the terrorist hijackers. In one hour, a transformation occurred among the passengers - athletes, business people and parents -- from sheep to sheepdogs and together they fought the wolves, ultimately saving an unknown number of lives on the ground.

"There is no safety for honest men except by believing all possible
evil of evil men." - Edmund Burke. Here is the point I like to
emphasize, especially to the thousands of police officers and soldiers I speak to each year. In nature the sheep, real sheep, are born as sheep. Sheepdogs are born that way, and so are wolves. They didn't have a choice.

But you are not a critter. As a human being, you can be whatever you want to be. It is a conscious, moral decision. If you want to be a sheep, then you can be a sheep and that is okay, but you must understand the price you pay. When the wolf comes, you and your loved on es are going to die if there is not a sheepdog there to protect you. If you want to be a wolf, you can be one, but the sheepdogs are going to hunt you down and you will never have rest, safety, trust or love. But if you want to be a sheepdog and walk the warrior's path, then you must make a conscious and moral decision every day to dedicate, equip and prepare yourself to thrive in that toxic, corrosive moment when the wolf comes knocking at the door.

This business of being a sheep or a sheep dog is not a yes-no
dichotomy. It is not an all-or-nothing, either-or choice. It is a
matter of degrees, a continuum. On one end is an abject,
head-in-the-sand-sheep and on the other end is the ultimate warrior. Few people exist completely on one end or the other. Most of us live somewhere in between.

Since 9-11 almost everyone in America took a step up that continuum, away from denial. The sheep took a few steps toward accepting and appreciating their warriors, and the warriors started taking their job more seriously. Its ok to be a sheep, but do not kick the sheep dog. Indeed, the sheep dog may just run a little harder, strive to protect a little better and be fully prepared to pay an ultimate price in battle and spirit with the sheep moving from "baa" to "thanks".

We do not call for gifts or freedoms beyond our lot. We just need a small pat on the head, a smile and a thank you to fill the emotional tank which is drained protecting the sheep. And when our number is called by "The Almighty", and day retreats into night, a small prayer before the heavens just may be in order to say thanks for letting you continue to be a sheep. And be grateful for the thousands - - millions - - of American sheepdogs who permit you the freedom to express even bad ideas.

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/07company01-3.jpg


Training for the Corps


by Ms.V2LA


He's off to Parris Island where
He'll train to fight the war.
My son, my heart, a piece of me
Will be a child no more
Before he left I hugged him
Every time he passed me by
I told him that I loved him
As a tear fell from my eye
I'm proud of him, it's what he wants
I cried and held him tight
And pray to God to keep him strong
Please guide him through the fight
And though I had prepared myself
I never felt such sorrow
As that day he left for boot camp
For we wouldn't hug tomorrow
And yes I miss him selfishly
But one thing that I'm sure
Is all his dreams are coming true
He'll soon be in the Corps.

[ElDiablo]

Man this threads getting HUGE!!! It should be its own website, www.todaysmoto.com!!! lol

[jinelson]

The Old Corps and the New <br />
<br />
by Cpl. Robert L. Cook USMC <br />
<br />
There's always been an &quot;Old Corps&quot; <br />
No matter when your time. <br />
I have heard it spoken of <br />
In every port and clime. <br />
<br />
It seems the way

[jinelson]

http://www.usmilitarypix.com/images/600_marine15.jpg


Invictus


by Thurman Howard



Long before facing Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima sands,
A group of warriors arose, a brave and hearty band.
Trained and learned a special art, both on land and sea,
They did because they were patriots, and for the likes of me.

They didn't ask 'why must we die for a purpose ill conceived?'
They go to protect our citizens from mortal threats perceived.
With a sword and musket, they honed their skills so well.
They learned of discipline and the tolling of the funeral bell.

The Bible tells of love supreme -of a life freely given.
A man willing to give up His own life, so we can go on living.
His work was done; He agreed to pay the price for all.
Inspired the men who serve today to heed our nation's call.

Trying tasks which they embrace with faith as strong as steel,
Courage, duty, and honor rule; their brave hearts are revealed.
Whenever our country calls for men to go to great extremes,
One force is called on first to lead, the United States Marines.

If danger looms, our best will rise, I hear their solemn creed:
Call on us! Semper Fi! The United States Marines.

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/2004111711b_72.jpg




FRIEND


by Jason "Barbo" Barbosa SGT USMC 1988-1994




Friend you claim to be when I am there

Psycho vet you say, when I am out of your hair

You offer me a drink, then smile and wink, at your friends who do nothing but stare

For you I am a sideshow so that you can brag

"Yeah that guy is done for, the war was his fame, now look at him friends who does he blame"

I don't claim to blame any man for my pain

Just looking for home not personnel gain

Where is the peace, I had once took for granted.

Friend you are not, as you whisper and cower

My friends spilt their blood, for your pathetic happy hour

You will never understand what we all had to endure
For you, our country, our God, and our Corps

Sweat we did spill, and blood it did pour, as we chased away bad guys from your front door

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/206787.jpg



PRIDE


Written By: K. Shearon



Honor, courage and commitment as one is Pride
so pure and strong as a stallion at full stride
Its grace and beauty like an eagle soars through the sky
pride that is seen in every Marines eye

To hear the words of our nations hymn brings tears of delight
our stars and stripes waving in the breeze, a heartwarming sight
Young children with innocent faces, hands on their heart
our veterans saluting, remembering how they fought their part

these are but a few privileges we Americans have every day
we have choices to believe in God and the choice to pray
our troops are fighting with pride for this gift to you
let us show them the power behind the red, white and blue

Support our sons and daughters, husbands and wives
who are fighting for justice and freedom with their lives
Lets not forget about that awesome feeling of pride
let us unite as a nation and stand strong side by side

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/07company01-1.jpg


United States Marine Corps Heroes


By: Lisa Spencer


It's a crazy world we live in
Surrounded by cruelty and strife
We all need heros to belive in
Role models who live a good life

Where are these heroes you may ask
I've heard nothing about them at all
My favorite hero's hardest task
Is throwing or catching a ball

You can find them anywhere
Scattered all over the world
Marine Corps heros everywhere
Semper Fi, their motto unfurled

HONOR--no matter the circumstance
COURAGE--no matter the test
COMMITMENT--to freedom with confidence
MARINE CORPS--UNITED STATES BEST!!!!!

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/HPIM0798.jpg


This Veteran...Thanks You!


By Bob Beskar USMC


I wrote this poem, to thank you for…
Each day we have, much like before.

You're on our minds both day and night…
And we support you in this fight!

Your sacrifices aren't in vain …
And many of us know your pain!

Because of you, our freedom's strong…
But there are some who get it wrong!

They think because it's here today…
It's always going to be that way!

But you can see the jest of that…
And know just why we're in Iraq!

Have we forgotten our big threat?
Have we not learned our lesson yet?

Terror is what drives this war…
And must be stopped at its front door!

"911" showed us that…
Have we ignored that brutal fact?

Make no mistake, I stand with you…
Until we see this mission through!

[jinelson]

http://sistertoldjah.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/01/marinecpljasondunham1.jpg

http://sistertoldjah.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/01/cpljasondunham2.jpg

http://www.navy.mil/management/photodb/thumbnails/thumb_070323-N-0000X-040.jpg



"Hero"

by Erin Walker



I've seen some of the best minds of my generation, shipped into
Planes, 24 hours notice given,
Same dress, same hair, same fears.
Boys being turned into men in a matter of days, men
Turning older with the dust.
With guns in hand, and letters and pictures of girls at home,
In pockets, kept close to heart, a thought of them
Would subside all fears for that day alone.
Angels above, watching them during convoys,
Talil, Fallujah, Baghdad, Camp Victory, Camp
Anaconda, they've all run together now, letters pouring in
From cities and camps whose names I can not pronounce
even though I've tried.
Uncle Sam this ones for you.
I watched you tear from me, my heart, sending him over again,
Tour Number Two of the retched desolate country
War Torn and wrecked.
15 months overseas, 20 years old, tell me how this sounds right to you.
I watched you tear from me, my childhood friendship, watching
Him grow into a Man my best friend and confidant,
Ripped from me to fight this war, this never ending war.
These men, these boys, these babies ripped from family, friends, from reality.
Sent there, to fight another reality, not just your reality Big Brother,
But now their own - shoot, don't shoot, duck don't duck
Look at your Commanding Officer, covered in blood. Purple Heart for sure.
Come home to see the looks you get,
Looks from people who will never understand
Images burned into memory, seen every time eyes are closed
Every time sleep is attempted.
Sleep in bed, lovers arm attempting to fall across chest
All that is imagined is the Iraqi Insurgents coming to murder in sleep.
It may not be right, it very well might be wrong
This is War. Support the troops, screw the reason for fight.
Some people just don't understand, they don't feel the pain to look
At Sgt. Crawford's face, a pockmarked portrait of a man,
Glass etched scars will forever remind him of that fateful day in July.
Purple Heart yes, but he doesn't care, that doesn't matter in real life.
The gravestones of Sherman, Todd, and Adle, always bring comrades to their
Knees, tears flowing freely, not just boys now, not just men.
But Brothers, brothers forever, brothers through
bloodshed (both theirs and the other guys), fought
beside each other in war, and stay
Beside each other in life after Iraq.
The best minds of my generation have been shipped off
To fight, to care, to uphold what we are, to never forget,
Brothers never die, they instead wait for each other there,
To Hell for killing, or to Heaven for protecting the lives
of millions?
As the dust flows, swimming into their nostrils and lungs, like the
Visions of their girls at home, waiting for their return
To them, U.S. has more meaning when M.C. is attached
Behind it.
A life, a choice, a decision, a
Plane.
A weapon, a grenade, a fear, an Iraqi hidden behind a wall, sight
Trained to the name tape sewed
on his chest, to the right of his heart, where blood
pumps through his veins, to the tune of fear
in his heart and mind.
Date Eligible For Return From Overseas, coined in Vietnam
Hoped for in Iraq.
To only know the day, the time, the truth they will be coming home
Not in Pine, but in Flesh.
Heroes in their own right, a job not many
Chose to partake, earning respect of most,
Fear of some, and acknowledgment of few.
I've seen the best minds of my generation shipped into
Planes, to prove to us
What American really means.

[jinelson]

http://www.geocities.com/wmarinering/jpegifs/Femledi.jpg



This Life


Cpl Figueroa USMC 10/2005



This is the life that he has chosen.
Do I choose to be a part of it?
I must. It is my duty as his mother
To always send my love and care
No matter where he is needed.

Overseas, in the deserts, over the fifty states,
No matter where, he needs to be, I will be as well.
His life is mine and that will never cease.
That will never change.

If I want nothing to do with this path he has chosen
Then I chose not to have a part in my son's life
And God forbid I lose my son,
And I was not there for him, in this life,
Than I was no mother to him.

His life is my life. And that will never change.
I will always be his mother.
He will always be my son.

Always faithful, Semper Fi

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/2004110909a.jpg


Marine Sniper


By: Bradley Karr Holland



I am a Marine Sniper
Alone and fearless I fight
I sit still not making a move
As I wait in the pale moonlight
I wait for some helpless soul
To walk into my sight
I slowly squeeze the trigger
As a shot rings out through the night
A red mist fills the air
I can smell the blood from here
As I put away my gear
I take one last look in my scope
His head was blown completely off
He did not shed a tear
And when it troubles me in my sleep
I try to get my conscience clear
I will see their faces for the rest of my life
But this is the burden I choose to bear

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/DSC00257.jpg



Ode to a Marine


by John Wear



In a crowd you're bound to spot him,
He's standing so very tall
Not too much impresses him;
He's seen and done it all.
His hair is short, his eyes are sharp,
But his smile's a little blue.
It's the only indication
Of the hell that he's gone through.
He belongs to a sacred brotherhood,
Always Faithful 'til the end.
He has walked right into battle
And walked back out again.
Many people think him foolish
For having no regrets
About having lived through many times
Others would forget.
He's the first to go and last to know,
But never questions why,
On whether it is right or wrong,
But only do or die.
He walks a path most won't take
And has lost much along the way,
But he thinks a lot of freedom,
It's a small price to pay.
Yes, he has chosen to live a life
Off the beaten track,
Knowing well each time he's called,
He might not make it back.
So, next time you see a Devil Dog
Standing proud and true,
Be grateful for all he's given;
He's given it for you.
Don't go up and ask him
What's it's like to be in war;
Just thank God that it's your country
He's always fighting for.
And thank him too for all the hell
He's seen in that shade of green,
Thank him for having the guts
To be a United States Marine

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/belleau016.jpg


Remember Them


By Jeff Hooker



Lying here beneath this ground
Never again to make a sound
When alive, they were so brave
And carried honor into the grave

They were all the best of men
Courage earned by all of them
Medals pinned upon their chest
At last the peace, of final rest

In the ranks they stood so strong
Voices raised in battle songs
Marching forward defying fear
For the land they loved so dear

On that final Judgement Day
When they all stand up to say
We gave up all we owned you see
At duties call to set men free

So when the flag waves in the wind
If but a moment, Remember Them
For they all paid the final cost
So freedoms truth, would not be lost

[jinelson]

http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/puller.jpg


Weep Not For Me, I am a Marine


Author Unknown



Do not stand at my grave weeping, I am not there; I do not sleep. I am a thousand winds drifting gently over the land, I am God's diamond, a light glistening through the sky's, His snow crystal riding winds, carrying not where fate takes me, happy to flow through endless beauty. I rise, I soar, I change, gently, I am the sunlight on ripened grain, I am the seasons that call to the earth, becoming the gentle autumn rain caressing land. You awaken to the dawn hush, I am the swift, uplifting warmth of the morning breeze.

At night, I am the stars that shine, I was old yet, you see me, able to run once again as I shoot through the night sky. I am the splendor of the harvest moon. Do not stand at my grave and cry, I am not there, my spirit soars on the wind; I did not die the way you think

Because...

All Marines die in the red flash of battle or the cold loneliness of a nursing home, their bodies broken, aged because of war. In the vigor of youth or the infirmity of years all eventually cross over but our Marine Corps lives on. Every Marine who ever existed is living still through our young Marines who claim our title today.

It is the sense of brotherhood that outlives our mortality. It is belonging to our Marine Corps, which gives us light to live by; our honor to uphold, traditions to pass on, our warrior code to give our new generation...

[Master Sephiroth]

Talk about motivating

[jinelson]

http://marinepoetry.homestead.com/files/BullDog06.jpg


It Takes A Marine


by Cpl. Robert L. Cook



It takes a Marine
To know what
It means
To carry traditions
That are true blue.


We've trod the world
With flag unfurled
And carried arms
For liberty.


We've fought
Far and wide
And kept our pride
Undaunted by
Shot and shell.


We've worn khaki
And greens
And for all that
They mean
Our blues
Are known
To the world.


It takes a Marine
To know what
It means
To carry on
When all about
Is askew.


No matter where
Life takes you,
When once you've
Been a Marine
You are ever grateful
For the stuff
That makes a Marine.

[Master Sephiroth]

It looks like that dog is just daring someone to screw with him. "I maul you good!"

[ElDiablo]

I wouldn't mess with him, he looks like he means business!

[davblay]

Looks like WINSTON dosen't he?

[jinelson]

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/6350/chesty2.jpg


Warriors Past


by Cpl. Robert L. Cook


I've heard we are passing fast,
We of wars so long past.
Our time on earth
Is growing short,
Yet we have much to say.

Oh, we could tell
Of how it feels
To be pinned down
In a muddy field
As bullets fly above your head.
Are you alive
Or are you dead?

Those are the things
That many felt
As they bravely went
Where angels feared
And thought naught
About retreat
But went on
To victory sweet.
No soldier, sailor or Marine
Can say with honest truth

That they've not felt the fear
That comes with shot and shell.
Or pledged to God
In times of stress
That he will truly
Do his very best
If he is granted one more day
To live upon this earth.


So all you old warriors
Who have braved the
Call to arms,
Rest well upon
Your laurels.
You'll answer no alarms,
Your place in annals
Of the past
Is mostly well assured.

Good night Chesty where ever you are.

Semper Fi

Jim

[Master Sephiroth]

This was from Chosin Reservoir, right

[jinelson]

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x157/usmc3537/ceremoniebelleau61-1.jpg


FREEDOM


By: Sergeant Aaron M. Gilbert



In my life, I have had wanted nothing more than what I now am, a Marine. A single 6-letter word that speaks volumes to multitudes. Just the name, Marine, carries pride, honor and courage. Many men join for many different reasons, but they all start off with the same goal along the way, to become a Marine. To be one of the few, the proud. Proud, pride, strength when united. Every background, every creed and every color. All come together under the same promise. The promise to protect this country against all enemies, foreign and domestic. All who join have accepted this price, this calling. The price of having to leave all behind, to journey to a country where people hate you, and all you stand for.

The American Dream, Martin Luther King Jr's Dream and the Dream of our Forefathers. This dream of freedom and the right to preserve it. And who is called upon to undertake this task, the United States Marines. We rise to the call to lay down our lives. We fight and die for the freedom that some people cherish, some people spit upon and the very freedom that most people think they deserve. But who really deserves this freedom, the People or the Patriot.

Thomas Jefferson said it best when he said, "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time, with the bloodshed of patriots and tyrants."

But how many really understand and believe that statement. How many know what it is like to sleep alone, cold, humbled and unappreciated. How many know what it is like to lose a friend or loved one who fought and died for the freedoms you were given. And how many have received a folded American flag, followed by a 21 Gun Salute. How many, we don't know. But whatever the number, they are the ones who gave so much for their Country and freedom that they lost it all.

