Todays Moto

[jinelson]

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]

The Old Corps and the New

by Cpl. Robert L. Cook USMC

There's always been an "Old Corps"
No matter when your time.
I have heard it spoken of
In every port and clime.

It seems the way
That it was done,
'Twas always better then.
No matter that
The Corps was old
When they had just begun.

Old timers are a cagey bunch,
They like the way they feel.
When talking of their duty —
They had the toughest deal.

Of how they led the charge ashore
And held it to a man.
They never lost a single gun
Nor gave an inch of sand.

Together they had won the day
The enemy was routed
They carried forth
Their nation's flag
In victory they shouted.

But never mind, you raw recruits
Your time will come I'm sure
When you can say
"It ain't the same
Since I first came;
It's lost its old allure."

So the old Corps
Meets the new Corps.
And together they will
Carry their country's banner,
Through Hell and far beyond.

[MotivatorOfTheGuard]

Moto From The Frontlines...

Police Transition Team

"If You Are Just, Then Do Not Fear The Warrior When He Walks Among You,
However, If You Are Not Righteous, Bring Pain & Suffering, and Exploit The Weak,
Then Fear The Law... and The Warrior That Brings It"

Al Anbar Province, Iraq

[jinelson]

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]

The Corps

Mary Beth Magee

United for our country,

Standing tall against the foe — we

Meet the enemy on his own ground

And make it ours. We are

Ready to go where we’re needed

In any situation, any conflict.

Never intimidated, there’s no “give” in us.

Ever vigilant to safeguard our nation’s freedom, we

Can fight, we can comfort, we can befriend those in need.

Only our enemies have cause to fear.

Resting in the comfort of God and trusting the

Preparedness of our brothers we boldly shout

Semper Fi!

[jinelson]

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]

Dear Mom

by Pfc Jay Keck USMC

Dear Mom, I love you so, so if I go to war
Here are a few things I want you to know

Dear Mom, remember the good times
In my youth and in my prime

Dear Mom, I miss you so much
So please write letters and keep in touch

Dear Mom, please don't hate the enemy
He too will suffer the pain and agony

Dear Mom, I can tell you not to worry
But in our hearts we'll all feel the fury

Dear Mom, you were always there
Thanks for the love, thanks for the care

Dear Mom, when I kissed you good-bye
I could see your love thru the tears in your eyes

Dear Mom, you'll worry the most
But we must defend this land from coast to coast

Dear Mom, you must stay strong
With your love and understanding it will help us get along

Dear Mom, don't spend all your time worrying about me
And don't forget the rest of the family

Dear Mom, this time will pass
So please hang n there 'till I see you at last

Dear Mom, remember this, I love you so much
I'll see you soon, and look forward to your touch

[jinelson]

Riflemans Creed

[jinelson]

This is freakin MOTO!!!

Jim

[jinelson]

A Marine is Born


By Jack Ritonya
Dedicated to Josh and all Service Members


My son and I sat down to contemplate
a decision that could seal his fate.


He told me "Dad, I want to serve
The US Marine Corp without reserve!"


We talked at length about the war.
He simply wanted to do much more.


Death or injury that could occur
was not enough to shake this lure.


I tried my best to sway his mind
but he held steadfast to serve mankind.


His eyes were full of determination
when he said "This is my generation!"


He said "My life's been way too good."
and at that moment I understood.


My heart grew warm and full of pride
at his willingness to replace those who died.


We pray for all that's in harm's way;
Honor, Courage and Commitment keep us safe today.

[Menso]

bump

[Quinbo]

