Why I joined the Corps

[SgtHMH]

I joined to be in the best and part of the best. I'm not just a Marine, I'm a Marine Sergeant. We all know what it takes and skill to be a Marine and to be a Marine NCO, this more than one could hope for. We all know it that have worn the ranks of our Corps. We take pride in our skills, MOS and the way we treat and look out for each other and our lower ranks. That is why I joined the Marines. We all feel the sameway.

Semper Fi

[Danny C Smith]

Well like the last post from the SGT.
I joined to be the best and part of the best.
But like most of my posts on this outstanding forum,
I have to ramble with a few under my belt lol.
When this Marine was 6 years of age my Parents
took me to the Dallas State Fair as it was called then.
the only and I mean only thing that really sticks in my brain housing group
is seeing the Marine Corps Silent Drill Team.
That was the beginning of the beginning.Fast forward.
At the age of 20, out of school, dead end jobs and bored out
of my noggin .
I met a young Man. Ssgt. Sloy.
Came home and announced that I was going to be a Marine.
Got the usual WTF! from MOM and other family members not to
mention friends.
I was told because of my size and weight that I would never
and couldn't make it.
I was a Black Belt of Shoto Kan by this time and I thought
how tough could it be? At that time Kara Te was still rough.
Well now lol.
I know you Marines and Docs know the rest of the story

[HARDLUCK88]

I was young and stupid. I thought the pretty blue uniform with a sword would get me lots of great sex with beautiful women. I didn't get the pretty blue uniform. I got green jungles with a filthy flack jacket instad of the blues and a 28 pound radio with a whip antenna instead of the sword and I didn't get a lot of great sex with beautiful women, I did get F*cked a lot though.

Now I'm old and stupid but I'm still a United States Marine and proud of it!

amen!

[HARDLUCK88]

All:

IThunder is quite llikely a despicable poser. Disregard anything written or stated.

To begin with, you have an incomplete profile. Until you complete same, you will get no further response (nor should you) from anyone on this site, effective now. And, until you explain yourself, fully, to a moderator, expect to hear black helicopters coming to extract your butt from this site and be eliminated from cluttering up our area.

Unless and until I hear otherwise, I will be posting this response after every single thing you put here as a warning to other Marines, Marine friends, and poolees. Suggest you unfrack yourself ASAP.

Regarding THIS post, obviously, you haven't a clue what you are talking about. Sgt7477, steps are being taken to remedy the issue. See above for guidance.

v/r

i was looking at your signature, and i hope you understand what i mean when i say, your salad bowl is epic! i dont see many kosovo medals anymore

[William Hardy]

And 8 months later here I am, 4 weeks from now will be my 17th Birthday and I'll be taking the first step to the proudest thing I will ever do in life. I am not sure if I am allowed to post here, no I am not a Marine yet, and I know theres still a very long road ahead, but I don't know, this has just been my life, my dream, now that I can finally take the first step to accomplishing it, I guess I'm just a little excited and had to share my story.. If i was not supposed to post here just tell me, i won't make the mistake again, well thats my story in a nutshell, thanks for reading..

DON'T DO IT!!!! Go to college...get a degree....and become an officer. My biggest regret was turning down an offer to become an officer. Being a Gunnery Sergeant of Marines was great, but I should have taken the offer for a free education and a commission. One of my regrets. From your post, you sound as if you can go straight into college. Not everyone can cut it in college. If you can, do it and take the high road and become a leader of Marines.

[Born2bUSMC]

DON'T DO IT!!!! Go to college...get a degree....and become an officer. My biggest regret was turning down an offer to become an officer. Being a Gunnery Sergeant of Marines was great, but I should have taken the offer for a free education and a commission. One of my regrets. From your post, you sound as if you can go straight into college. Not everyone can cut it in college. If you can, do it and take the high road and become a leader of Marines.