Our Nation will see our conflicts on T.V., they will see our men and women, our sons and daughters who have openly accepted the possibility of death, and they will turn the channel without a second thought.

But you remember this. While you sleep at night with your parents, your wife, your children, there are always men out there awaiting the call to lay their lives down, and as J.F.K. said in his Inaugural Speech, "I do not cower from this responsibility, I welcome it."

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/167563.jpg


The Silent Reaper


by Garth Holt Cpl. USMC



The silent reaper comes to me
In shades of tarnished gold.
Questioning and beckoning,
I fear his icy hold.

He reaches out and grasps for me,
With bony misformed hand.
I strike out in a desperate wrath!
For this is not my land."

"Go away, Leave me be!
I've much yet must be done!"
He looks at me a deathly stare
I turn for I must run.

Down the road eternity
Is ever drawing near
But with my small respite has come
A lessening of fear.

I turn to him and raise a sword
I've found that's in my hand.
My eyes are strong, my voice is true
I make my final stand.

"Come good Reaper, try this man
For I shall run no more."
"My Country loves me far away
That's what I fight for."

He hesitates and slows his gait
He sees that I wont run.
Marine Corps Honor strong in me
He faces more than one.

Then he turns and disappears
My battles won this day.
My love for Country strong and true
I raise my eyes and pray.

Garth Holt
Cpl. USMC

[249gunner]

http://grose.us/pics/sd_wwr2005%20(85).jpg
messages written under the top bunk by recruits to motivate them, I guess to get them up in the morning everyday.

I was thinking of bringing a piece of paper with my adresseses and everything, and writing something motivating on the other side.

something like this, Im pretty confident that when I read this I'll know exactly why I joined.
(might not be a good idea, since it might interefere with me being broken down and built into a Marine)

Marines are about the most peculiar breed of human beings I have ever witnessed. They treat their service as if it was some kind of cult, plastering their emblem on almost everything they own, making themselves up to look like insane fanatics with haircuts to ungentlemanly lengths, worshipping their Commandant almost as if he was a god, and making weird animal noises like a band of savages. They'll fight like rabid dogs at the drop of a hat just for the sake of a little action, and are the cockiest SOB's I have ever known. Most have the foulest mouths and drink well beyond man's normal limits, but their high spirits and sense of brotherhood set them apart and , generally speaking, of the United States Marines I've come in contact with, are the most professional soldiers and the finest men I have had the pleasure to meet."
~ An Anonymous Canadian Citizen

[Kurby494]

Seriously, why isn't this a sticky!

Moto galore!

[jinelson]

Todays moto is dedicated to Cpl Hobart Cobb who was a long time member and who passed this weekend. I am posting two newspaper stories about him and if you take the time to read them you will be motivated. Mr Cobb was a true warrior that I stand in awe of. He was also a kind gentleman and above all a Marine.

Semper Fi Sir

Jim [/I][/B]



Marine recalls service in WWII


By JIM DOSSETT

LaFollette Press Reporter

For many, Memorial Day is over.

Tributes made. Prayers and poems said. Salutes fired. Taps played.

Flags folded into neat little triangles and stashed away until the Fourth of July.

But it’s not over for Hobart Cobb, of LaFollette.

It never will be.

He remembers his comrades and the precious costs of freedom – every waking moment of his life.

"I’m a true patriot – born on the Fourth of July," said Cobb as he thumbed through neatly-put-together scrap books, filled with photos and other memorabilia, and history books chronicling the valorous deeds of men. Men not unlike himself.

He bent over the table, tracing a map with his index finger.

A splinter of afternoon sun, slanting from half-closed blinds, flashed briefly, brilliantly, on the gold Marine Corps emblem dangling from a chain on his neck.

"We landed right here, on White Beach," said Cobb. "It was on the bloody end of the island."

The island was Peleliu, in the South Pacific. It was a battle that was supposed to have lasted three days. When it was done, 73 days later, nearly 9,000 Americans were killed or wounded. Almost 11,000 Japanese were slain.

Survivor 18-year-old Hobart Cobb was a member of the 1st Marine Division under the command of Louis (Chesty) Puller.

"It was 100 to 115 degrees, day and night. The reason it was so hot at night was that the coral absorbed all of the daytime heat," said Cobb, recounting hellacious moments with uncanny accuracy.

But occasionally, he would refer to a well-worn book, "The History of the First Marine Division," to refresh his memory.

"We got this old boy a medal of honor that day – let’s see, what was his name? Here it is, Captain Pope," said Cobb.

He was speaking of the officer who fought alongside him and a hodgepodge group of warriors from ‘A’ Company as they defended Hill 600 in hand-to-hand combat, against hordes of suicidal Japanese soldiers.

"After we got off the beach, we made it to the highlands, to a place called ‘Bloody Nose Ridge.’

"That name’s not in the history books. But Marines have their own names for places, you know?" he laughed. Then he paused, tears puddling in his eyes.

"I get touched just talking about it. But it’s good to do it," he said, composing himself.

The Japanese were unrelenting and continued with their murderous onslaught throughout the night.

"We ran out of ammo. Behind us were cliffs with 150-foot drop-offs. We had nowhere to go," said Cobb.

"I was a featherweight. But some of our bigger boys were picking the Japs up and throwing them over the cliff," he said.

"We fought with empty ammo boxes, ration boxes, rocks, coral, bayonets, bare fists. The adrenaline was flowing. I didn’t have time to think about dying."

Amazingly, Cobb was not wounded during the ferocious encounters.

"Look at this," he said, picking up an ancient watch, wrapped in plastic. "This was blown off my wrist and I didn’t even know it."

Then he presented a necklace strung with metal objects. They were Japanese dog tags. Interspersed with the rusty relics of war was a red flake of plastic.

"I lost my own dog tags during the fighting and one boy carved my name on a piece of a soap container. See, if you look real close you can see my name and serial number," said Cobb.

He continued with his story.

"I hate to tell you that when daybreak came, there was only six of us left out of 56 boys in Company A. But the Japs just stopped fighting. And we walked back to the front lines," he said.

Cobb and his comrades were sent, fresh out of combat, to the island of Pavuvu to retrain.

"In April of ’45, we were sent to Okinawa, for the last big fight of the Pacific. We hardly lost any men, but the Navy caught heck from the kamikazes," said Cobb.

After a six-month stint with occupation forces in China, Cobb mustered out of the Marines.

He’s still a Marine at heart – as much, perhaps more than he was nearly 60 years ago.

And he’s still fighting battles.

"I’ve had melanoma, four bypasses, and now, I have this defibrillator installed – it’s one step above a pace-maker," he said.

However, one of the biggest battles he and his wife of 56 years, Faye, have fought is the recent loss of their daughter, Lisa Diane, to cancer this year.

"When you lose a child – it’s hard," he said. "We laugh a lot about the funny things she did. And we cry a lot. But we go on, with trust in God."

Toward the end of the interview, Cobb led the way to a couch in the corner of the room, where a Marine dress uniform was laid out with museum-like fastidiousness.

"These are my dress blues. I was going to wear them to church [LaFollette Church of God] tomorrow, but I don’t have all of my medals," said Cobb, who only has three of the 12 medals he earned for service to his country.

After a few seconds of coaxing, Cobb was persuaded to don his Marine blouse.

He looked dashing – much younger than his 77 years.

"One of my daughters has a condo in South Carolina. When I visited her, I went to the PX [Post Exchange] at Parris Island and bought these blues," he said, as he fiddled with a button at the neck of the coat.

"These are my first dress blues. I’m going to be buried in them," he said, posing for one more photo.

He jutted out his chin, and stood ramrod straight.

And the camera captured the image of a hero – Corporal Hobart Cobb. Semper Fi.



http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/HobertCobbUSMC.jpg


Marine receives medals 60 years overdue


By JIM DOSSETT

LaFollette Press Reporter


Sun splashed off the concrete platform surrounding the Veterans’ Memorial at the Campbell County Courthouse.

Even the lawn shone with a green-gold luminescence as flags popped in the gusty morning breeze.

But the most dazzling radiance on that brilliant October morning sprang from Corporal Hobart Cobb’s smile – and his heart.

After nearly 60 years, Cobb, outfitted in full Marine dress uniform, was about to receive the medals he earned in one of the bloodiest battles in the South Pacific.

It was on the island of Peleiu that the 18-year-old Marine fended off hordes of suicidal Japanese on "Hill 600."

"We ran out of ammo. Behind us were cliffs with 150-foot dropoffs. We had nowhere to go.

"We fought with empty ammo and ration boxes, rocks, coral bayonets, bare fists," said Cobb, in a previous article in the LaFollette Press.

Fortunately for Cobb, Dean Buderer, of Elk Valley read that article.

Buderer, who served in Korea with the 2nd Airborne was moved by Cobb’s bravery and the fact that he didn’t have all of the medals he so richly deserved.

"He was one bad dude – serving and defending our country – making it possible for us to live the way we do today," said Buderer, who arranged for members of the Campbell County Honor Guard to present a Marine Corps flag to Cobb in a ceremony back in May of this year.

But, in his mind, Buderer wasn’t finished with his "mission."

According to Buderer, after some research, he discovered that Cobb’s records were destroyed in a fire.

"There were fragments of records, but most were gone," he said.

"I got in contact with my son-in-law [who is a career soldier] and together we reconstructed Hobart’s service career.

"He [Cobb] helped too. His memory is phenomenal – he knew times, dates, places that most people would have forgotten," said Buderer.

Buderer said that after much research, Cobb’s service time and actions were fully chronicled.

And finally, after an order was signed by a Naval Commander, the medals were made ready for presentation to Cobb at last Saturday’s ceremony.

In addition to a full honor guard, and Cobb’s family, there were local dignitaries on hand to honor the hero.

Bob Andreas, veterans’ service officer for the county, coordinated the event.

After a prayer by Ozell Bunch, an Air Force Veteran and Pastor of the Cleveland Assembly Church of God, County Executive, Jerry Cross, a veteran of the Viet Nam war, made the presentation of the medals to Cobb.

Later, the emotional Cobb read off a list, thanking a number of people, (including Buderer and the LaFollette Press) for helping him obtain the long-awaited medals, which included:

Later, in a phone conversation, Buderer seemed humble in response to Cobb’s gratitude.

"My goal was to get the Marine Corps flag and the medals for Hobart – mission accomplished – objective achieved," he said, with a twinge of emotion in his voice.

[prepgy]

very moto for me.

[jinelson]

http://marinepoetry.homestead.com/files/Skivvies02.jpg



BOOT


by Cal Tobin, Jr. SSgt USMC



What's a Private worth, what does it take?

Months of struggle, a Marine to make.

What he hates the best is living in stress,

All in preparation for that final test.



Drill Instructors all day long, ending their night,

And still seem to be there in reveille's half light.

Drill Instructors all day long, always on their backs,

Trashcans flying through the air, people out of racks.



Mental-intensive combat from reville to taps,

Sing the song for Chesty and take the 8-hour naps.

Gas Chamber, Alibi Relay, smokers on the road,

Grenade range, dry nets . . . NOW you know, you toad.



Frustrated, nervous, exasperated calms,

Night sounds, live-fire, two hundred rounds.

Defensive combat holes and ambushing trails,

Separating the willing from the wannabe frails.



****-on-a-shingle and blouse your boots,

Now paint the rocks outside my hooch.

Humping Juliet, Oscar and up the Mount,

On the road for First Aid . . . Guide, gimme a count.

http://marinepoetry.homestead.com/files/BootCamp01.jpg

Dipsy Dumpster, Firewatch, two for early chow,

Mailcall, pugil sticks, locks in a ball.

Bore brush, boots shined, check your brass,

Military alignment and a PFT to pass.



Bends and thrusts forever, more PT, begin,

A Private often wonders — will this EVER end?

All of this and all of that and all the in-betweens,

And all of a sudden a Colonel sez,

"Congratulations, MARINES!"


http://marinepoetry.homestead.com/files/black.jpg

[jinelson]

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x157/usmc3537/ceremoniebelleau63.jpg



FREEDOM


Author Unknown


I watched the flag pass by one day,
It fluttered in the breeze.
A young Marine saluted it,
And then he stood at ease.

I looked at him in uniform
So young, so tall, so proud,
With hair cut square and eyes alert
He'd stand out in any crowd.

I thought how many men like him
Had fallen through the years.
How many died on foreign soil
How many mothers' tears?

How many pilots' planes shot down?
How many died at sea
How many foxholes were soldiers' graves?
No, freedom isn't free.

I heard the sound of Taps one night,
W hen everything was still,
I listened to the bugler play
And felt a sudden chill. I wondered just how many times
That Taps had meant "Amen,"

When a flag! had draped a coffin.
Of a brother or a friend.

I thought of all the children,
Of the mothers and the wives,
Of fathers, sons and husbands
With interrupted lives.

I thought about a graveyard
At the bottom of the sea
Of unmarked graves in Arlington.
No, freedom isn't free.

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/image.jpg



The Pi$$cutter


by James Stockton USMC



In these days of barracks hats,
Kevlar helmets, and this 'n' that,
To protect the pate of our Marines
From all the sun, the rain and sleet.


Throughout the years we've worn a lot:
Campaign hats, steel helmets (Pi$$pot),
Utility caps that make us look like cons
But you better not get caught without one on.


Pith helmets to make us look like
I've seen Frank Buck wear in a book,
Aussie hats with the sides turned up
In jungle sites, as was our luck.


But one great hat passed from the scene,
A favorite of many a Marine.
Some called them "garrison cap,"
"Overseas cap," and other crap.


But this li'l jewel defies all titles
And is known by many another,
But the name most loved by all of us
Is the simple sobriquet — Pi$$cutter.

[Books]

Mr. Nelson, I really appreciate your posting of these motivators. They help me a lot.

[jinelson]

It Was Rifles, Always Rifles <br />
<br />
Author Unknown <br />
<br />
The young Marine was weary <br />
and he sought a little rest <br />
With his helmet for a pillow <br />
And his rifle on his chest. <br />
He has seen the gunships fire....

[Achped]

That is the most motivating poem, and the biggest reason for choosing infantry, I've ever heard of.

Thanks alot SSgt.

[USMC90]

That's by far the best.

Thanks for the moto SSgt.

[TrevelyanInc]

True story, my friends.

A few nights ago, I was working at the grocery store here in town, my usual 4 to 11 shift, talking about DEP with the security guard, when an elderly lady overhears me.

"Son, are you going into the Marine Corps?"

I responded respectfully that I was going to Parris Island in the next 3 months and that if God and my country will pass me, I'll be a Marine by January.

"My oldest was a Marine. Today is the 40th anniversary of his passing in Vietnam. He died June 7th, 1967."

I had no idea what to say. She went on and told me the scant details she knew.

I had no business discussing this. One of my parents wasn't even born when this happened. But still I listened as I helped her out to the car.

"He always said, 'Mama, don't worry about me, I'd rather be fighting them in Nam then in California.' "

I don't think I'll stop thinking about this young Marine and his still hurting, but still proud mother for a very long time.

[jinelson]

http://z.about.com/d/history1900s/1/0/V/N/viet40_3.JPG


He was only 19


GySgt Marvin Bush USMC Retired


He was an only son and he was only 19,
as long as he could remember he wanted to be a Marine.


Then one day he decided to enlist, in the service of his choice,
his parents weren't too happy, you could hear it in their voice.


Mom and dad, this is what I have dreamt to do, so please do not try to stop me,
I will make you proud that I went, you just wait and see.


He finished at the top of his platoon, his graduation was really loud,
When he came home on leave, his parents were very proud.


When he got orders to go to a land that he had never seen,
to a land very far away, he was only 19.


When he arrived in Vietnam, the weather was cold and damp.
The helicopter landed on the pad and the Marines ran down the ramp.


They looked around and saw the terrain was dark and green,
Just a bunch of raw recruits, they were only 19.


They were sent to an outpost, up on top of a hill;
they were told to store their gear and take cover if they didn't want to get killed.


They were issued ammunition and two full canteens,
a bunch of gung ho grunts, they were only 19.


Then when the battle began, he took a shot to the head,
The Corpsman went to his aid, but he was already dead.


Now he's on his way back home, from the land that he had never seen,
From the horrors of a war, he was only 19.


When the aircraft landed at the airport, they offloaded his casket draped with an American Flag,
A detachment of Marines were there to honor their fallen comrade.


He was laid to rest in a place that honored our brave Marines,
On a spot high on a hill, he was only 19.

[jinelson]

http://www.marineparents.com/usmc/MCRD-SD/11-20-2001-MCRD-Pinning_1708.jpg



Just Thought You Should Know


By Hannah Mureen


When I joined the Marines,
I knew I could die.
I put away my blue jeans,
And packed my bags with a sigh.

I said good bye to my mom and dad
Mom cried her eyes out,
It made me feel pretty bad.
I promised to come home, but we all had our doubts.

My dad said for me to stay strong,
And to keep a stiff upper lip.
He said I'd be back before long,
And gave me a few wartime tips.

I said good bye to my girlfriend.
We made it known,
That letters we would send,
Because I couldn't call home.

I said good bye to my little sis,
No longer would her life be pure bliss.
Her company I would, of course, miss,
I gave her a long hug and a kiss.

When I went to war,
I saw terrible things;
Dead and wounded men galore.
I wish I could have grown wings,

So I could have gotten out!
I fought with hardness, valor, and pride!
I never had a doubt,
That I would not have died...

