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Thread: Why I joined the Corps
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03-19-08, 01:09 PM #1
Why I joined the Corps
Why I joined the Corps
I was in the 6th grade when I first looked into the Marines. I picked up a book about the Marines and needless to say I was amazed at the tradition the battles and the discipline of these stories I read in this book. Other than that book I knew nothing about the Marines. I just figured all the military was the same. At that point I was to young to really start thinking about what I wanted to do in life but the seed was planted.
It wasn’t till the 9th grade when I saw the greatest site I have ever seen walk onto my campus. A Marine Sgt in his dress blues, with all his shinny medals reflecting the sunlight into my eyes. I’m not going to say I joined the Marines for the uniforms. Not at all but that is what got my attention again. That seed that was planted years ago now started to grow.
Now 15 years old I spent my time on the internet, not this high speed click and go internet either. I’m talking AOL 56k loads a page in 5 hour’s - internet. I studied all I could about the Marines and visited the website religiously.
Back at school posters lined the hallways saying that the Marine recruiter would be in the counselor’s office today at lunch. I skipped the chow for the day and was the first one there. I saw that same Sgt but this time in his Dress Charlie’s. I walked up to him with a “I’m the **** attitude” and told him I “wanted to be a Marine”. He looked at me and said how old are you son? I told him I was 15 years old at which point he laughed and said come see me in 2 years kid and than maybe, just maybe we will take you.
I couldn’t believe that he just sent me on my way and didn’t give a dang about me. So now I wanted to show this Sgt that I meant business. Their recruiting station was right next to the Army RSS much like they always are. So I went out there and made sure this Marine Sgt who didn’t care if I enlisted or not saw me walk into the Army’s office. I had no intention of ever joining the Army but I wanted this Marine Sgt to do his job and recruit me.
The Army was more than happy to accommodate me way to quickly, they started telling me all these stories about how I could join the Army with no hassle and how the Army offers money for enlistment. But after the Army talked to me for about an hour I felt as though I had betrayed the Corps that I was not even a part of yet. So I left the Army RSS with my head held low felling like crap.
It wasn’t till the Army wanted me so oh so bad that I realized what this Marine Sgt recruiter was doing. I thought back to the book I read years ago that planted the seed of the Corps in my mind. The Marine Corps is not “be all you can be” or “an Army of one” it was something much greater than that. The Corps has traditions and great honor you are not given a title, you had to earn it. The recruiter was just upholding the Corps honor and traditions he was making sure that I would not jack all that up. Not just anyone can join the Marines and your selection process begins long before you even realize it. It is a Marine recruiter’s job to pick the best of the best and not give the FMF crap.
It blew my mind how someone who’s promotion, pro/cons or fitrep depended on how many people they enlisted could turn away a +1 in their book and on the RSS quota. I guess what I’m saying in all this is that experience explains exactly what the Marine Corps is about. The Corps is the best of the best and you can’t be that way by being like the Army, Air force or Navy who are at it for numbers more often than not. To uphold the values of the Corps, its traditions and battle record you can not just have anyone who walks into the recruiting station sign up. If the Corps did that they would be no different than any of the other armed services. It was these facts that made me want to be the best of the best – a US Marine and I did it and earned the title of Marine which I could not be more proud of.
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05-17-08, 06:07 PM #2
I remember the Navy recruiter saying to me, "You've talked to the Marines? Well,just to give you a heads up they are phasing the Marine Corps out, they won't be around in 3-5 years!" This was in 1991.....
I only talked to the Army Sgt. because my best-friend (weight lifting buddy, fellow offensive lineman) was joining the Army.....It broke both of their hearts when I said " Well Sgt. St*&^ I appreciate all the time you've put in to me, But you guys just aren't the Marine Corps".......Now in 1991 the ONLY reference that I ever had to Marine Corps Boot camp was Full Metal Jacket and Horror stories of those who have been through it....Plus our Marine Corps recruiters were great, their attitude was "Don't waste our time if your not serious" Best decision I ever made was going in the Marine Corps.....worst was getting out in '96.....Semper Fi!................By the way, My best friend got out of his enlistment to the Army and joined the Corps 6 months after I went to boot camp...He was impressed about something when we were hanging out after my graduation from Parris Island!
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05-18-08, 05:11 PM #3
I'm a 16 years old guy from italy. Studying hard for the diploma and working hard to save some money for the US.
My dream is to become a US Marine. I am giving EVERYTHING I have for that.
That means study till I get the diploma, working hard to save money.