I got this from an Army friend.
I wonder how many times during Operation Iraqi Freedom that the phrase
"******* Marines" was uttered? Even in the best of times, Army and Air Force
officers have been heard muttering some epithet about Marines, invoking
either heaven or hell. Interestingly enough, we Marines find it all rather
reassuring and, at times, amusing.
Most of the time, Marines do not go out of our way to be obnoxious; we are
just doing what Marines have done for over 200 years. A good example is the
fact that Marines always raise the American flag over mountains or cities
they ! have conquered. From Mt. Suribachi to the City of Hue, to Kuwait City
to Baghdad, U.S. Marines have raised the Stars and Stripes -- in the latter
examples, much to the chagrin of higher headquarters. You don't get these
kinds of problems with the army.
So what is it about the U.S. Marines that they stick U.S. flags on
everything and do more with less, a less that is either old or an army
hand-me-down? We call it Esprit de Corps , but it goes deeper than that. We
learn and maintain myths of the past, which also means living up to those
historical examples. Marine Corps boot camp is the longest of the services;
it is where we mold young men and women into the mythical image called a
Marine. You can be in the Army, you can join the Air Force, but you become a
Marine. All of the other uniformed services have songs; the U.S. Marines
have a hymn. The basic pattern of Marine Corps uniforms comes from the ! late
nineteenth century; our emblem "the Eagle, Globe and Anchor" has remained
largely unchanged since 1868. The buttons on our dress blues, whites and
greens date back to the founding of our corps. The Marine Corps is the only
service that requires its officers to carry a sword, whose pattern dates
back to 1805.
I think that the path of being a Marine was established long ago. On the 10
th of November 1775, the Marine Corps was first established...in a tavern.
To this day, no matter where in the world, Marines celebrate the founding of
our beloved Corps, much to the confusion of the other services.
A few years ago, a congresswoman from Colorado felt that the Marine Corps
was radical and extreme. She contended that the Marine Corps was not
politically correct, nor did we seem to be part of the Department of
Defense's transition to a "kinder and gentler" military. She was correct,
and the Marine Corps took it as a compliment.
But the proof is in the doing, and during Iraqi Freedom the Marines
demonstrated what Marines can do. I watched with some amusement as a
reporter asked a young lance corporal about being in Iraq and under rifle
fire. "Love it, sir!" was his response. The reporter was taken aback and
asked, "No, really." The Marine then tried to explain that this is what he
was trained to do, he looked forward to doing it and was now happy to be
doing it. No doubt in boot camp he was told that he was "a minister of death
praying for war." Contrast that with the poor U.S. Army Apache pilots who
said that if they had to take life, they would do so reluctantly. You are
either a warrior or you are not.
Marines are mission oriented. Live or die, the most important thing to a
Marine is accomplishing the mission. Whether taking the bridge, river or
town, accomplishing the mission is the Holy Grail of being a Marine. How the
mission is accomplished is not so important, as it is expected of all
Marines to accomplish the mission with the tools available. This is probably
why we heard that Marines in one engagement were fighting with knives and
bayonets. This was hardly high tech, but it was effective. These Marines now
have bragging rights, for they have proven that they talk-the-talk and
walk-the-walk. I doubt there is a single Marine who is not envious.
Marines are practical, as well. I enjoyed hearing two reporters interviewing
each other, one embedded with the army, the other with the Marines. The
reporter with the army noted that the sandstorm had blown down many of the
soldiers' cots. The other reporter countered that the Marines did not have
this problem because they slept on the ground. The Marine learns to live
with what he can carry on his back. He expects to be moved around on the
battlefield via his two black Cadillacs (boots). If he is lucky and gets a
ride on an amtrack, so much the better -- but it is not expected! . At the end
of a mission, the priority for cleaning is weapon, then equipment, and
finally, body. When the other services talk about "quality of life," they
are referring to housing, clubs and food. Marines are talking about better
weapons, equipment and training, winning the battle and coming home alive is
considered "quality of life."
All of this translates into combat power. In comparison to the U.S. Army's
3 rd Infantry Division, the Marines of I Marine Expeditionary Force were
lightly equipped. Yet, they battled through the heart of Iraq, fought to the
center of Baghdad and then moved off to Tikrit, taking that city as well.
The press was so enamored with the Marines that in the final days of the war
they even credited the Marines with deeds actually accomplished by the army.
Little wonder we heard "******* Marines!" so often.
So we need to give the Marines some slack when they do something politically
incorrect, such as raising the flag or appearing insensitive when killing
the enemy. In the field, they look sloppy compared to the army, but are
aggressive in the attack and generally unhappy in the defense. Marines take
pride in their work, even if that work is war.
We are just Marines and that is what we do.

Lt. Col. David W. Szelowski USMCR (ret.)

[jinelson]

There's some good moto here so get at it.

JIM