I was shot in the heart,
That place you have for special love.
Yes, it was painful, but I was done playing my part,
I began to feel at ease as my soul drifted above.

Now as I look down on my family,
I'm glad I fought with dignity and pride!
I know that they miss me,
But I'm happy that’s how I died.

Dying for their right and freedom,
Was the best way to go.
My life was over and done,
It was worth the pain-- just thought you should know...

[Dave Coup]

I don't know who wrote this but I think it's not only on target, but it's in the black!


<HR tabIndex=-1>
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"The Corps"

I've been asked many time "What is it about you Marines that makes you think your that good.. and being humble isn't one of your better qualities"

This may help you explain what we share that is so special and what we have lived that makes us remember. To understand, you have to live our experience, share what we have all shared, and feel what we have all felt. It is about Corps values, and honor. It is about character. It is about a shared experience that changed our lives.

The common experience starts with DISORIENTATION. The Corps creates a vacuum in your life, it takes away your hair, clothes, and friends, and fills it with a drill instructor. He says things like get off MY bus ... do it NOW ... and as you stand ******* to belly-button on the yellow footprints, your identity disappears. The D.I. gives you a short lesson on the UCMJ, and you learn that rights belong to the institution, not to t he individual.

You will live in a squad bay and you will march everywhere. He speaks to you in the future imperative ... he says ... YOU WILL ... and you do! He gives you a new language ... deck, hatch, head ... It is a language that is steeped in a tradition you don't understand yet. He takes away your right to speak in the first person, and he takes away your first name. Your platoon number is what's important now.

Before your first meal you get 20 seconds to stow your gear, and you learn that the only way to get it done within the time limit is to help one another ... The TRANSFORMATION begins. This is the culture of the Group, and its members are anonymous.

Although you don't know it, your drill instructor will become the most important person you will ever meet, and your weeks of boot camp will become the defining cultural experience of your life. For the first time in your life you encounter absolute standards of right and wrong, success and failure. When you screw up, everyone stops, and they penalize you, immediately, so you won't forget.

Disorientation and Transformation are followed by TRAINING.

The rules are simple: a. Tell the truth b. Always do your best no matter how trivial the task c. Choose the difficult right over the easy wrong d. Don't whine or make excuses e. Judge others by their actions and above all, a. Look out for the group, before you look out for yourself.

During your training you are pushed beyond your limits, and you achieve. You learn to make excellence a habit. The common denominator among you and your fellow recruits is pride and accomplishment. Through your training you develop spirit, and you develop self-discipline.

You learn the ingredients of CHARACTER: Integrity, Selflessness, and Moral Courage. And you learn the Corps Values of Honor, Courage, and Commitment.

These are your roots. The Corps is a rigid code that will stay with you forever. It will define yo ur character, and it will guide you for the rest of your life. This is why there are no EX-Marines.

Once you can appreciate what you are about to become, you learn about those who have gone before you. You study our history, and learn the lessons of countless heroes who acted, not for self, but for comrade, Corps, and Country. Marines are about taking care of each other, always have been, always will. It is our culture and it holds us together. As you learn the history, you become part of the tradition. You have a new appreciation of your God, your Country, and your Corps.

One final element completes your training - you become a rifleman. The magnitude of what you have accomplished becomes apparent to you at graduation, when you finally earn your title and are called Marine.

What you know then, in your heart, but what you can't put into words, is that there is something very special about this organization that is unlike any other organization you ever have been a part of. What you can't put into words, but what you know in your heart is that the essence of the Marine Corps resides with the lowest in rank; The Marine is the Corps, and the Corps is the Marine. ... Your uniform says it all. When someone looks at you they don't see the name of your ship, a unit patch, or a branch insignia ... what they see is a MARINE. That's all that counts! You are a Marine! It is what matters to you, and it is what matters to every other Marine. You know that you may never feel this important again, and you will spend the rest of our life living the code, and holding on to the feeling that every Marine is a rifleman, and that, the essence.

But there is more to our story than our boot camp experience. There is our experience of sacrifice and our participation in the history & tradition of the Corps. We share stories and tell of the humor that got us through the tough times, but we also have stories we keep to ourselves, hiding the painful m emories too personal to share.

Shared experience and personal sacrifice are reasons the Marine Corps is a Band of Brothers. It is the reason we celebrate today. The feeling you have when you become a Marine lasts a lifetime. Whether you serve 3 years, or
30, your experiences will never be forgotten. You will never work as closely, or depend on others more, than you did in the Corps. The Corps is your family, you can never leave, and you are always welcome back. You are EXPECTED to come back!

This shared experience, and personal sacrifice is our common bond. It is why we love each other and our country so much, and why we cling to our traditions. Our celebration preserves and honors the memory of all who have gone before us and it is an example, and a standard, for all who follow. In a time when there are so few proud and good examples to follow, when so little seems to count, our views, our beliefs, our PRACTICE of our tradition is, by others standards, EXTREME. We are perhaps all our country has left to guarantee that the principles upon which this nation was founded will survive.

Many presidents, and congressmen, have tried to do away with the Marine Corps, but we are still here. Why? The answer is simple - America doesn't need a Marine Corps, America WANTS one! Marine, you are the reason she feels that way. Remember that, and feel good about it.

"It does not take a majority to prevail ... but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men." - Sam Adams

Semper Fidelis

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
--
"There are only two kinds of
people that understand Marines:
Marines and the enemy. Everyone
else has a secondhand opinion."
---Gen. William Thornson, US Army
<!-- END WEBMAIL STATIONERY -->

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/300px-MCRD_Lights_Out.jpg



Thirteen Weeks Of Hell


Author Unknown



There is a story, that I love to tell, of thirteen weeks of misery, thirteen weeks of hell, I was living in the city, working everyday, Until one day a man in blue, happend to cross my way, I signed my name, upon the dotted line, Packed all my trash, got on the plane, Off to serve my time. They sent me to an Island, Where they made Marines, They say a thousand boys may come, But only men may leave, They issued all my gear, Combat boots and skivy shirts, In a few short hours, They had me in the dirt, My Drill Instructor, Trained me rough and hard, He taught me how to fight, He taught me how to march. In three short months, As long as it had seemed, I finally had earned, The Title of Marine, How well I remember, Graduation Day, As I left I swore, I wouldn't be back this way, I went to my Drill Instructors, And gave them my hand, They made this boy a Man. I served my time proudly, Out in the FMF, But back at Parris Island, There was something I felt I left, So I'm back a second time, A smokey in my hand, Training U.S. Marine Recruits, The vary best I can, I found out what I lost, In the very end, The making of Marines, Down Where It All Began.

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/picsseg8.jpg


Untitled...


By Bruno Bonaldi


Yes I am joining the Marine Corps
Yes I am requesting my MOS to be Infantry
Yes I will be trained to fight to kill to protect freedom and democracy
Yes I want to be at the FRONT!
I will make the Corps my house where I will guard it from all evil
My fellow Marines will be my family, and I will risk my life to save theirs
My Strength, My Honor, My Pride, My Courage, My Commitment, My Desire will be my shield against the enemy...
I will fight for the Red, White and Blue and everything it stands for...
The Same Red that represents the BLOOD of all Warriors that fought this country's battles
The Same White which represents PEACE
The Same BLUE which represents our Blue sky where we look up to dream away, to wonder, to imagine, to look for hope...
Yes I am joining the Marine Corps

[jinelson]

http://www.defenselink.mil/dodcmsshare/newsstoryPhoto/2007-05/scr_couple2.jpg

Marine 1st Sgt. Kevin Conboy and his wife Angela have spent about seven of their 17 years of marriage apart due to deployments. Military Spouse Appreciation Day, being commemorated today, recognizes the contributions spouses make to the military. Defense Dept. photo by Donna Miles



Marine Wife The Hardest Job In The Corps


Author Unknown


The Marine Corps Hymn has played
The sun is rising high
It was her first parade since
becoming his new bride.

This life is all so different
So much she needs to know
What's eagle, globe and anchor?
Some symbol, just for show?

New orders and new places
She is so much alone
For he must go on training
While she must make a home.

Children born at a new base
While Dad is gone away
He gets a Red Cross message
"You had a child today."

The years have gone by swiftly
And now she knows at last
Of eagle, globe and anchor
That question from her past.

The eagle, globe and anchor
worn proudly by their men
Might also be the symbol
Of those who married them.

The eagle soars to heights unknown
Undaunted by the stings
Of stormy blasts, and dark of night
The wind beneath his wings.

The globe denotes the distant port
His duty beckons them
She packs again her treasures
And follows close to him.

The anchor keeps home stable
Though rough the waves may be
She bravely faces tempests
In unfamiliar seas.

The Marine Corps Hymn has played
The sun is sinking low
He stands on the parade field
Aware that he must go.

She holds a dozen roses
Her eyes are misting now
She knows what he is feeling
And wants to help somehow.

Yes, he has won the medals
And all the accolades
But she has loved the man
And cheered through his parades.

This was the final triumph
He knows that it must end
He turns and gazes back to
His soulmate and his friend.

[yellowwing]

Wars come and go. The Honor Courage and Commitment of what it takes to be a Marine is Forever. Just ask an Iwo Vet, or those that marched and fought at Chosin, Hue City, and Khe Sahn. Now we are in the Wild West Of Al Anbar.

The Blood Tie that each Marine has to each other is nothing you can describe. If you have a Never Quit Attitude, you may have what it takes.

[jinelson]

http://www.mbw.usmc.mil/images/pir_graphic.jpg



“PARADE”


Author Unknown


The drum major stands straight as an arrow
His baton at rest, his feet at ease.
Blue slitted eyes on the gathering troops
His ears attuned to his commanders cry.

The troops march down to the Sergeants call
With polished brass and well pressed greens.
The globe and anchor polished bright
Their Marine tradition held on high.

They move among the gathering troops
Proud symbols of an ancient craft.
Their rifles ready at shoulder arms,
Their right foot down for column right.

They turn and march among their peers
And hear the Gunney’s guttural sounds
Pushing hard on swaying backs and curving lines.
The column halts, at last that restful sound, At Ease.

All along the column front the lines go slack.
A brief rest now, a moments conversation
Before the adjutant takes his place.
But wait! Down the field a muffled drum begins.

The band is marching down the field
Precision formed in line on line.
The Drum Major’s baton slanted overhead
The drummers cadence beats, the instruments come up.

The sound of music fills the field
The field music’s flash their golden horns
The volume swells across the green filled ranks,
Each man feels the cause that brought him here.
The band in place the adjutant strides forth
Each unit pridefully calls out it’s name.
The adjutant reports and the band moves forward
To take it’s place and waits to troop the line.

When the band steps off do old legions follow close?
Is Lejune and Smedley there and Belleau heroes too?
You must see Vandegrift and Smith and Puller
and Those who fought valiantly from old Pusan to sad DaNang.

The music fills our hearts with swift and rushing pride
To serve our nation and our corps is all our patriotism.
We know too the bitter seed of failure and defeat
And the pervasive grief that comes with fallen comrades.

The commander’s voice rings down the field and echoes
Through the halls, “Pass in Review”, the green ranks
Shoulder arms, each unit turns, the band steps out,
Semper Fi. The United States Marines are on parade.

Each man hears that inner cadence, from old D.l. ‘s
That crackling sound, Hey yup, one two, one two.
The band plays their hymn, the only hymn for all Marines
Who look to see the old man’s grin and stiff salute.

The Gunny looks and chants the cadence loud and clear
Hey yup one two, Heavens streets are guarded by
And the chorus of voices loudly cry, by United States
Marines. There is no one else, you know. Hey yup, hey.

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/Dustin20Vincent.jpg


Ode to a Marine

Dedicated to all Marines, Past and Present.

By: Jeannie Salinski



In a crowd you're bound to spot him,
He's standing so very tall
Not too much impresses him;
He's seen and done it all.
His hair is short, his eyes are sharp,
But his smile's a little blue.
It's the only indication
Of the hell that he's gone through.
He belongs to a sacred brotherhood,
Always Faithful 'til the end.
He has walked right into battle
And walked back out again.
Many people think him foolish
For having no regrets
About having lived through many times
Others would forget.
He's the first to go and last to know,
But never questions why,
On whether it is right or wrong,
But only do or die.
He walks a path most won't take
He's lost much along the way,
But he thinks a lot of freedom,
It's a small price to pay.
Yes, he has chosen to live a life
Off the beaten track,
Knowing well each time he's called,
He might not make it back.
So, next time you see a Devil Dog
Standing proud and true,
Be grateful for all he's given;
He's given it for you.
Don't go up and ask him
What's it's like to be in a war;
Just thank God that it's your country
He's always fighting for.
And thank him too for all the hell
He's seen in that shade of green,
Thank him for having the guts
To be a United States Marine

[jinelson]

Parachuting Beyond Injury <br />
<br />
Marine jumper whose foot was blown off returns to active duty <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Sgt. Christopher T. Chandler is one tough Marine, even by Marine standards. The 23-year-old Aurora...

[jinelson]

http://www.corpsstories.com/Bernardo.jpg


David Bernardo stands with a picture of his brother-in-law, Marine Gunnery Sgt. Joseph Menusa, at his parents' house in Orcutt. Bernardo enlisted in the Marines after being inspired by Menusa's death in Iraq. He leaves next month for basic training at Camp Pendleton in San Diego


Fallen Marine Inspires His Brother-In-Law


When David Bernardo goes off to basic training as a U.S. Marine recruit next month, he will have an extra weapon guarding him closely, his family says.

"He's got a little extra edge going into boot camp because he's got a real Marine guardian angel watching over him out there," said Stacy Menusa, David Bernardo's sister.

She's referring to her late husband - and David's brother-in-law - Marine Gunnery Sgt. Joseph Menusa, who died March 27 while serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

"My inspiration for joining the Marines was my brother-in-law, Joe," he said during an interview Friday at his Orcutt house with his parents, siblings and nephew. "I needed to do something better with my life."

Already mourning a war casualty of their own, Bernardo's family remains supportive as the 19-year-old's departure date draws closer. He leaves Jan. 12 for basic training at Camp Pendleton near San Diego

"There's always danger," said his mom, Rosie. "There's a danger crossing the street. We can't be focused on the negative of what's going on over there because it can happen in a car accident."

"For me, it's scary but I'm so proud that he made the decision," his dad, Eddie said. "He's going in a boy and coming out a man ... I'm just so proud of him."

When he graduates from basic training, David Bernardo will become a Marine Corps electrician, which will give him skills that will transfer into civilian life, he said. He enters the military undecided whether to make it a career or just do a four-year stint.

Despite supporting David's decision, sending him off won't be easy for his family, which includes brother, Stephen, and nephew, Joshua Menusa. Born nine weeks premature, David Bernardo weighed just 4 pounds at birth, spent months in a Fresno hospital and received oxygen for more than year.

"For our baby to being going off to the military, I know it's going to be hard," his mom said. "But I also support him and I know the military will give him some direction in life."

David Bernardo graduated from Righetti High School in 2002. He worked three years at Carl's Jr. and did a stint in security at Hancock College. He attended college for a semester, but decided school wasn't for him.

After his brother-in-law's funeral in the spring, David Bernardo said he visited the Santa Maria recruiters office. Recruiters called him repeatedly over the next few months, but he hesitated when asked to enlist.

At the end of October, he called his parents - out of town to celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary - and broke the news.

"I think he shocked us," his mom said.

His dad said he believes David would have enlisted sooner if Joseph Menusa had returned from war.

David Bernardo said he only briefly considered other military branches, saying the Marines stood out.

"They impressed me most," he said. "They look the best. They're just inspiring. I want to be one of the few and the proud."

[jinelson]

http://beaufortgazette.com/ips_rich_content/20061103_NWS_Make_A_Wish_1_11032006-large.jpg

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (Dec. 14, 2005) -- From privates first class to sergeants major to lieutenant colonels, all Marines who saw the newly promoted sergeant walking through their work areas were quick to render the appropriate military courtesies. After all, Brandon Rasnick had accomplished what no one else in the 2nd Marine Division had, made the rank of sergeant in one day.
It’s a success the Lehigh Acres, Fla., native did not tout as he made his rounds throughout the base. Rather, the Marines and sailors smiled and waved as the shortest noncommissioned officer they had ever seen walked through their midst.


http://homepage.mac.com/sbooneaz/iblog/C1475476921/E20051217232934/Media/marine.jpg

On Dec. 12, Marine Corps Community Services and 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment welcomed Brandon here as he commenced his trip, made possible by the Make-A-Wish Foundation. All that six-year-old Brandon, a boy afflicted with the genetic lung disease cystic fibrosis, asked for was that his dream of training alongside the nation’s elite fighting forces be fulfilled. It was a request those he came in contact with were all too glad to make happen.

His father, Joseph; mother, Deanne; and half-sister, Marissa, first accompanied Brandon to the Main Exchange Annex, where he received a set of Marine digital utilities, suede combat boots and sergeant chevrons.

Now a fully-fledged “devil pup,” Brandon and his family were next welcomed aboard by Lt. Col. Brad Vickers, 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment’s commander.

“This was a great opportunity for us, and we were all very excited to support Brandon’s wish coming true,” said Vickers, whose battalion provided escort for Brandon as he toured several training grounds on base. “This was something any unit in the 2nd Marine Division could have done well, but we were fortunate enough to be chosen.”

He added that this was a welcome break from the intense training his unit has been undergoing to prepare for the ever-present possibility of deployment.

