What is a Marine?

In view of the many ways our country’s military is being utilized and challenged in these present times—and in honor of their never-ending courage and self-sacrifice—we thought you might enjoy reading Ben’s recent write-up about his favorite branch of the armed forces: the U.S. Marine Corps. As you read it, remember to say a prayer for our soldiers. They daily lay down their lives for you and for me.

What is a Marine?

When I grow up I would like to be a Marine. The Marines are a group of elite fighters trained to protect ships and perform amphibious landings. They are one of the greatest sources of pride in a nation’s armed forces. In the United States, they are older than the republic itself by one year. They were established in 1775.

For a recent school assignment, I interviewed two gentlemen who served in the Marine Corps: Mr. S and Mr. R. Mr. S served from 1990--1994 and Mr. R served from 1966--1968. In this report, I will tell you what I learned from them about the Marines, including their history, the enlistment process, what an average day in the life of a Marine looks like, what the face of combat is like, and more.

In order to join the Marine Corps, you must be 18 years of age (17 with parent’s permission), and have a high school diploma or equivalent. If you have a college degree, you automatically enter as an officer. Otherwise you start as an enlisted Marine.

Next you must have a Marine-approved physical to prove your health in body function, hearing, heart and blood pressure, and eye sight. This is followed by a physical fitness test. This test includes the following: run 3 miles in under 30 minutes, and do 80 sit-ups, 60 push-ups, and 20 chin-ups.

Following this comes several months of hard boot camp. This includes lots of drills and obstacle courses, early mornings, quick showers, and often a cursing drill instructor screaming in your face! An average day at the boot camp might look like this: wake up very early, shower in under five minutes, chow (Marine talk for “eat”), go to the base for flag ceremony, then it’s whatever your DI (drill instructor) has planned for you that day! This includes drills, obstacle courses, field training, rifle range, and rifle classes. After dinner you attend a day-ending flag ceremony. According to Mr. S, you then get one hour after your shower of free time before bed. You can read and write letters, read your pocket Bible (or Koran), pray, write in your diary or journal, or simply go to bed early! However during combat or in war, there is no “average” day at all. Every day is different and you often don’t know what to expect.

There are many rewards you can receive as a Marine, if you are brave and willing to be injured or even killed for your country. A very special award is the Order of the Purple Heart, awarded to those wounded in combat. Another is the Presidential Unit Citation. This is awarded to a unit that has gone above and beyond the call of duty, and has done something or survived something that very few Marines could. An example would be, if a unit was told to take a town by morning. But little did the high command know that there were 3,000 enemy soldiers in that town and only 1,500 Marines! Yet the Marines work as a team and against all odds take the town as told! This unit would be eligible to achieve the Presidential Unit Citation.

The highest honor that a Marine and any American citizen can hope to achieve is the Medal of Honor. This requires extreme bravery in extreme circumstances, unwillingness to surrender or quit, sacrifice of your personal comfort and condition, and willingness to lay down your life for your country and fellow marines. I think the Marine motto best describes this type of character in the Latin words: Semper fidelis (always faithful).

One of the keen talents of the Marine Corps is the amphibious landing. According to the Marines I interviewed, it is basically a water-to-land invasion. It was widely used during World War Two as a way to conquer islands in their fight towards mainland Japan. The amphibious landing starts with a large ship, then the participating Marines climb into smaller ships, then go as close to shore as they can without getting stuck on sandbars (today’s amphibious vehicles can drive onto land). Then they wade to shore!

When I asked my interviewees about combat and what it was like, Mr. R said: “You’re just trying to find ways to stay alive!” Mr. S added that it is vital to work as a team and cover your partner’s back.

I asked if a Marine ever gets a chance to tour the country he is in. Mr. R said that in Vietnam, it was too dangerous to wander away from your unit or to get too comfortable with citizens, mainly because you don’t know who might be a Viet Cong terrorist. It was simply not safe.

All in all, I have learned that joining the Marines is a big decision. Once you’re in, there is no turning back. When I asked both gentlemen their advice to kids or teenagers thinking about joining the Marines, they said the following: Think it through carefully. Talk to your parents about it. And practice respect and discipline at home. It is also important to know as much as you can about the Marines. Read all the history books you can find about the Marines. It is also important to do the right thing always, no matter what other people think or do.

A few lessons that will stay with me are the lessons of courage, discipline, and teamwork. Courage does not mean you are not afraid, but that you will face your fears and deal with them efficiently. It takes self-discipline to wake up very early in the mornings and stay fit. It also takes an extreme amount of discipline to go four weeks at a time in combat. And lastly, teamwork is key. The Marines are a powerful group of professionals, but a single Marine can’t accomplish anything. Author Stephen Ambrose, in the introduction to his book, “The Good Fight: How World War II was Won,” said he once overheard a little boy ask his grandfather; “Were you a hero in the war?” The grandfather replied; “No, but I served in a company of them!” The Marines are not based off the strengths and talents of any one man, but what they can do together is what makes them the most legendary fighting force of all time!

Semper fideles