Thanks alot, I have been through alot of arguing with me and my parents, even my dad who is a marine, who kept telling me to do college first but i always felt like they just wanted to buy time for me out of the military.. Its good to hear advice from a Marine who's not a family member or a recruiter lol thanks, I actually just got my acceptance letter so I'm officially going to college first..

[noemi]

hello 2 all of you...

[Ray Merrell]

I was 19 years old, working at the International Shoe Factory in Marshall, Missouri, Tuesday, November 17, 1942. I was paid by piece work, and we had work orders that told us what to make up. My work was on the first part of the shoe, getting the shoe last ready for the uppers. We had to do so many racks each day. We were making military 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. There had been alot of publicity about the Marines on Guadalcanal that had influenced us to chose the Marines. Incidently, I was the only one to pass the physical.

Gung Ho,

Ray

[William Hardy]

I read your book and no telling how many post, but I don't recall that story before...it fills in a blank in the Ray Merrell story! It could be I just don't recall. I'll have to check the book to be sure. Take care.

Semper Fi

Bill H.

[Ray Merrell]

Don't miss the first paragraph.

Have a Happy Day!

Gung ho,

Ray

[SadSack]

Followed in my Fathers, and his brothers footsteps. That's about the gist of it. High School wasn't working out, and I was 17 going on 30, or so I thought at the time. Dropped out and was basically a pot smoking, lazy hoodlum. Legal trouble made enlisting seem better than reform school.

[EGTSpec]

Allways was a follower. Wanted to be a leader. Lacked the self confidence. Got it in the Corps, but as I've aged and mellowed, I've found I'm back to being a follower. But I'm damn good at it. Thanks to the Marines.

[03Foxtrot]

My Dad retired as a Sgt. Major USMC in January 1968 after 23 years in the Corps and I quit college and enlisted in March of '68. He did not expect or encourage or probably want me in the Marines, but I felt an obligation to my country and what else could I do. What pushed me over the line of hesitation was the photos of Marine wounded being evacuated from Hue on top of a tank, during Tet 1968, I believe Life Magazine published them on the cover. I believed in my country and the Marine Corps before arrival in Nam and after my return and discharge, I believed in almost nothing but myself and my brother grunts I served with.
Semper Fi

[bilesga]

Wow!! Seems we all have pretty simular stories on "why" we joined the Corps. Mine is little different from the one's I've read here. Quit High School, didn't have a clue on what to do, tired of being at home...da da da, so I first spoke to the Army, the Navy, then to the Corps, best decision of my life! Called home, told them I was joining the Marines, and got laughed at! You won't make it, they are too tough! Went into Boot Camp, got my GED, was a requirement at the time,then on through training and prooved them all wrong! The bad part was...I was the only recruit at graduation, that had no family in attendance! I said to hell with them and never looked back! The Marines became my new family! Semper Fi

[thebladegirl]

Circa 1961: I met a man when I was 4 years old. My Mom was divorced and she was dating him. Nice guy, took my sister and I to the movies with them. My Mom married him. He became my "Dad". He was a hard worker and had served in the Marines. He had a picture of himself and his friends in uniform that was displayed proudly. A picture of 3 buddies and him. Everyone in the picture had been killed except for him. He served in Korea. He taught me of the pride and honor of the Marines. He raised my sister and I as his own children. When I graduated high school and was thinking about what I could do with my life I needed to look no further than my "Dad" SSGT Daniel H. Parrow. I knew I wanted to be just like "Dad". We (I speak of myself, my "Dad", and my brothers and sisters of Our Corps) have Honor, Disipline, and Integrity. "Dad" passed away in 1985 but his belief in our Corps and Country live in me. My "Dad" became more than my Dad, he became my Father, my Idol, and my Brother Marine. God Bless you Dad, Semper Fi Brother.

This is so nice. I am sure your Dad must have been so proud of you. Sounds like he was a good father and raised you well. The world could use more fathers like that.