Vickers then presented Brandon with a Marine Corps-theme Monopoly board game and a red baseball cap emblazoned with the Marine Corps’ emblem

“All of my Marines were impressed by how smart six-year-old Brandon was; his obvious knowledge over the Corps and his love for the same,” Vickers said. “He was a very spectacular young man and we were all very pleased to be able to take part in this.”

The positive attitude carried over into the evening when a squad from the battalion’s A Company met Brandon inside a local mess hall. There, Sgt. Steven Dattilo, several of his Marines and a Navy corpsman presented Brandon with military mementos.

These included uniform items, a commemorative Marine Corps ring and a deployment photo yearbook.

“As a former recruiter, it’s really amazing for me to see someone who wants to be a Marine from that early on,” said Dattilo, a 35-year-old native of Madison, Ind. “You have to give it up for a kid with that much desire. I feel like we (Marine Corps) are being cheated out of a good Marine.”

“For all of us who have kids or nephews that age, it felt especially good to be able to make this day special for Brandon and the rest of his family,” Dattilo said. “We’re just doing our part to show them that we care.”

After Brandon finished his chow, he marveled at his new souvenirs, thumbing the Marine Corps ring that now hung from a golden chain on his neck.

“I feel like a Marine already,” Brandon said. “I’ll bet it’s really fun being a Marine.”


http://beaufortgazette.com/ips_rich_content/20061103_NWS_Make_A_Wish_2_11032006-large.jpg

[usmc2007]

now that is honestly the most motivating thing that i have ever seen.:marine: it makes me want to go outside and just do PT all day long. (but i have to finish work for the class im doing):(

[davblay]

Jim, you've outdone yourself this time! That is the most touching MOTO ever! Having those DI's to spend time with that young man was a real work of art in itself!

Semper Fi, Little PUP, and good luck for a cure! You deserve it! :thumbup:

[jinelson]

Thanks bro but all I have done is tried to chronicle our Corps and Marines in a positive light. I can say that two things guided me to post that particular story on Todays Moto. First a PM from bgsuwoody requesting that I post about Honorary Pfc Marine Taylor Batten which will be upcoming, because he believed that story to be most motivating. Secondly in another thread a young man who is the son of a Marine was told that we have been de-emotionalised and are nothing but cold blooded killers. I wanted to illustrate with words and photos how very wrong that is and at the same time back Zulu36 in his response to the poster. All accolades go to the Corps and Marines that serve and have served and those that CMC has deemed worthy of the title Honorary Marine. All I have done is try not to let anyone forget.

Jim

[Sgt Leprechaun]

Semper Fi, Little Pup!

His last line sums it up perfectly, and far better than the poor words most of us have:

"I'll bet it's really fun being a Marine!"

Thanks for posting that SSgt.

[Dave Coup]

Thanks Jim. Having just spent the afternoon with my oldest daughter and youngest granddaughter who are both healthy, I feel even more grateful for thier health and just for icing on the cake I'm about to bust a button with even more pride for my Marine Corps and my Marines.

Semper Fidelis

Dave

[Books]

That was a very motivational read, Mr. Nelson. I really appreciate these posts. Keep it up.

[bgsuwoody]

Yeah Jim, let me tell you, when I looked today for the moto I was excited, and was given even a better surprise. This one was great and I appreciate it immensely. This is the kind of moto that gets me going in the morning and reminds me about everything I have and helps me remain humble.

[bgsuwoody]

I found a site with a little more info about Brandon. He got to do some real cool stuff and the Marine Corps pulled out all of the stops for this young man who deserves the world and nothing less
http://www.warfoto.com/3rdsocietyphotos3.htm
&
https://www.stewart.army.mil/frontlineonline/archivedpages/frontlineonline11-09-06lifestyle.pdf

[devildoghopeful]

This really is amazing.

Side note: I just read the Pfc Taylor Batten story on onemarinesview.com, I agree with Woody that this is EXTEREMELY moto itself and deserves a mention on this board. Just......wow, both of these stories.....heck I'm going to run right now!

[249gunner]

Semper Fi Devil Pup!
Rifle Expert right there
http://www.warfoto.com/111DSC_0027B.jpg

[jinelson]

As I promised here is the GySgt Taylor Batten story which is the most motivating story I have ever witnesed. I received a message from Taylors mom and I hope she doesent mind me shareing it with you. Moms words are much better than I would ever be able to muster. I had been searching the internet for an update on taylor as bgsuwoody had requested and the good lord sent me a message from her mother. I have never ceased being amazed at what a small but large Marine family we are! The old SSgt has a eyeball sweat problem so here is Taylors mom.

Semper Fi Taylor Semper Fi

Jim

Please view Taylors photo slide show at the link below;
http://s146.photobucket.com/albums/r257/marinemomb/?action=view&slideshow=true




http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r257/marinemomb/100_0374.jpg


GySgt Taylor Batten Update

Hello, I am MarineMomB (Cathy Batten, Taylor's mom)
Taylor and I always read today's MOTO, but today I read it by myself and I am glad I did.

I see you mentioned her name and that you may possibly be posting about her in the thread. As a proud mom of a sick child, who because of becoming a Marine, her life has been completely different....I had tears in my eyes. Taylor isn't that sickly child anymore, she is a hard core warrior, facing down her daily battle of life with the true fierceness of a Marine.

I would like to point out to you, she is no longer PFC Batten, but GySgt Batten! Camp Lejeune opened their doors and hearts to my little Gunny in April and she spent a week with her brother Marines there.

The Marines have not just entered our life, they have fully enveloped us and Taylor has had contact from Marines from all over the United States as well as some that have read her story while stationed in the sand box. Usually it is us at home that send care packages, but Taylor has actually gotten some care packages sent to HER from Iraq from Marines!!!

We are in awe every day of her courage and strength she needs to survive and to push on each day. The mere fact that she is even alive in itself is a miracle as her condition only effects girls and less then 1% even survive birth. She was put on this earth for a reason. She has touched the lives of many. A veteran who fought on Iwo Jima met her while she had to be in Washington for medical testing and HE saluted HER. A WWll veteran grabbed her and sobbed while thanking her for what she does. A Veit Nam veteran told her of the horrors he endured coming back home and how he was spit on and swore at and was striped of his pride, he told her he would do it all over again for her. A father who lost his son in Iraq got on his knees and held her tightly, telling her it was because of people like her it was OK he lost his son.

While visiting some very torn up Marines at the NNMC, she held the hand of a young Marine that had been shot in the head. She made an amputee break out into the most beautiful smile when he was angry about what happened to him and she very bluntly told him that it could have been a heck of a lot worse...he smiled so huge and told her she was right, it could have been a lot worse. She talked and joked with a warrior who had been shot in the face and had a gaping hole where his eye should have been, she never looked away from him or was scared, she saw him for who he was. A veteran presented her with his own personal Purple Heart he had gotten many years ago while being severely injured, saying she earned it more then he ever did. I could go on and on about such things.....

I have started a blog for her and would be honored if you would take a moment to read from it.
http://www.proudyoungamerican.blogspot.com

While this does not chronicle all that Taylor has done, it is just a small sampling of her life since March and if you will notice, it has been very busy. She lives by the creed of the Marines every day and every day, she tries to think of what she can do to make the lives of her guys better. I know it is long reading on the blog, but it is amazing to see that at 13 years of age, she has looked well beyond herself and she has actually accomplished as such a young age. Her path we feel has been chosen. While she will never serve in the conventional way for the Marines, we have no doubt that there will be a way, somehow that she WILL be a part of her beloved Corps.

Thank you for your time sir.

http://www.onemarinesview.com/one_marines_view/images/little_batten.jpg

A Letter From Taylors Mom

My name is Cathy, I am a housewife/ part time caterer with 2 wonderful children. Taylor Grayce, age 12 and Tanner Shay, age 9. Now earlier, I said I had a little story, but that is not really the case. I hope you have time because I am going to probably make your eyeballs cross by the time this is done.

Twelve years ago, I was blessed with the birth of my beautiful daughter Taylor. I know you have children, so I know I don't have to explain the overwhelming feeling of love you have the first time you see your child. I have always wanted to be a mom, even when I was a child myself, I just knew it was my 'calling' so to speak.

On Taylor's second day of life, she was not eating and I had to take her to a nurses station to have her blood sugar checked before I fed her. There was a nurse that was standing there with a sandwich in her hand and the second she saw my daughter, her sandwich was thrown to the ground and Taylor was scooped out of my arms and all I saw was the back of that nurse almost running into another room with my baby in her arms before I could even register that I was standing there empty handed. My knees just about buckled, but by God, I was not loosing sight of that nurse!!! I ran after her and by the time that I got to her, she already had

Taylor hooked up to monitors and an oxygen tent over her head. Talk about your stomach up to your throat, I could not even speak. I just stood there in disbelief, eyes wide, mouth shut. After this nurse worked on her for what seemed eternity to me, she finally told me that she was not sure what was wrong, but something was. She told me that

Taylor had not a right color to her and her instinct told her something was not right. She called in the pediatrician, on a Sunday, and I guess he was not happy. When he entered the nursery, it was with a kick to the door. He did not look at

Taylor's chart, he did not even really listen to the nurse, he lifted the oxygen tent and said very clearly, 'There is nothing wrong with this child'. And he started to walk away. That nurse got in front of him and blocked his way. I can't tell you for sure what was said, but the last part we heard loud and clear and she said to him, 'my husband does not talk to me that way and you sure the hell aren't going to either'. Needless to say, that got our attention! She proceeded to tell him she did not care what his degree said, she had been a nurse in the NICU for 20 some years and there was something wrong with our child. All I can say is thank God for that nurse!!!!

Taylor's heart was actually starting to shut down. She had to stay in the hospital for a week before we were able to bring her home, she fought and fought well and her condition improved. But we knew she had to have major heart surgery.

Capt. B, from day one my daughter has had to fight and she has had to fight hard, every day of her life. Her struggles are many. Her first surgery was at 6 months old and she has since had to endure 5 others and we know she will have more. We always felt there was something else going on with her other then just her heart condition. At 10 years old, she already had 4 charts full just at her pediatricians office, not to mention all the specialist we had been bounced around to. She was very small for her age, and never healthy. She struggled with things that came so natural for other kids. To say that she has been medically traumatized by all the testing and poking and prodding and surgeries she has had is just about the biggest understatement there could be.

Finally, when she was 11, I couldn't stand it any longer and insisted that we take her to Mayo Clinic to find out what was wrong with her. I had to take on our insurance company, and I had to fight all the way to the top as well as getting a state Senator involved. I was determined to get her there one way or the other and after months, I won and we were on our way. What we found out there, devastated me at first. It was that double edged sword, you fight to find out what is wrong but once you do, you wish you didn't. After her 4th day there, they had pretty much a diagnosis, but didn't have the blood work to confirm it. Mind you, 4 days there and they knew what it was versus 11 long years of misdiagnosis here. We found out she has a genetic chromosomal disorder. She is actually missing a chromosome. In that missing chromosome, she has lost miles and miles of genetic makeup. She is not mentally retarded like Downs, they actually have an extra chromosome. We found out that this condition only effects girls and it is extremely rare because only LESS then 1% of these girls are even born. Well what the hell more of a miracle do I need then that? That right there told me just how amazing she is and just how strong she is. In being born, she had already beat the odds.

This condition basically effects her from head to toe. The most major problem being her heart. We know she will never be able to have her own children, that eventually her hearing and eyes will more then likely be effected. Her body is resistant to its own growth hormone and that is why she is so small. She is now on growth hormone injections and she is responding to it very well, but she will always be small. Her brain does not wire in some areas as it should and then it has over compensated for it in others. In neurological testing, her verbal areas are considered to be in the genius level, while her visual spatial areas are in the impaired area. Her kidneys will eventually give her issues. She has chronic fatigue syndrome and is tired a lot. Her bones do not nor will ever have normal density. She has scoliosis. From all the radiation she has had, it has given her brain some slower growth rate. This is just some of the issues she faces. In her short time already, she has faced more and fought more then most adults will their entire life.

Now, onto the amazing part. For what she has had to endure, for the amount of struggles she has had to do, she always has a smile on her face. She is so compassionate and so caring. She has this light about her. I know every parent feels this way about their child, but I kid you not......her light shines just a bit brighter.

Ever since Taylor was very young, she has always had a huge fascination with the military. If she saw someone in uniform, it is like she had this respect for them, even before she knew what respect was. As she has grew, so did the fascination. When the war in Iraq started, she always wanted to do something, I just never knew what we could do. One day, a little over a year ago, the website for anysoldier was passed onto me. Taylor and I sat down and we read almost every entry from that day. We came upon your posting and both of us were laughing about something you said about Elvis. But, I could tell by the way that you wrote, you more then likely had a huge following of supporters! So we kept on looking, but we always checked your postings and looked forward to them! As luck would have it, we came upon a Marine who posted GO BLUE (for the Michigan Wolverines) and that he loved the Detroit Red Wings. That was it, this was her man she choose to send to. She loves her Wolverines, as that is where she had her heart surgery at and she just loves the Wings.

She sat down and wrote out a letter to this Marine and then her and I went shopping. I had no idea on really what to get, so I asked her if I put her down in the middle of the field with not even her pooh bear and blankie, what would she want. At 11 years old, she set out on a mission and picked out things that I never would have thought of, and things that were so appropriate! I wrote a note about her to the Marine, as I wanted him to know about who was sending to him. I told

Taylor that we probably would never hear from him, as he had a very important job to do. In Taylor's grown up way of saying things, told me that it was OK, she wasn't doing it for a letter back, she was doing it because it was the right thing to do. 11 YEARS OLD!!!!! Amazing how she seems to get 'it' while most adults don't and never will. We sent off several packages to this Marine and one day, we checked to see if he had any updates and were crushed to find out anysoldier had not heard from him and he was dropped. We knew as well that his time to go home was more then likely close. But, we thought, go onto someone else. A few days later, a box came for

Taylor and I saw the customs form on it so I knew where it came from. I don't know who was more excited, her or I! I got my camera all ready, for her little face was just aglow. She sat down in the middle of the living room floor, surrounded by my husband, my mom, her brother and myself. She opened her box and the first thing she pulled out was a boonie hat with a pin in it that we weren't sure what it was (we later found out that it was the chevron this Marine was promoted to Sergeant with), and Marine shirt. Then she just sort of gasped, and so slowly, pulled out an American flag, folded into a triangle. She said 'mom, look at what I got!' with it, was a certificate that it was flown on a mission in her honor. She just sat there, holding that flag, staring at it. You know, the whole time this was all going on, I had that camera in my hand and never took one picture! I was so enthralled by her and what was happening, I couldn't take my eyes off of her! She never let go of her flag, and I should add that this flag is by far, her most prized possession EVER. She found a letter and started to read it, holding her flag to her heart as she did. What happened next, I can only describe simply as life altering. She read the letter to us, speaking slowing and clearly. This young Marine told a bit about himself but then talked about her and how special she is. He told her who wonderful it was that she was trying to take care of them while they were out doing their jobs. He told her that her courage was amazing and her spirit was that of a Marine and because of that, he was making her an Honorary United States Marine. When she read that, she looked at me dead in the eye, with a tear rolling down and said in a tone I had never heard before, 'I am a Marine, ooh rah'. With that, I swear, I saw something in her I had never seen. In that moment, that Marine had given my daughter what I had tried to her whole life. Her spirit just grew by leaps and bounds. I could actually not only see something in her, but I could feel it. Needless to say, I was bawling.

From that moment on, things have been very different for Taylor. She now faces her challenges head on. Instead of fighting against what is being done to her, she fights for it. I can remember the very first time she had to have something done after this happened, she walked into that room, head held high and chest just puffed out. She got up on that table, she still had tears, but she did it! When it was all done, she jumped off that table and ran to me yelling 'I DID IT I DID IT OOH RAH' All I could get out was OOH RAH baby, because my throat and emotions wouldn't let me say anything else. The little things that used to frustrate her, just didn't matter any longer. Her whole demeanor was completely different, it was like she wasn't even the same person. Life altering.

Her and her Marine have kept in touch through email, and he was thinking of getting out of the Marines as he had been in for 8 years. She just got a surprise from him, he wrote to her and said he had decided to relist, as he liked helping people way to much! He lived in PA and is being transferred to Texas. He made a surprise visit to meet her. I never will be able to give this young man enough praise for what he has done for my child. In his one small gesture, in words on paper, changed our whole lives forever. How do you thank someone for that? And true to form, he claims he is nothing special. I beg to differ!

She has since picked out many others to send to, and even picked out someone from the Army, just to be fair! LOL She has a Marine Major that is keeping in great contact with her through email and it means the world to her, he tells her that her courage is inspiring to him.

While my daughter will never be able to join the service, never go through basic training, never get that Eagle Globe and never be able to wear the uniform, in her heart and soul she IS a United States Marine and she IS an American Warrior. I can't even convey on just how proud I am of her for this. Her obstacles are many, but she takes them one at a time.

We just found out that she is going to go to Bethesda Maryland at the National Institute of Health for some intensive testing. We are not sure on the dates as of yet, but were told that it might be in September. At first, Taylor did not want to go. I believe she remembered the hell she went through while at Mayo and just wasn't up for that. Then, just as soon as she said she didn't want to go, she stopped and did an about face. Her exact words....Marines don't back down and I am not going to either, I want to go. We do know she will be tested from Sunday to Thursday. They are paying our way there and back, so I am not sure if she is going to be able to take in any of the sites in

Washington and this has her a bit down. She really wanted to see Arlington, and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers. We knew there was a barracks there that did a parade, but I believe that is only up until August, so she will miss that.

