Seaver A Proud Marine

[thedrifter]

SEAVER A PROUD MARINE
Sun Mar 30, 4:26 AM ET

By MICHAEL MORRISSEY

PORT ST. LUCIE - Whenever Tom Seaver finds himself in an automobile, his eyes always track toward the license plate and back window of his fellow motorists.


Whenever the Hall of Fame right-hander sees a Marine Corps emblem or a Semper Fi bumper sticker, a feeling of pride surges through him.


One of the biggest reasons Seaver became "Tom Terrific" with the Mets, he says, was because he served in the Marine reserves before embarking on a Cooperstown career.


"There's one transition point in your life, and that was it," Seaver said recently. "If I'm to credit anything, it was the Marine Corps.


"I was a good student after that. I had focus and an objective. And I grew and I matured."


In 1962, Seaver considered himself a runt and a late-bloomer without much focus. Shipped out to boot camp in Southern California, the 17-year-old knew on that first day that his life was about to change.


"I didn't know if it was tough or not," Seaver said. "All I knew was I had someone yelling at me - and I hadn't even done anything yet.


"I went, 'Oh, this is what my dad's been talking about.' I can remember saying that to myself - to this day."


During the Vietnam War, Seaver served an eight-year commitment, including three months of boot camp, three months of active duty at Camp Pendleton outside of San Diego and 51/2 years of reserve obligation.


"I'll tell you what: you walk out of graduation from boot camp three months later, and you're damn proud of yourself and proud of that uniform," he said.


Seaver doesn't have any anger towards the current protesters against the war in Iraq (news - web sites).


"That's why it's a great country," he said. "The First Amendment is more important than these . . .Who cares what some actor thinks about it? It doesn't make a difference. He still has a right to say it. So does the guy running the 7-Eleven down there."



Sempers,

Roger

[MillRatUSMC]

We'll forgive Tom Seaver and his fellow "Mets" beating our "Cubbies" a great come from behind.
Maybe that the reason, Tom had great focus and it must have rubbed off on his fellow team players.
Another of "A Few Good Men"...

Semper Fidelis
Ricardo