Once I got my diploma I'm going to the US Embassy in Italy. I'm gonna tell them I'd like to join the Marine Corps. If they give me the "GO" I'm gonna have to have the balls to move to the US, then enlist in the Marines. If my application is accepted, and I pass the BCT etc and earn the title of US Marine well I'm just gonna be a PROUD man.
From here in Italy to join the Marines is not that easy, it's gonna be tough. But like my sig say: "I'm a guy who is giving ALL to become a US Marine".
I wanted to be a US Marine since I was 14. And if you ask me why would you join the Marines and not the Italian Army, well my answers are too many. One of them is because I feel American, not Italian. And I'm ready to defend my country against enemies. I'm proud of the United States and of the US Costitution.
For me to join the Marines it's about Honor. And something else that I can't explain but that I got and feel inside of me.
I can't say Semper Fidelis right now. But I'm sure I will.
I AM GIVING ALL.
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05-18-08, 05:38 PM #4
One of my good friends in the Corps came over from Ireland.....about 6 months before enlisting! Good Luck
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05-18-08, 05:54 PM #5
Darkgreen 0311
I remember when i was about ten years old and riding with my father. I remember seeing a Marine Corps billboard off the interstate. I told my father that's what i'm going to be when i grow up. I remember my father saying before you can do anything you have to graduate high school. That was my goal to graduate high school and become a Marine.
I joined to be one of the best and most dangerous and feared warriors on the planet need i say anymore.
Semper Fi 4 Life
Yours is not to question why but to do or die!!!
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08-26-08, 04:06 PM #6
well those are very good stories. My reason is not so.... virtuous.
I was 17 and had my own place. One night i had a bad trip on "shrooms". Thought I was f-ing up my life and here I am. hahahaha. Some might not believe me but it's oh so true. I wish I had some life ful-filling destiny but honestly I didn't even think about the military until I realized I was an undisciplined little sh*t. But I'm glad to this day that I had that bad trip.
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08-26-08, 04:27 PM #7
I cant remember exactly but dad said the day my uncle showed up in his blues the look of the three year old told the whole story as he looked up at him. Mistake getting out, not really everything happens for a reason but here I am 10 yrs after my eas working my tail off to get back in!!! Never really relized cake eatin civilian was so hard to get out of the system lol
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08-26-08, 04:40 PM #8
Was something I wanted to do for a long time. First the Army then when we took a vacation to D.C and saw the Silent Drill Team at the Iwo memorial, my mind was changed forever. I told Dad I was joining the Marines, he laughed and said OK we'll talk in a couple years. I was 12. I knew he was in in 1964 or 1965 and was going to prove to him I could do it. I was like some of these Poolees here, eat, sleep, shat Marine Corps. There was no question in any body's mind about what I was planning. I am the only one in my class of 42 people that joined the Marines.
The other reason, beside God, Flag and Apple Pie was there was no jobs were a dang. All the mills closed, nothing was left worth having. I was going to get out of the area and I was going to use the Corps to do it.
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08-26-08, 05:15 PM #9
Nicholas!
Good luck my friend. It is hard for a non resident to get in the Corps. Keep us informed.
Eric
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08-26-08, 07:33 PM #10
Oct.1969,i was 17 years old.not in school,no job.Went to see Air Force recruiter,no go,he took me to see Marine recruiter,the rest is history.OOOrah.
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08-26-08, 08:19 PM #11
MY PAPA BEING A U.S.ARMY LIFER ONCE SAID,JACK; ONE THING I CAN SAY ABOUT THE MARINES IS THAT THEY NEVER LEAVE THEIR OWN HANGING.THAT WAS 1960 WHEN I WAS 10.PLUS THEM DRESS BLUES WERE KILLER!!!SEMPER~FIDELIS
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08-26-08, 08:45 PM #12
one half was john Waynes fault,,, The other half was my Azz Hole brother saying I couldn't make it. I guess that is 100%. "Cept for I loved my momma, apple pie, and my country. Thats the other half of the 100%.
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08-26-08, 09:04 PM #13
How many halves make a whole?
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08-26-08, 11:32 PM #14
First Time I went to a Marine Recruiter I couldn't Find their office but I saw the Navy office so I went in there and asked "Excuse me, but where is the Marine Recruiting office?" Oh it was not a happy day for them, they kinda looked at me funny and asked why I wanted to join them and told them that I want to serve my country be the best and have a challenge they got even a little more upset and told me they were about 20 yards behind me. That was my first and last time going in there the Marines thought it was quite funny though.
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08-27-08, 05:43 PM #15
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