Here is the reason I am writing. I figure you know 'people' right? I was wondering if you could put me in contact with someone, anyone that I can tell her story to and maybe see if I can't get some Marines to come visit her while she is at the Institute when I get the exact dates? As I said, I am not even sure if we are going to be able to get out to see anything.

Taylor has met her special Marine, and to her that was gold. But, she has never met anyone in uniform. I would just love for someone to come in, talk with her in uniform and recognize her for the Marine that she is. I am not asking for anyone to give her anything, just someone to talk to her. Someone in uniform, that can salute her and make her feel that she is indeed a warrior. Can you help me? I can only imagine that you more then likely get a lot of emails asking for things and probably get pretty tired of it. I know you are busy, and if you can't help, I do understand.

I thank you for your time in reading this, and as I said, I would greatly appreciate any help you can give me, but I also do not expect it.


Thank you,

[devildoghopeful]

Best moto ever. Why on earth can't more people be more like this girl and her mom? Thank you so much for posting this SSgt, and thank you most of all Cathy and Taylor if you're reading this. I was truly touched, especially by the stories of you with the wounded vets and WWII Marines. Keep on truckin'!

Alex

[maverickmarine]

Wow, that is an outstanding little girl!!!!

[GriT]

I think that sweaty eyeball syndrome is contagious.

An amazing little girl and an amazing mother. THAT's motivation.

[thedrifter]

An Outstanding Young Lady!:thumbup:

OORAH!

Ellie

[jinelson]

Yes she is Ellie and of course one of us.

Jim

[yellowwing]

Cathy: Character, such a small word that conveys so much! Every Marine understands it, and so do you and Taylor!

Semper Fi!

[bgsuwoody]

Jim thank you for posting the story, the result of these moto stories was more than I expected.

Ms. Batten, thank you for the update, I was really hoping that your daughters story could be shared here for all of the poolees to see. Your daughter is a brave and courageous individual who is an inspiration and a role model for many and I only wish there were more men and women these days that had this spirit.

These are the stories that don't make the news and show the real spirit of America, and that America is the one that these Marines have put their life on the line and sacrificed so much for.

Individuals like Sgt. Brandon Rasnick and GySgt. Taylor Batten and Pvt. Timothy Arathuzik (I'll let you guys make this search on your own) are the reason I find America what it is and a major reason why I am going to be a Marine. No matter how hard bootcamp might be, its 13 weeks, and is survivable. I'll be remembering these individuals if the day comes that I am over-challenged.

You will all be in our prayers and I ask that the Batten family stay in touch with any updates or special goings-on.

[jinelson]

Thank you for helping jog my memory of whats truly Moto, the Pvt. Timothy Arathuzik story will be next I assure you. I must warn you now that I did an update search several months back and found absolutely nothing on his status which I dont think is good. But it is a story that deserves a place in this thread to provide motivation for those who will follow you and I.

OORAH!!!

Jim

[devildoghopeful]

Wow. Yet another incredible story of the ovrcoming of insurmountable obstacles. Although the SSgt is right, we have had no recent news of Pvt. Arathuzik which could be good or bad. Personally, I'm going to be optimistic, the last report at http://www.beliefnet.com/prayer/commemoration.asp?milestoneTypeID=6&milestoneID=40612 is encouraging, even if it was posted in 2003. Also, I'm sure that if he had passed away then there would be an update somewhere on the internet.

These past few stories have somehow managed to cause my monitor to short-circuit or something, it keeps fuzzing up!

[USMC90]

Amazing Stuff.

[jinelson]

This is the Pvt Timothy Arathuzik moto story and as I feared there still isnt any updates on his condition on the web. This is a very motivating story and should give you insight into a motivated recruit and what Drill Instructors see and feel about those intrusted to them. If anyone finds out an update please post it.

Jim




http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/semperfi.gif


Marine fights for life after recruit training

His expression was a perfect 50/50 split -- half shock and half excitement as his Parris Island drill instructor entered his home and presented him with a new set of Dress Blue's, February 3.

House calls are not commonplace in the Marine Corps, but for someone with as much heart and dedication as Pvt. Timothy Arathuzik, an exception was made.

The dress uniform was a token of appreciation from Arathuzik's training regiment, the battalion and his company. A joint effort was made from the Marines he served with to make him an honorary "honor graduate" of the platoon.

Gunnery Sgt. Joseph Yantosca, Parris Island drill instructor, admits that while most people in his platoon were giving 110 percent during recruit training, Arathuzik was putting in 175.

During his second week of training, Arathuzik began having severe headaches that were causing some difficulty during training. He went to the base doctor who diagnosed him with a severe sinus infection and returned him to his platoon.

Several days after taking medication for the infection and experiencing no ease from the headaches, Arathuzik decided to continue through the training despite his pain.

At night, the pain would become so severe, he had to elevate his head with his pack, to ease the pressure.

In the morning, Arathuzik would often awake with dizzy spells that would last throughout a good part of the day. His determination, however, would not allow him to quit. He wanted to become a Marine his entire life and nothing was going to stand in the way of his dream.

As training progressed, Arathuzik continued to march forward despite the increasing severity of his pain. He participated in everything from martial arts training to the gas chamber without hesitation, because he wanted to become a Marine.

It was not until the rifle range that Arathuzik hit a major stumbling block. He wrote to his parents, telling them that he was having a more-than-difficult time on the range and he would explain when he returned home.

During qualification day on the range, he was unable to get the minimum score needed to advance to the next stage of training. He was then put through a remedial class and he eventually passed, but with great difficulty.

He later told his parents that his problem was not due to lack of trying or instruction on the range. His difficulty was the direct result of blurred vision, dizziness and increasing head pain each and every time he pulled the trigger.

Just before going to the final stage of recruit training known as the Crucible, one of Arathuzik drill instructors noticed the entire area around his right eye was swollen. Arathuzik explained that he believed the problem was a reoccurring bruise from when he was beaten up and mugged in college. The swelling was in the same spot, causing the same pain and he would be all right if they would just allow him to continue with training.

The drill instructors forced Arathuzik to go to the medical battalion despite his desire to finish the last week of training. Arathuzik was then referred to a hospital where they finally found the cause of his illness ... he had a tennis ball-sized cancerous tumor forming in his sinuses that was pushing into the frontal lobes of his brain.

When Arathuzik heard the news he said he wanted to vomit. He could not believe this was happening, and he could not believe they were not going to allow him to finish the final week of training.

"It was hard, because I had headaches really bad," admits Arathuzik after recruit training. "It would have been a lot better if I didn't have cancer. I wanted to graduate and I wanted to become a Marine."

Despite the fact that Arathuzik did not complete the final week of training, he was retired as a Marine with 100 percent disability because he was on active duty when he entered recruit training.

"All he had left to do was to take his final physical fitness test, the practical application and the Crucible," said Yantosca. "He would have been perfectly capable of doing all that stuff. He was physically fit, he had no problems going on the hikes and he would have no problem with the practical application. As drill instructors we know what the recruits are capable of and he was incredibly capable of qualifying in all those things.

"He was putting forth more than 100 percent; having headaches everyday and what he was going through inside his body. He was probably giving 150 or 175 percent of himself every single day. Some guys can't do it with nothing wrong with them. They never make it through training. He made it through and look how he made it through."

Not long after the diagnosis, Arathuzik was sent to a Washington D.C. hospital to have surgery and begin treatment of the tumor. It was during this time Arathuzik fell into a coma. Doctors did not give his family much hope of recovery and Arathuzik was read his last rights, two times.

But, the same never-quit attitude that allowed him to progress through recruit training, also allowed him to recover from the coma.

"He's always been a tough kid," said Paul Arathuzik, Timothy's father. "He has always liked the discipline. He played football and he thought the coaches weren't tough enough."

"My hat is off to him for going on and pushing himself having the headaches he was having," said Yantosca. "Some kids would have tapped out ... even though he didn't finish the last week of training, he has what the Marine Corps wants in his heart."

Today, Arathuzik is at a halfway point for his cancer treatment. The cancer has taken away most of his hearing and vision in one eye. But, if the past serves any insight to the future, this determined Marine will overcome this obstacle just as he overcame recruit training and win the hardest battle of his life.

[yellowwing]

Dang! One of my best Bros and Marine Veteran had a wife with cancer behind her eye. It was a quick and unhappy ending. :(

Arathuzik is another Testament of Men that will just not Quit!

[Dave Coup]

If this doesn't motivate people nothing on this earth will.

SF

Dave

[usmc2007]

even though im just a poolee, i have the utmost Respect for this man. the most motivating thing that i have EVER heard of. truly someone who doesnt quit. he would make a GREAT Marine.


This kind of story motivates me to go on a 5 mile run.....

[jinelson]

Boot Camp. . . through the eyes of a recruit <br />
<br />
by: Don J. Flickinger Sgt. USMC <br />
<br />
<br />
Recruit Training, United States Marine Corps, officially comprises three definitive phases. First Phase...

[usmc2007]

Wow. Astonishing. Jim, i mean Sir, that was truly amazing. That really motivates me. Even though i have never been to Recruit Training yet, i think that i see it in a totally different perspective. I know that this will be the most life changing journey in my entire life. Thanks for the Motovation.

[zx6rdr]

Ask a Marine what's so special about the Marines and the answer would be &quot;Esprit de Corps&quot;, an unhelpful French phrase that means exactly what it looks like - the spirit of the Corps, but what is...

[jinelson]

http://www.defenselink.mil/home/images/photos/2006-11/Face-of-Defense/pr20061106a.jpg



Wake Up!


by: Jeff Fischelli USMC


One week until graduation. One more week and I would finally be a United States Marine. Three months of sweat, pain and hard work were about to make a lifelong dream come true. I had made it - finally.

It was an absolutely gorgeous day aboard Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, California. If you ever have to endure Marine Corps Boot Camp, do it in San Diego in the early spring months. Gorgeous. I was admiring the city's skyline, the houses on the cliffs, the crisp clean air, and dreaming of home. Life was great. I was going home in a week!

I was doing all of this 'sight-seeing' while my platoon was on the gigantic parade deck, practicing for Final Drill competition. The shouts of our Marine Drill Instructors echoing across the wide expanse of asphalt - "Co-lumn Left, Haaaarch!", "Ex-teeeend, Haaaarch!", "Close, Haaaarch!", "Port, Arms!" Only Marine DIs can march a platoon with such command, such precision. A demand for excellence emanated from them constantly. From their razor-sharp uniforms to their stone cold, piercing eyes, dedication and honor oozed from their pores, and we recruits couldn't get enough.

"Pla-toon, Halt!" Snap! After twelve weeks of Marine Corps training, Platoon 3065 was good, and we knew it. Perfect execution of our drill sequence was what we lived for at this point. We had our sights on being the best in Final Drill - and our DIs would accept nothing less.

"Column of files, from the right! Haaaarrch!" Fourth Squad stepped off, then Third. I was in Second Squad, third rank. Third Squad Leader stepped off behind the last recruit in the Second, then the 2nd rank. My turn to step off...

Ahhh...I can't wait to get home. Brand new pickup truck waiting for me. Strutting around town in my Marine uniform. The respect I will receive. The girls I will meet. Home. I have arrived. I have made it. Rest up now, recruit. Kick back and let that mind of yours wander. Take in the sights. You have made it! So busy daydreaming, I had little time for bothersome things like stepping off when it came my turn.

Reality hits. I come to my senses, but it's too late. I just messed up the entire platoon's movement! Fear. Panic. A lump in my throat. Beads of sweat form on my brow. Oh, dear God! Please tell me this isn't happening! I screwed us up! Please let me recover in time to not be noticed. Please! I am in Third Phase! Third Phase recruits don't do this! Stop this nightmare!

Footsteps coming closer and closer. Heart pounding. I am frozen solid at the position of attention. Here it comes. My due punishment has arrived. Bracing myself. Footsteps...

"BAM!"

Drill Instructor Sergeant Wilson's campaign cover, the famous "Smokey Bear" that all Marine Drill Instructors wear, slams into my forehead. Then his eyeballs. Oh, there's nothing like a Marine Drill Instructor's eyeballs. We're toe to toe. Man to man. DI to recruit. Fear. There are only two people on the earth at this moment - him and me. The hunter and the hunted. Fear. Fear. Fear.

"Wake Up, Fischelli!"

It stung. Those words cut deep as they came from the man that had dominated my life for twelve long weeks of training. The man that had taught me so much. The man that embodied everything I ever imagined a Marine to be. He showed me what a Marine was. He was Marine, and I had let him down. His passion was a well-disciplined platoon. His life was teaching his recruits the art of Close Order Drill - the Marine Corps way.

More than anything, I wanted to beg for forgiveness. From Sergeant Wilson, for failing him. From my platoon, for halting their training. For being the only one responsible for this lack of concentration. But the Marine Corps doesn't want excuses or apologies, and neither does your platoon. They want, and deserve, results.

There's a saying in the Marine Corps: "There's always one." There will always be one who doesn't want to follow the rules. There will always be one who wants to screw everything up for the rest of the unit. There will always be one who gets others killed in battle. For this moment in time, I was that ONE, and it felt terrible.

Luckily, I can say that I was not "the one" in my platoon very often. I was a squared-away recruit, and I desperately wanted to be a Marine. Maybe that's what hurt so bad from those three words, "Wake Up, Fischelli!" I knew better. I knew the drill movements and when it was time for me to do my part for the platoon, yet I didn't do it that time.

At the time, I probably wished the entire incident would be removed from my memory and that I would never have to dwell on the hard lesson learned that day. Now, though, I am glad it's still very fresh in my mind. Whether you're marching in a platoon, storming a beach, going to college, playing civilian, or wherever you are in life - learn from my mistake and the lesson given to me by one highly dedicated Marine Drill Instructor...

"Wake Up!"

Just as a Marine Drill Instructor has a special way of getting your attention, so does life. Live it the way it was intended to be lived. Live it with honor and dignity. Play by the rules. Pay attention. Live your life out of care for those around you - whether it be your platoon, your wife, your children, your country....

Semper Fi.

[GriT]

Great read zx6rdr. That sent chills down my spine. Very motivating and so very true.

[jinelson]

Drill Instructors Never Die! <br />
<br />
Brian L. Hipwell USMC <br />
<br />
I enlisted in the Marine Corps April 23, 1965 under the 120 day delay program while in the senior year at Stevens High School, Claremont, New...

[jinelson]

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x157/usmc3537/270796.jpg


FOREIGN LANDS


By: Sergeant Aaron M. Gilbert USMC



Foreign lands,
Families home,
Marines have gone,
To stand alone.

We fight for God,
Our Country and Corps.
So freedom may reign,
Forever more.

The North, the South,
The Black and the White,
For the American Land,
We all unite.

With my rifle and life,
I defend my home,
Always on call,
Destination unknown.

For all of my life,
This was my dream,
To fight for my Country,
As a U.S. Marine.

Though I will not be there,
For the birth of my Child,
I'll serve the Red, White and Blue,
Through any fire or trial.

Against domestic and foreign
Threats I will fight.
From the dawn of day
Into the darkness of night.

Some are bitter and cold
For having to go,
And leave behind,
Their Family and Home.

But with God in my heart,
And His light in my life,
All is at ease,
When I leave my Home and my Wife.

But soon it will come,
In His soft spoken tone.
God will say, "Well done Marine."
Now pack up and go home.

So, calm is my heart,
And safe with the Lord,
My life always will be,
While I fight in this war.

Unlike other communists in our country, I love the land I live in, and all the freedoms that are given to me. I loath in the fact that we live in a place were we can have our own religion, pray our own prayers, or choose not to do either. But no matter what, you will not be persecuted by the government, you will not be shot, nor hung, nor publicly humiliated for having your own beliefs. In fact, that is what they teach children at school. Can you believe that! Our country actually teaches our children to think for themselves, and to be individuals. WOW, that is a horrible deal. Freedom to do whatever you want, within reason, freedom to persue what ever kind of education or profession you want. Yeah, maybe all those anti war protestors are right, maybe we should stop fighting for it all since we have it so bad. WAKE UP. Everything that you have was given to you on a silver platter. Most of you didn't even pay for it. You were just born and, BANG, here it is, your freedom. But no, not me, not the men before me, nor the men to come. Many have died, many husbands have left their wives to be widows, to fight for that flag. Many fathers have left their children forever, so they can grow up with the assured freedom that he earned for them. MANY YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN HAVE AND WILL DIE. Think about that, they die. Are you ready to have some person you don't know take your life, take you away from everything that you love, from all that you know, forever.............. WE ARE.

[jinelson]

Carrying a Gun <br />
<br />
Cpl. Paul Scanlan USMC <br />
<br />
On February 3, 2003 <br />
We arrive in the desert, <br />
Away home from family. <br />
<br />
Most of us young men <br />
and some of us were old,

[jinelson]

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x157/usmc3537/270792.jpg



A speech by Radm J. Stark, USN, President of the Naval War College, made in Newport, RI on 10 Nov 1995



The first reason I like Marines: They set high standards for themselves and those around them, and will accept nothing less.

I like the way Marines march.

I like the way Marines do their basic training whether it's Quantico, Parris Island, or San Diego.

I like the idea that Marines cultivate an ethos conductive of producing hard people in a soft age.

I like the fact that Marines stay in shape.

I like the fact that the Marines only have one boss - the Commandant. And I like the directness of the Commandant.

I like the fact that Marines are stubborn.

