How Did It Come About That You Joined The Corps?

[benp]

Was at a career fair junior year of college. Saw the recruiter and started talking to him for a bit and signed the paperwork. Happened pretty quickly. A couple months later I was on my way to OCS.

[hillbillyjar]

A man I looked up to, from the time I was about ten or twelve, was a Marine.

His no bull****, just step right into what ever the problem was, take control of it, just fix the problem and move on attitude, was something I had never seen till I met him. My family was always big on "laying blame".

Then in High School, when the recruiters came to visit, the only one that didn't look like a soup sandwich, and didn't talk like they couldn't say **** if they had a mouthful of it, was a Marine Staff Sergeant, well... That made the choice even easier.

[Ray Merrell]

"I was working at the International Shoe Factory in Marshall, Mo., making shoes for the Army and Marines. One morning the supervisors were riding us to get more work done, so three of us walked out about 10 a.m. and went to Sedalia to join the Marines. We had decided we would rather wear the shoes than make them." (from my book "My Three Years in the Marine Corps.)

My two friends didn't pass the test so I was the lone Marine. My dad had wanted me to join the Navy, and my two brothers did.

Gung Ho,

Ray

[Sterling Mace]

"I was working at the International Shoe Factory in Marshall, Mo., making shoes for the Army and Marines. One morning the supervisors were riding us to get more work done, so three of us walked out about 10 a.m. and went to Sedalia to join the Marines. We had decided we would rather wear the shoes than make them." (from my book "My Three Years in the Marine Corps.)

My two friends didn't pass the test so I was the lone Marine. My dad had wanted me to join the Navy, and my two brothers did.

Gung Ho,

Ray

Ray,
You know, I like that. Funny thing is, I tried to join the Navy first, because a pal of mine sent me a photo of him in his Navy denims. I thought he looked sharp. But I failed the Navy eye exam.

Sterling G. Mace

[USNAviator]

Ray and Sterling I just wanted to say thank you gentleman. Without members of your generation, including my Dad Jack, who knows where America would be

I'm glad the two of you have taken the time to write books on your experiences. I wish other WW2 vets had done the same, if not written a book at least have recorded their thoughts about the years served.

On Monday Dec 8th, 1941 my Dad and several of his friends went to the Marine recruiter in South Boston, MA. All were accepted but him. Next he tried the Navy but once again no luck. Finally the Army said OK. Of course during this whole process he remained 5:11 and about 125 lbs. Let's just say growing up in the Depression really sucked if you wanted to eat!!

[BadAce2212]

Coming from a military family(None in the Marine Corps) growing up I was always fascinated with the military so it seemed to be a calling to me, or like some say, just plain genetics for me to enlist. When I graduated high school I was co-oping at the Anniston Army Depot here in sweet home Alabama and the Army was going to pay for my college to take Diesel Tech. Over my time there I kept catching myself saying," This isn't the side of the military I want to be on( The civilian contractor side). So it was then I decided to make my rounds to the recruiters and see what was going on. In the back of my head I knew I wanted to join the Corps because my whole life I always wanted to be the best, and to be the best you gotta join the best, but with influence from co-workers and my brother, the Army was starting to become my first option. Well I went and talked to all the recruiters and saw how nasty they all were and how the Marines were squared away. I decided that I was going to be the best and I signed the dotted line. No regrets, would do it again anyday. I went on to become the first Marine in my family and now I'm part of the best. Semper Fi Brothers & Sisters

[RNC]

I started my senior year of H.S. in 1981. Had to start thinking of a way to support myself because college was out of the question for several reasons. Mostly because no support at home. I knew as soon as I turned 18 I would be out on my rear. Economy was in the crapper. So I was looking at a long line of minimum wage jobs.
I had always considered joining the service but was never serious until I had to face my future. I really don't remember how or why, but one day it just hit me that I wanted to be a Marine. So I called up the local recruiter and arranged a meeting. Took the ASVAB, talked Mom in to signing, took the physical and signed the papers. I wanted to be a grunt, but the recruiter talked me into Aviation Maint. I suppose it was because of my mechanical background. Regardless, I think he did me a favor. I had a great time in The Wing. So, I was in the DEP from Oct. 81 until Sept 82. I was also a contract PFC. After I enlisted, 6 other guys from my class joined up as well. It was a good year for the Corps at my school.

[RaidonTactics]

Perhaps not that much different than the general question of "why", but I was more interested in the steps you took, how you made the decision, what influenced you etc

I made the decision after a year out of high school, while sitting at a desk of being an electronics tech. I missed the team spirit feeling and the enjoyment of competition. All my cousins were in the different services and no one was a Marine. I took the challenge and became a Grunt 0311.

[karen8857]

Never thought why I joined. Just did.

[tgwkreu7]

i joined the Marines when i graduated from high school when ui was 17 and they were looking for good men or people like i say they don't come any better than me just ask anyone

[RonaldOverby]

I was one messed up twenty year old Individual, woke up one day and said what am i gonna do with my life, had a friend that was in the Corps and he got straight, it really made an impression on me, Wen't to a Marine Corps recruiter told him my life was a mess and heading in the wrong direction, i took a couple of tests, then waaa laaa i was headed to basic training. Best decision ever made in my entire life. It changed me as a person and it also let me know there was alot more to this big old world than Newark New Jersey,

P.S. I met that same friend one day we were all standing outside in the chow line in Okinawa, what a small world!!!! he freaked out. LOLOLOLOL

Semper Fi

[ingersollturok]

I joined because of the challenge and because my family said that the Marine Corps was the best. They were right.

[Conch]

I had originally applied to the Naval Academy, and unfortunately I didn't get accepted. Guess I wasn't competitive enough (my little brother would later get accepted though, the lucky guy). After high school, I did a year and a half at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. I decided it wasn't for me, and without thinking everything through clearly, I dropped out and went back home to the Florida Keys. However, unfortunately, being the tiny little islands that they are, there aren't much job opportunities available in the Keys.

One day before Christmas, I went up to Miami with my folks to do Christmas shopping, and I decided to stop by the Marine recruiter's office that was in the mall to talk with them. I walked in, saw what they had to offer and talked with the recruiter. I signed and was at Parris Island a few weeks later. I went into Air Traffic Control. Sadly, I was medically discharged last year for breathing problems I developed. I now live in Key West and do Air Traffic Control at Key West International Airport. I had planned on making a career out of the Corps and was going to be a lifer, however sadly, that changed. I plan on finishing my degree by going back to school this fall. I have no regrets whatsoever about my decision to join the Marine Corps.

[DevilGeek]

I did two years of school and had a part time job as a tech support phone rep.
Although I was doing fine in school, I noticed a complete lack of discipline in damn near everything I did. Decided the quickest way to fix that was through the Corps.
Turned out pretty well.

[Minderbinder]

My half-brother was a shiny, my dad was recon in 'Nam, my uncles were in Korea (one is still MIA at Chosin), and my granddad joined to get away from working in the coal mines. That got him around from the Banana Wars, through WWII, Korea, and then a little further on.

Of course, "my family did it" is a pathetic reason to become a Marine.
Since I've been able to read, I have raised myself on the lore and history of my beloved Corps. Seeing "motivators" that call me a bag but can't recognize a picture of Lt. Gen. Lewis B. Puller, or still don't realize who I'm talking about until I tell them he's usually called "Chesty" really knocked this current breed of Marine down a few pegs in my eyes though.

Too many 'hard-chargers' from IPAC that just don't appreciate the blood and sweat that went into building the reputation they use to get laid/