I like the way Marines obey orders.

I like the way Marines make the most of the press.

I like the wholehearted professionalism of the Marines.

It occurred to me that the services could be characterized by different breeds of dogs.

The Air Force reminded me of a French Poodle. The poodle always looks perfect...sometimes a bit pampered and always travels first class. But don't ever forget that the poodle was bred as a hunting dog and in a fight it's very dangerous.

The Army is kind of like a St. Bernard. It's big and heavy and sometimes seems a bit clumsy. But it's very powerful and has lots of stamina. So you want it for the long haul.

The Navy, God bless us, is a Golden Retriever. They're good natured and great around the house. The kids love' em. Sometimes their hair is a bit long...they go wandering off for long periods of time, and they love water.

Marines I see as two breeds, Rottweilers or Dobermans, because Marines come in two varieties, big and mean or skinny and mean. They're aggressive on the attack and tenacious on defense. They've got really short hair and they always go for the throat. That sound like a Marine to me!

So what I really like about Marines is that first to fight isn't just a motto, it's a way of life. From the day they were formed at Tun Tavern 221 years ago, Marines have distinguished themselves on battlefields around the world. From the fighting tops of the Bonhomme Richard, to the sands of Barbary coast, from the swamps of New Orleans to the halls of Montezuma, from Belleau Wood, to the Argoone Forest, to Guadalcanal, and Iwo Jima, and Okinawa and Inchon, And Chosin Reservoir and Hue City and Quang Tri and Dong Ha, and Beirut, and Grenada, and Panama, and Somalia and Bosnia and a thousand unnamed battlefields in godforsaken corners of the globe. Marines have distinguished themselves by their bravery, and stubbornness and aggressive spirit, and sacrifice, and love of country, and loyalty to on another.

They've done it for you and me, and this country we all love so dearly. They asked for nothing more than honor of being a United States Marine. That's why I like Marines

[jinelson]

http://www.mcrdsd.usmc.mil/images/DI_School/new_cover_shot_small.jpg



DRILL INSTRUCTOR'S CREED


THESE RECRUITS ARE ENTRUSTED TO MY CARE. I WILL TRAIN THEM TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY. I WILL DEVELOP THEM INTO SMARTLY DISCIPLINED, PHYSICALLY FIT, BASICALLY TRAINED MARINES, THOROUGHLY INDOCTRINATED IN LOVE OF THE CORPS AND COUNTRY. I WILL DEMAND OF THEM, AND DEMONSTRATE BY MY OWN PERSONAL EXAMPLE, THE HIGHEST STANDARDS OF PERSONAL CONDUCT, MORALITY, AND PROFESSIONAL SKILL.


http://www.defendamerica.mil/images/photos/jul2003/profiles/pri071603a1.jpg

The recruits are strong, cocky and undisciplined. But they won't be Marines until someone stronger, cockier and, above all, disciplined is finished with them. That someone is the Drill Instructor. In twelve weeks, the Drill instructor will square away what nobody ever finished.

Every Marine starts their life in the Corps by meeting the one person who he or she will never forget. 20, 30, or 50 years after leaving the land of the yellow footprints, the sight and sound of your DI is still as clear and sharp as it was when he/she first screamed in your ear to....

"WIPE THAT STUPID GRIN OFF YOUR FACE AND GET OFF THE *&^$@#% BUS!!!"

The DI provides the lifeblood of the Marine Corps and will forever live in the memory of every Marine. They are one of the common experiences that makes every Marine a brother.


http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/4/2/8/3/9/3/webimg/53262124_tp.jpg

THE PUCKER FACTOR


by: James Collins USMC


At MCRD in 1990 going through Boot Camp platoon 3014 Our, Jr. D.I. was Sgt. Dickson, he was big and had a voice that would put the fear of GOD in you, no matter what you were doing. I had a lot of respect for him and for the other D.I.'s of our platoon.

I went on to become a 0311 and was stationed in '"HELL" 29 PALMS and was short on my enlistment. I had the short time attitude and had become kind of a **** BIRD but was still a good MARINE. I had about a week left and my Gunny told me about a gun shop that had just opened out in town, so being a natural GRUNT I had to go. So a Cpl. buddy and me asked the Gunny if we could take the rest of the day off so we could check this shop out and he said go. We were in a hurry and left the base, still in our "CAMMIES" or fatigues. We walked into the gun shop, Well every Marine knows that you can't wear your Cammies out into town or anywhere except for work. I was looking at these guns when I herd someone say hey Marine's why are your wearing your fatigues in here? Well, that's when the PUCKER FACTOR kicked in, Not only did I know the voice but it was the same person that had drilled it into us that Marines don't wear fatigues out in town. Yep you guessed it Drill Instructor Sgt. Dickson was standing behind me, I didn't want to even turn around, I was thinking that I could run out of there and he would see who it was, or I could turn and face him hoping that he wouldn't remember who I was. Just then Sgt. Dickson said what are your names Marine's, I thought Oh-S#@%. I turned and said Sgt. Dickson I thought that was you, what's up. With that look he said I'm SSgt. Dickson and you were one of my Marine's weren't you, I said yes Sir then he said Collins right. Well, as it turned out he gave us both a good butt chewing and explained that I knew better because he remembered teaching that to me. We talked for a couple of minutes and we left, but I can still remember his voice, and you know he still knew my name, I guess D.I.'s really do care about us old slime balls.

[jinelson]

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x157/usmc3537/270759.jpg


"A Gunny's Wise Words"


by T.G. Hill, GySgt USMC, (Ret)



1. Wait until you have stood on the yellow foot prints.

2. Wait until your Senior DI calls you a Marine for the first time.

3. Wait until the first time you Qual Expert.

4. Wait until you get your Blood Stripes.

5. Wait until the first time a enemy round goes by and you still do your job.

6. Wait until you say Semper Fi in a firefight.

7. Wait until the Commandant cries at your bedside.

8. Wait until you close the eyes of one of your own.

9. Wait until the President's message is read at your retirement.

10. Wait until Saint Peter says well done Marine.

Even then you might not have the right, if you have not really understood what it means to be a Marine!

"Be now the shield for evermore from every peril to OUR CORPS!" God Bless

[jinelson]

http://www.usa-patriotism.com/images/photos/2007/marine060507.jpg
U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Kyle Harper, a truck leader with Military Police Company, 2nd Maintenance Battalion, walks with an Iraqi child in Al Qam, Iraq, June 5, 2007.
U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Michael J. O'Brien


A Marine Corps Poem


Author Unknown

There is a story, that I love to tell, of thirteen weeks of misery, thirteen weeks of hell, I was living in the city, working everyday, Until one day a man in blue, happend to cross my way, I signed my name, upon the dotted line, Packed all my trash, got on the plane, Off to serve my time. They sent me to an Island, Where they made Marines, They say a thousand boys may come, But only men may leave, They issued all my gear, Combat boots and skivy shirts, In a few short hours, They had me in the dirt, My Drill Instructor, Trained me rough and hard, He taught me how to fight, He taught me how to march. In three short months, As long as it had seemed, I finally had earned, The Title of Marine, How well I remember, Graduation Day, As I left I swore, I wouldn't be back this way, I went to my Drill Instructors, And gave them my hand, They made this boy a Man. I served my time proudly, Out in the FMF, But back at Parris Island, There was something I felt I left, So I'm back a second time, A smokey in my hand, Training U.S. Marine Recruits, The vary best I can, I found out what I lost, In the very end, The making of Marines, Down Where It All Began.

[jinelson]

http://www.grunt.com/images-bs/jun04/cchyna.jpg

CChyna, a Marine War Dog, takes a break from sniffing for bombs in Fallujah to strike a pretty pose for the camera.



Send in the doggone Marines


By: P.T. Brent of Starbulletin.com

CChyna, bred by the corps and tattooed Delta-043, is the pride of the expanding Marine Corps dog tracker and security units. She's an MWD, Marine War Dog. Perhaps named after the legendary Fourth Marines of Shanghai fame, she is the close working pal of Marine Sgt. Dan Wheeler. A Belgian Malau born Sept. 12, 1999, CChyna is trained to go ahead of Marines and sniff out explosives and hidden snipers or terrorists.

This canine leatherneck knows her stuff. At Guantanamo, CChyna was used for "mind deterrent" with Afghan detainees. After some time off recently to heal from a broken foot, CChyna is now with Master Dan in red-hot Fallujah to sniff out IEDs (improvised explosive devices) in Iraq.

These dogs are treasured for their loyalty and their price tag. As pups, they cost $2,000; after training they are valued at more than $60,000. When one dies, it is buried with full Marine honors. There is a special war dog cemetery at Camp Lejeune, N.C., with grave markers recounting the history of the deceased. There lie some 30 dogs that gave life and faithful service to the Marine Corps.

The graduates of the new program are tracker-oriented and will be assigned to Osama bin Laden's backyard. Wheeler, a gentleman from Grand Rapids, Mich. -- same home town as former President Gerald Ford -- is a soft-spoken, classic Marine sergeant. He played football and ran track at Rogers High School, class of '97. His mom, Theresa, taught at Rogers Elementary for more than 20 years and his dad, David, worked at Grand Rapids' water treatment facility after a hitch as a Navy Seabee.

After attending Ferris State, Wheeler joined the Marine Corps because his Uncle Gary, a "cool guy," was a leatherneck. Later, his Uncle Tony suggested K-9 Corps activity and Wheeler re-enlisted to get the assignment. He is seeking a commission program in the Corps.

When asked about the war dissenters, Wheeler replied, "My family has always served. These people know that they are wrong."

http://www.grunt.com/images-bs/jun04/cchyna2.jpg

CChyna, a Marine War Dog, eyes a tennis ball in a teasing match with her trainer, Marine Sgt. Dan Wheeler.


His wife, Sara, also comes from a family with a Corps tradition. Wheeler's elder brother was a Seabee, another brother, a firefighter, and younger brother Justin may join the Marine Corps after he graduates from Rogers High this year.

The daunting task of rebuilding Iraq is overwhelming in comparison to waging the war. Iraq has the resources and the people to make it the arena of a renaissance of the Muslim world. Let's pray the Iraqis give us a chance to help them.

This is a most auspicious moment to take pride in America and our forces overseas. Do you remember pride in our country? We used to have it by the carload. Forget whether you agree or not with taking on Saddam Hussein, just get yourself a flag a wave it proudly. Let's pray for our distant warriors, and let's bring our young Americans home safely.

The faces of these leathernecks may seem younger -- faces like Sgt. Dan Wheeler's and Capt. Chris Borzi's from Poughquaq, N.Y. (U.S. Naval Academy, 1996). But the packs and the rifles, they weigh as much. The heat, dust, cold and long night marches are all still there. Yes, the faces may appear younger, but beneath the surface runs the same blood that stained and won battlefields from Tripoli to Iwo Jima, and from Guadalcanal to Iraq.

They are the same outfit. The United States Marine Corps.
Editor's note: P.T. Brent, a Honolulu businessman and former Marine infantryman, is traveling with Marine units in Iraq, Afghanistan and Djibouti. His dispatches from the war front will appear periodically on the Star-Bulletin editorial pages.

[jinelson]

http://marinepoetry.homestead.com/files/BootCamp03.jpg


Parris Island


by Cpl. Robert L. Cook USMC




Parris Island is a place
That’s known to all and sundry,
From here they turn out
New Marines
Be it Monday or a Sunday.


I stood with others on the deck
As they marched
In perfect step
To positions at attention on the field.
The band, it played a marching tune,
With piccolo and big bassoon,
And drums that would not be quiet.


The troops all marched in perfect time
And halted in a perfect line
Across the parade deck,
They did fine
Before the people
That were gathered there.

The colors were all unfurled,
Our banners told
The whole world
That these men and women were Marines
And members of the greatest team
That ever set a foot
On mother earth.

I stood with eyes that held a tear,
I saw them all standing there
And knew that once
There stood I.
I envied them their rank and file
But inside I had to smile
In knowing that I was looking
At the best.

Their movements were
All smart and sharp
From hand salute

To “Attention!”
They were so perfect
At their trade
I really had to mention.

So let’s be grateful,
One and all,
That men and women like these
Are standing tall,

Taking their place
In the ranks.
For this I give
A heartfelt “Thanks.”

Semper Fi!

[jinelson]

http://www.whitehouse.gov/president/american-flag/images/photo-01.jpg


"Why God Created Marines"


by Barbara L.Erdley Haught

Why God created Marines to fly the American flag. God knows what we would be before we were born and therefore He made some men to be Marines. So every parent that has a Marine in their home shall be blessed and honored with the God Lords love. What people in this world don't realize and understand is that the parent of this Marine sacrificed there son to war. And the parents of this Marine pray every night and say, "Thank you God", for he is one of the proud, brave, and few. And as we look at our American flag that our Marines fly at the time of sun rise till sun set not one of us should ever forget what our American flag stands for and always honor our Marines who lived and died for us. When the Marines fly the American flag it should tell each and everyone of us a story. So what does the American flag tell your heart or does it mean nothing to you. Well I'll tell you from the bottom of my heart what the American flag means to me as well as our Marines. Well when I see our American flag, that our Marines fly, I see our country America. When I see the red I see the blood and the Marines that lived and died for me. When I see the blue I see a Marine that is true to his God and country. When I see the stars on a flag I see every state in the country. When I see the stripes of red and white it reminds me of the proud, brave and few. So when I see our Marines fly our American flag it tells me of how our Marines, lived and died just for me. So for our country America and the Marines that gave us our freedom to live, love and honor. So to the family of every Marine that flies our American flag my heart goes out to you all for sacrificing your son to war. To the ones that devoted there lives in Desert Storm and all wars. And fighting for what they thought was right at peace time as well as at war.

[SnowPaint078]

#200 Is awesome, that right there made my night.

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/003.jpg


The Poolee


by Mike Woodall Poolee - Pfc USMC


They come from the heartland,
From the east and from the west.
These young men most of all,
Wish to take the greatest test.

They raise their hand and swear the oath,
Their country they’ll defend.
This first step in their journey,
Is only the beginning of the end

Their heroes aren’t actors;
Singers and athletes they not be.
No, they revere those named Dan Daly,
Smedley Butler, and “Chesty.”

They prepare their minds and bodies,
Every night and every day.
To pass the test upcoming,
And live their lives out on the fray.

Eleven General Orders,
Pull-ups, crunches, and PT;
Their transformation has now begun,
To be the men they want to be

Poolees and Deppers,
And Devil Pups they’re called.
The future of this country,
Is the prize that they all hold.

On yellow footprints you’ll soon find them,
On and Island or in Hollywood.
Conquering an ordeal or feat,
That at times not even they thought they could.

After thirteen weeks they’ll be back home,
There’s a change that will be seen.
They’ll be walking tall and standing strong,
As United States Marines.

But until then they will live up
To those who’ve come before
Until they can form among their ranks
To be the men of myth and lore

-Woodall


Thanks Woody great poem moto!

Jim

[thedrifter]

Now that is called Motivation poolee's!

Great Poem!

Ellie

[Master Sephiroth]

I'm no poet, I'm a fiction writer. If it's okay, I can post an excerpt from my as of now discontinued story. A speech by a colonel after the crucible chapter

[jinelson]

How many other poets do we have in Poolee Hall that can put their feelings and emotions to words?

Jim

[Master Sephiroth]

You got something written for tomorrow, Jim? US is hitting the big 231 tomorrow

[jinelson]

Happy Independance Day pup's this graphic is one of the most motivating to me personally, and its courtesy of the Fontman.

Jim


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/DoYouUnderstandMe.jpg


The Title

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/the_title.gif


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/150213.jpg

[SnowPaint078]

Now im going to go PT, Moti Moti Motivation & dedication! PT GET SOMEEEE!!!

[jinelson]

My name is Bryce Walters. Im from comanche texas and Im 18 years old. Im enlisted in the Marines and ship out for San Diego on July 20th of 2007. My older step brother is also in the Marines and currently serving in Baghdad. I wrote this poem to my family so they would understand why im making this choice that others are too scared to make.
Bryce


http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x157/usmc3537/275267.jpg



Why?


by Bryce Walters


There are people who don't understand
Who just don't realize
Why I'm doing what I am
And why I'll pay the price

I tell them someone's got to go
It might as well be me
But if you really want to know
I do it for Liberty

Because the freedom we all have
Didn't come for free
It was won with the lives
Of others just like me

Sons and daughters who gave it all
Who put it on the line
Some of whom would sadly fall
And leave us all behind

They left their friends and family
Doing what was right
Protecting those in need of help
That couldn't stand and fight

With honor shinning in their eyes
They held their chins up high
And now they're waiting for the day
When we will reunite

So as you see I made this choice
Because I love this land
And will defend it with my own life
Until the very end

So mom and dad and sis and bub
I have to leave you now
And if we never meet again
I hope I made you proud

So if your wondering who I am
Or if these words I mean
I'll simply say just one thing
I'm a United States MARINE

[jinelson]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f0/Us_marines_mout_practice.jpg/800px-Us_marines_mout_practice.jpg
"THE BREED"



By Bob Holtzer


Look at them...who are they??
I'd really like to know.

These gallant young men that stand
ready to defend and challenge our nations foe.

You may ask this question when you come upon this scene,

When there is a crisis in our world and all seems dim, just call
on any
"MARINE."

It was "1775" when they formed into the Corps.

to fight and defend our country on many a distant shore.

The fought in actions around the world and they earned a new
respect,

they served with pride and honor to become known as "LEATHERNECK!"

In World War one at "Belleau Wood" with a courage that few had
seen,

they painted our history with valor,
"DEVIL DOG!! "
a name for a "MARINE."

In World War two in the pacific they planted their courageous
seed,

Then again in Korea and Vietnam to become known as "THE BREED!"

It doesn't matter what action in which they may have served,

they are Marines..."THE BREED!"
an honor well deserved.

In peace they carry the legacy of those that have gone before,

These young men are "THE BREED!"
"The heart of the Corps!!"

[bgsuwoody]

Jim...where's the moto?...It's ok, I got plenty at the Marine Corps Museum Today...don't go slacking on me know, I really enjoy reading this everyday!

[yellowwing]

Some days you are bored as hell just looking at each other. You are in some foriegn land and its hot and sh*tty. That's when you got to reach deep and make your own motivation. Luckily one of your Bro's will do something wild and make you laugh to break up the day!

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/the2funadguyz/Ebay102806/29ebay.jpg


Final Firefight Fraternity


by Steve Walters



You stated your name, the day you stood tall
To proudly serve our country, to serve us all.
Knowing that you could fall Now, your name is on a memorial wall.
A brother in arms who stood in harms way
That is where these brave men now lay.
In a small cemetery, in a huge city, you can see
Where these members lie of the final firefight fraternity
One is very dear to me, but all four have clearly
Given up their destiny
They gave up what their future could be
I am grateful to them and now I truly see
That the price for freedom is not free
How many years before I see you again?
My son, my brother, and my friend.
I will shake your hand, with respect then And thank you for fighting unto the end.
You are my hero, each and everyone
You trained real hard to carry a gun.
You died in service to us, now it's done
You stood and fought, you didn't run.
The earth is quiet here; Yet a plane goes overhead.
I look around at the ground; A part of me is also dead.
But I want to think of you instead
For each and every one of you, I dread
That not enough thanks will ever be said.
You are going to stand with your brothers?
The way it must be!
You volunteered and served so admirably.
I am so sorry, I wish it had been the older one...me.
I will never forget you and the final firefight fraternity.

[Master Sephiroth]

Very motivating indeed. That's a pretty nice weapon too.

[jinelson]

http://www.fws.gov/endangered/photos/posters/gator_lg.jpg


The Color Green


by GySgt Marvin Bush USMC Retired



Let me set things straight, between you and me,
Things for some reason, you cannot see.


You point your finger and you stare,
you call me names that I do not like to hear.


Let me tell you what I go through,
doing my job just to protect you.


I took an oath to defend my land,
to stand and fight to the very last man.


First I'm a Marine, then an air-dale;
I load my ordnance to protect your tail.


I never looked at another man and shot him dead,
but my bombs can sure turn the ground red.


Yes I work behind the lines,
that the MOS that I chose to be mine.


You may say, your lean and mean, but damn it,
I also wear the color green.


The enemy is in the front and in your rear,
then that familiar sound of a Marine aircraft you do hear.


When you get pinned down and cannot fight,
that low flying Marine aircraft is a lovely sight.


Flying fifteen feet off the ground,
hitting their mark with every round.


The most beautiful sight you have ever seen,
an Air Wing Pilot who also wears green.


http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x157/usmc3537/207770.jpg

[devildoghopeful]

I LOVE that!

[jinelson]

http://photos.signonsandiego.com/gallery1.5/albums/carrillo_sketches/Fselfportrait.jpg


The Land of the Free, Because of the Brave


by Russ Vaughn


You media pansies may squeal and may squirm,
But a fighting man knows that the way to confirm
That some jihadist bastard is truly dead,
Is a brain-tappin' round fired into his head.

To hell with some wienie with his journalist degree
Safe away from the combat, tryin' to tell me
I should check him for breathing, examine his eyes.
Nope, I'm punchin' his ticket to Muj paradise.

To hell with you wimps from your Ivy League schools,
Sittin' far from the war tellin' me about rules.
And preaching to me your wrong-headed contention
That I should observe the Geneva Convention,

Which doesn't apply to a terrorist scum
so evil and cruel their own people run from,
Cold-blooded killers who love to behead,
Shove that mother' Geneva, I'm leaving em dead.

You slick talkingheads may preach, preen and prattle,
But you're damn well not here in the thick of the battle.
It's chaotic, confusing, It all comes at you fast,
So it's Muj checking out, because I'm going to last.

Yeah, I'll last through this fight and send his ass away
To his fat ugly virgins while I'm still in play.
If you journalist wienies think that's cold, cruel and crass,
Then pucker up sweeties. Kiss a fighting man's ass.

[jinelson]

http://stripes.com/photos/34329_11415341.jpg


Defiant Hero

The Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant in the picture is Michael Burghard, part of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Team that is supporting 2nd Brigade 28th Infantry Division Pennsylvania Army National Guard. I heard the below story first hand last Saturday during a video teleconference between his Brigade Commander and the 28th Infantry Division Commander. I thought that others should hear it as well, as I think it demonstrates the true spirit of most of our troops on the ground (from my experience).

Leading the fight is Gunnery Sgt. Michael Burghardt, known as "Iron Mike" or just "Gunny". He is on his third tour in Iraq. He had become a legend in the bomb disposal world after winning the Bronze Star for disabling 64 IEDs and destroying 1,548 pieces of ordnance during his second tour.

Then, on September 19, he got blown up. He had arrived at a chaotic scene after a bomb had killed four US soldiers. He chose not to wear the bulky bomb protection suit. "You can't react to any sniper fire and you get tunnel-vision," he explains. So, protected by just a helmet and standard-issue flak jacket, he began what bomb disposal officers term "the longest walk", stepping gingerly into a 5 ft deep and 8 ft wide crater. The earth shifted slightly and he saw a Senao base station with a wire leading from it. He cut the wire and used his 7 in knife to probe the ground. "I found a piece of red detonating cord between my legs," he says. "That's when I knew I was screwed."

Realizing he had been sucked into a trap, Sgt. Burghardt, 35, yelled at everyone to stay back. At that moment, an insurgent, probably watching through binoculars, pressed a button on his mobile phone to detonate the secondary device below the sergeant's feet. "A chill went up the back of my neck and then the bomb exploded," he recalls. "As I was in the air I remember thinking, 'I don't believe they got me.' I was just ticked off they were able to do it. Then I was lying on the road, not able to feel anything from the waist down."

His colleagues cut off his trousers to see how badly he was hurt. None could believe his legs were still there. "My dad's a Vietnam vet who's paralyzed from the waist down," says Sgt. Burghardt. "I was lying there thinking I didn't want to be in a wheelchair next to my dad and for him to see me like that. They started to cut away my pants and I felt a real sharp pain and blood trickling down. Then I wiggled my toes and I thought, 'Good, I'm in business.' As a stretcher was brought over, adrenaline and anger kicked in. "I decided to walk to the helicopter. I wasn't going to let my team-mates see me being carried away on a stretcher." He stood and gave the insurgents, who had blown him up, a one-fingered salute. "I flipped them one. It was like, 'OK, I lost that round, but I'll be back next week'."

Copies of a photograph depicting his defiance, taken by Jeff Bundy for the Omaha World-Herald, adorn the walls of homes across America and that of Col. John Gronski, the brigade commander in Ramadi, who has hailed the image as an exemplar of the warrior spirit. Sgt. Burghardt's injuries - burns and wounds to his legs and buttocks - kept him off duty for nearly a month and could have earned him a ticket home. But, like his father - who was awarded a Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts for being wounded in action in Vietnam - he stayed in Ramadi to engage in the battle against insurgents who are forever coming up with more ingenious ways of killing Americans.

[HurricaneRJ]

Thanks SSgt. This was truly a motivating article.

[jungholee90]

That was a great article, very motivating. "one fingered salute," hahahaha.

[jinelson]

http://gallery.photo.net/photo/6028968-md.jpg



The Lone Marine


WASHINGTON, D.C., May 29

Thousands of people were lining the streets. It was May 29, Rolling Thunder Sunday in Washington, D.C., and the Run For The Wall was about to start. Impatiently pacing, I was scanning the crowds for one individual in particular, a Marine in full dress uniform. This particular marine had captured my curiosity. For the past several years, I had seen him in his dress uniform standing on the double yellow lines holding a salute for every biker in the Thunder procession. He would stand at attention from start to finish. This was a feat that would last over four hours and display the meaning of intestinal fortitude. I was on a quest to talk to this marine. I had tried in vain calling all the usual suspects from the Marine Corps, but no one knew anything on the subject. Only later did I find out this marine was a lone wolf, not a sanctioned poster boy for The Corps.

Noon was fast approaching and you could hear the collective roar of bikes getting ready to run their pilgrimage. I took one more long look around the corner of Constitution Avenue and then I saw him. Moving with a half swagger and half march, the marine approached, his family in tow, and he headed toward his appointed spot just shy of the turn onto Constitution. As he walked you could hear the loud shouts of "Semper Fi" which were in turn answered with a guttural "hoorah!" Along the way, he shook hands and stopped often to kneel down and talk to kids. You could feel his energy as he drew nearer and heard him speak. His demeanor was stern, but kind, and when he spoke he looked directly into your eyes. With a firm handshake, he agreed to give me a few minutes at the end of the run after the last bike rolled by. I in turn assured him a cold bottle of water when he was done. I knew he would need it.

A giant rock of a man was assigned to help guide motorcycles to the left and right, a road guard if you will. The marine began to take his position in the center of the street when a young boy wearing a Marines shirt walked up to him and in the blink of an eye, they were doing push-ups in the middle of the road. Suddenly, the call came out that the Run For The Wall was about to start. People were quickly cleared from the street. The roar of machines grew louder and the unrelenting lines of bikes appeared. In one smooth mechanical motion, the lone marine cocked his salute as bikes began to roll by.

The marine is Staff Sergeant Tim Chambers. I spoke to his mom, Diane Desantis, his grandmother Anne Desantis, his girlfriend, Mariam Ebrahimi and his buddy Nathan Linkof. Tim was one of six kids in a very active household. He came from a lineage of military folks as his father was a marine in Vietnam and his grandfather was in the Coast Guard in World War II. Tim?s family came from the small town of Silverton, Oregon.

Tim spends hundreds of hours helping out various charities, advocates for veterans' benefits and their causes and visits veterans' hospitals. Tim's card explains what he is all about. He is starting a charitable organization called "Tim-for-America" whose centerpiece is, "improving the quality of life of our youth, the less fortunate and heroic veterans." His aim is ambitious, but simple: Get people involved and volunteer to help.

After more than four hours, the last bikes finally came over the bridge and slowed down to pass by Tim. When the last escort motorcycle rode by, Tim cracked his salute in perfect military precision. He did a left face and walked toward his family. The surrounding crowds erupted into applause and people came from everywhere to shake Tim's hand and thank him. He would in turn thank every person for being there. Although sweating, Tim seemed no worse for the wear.

Tim explained that for several years, when he was stationed in D.C., he would wear his uniform during Rolling Thunder and walk around talking to people. He would shake hands and thank veterans and their families. He listened to their stories and their plights. Tim decided that he wanted to do something to show that he cared. He spontaneously, in full uniform, stepped into the road during Rolling Thunder 2002 and gave his salute to the riders in the Run For The Wall. The next couple of years his spontaneous salute evolved in to a planned event. This year, he was invited by The Rolling Thunder organization, which flew his family in from Oregon and Tim from 29 Palms, California.

As I walked away, it struck me that I hadn't asked the most important question. I turned around and called him, "Sergeant Chambers, why the salute?" His response was effortless and profound, "It's about the pain. A lot of these heroic guys still hurt and if I can relieve their pain for just one brief moment, then I've done my job."



http://www.capveterans.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/ssgttimchambers.jpg

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/f5cd923561283a00859f0794a93e84f8.gif


THE MARINE


by Corporal Aaron M. Gilbert USMC

We all came together, Both young and old. To fight for our freedom, To stand and be bold.

In the midst of all evil, We stand our ground, And we protect our country From all terror around.

Peace and not war, Is what some people say. But I'll give my life, So you can live the American way.

I give you the right To talk of your peace, To stand in your groups, And protest in our streets.

But still I fight on. I don't *****, I don't whine. I'm just one of the men Who is doing your time.

I'm harder than nails, Stronger than any machine, I'm the immortal soldier, I'm a U.S. MARINE!

So stand in my shoes, And leave from your home. Fight for the people who hate you, With the protests they've shown.

Fight for the stranger, Fight for the young, So they all may have, The great freedom you've won.

Fight for the sick, Fight for the poor. Fight for the cripple, Who lives next door.

But when your time comes, Do what I've done. For if you stand up for freedom You'll stand when the fight's done.

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/238116.jpg


You just might be the Parent of a U. S. Marine


by Kolette, proud mom of Cpl Brian Abell, 3/25 WPNS Co.

If you find yourself peaking around the corner before you turn down your street checking that no military vehicles are parked in your driveway and if you have nightmares about people wearing royal blue pants with a red stripe ringing your doorbell, ... you just might be the parent of a Marine serving in a combat zone.

If you put out your flag everyday and find yourself wanting to rip the face off anyone who disrespects that symbol of our freedom, ... you just might be the parent of a U. S. Marine.

If you feel guilty for wishing your son would get 'injured just a little bit' because that would mean he would be safe and comfortable in a hospital for a few weeks, ... you might be the parent of a deployed Marine.

If you get really mad at the ignorant idiots who insist that all this fighting is just not necessary and that the world would be at peace if the US would just mind its own business, ... you just might be the parent of a U. S. Marine whose life is on the line to protect the freedoms that these thankless bums take for granted.

If you negotiate with God every night before bed and the first thing every morning that if he will just bring your son or daughter home safe, you will do absolutely anything, ...then you are the parent of a Marine stationed in Iraq or Afghanistan.

If you deliberately keep yourself very busy, every minute, every day for the sole purpose of distracting yourself from thinking that at that very moment someone, somewhere on the other side of the planet is shooting at your child, ... you just might have a Marine in a combat zone.

If your shopping cart contains tuna fish, beef jerky, foot powder, Chapstick, playing cards, disposable shavers, car magazines, a pre-paid phone card and small children's toys, ... you just might be the parent of a Marine who is spending a lot of his time patrolling the streets of Iraq.

If your son or daughter is halfway around the world fighting in 120 degree heat with 50 lbs of equipment on their back to preserve our country's freedom while your neighbor's smartass 20-year-old mouths off about our stupid military and you find you have to restrain yourself from slapping the crap out of him, ... you must be the parent of a U. S. Marine.

If you feel like an extraordinarily good mother because you know that you would sell your very soul, right now, to buy just one hug from your deployed Marine, ... know that you are actually only the average Marine Mom.

If you get calls at 3:00 am and barely recognize the voice of the child you raised between his satellite-delayed comments and then can't get back to sleep because you can't stop analyzing every word he said and kicking yourself for forgetting the things you tried to remember to ask, ... you are the parent of a U. S. Marine who is far from home.
If you have memories of a tough, but precious little boy with a dirt-smeared face who idolized He-Man, always had a 'sword' in his belt, and a plastic knife in his boot and later played hockey or football (and definitely paintball) and now has a very pretty girlfriend, ... you just might have raised a U. S. Marine.

If you are someone who hasn't penned a hand-written letter since the day email was invented, but now cranks them out daily, ... you just might be the parent of an active duty U. S. Marine.

If your vehicle displays a yellow ribbon AND a red, white and blue ribbon, a USMC magnet, a blue star, a "Marine Mom" license plate holder and an American flag sticker,... you just might be the parent of an active duty U. S. Marine.

[Books]

Mr. Nelson, did that last one get cut short?

[jinelson]

Marines And Spartans <br />
<br />
&lt;object width=&quot;425&quot; height=&quot;350&quot;&gt;&lt;param name=&quot;movie&quot; value=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/v/tnw9mv9eaYs&quot;&gt;&lt;/param&gt;&lt;param name=&quot;wmode&quot; value=&quot;transparent&quot;&gt;&lt;/param&gt;&lt;embed...

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/07company01-1.jpg


The Honor of Our Corps


by Robert A. Hall


When the beer, it flows like water,
And the talk, it turns to war,
Then we speak of absent comrades
And the Honor of our Corps.

Of the fights in distant places
And the friends who are no more,
Dying faithful to the nation
And the Honor of our Corps.

Though our bones are growing brittle
And our eyes are growing poor,
Still our hearts are young and valiant
For the Honor of our Corps.

Should the Eagle, Globe and Anchor
Call us to the field once more,
We would muster at the summons
For the Honor of our Corps.

When the years have told our story
And we close the final door,
We will pass to you for keeping
Bright the Honor of our Corps.

Will you take the awesome burden?
Will you face the fire of war?
Will you proudly bear the title
For the Honor of our Corps?

[jetdoc]

Jim, thats great stuff it is!!

[jinelson]

The Meaning Of Semper Fidelis <br />
<br />
by Cam Beck <br />
<br />
Semper Fidelis is more than a fancy slogan. It is truly a way of life. My father retired from the Marine Corps in the 90s, after serving over twenty...

[jinelson]

http://www.mcrdsd.usmc.mil/images/Co_photos/M/07July13/Co.-Photo.jpg


I THANK GOD FOR THE WARRIOR


by Mr. Mike Anderson Proud Father of The Late Cpl Michael D. Anderson Jr. USMC, Killed In Combat Action, Kicking Doors, 14 December 2004 in "Operation Phantom Fury" aka "Battle For Fallujah" Cpl. Mike served in 3rd Bn / 5th Marine Reg, Kilo Co, 1st Plt 3rd Squad, 1st Marine Division


I thank God for the warrior

Who stands for our ground

I thank God for the warrior

In whom our liberty is found

He lives his life unselfishly

So we can all be free

He's expert in all weaponry

The Few, the Proud, the Marine

His motive is for our behalf

He's in danger every day

Even though there is no draft

He goes out all the way

I thank God for the warrior

He performs his patriotic Chore

I thank God for the warrior

Who fights for God, Country, Corps.

[jinelson]

I wanted to do something today to memorialize Matt here in Todays Moto. A Poolee bgsuwoody posted a thread that is far better than what I had been thinking of so I'm posting it here. Thank you Mike you have done a fine job.

Jim


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/Me_and_Captain.jpg

Remembering Matthew Windham

by Mike Woodall Poolee USMC

Today is July 19, 2007; two years after the tragic death of Poolee Matthew Windham just a week before he was to ship off to Parris Island. Though I did not know Matthew, nor ever spoke to him, I have come to learn that his presence on this site and his impact on others was overwhelming and feel it is necessary to honor his life and his contributions to others.

As one of my mentors and Matthew’s alike, SSgt. Jim Nelson once said “I believe that a Marine, Poolee or man is not dead until they are forgotten and that’s not going to happen on my watch.” In that tradition, I feel it is my duty to help remember Matthew and provide a forum for others to remember him as well.

For those who knew him, his memory is your gift and should be cherished forever. For those who never had the opportunity or the privilege to meet or speak to Matthew, we must remember the spirit of this young man and how he lived his life. His presence not only changed the lives of so many, but helped them achieve their goals to become better people and better Marines.

Nicollo Machiavelli once said, “…a prudent man should always follow in the path trodden by great men and imitate those who are most excellent, so that if he does not attain to their greatness, at any rate he will get some tinge of it.” It is our responsibility as Poolees, and the hopeful future of the Marine Corps, to walk in the footsteps of those like Matthew Windham and maintain this tradition of hard-charging, life changing individuals whether it be Marine or Poolee alike. May we always live up to the Marine Corps spirit shown in Matthew and never forget the impact that one person can have on the world and that we should always attempt to make that impact no matter the cost.

My prayers go out to Matt’s family and friends on this somber day and hope that in some small way remembering his life and his spirit can soothe your pain. He will never be forgotten.

Semper Fidelis Matthew, you were a true Marine. May you continue to guard the streets of heaven, flanked by St. Michael, until each one of us are given the opportunity to join you by your side.

I dedicate this prayer (written by myself) in Matthew’s honor as I have dedicated it to the fallen before.




Blessed are you Lord, God of our Fathers. We do well to join all creation in heaven and on Earth in praising you. You made man in your own image and set him over all creation. Once, you chose a people and gave them a destiny, and when you brought them out of bondage to freedom they carried with them the promise that all men would be blessed and all men could be free

Your pledge to us of old has come to pass in every generation that has enjoyed this beautiful land. You have given us a new freedom in your spirit. It happened to our fathers who came to this land as if out of the desert with a place of promise and hope

It happens still in our time as you lead all men to the blessed vision of peace. And so with hearts full of love and gratitude we honor those who shed their blood so that we may never know the bondage of oppression nor live in the fear of tyrants.

As we honor those who have paid the ultimate price of freedom may we never forget that our debt to them is vigilance eternal.

Grant to them the everlasting peace of your kingdom and to us the sincerity of faith and dedication of purpose.

To you be all glory, honor, and praise...now and forever.

Amen.

Please use this thread to honor and remember the life, memory, and spirit, of Matthew Windham. Matthew shall not be forgotten on our watch.

More information about Matthew Windham (semperfidelis20) can be found at these links:
http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21267
http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32182
http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/showthread.php?t=27764
http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/showthread.php?t=25633

[Books]

This made my day. Thank you, Mr. Nelson.

[jinelson]

This was posted by Bruce59 in the Marine forums and it is outstanding. I hope that he doesent mind me sharing it with you as it is awe inspiring motivation.

Jim



http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n234/jetdoc/IMG_1687-1.jpg


"MY NAME IS PARRIS ISLAND"


by Bruce59

If you have been here, you know my name, My name is Parris Island. I was officially started in 1915 and I've seen recruits come and go by the thousands. If you were here when you got here by ferry boat, then you are truly old Corps. All recruits see my main gate only twice, once on the way in and once on the way out. Mostly you come by bus in the middle of the night. Tall,short, fat, skinny, black and white, long hair, short hair.You come through my main gate laughing some scared, mostly you act like teenagers, mostly you are teenagers. You each come here for your own reasons, but most come to test themselves, most need a direction in their lives. As you pass through my main gate your lives will change from that point on. I hope to see you leave as Marines, but you will not all leave together as Marines.Some will leave by themselves ,not Marines. They did not make the goal, my heart goes out to them, but not everyone can be a Marine. But today my heart is full of pride, for the next graduation of recruits, now MARINES, is leaving my front gate, teenagers no more but young men & women with a history to live up to.13 weeks and just look at the change. You know this is a happy day for me, but my best days are yet to come. That's when these Marines come back to see me 20, 30, 40 years from now. Oh yea, a lot of the old ones come back to see me, they have not forgottenOld Parris Island and I have not forgotten them. Former Marines and I have this bond, it's in our blood, it's PRIDE it is where it all started for both of us. My sad days are the ones that those that can't come back to see me those that were killed in WW1, WW11, Korea, Viet Nam, Beirut and all the little actions around the world. Hey, I've got to go have a bus load coming in tonight and one leaving in the morning...SEMPER FI!! You all come back and see me you hear!!

[jetdoc]

Excellent.

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/152813.jpg


A Ballad for U.S. Marines


by Peter S. Beck, USMC Retired


Have you ever thought, why we've battled and fought, for 230 years?

Why we never look back and always attack, without showing any fear.

Why our feeling runs deep and our honor we keep and never betray a trust.

Then you know what it means, to be labeled Marine, till our ashes turn to dust.

It started out, with a toast and a shout, in a tavern near some ships.

The bartender there, said some greens you could wear and take exciting trips.

It didn't take long, 2 battalions and a song and the troops were on their way,

To New Providence, where some island defense, was about to be ended that day.

That started the tale, that would soon regale, everyone back home in the states.

How a band of Marines, took a fort at the scene and unlocked the old iron gates.

Raised our flag on the roof, to give ironclad proof, that Marines are a breed set apart.

Then they left just as fast, when the crisis had past, it was here that the legend did start.

And so it went on, from each dusk to each dawn, as the stories continued to grow.

If you wanted a fight and it had to be right, the Marines were the outfit to know.

They didn't retreat and they never got beat, from one battleground to the next

And along that rough way, they performed every day; after all, they'd written the text.

It wasn't for all and you had to stand tall, if you wanted to join our small band.

But the day that you heard, that one single word, "Marine" was your singular brand.

You said it out loud and you carried it proud, never asking for quarter or giving it,

You instinctively knew, it was all up to you, it was your life and you were living it.

And so it has been, since that first island win, on beachheads all over the world.

From old Pirate ships to terrorist tricks, our banners are always unfurled.

We give it our best; we stand up to the test, for courage can't be bought off a shelf.

To experience the thrill, of taking the ville, you've got to do it yourself.

And thus it will be, from the desert to the sea, wherever Marines tend to gather.

We are all quite the same, we've all played the game and our ages don't really matter.

We're bound by our care, for the next one's who wear, the hallowed anchor and globe.

And we'll toast our great Corps, with a loud, husky roar, till St. Peter gives us a robe.

So now you know why, on land, sea or sky, we've fought for all of those years.

Why we never turn back and always attack and never show any fear.

Why the feeling runs deep and our honor we keep and never betray a trust.

Why we say what we mean, we are US Marines, till our ashes turn to dust.
__________________

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/M1CarbPistol.jpg


USMC Rules for Gun fighting


Recommended by: MSgt J. R. Cook, USMC Ret.



1) Bring a gun. Preferably two guns. Bring all of your friends who have guns.

2) Anything worth shooting is worth shooting twice. Ammo is cheap. Life is expensive.

3) Only hits count. The only thing worse than a miss is a slow miss.

4) Move away from your attacker. Distance is your friend. (Lateral and diagonal movement are preferred.)

5) If you can choose what to bring to a gunfight, bring a long gun and a friend with a long gun.

6) In ten years nobody will remember the details of caliber or tactics. They will only remember who lived.

7) If you are not shooting, you should be communicating, reloading, and running.

8) Use a gun that works EVERY TIME. "All skill is in vain when an angel ****es in the flintlock of your musket."

9) Someday someone may kill you with your own gun, but they should have to beat you to death with it because it is empty.

10) Always cheat; always win. The only unfair fight is the one you lose.

11) Have a plan.

12) Have a back-up plan, because the first one won't work.

13) Use cover or concealment as much as possible.

14) Flank your adversary when possible and always protect yours.

15) Never drop your guard.

16) Always tactical load and threat scan 360 degrees.

17) Watch their hands. Hands kill. (In God we trust...everyone else keep your hands where I can see them).

18) Decide to be aggressive ENOUGH, quickly ENOUGH...hesitation kills.

19) The faster you finish the fight, the less injured you will get.

20) Be polite. Be professional. And have a plan to kill everyone you meet.

21) Be courteous to everyone, friendly to no one.

22) Your number one option for Personal Security is a lifelong commitment to avoidance, deterrence, and de-escalation.

23) Do not attend a gunfight with a handgun the caliber of which does not start with a "4."

Navy Rules for Gun fighting:

1) Go to Sea

2) Send the Marines

3) Drink Coffee

[jinelson]

Commandant General Leonard F. Chapman Jr. was part of my boot camp chain of command and this memo is note worthy as not much has changed in forty years.

Jim



http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/chapman2.gif


Marines Don't Do That


By: L. F. Chapman, Jr. - Commandant


DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY
HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20380

From: Commandant of the Marine Corps
To: All General Officers and All Commanding Officers - Active and Reserve
Subj: Marines Don't Do That

1. Early this month I received the following note from a distinguished friend:

General Chapman:

"Recently I was in an air terminal......(Most people there presented a pretty sloppy appearance) - coats unbuttoned, ties loosened, etc. There was a Marine Corporal (in uniform) who was just the opposite. I spoke to the Marine and pointed out the difference to him. I asked him why it was so? His answer was: 'The Marines don't do that.'"

"Regards,"

2. "The Marines don't do that." A simple statement of fact which leaves no question in the mind of the listener.

3. Marines don't - wear a scruffy uniform.
Marines don't - slouch around with their hands in their pockets. Marines don't - wear long hair.
Marines don't - fail to respond with a "Yes, or No, Sir" when speaking with a senior. Marines don't - render a half-hearted or sloppy salute to the Stars and Stripes or to their seniors. Marines don't - gang up on each other.
Marines don't - question lawful orders.
Marines don't - lie or cheat or break their word.
Marines don't - abandon a fellow Marine in time of need.
Marines don't - let down their fellow Marines by succumbing to drug temptation.
Marines don't - meet problems with "It can't be done" or questions with the easy answer "No."
Marines don't - knock the system without recommending appropriate change. Marines don't - (the list is all but endless).
4. Marines don't do that. But why not? Because they are a breed apart. They are not the run of the mill; they are but a few good men. They are proud members of an elite Corps. They are as well trained as-if not better than-any military outfit, anywhere. They have led the way, in war and peace, for 196 years. And they know that today they are ready-combat ready-to move out, any time, with the Navy, go anywhere, take on anybody, fight and win.

We must keep our balance, raise our quality, maintain our standards, and be ready to serve our Country. Marines do that!

/s/ L. F. Chapman, Jr.
Commandant

[jinelson]

http://www.marines.cc/images/stories/articles/pickup6.jpg


Boot Camp


Author Unknown


We learn to fight
Down at dusk up at dawn
Building our bodies
Gaining brains, gaining brawn

I learn of my rifle
And all of its strengths
I crawl, and I climb,
And I run great, great lengths

I remember my home
And I miss its smell
If only I had known
This would be such hell

My girl, my girl
How could I leave her side
If only I were there
I would make her my bride

But now I must go
And put thoughts of home behind me
My world is right here
And the rest of the world is blind to me

Graduation is closer
Every single day
I wish it were here
These words I pray

Once it is over
I will have become a man
They say I will be strong
Strong enough to fight for this land

But in my mind
I am learning to fight for my home
That is where my brightest light
Has always shone

My family and friends
Will say where’s your canteen
But my dad will say
Have you met my son “The Marine”

[jinelson]

by - Remarks of Commandant of the Marine Corps, General James T. Conway “George P. Shultz Lecture Series” at the Marines’ Memorial Association and World Affairs Council San Francisco, CA Wednesday, July 10, 2007 - In another instance that happened just last week, Corporal Garret Hawkins had his right leg shattered in a IED blast northwest of Karma. Before he was medevaced out by helicopter, he told his First Sergeant that he first needed to go back to the base. Once at the treatment station, he announced he wanted to reenlist before he was evacuated. His platoon commander read the oath, the corporal raised his right hand as he laid on the stretcher, and his fellow Marines shook their heads in amazement and could only say, “That’s motivating as hell.”


http://www.onemarinesview.com/one_marines_view/images/2007/07/07/moto_lo.jpg

I agree with the Marines that witnessed this, thats motivating as hell! Just think about it for a minute could you muster up that kind of guts given the circumstances? OORAH!!! Read the Commandants entire speech at this link; http://www.blackfive.net/main/2007/07/usmc-commandant.html

Jim

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/DoYouUnderstandMe.jpg


Training for the Corps


by Ms.V2Lo

(A Poem For My Son, Lcpl David)


He's off to Parris Island where
He'll train to fight the war.
My son, my heart, a piece of me
Will be a child no more
Before he left I hugged him
Every time he passed me by
I told him that I loved him
As a tear fell from my eye
I'm proud of him, it's what he wants
I cried and held him tight
And pray to God to keep him strong
Please guide him through the fight
And though I had prepared myself
I never felt such sorrow
As that day he left for boot camp
For we wouldn't hug tomorrow
And yes I miss him selfishly
But one thing that I'm sure
Is all his dreams are coming true
He'll soon be in the Corps.

[jinelson]

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x157/usmc3537/270764.jpg


THESE EYES


Author: Earl Davis



Ever vigilant, ever keen
These eyes have seen . . .
Babies being born,
The agony of pain.


Ever vigilant, ever keen
These eyes have seen . . .
The beauty of a hillside,
After a gentle summer's rain.

Ever vigilant, ever keen
These eyes have seen . . .
The barrenness of a hillside,
When the napalm begins to fall.

Ever vigilant, ever keen
These eyes have seen . . .
Bodies running, bodies scattering,
When the mission goes well.

Ever vigilant, ever keen
These eyes have seen . . .
Children being children at play,
No sense of fear, no sense of day.

Ever vigilant, ever keen
These eyes have seen . . .
Children being objects at war,
And objects scattered in disarray.

Ever vigilant, ever keen
These eyes have seen . . .
Scenes of now, and scenes of then,
The price of freedom, the picture of horror.

Ever vigilant, ever keen
These eyes have seen . . .
The color of fear, real and imagined,
It is my doing, the acts of this war.

Ever vigilant, ever keen
These eyes have seen . . .
Remains in the field, remains in the casket,
Eyes of their kin all filled with tears.

Ever vigilant, ever keen
These eyes have seen . . .
Visions of death and unlasting peace,
These eyes are mine throughout the years.

[jinelson]

This is one of my favorite Marines and he is immortalised in song by one of my favorite singers Johnny Cash. I remember well when he sang the Ballad Of Ira Hayes to the 1st Marine Division and 1st Marine Air Wing at Freedom Hill in Vietnam in 1970.

Jim


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[sparkie]

I have always idolized Ira Hayes. Small world.

[sparkie]

Thanks Jim,,,,,,,I won't forget.

[jinelson]

http://marinepoetry.homestead.com/files/chesty02.jpg



The Chosin Few


by Cpl. Robert L. Cook


When I step out my door

And chill wind hits my skin,

My mind goes back

To the days

Of misery

At Chosin.


We drove the foe

To the Yalu

And nearly had it made,

When hordes of men

With yellow skin

Came screaming

To the place.


We firmly stood our ground

And fought with

All our skill,

We could not overcome

The masses of men

To kill.


The way to safer ground

Was long and it was cold,

But we had the will

To fight the foe

And so we did hold.


The lads were froze

And needed food

And a warm place

For to sleep,

For on the trails

Of hard travails

The snow was cold

And deep.


To them

It was

A second hell,

For they'd been there before.

For some had fought

In torrid climes

No better or no worse.


The long days

Passed in grim retreat,

They lived with

Frozen hands and feet.

They carried home

The wounded

And they carried home

The dead,

For no Marine is left

Upon the field,

This must be said.


In time

They all left the field

And drew a line in the sand.

'Tis here we stand

Or here we die

We surrender

To no man.


The line still stands

Between the lands

Guarded and secure,

A grim reminder

Of the past,

Let it e're endure.

Semper Fi!

[sparkie]

http://vietnam.northfork.net/graphics/marine3.jpg

[jinelson]

http://www.wtv-zone.com/Mary/WebPageGifs/WebPageGifs2/MAKEYOUproud.jpg


Meet Captain Chontosh and discover

Marine Corps Pride


http://www.wtv-zone.com/Mary/THISWILLMAKEYOUPROUD.HTML

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