by General Carl E. Mundy, Jr. USMC (Ret)
Thirtieth Commandant of the Marine Corps
To be a United States Marine requires more than a mastery of the skills and techniques of soldiering or seamanship – the practical abilities that come through the training and experience. Being a Marine is a state of mind that comes from an imbedded belief that he or she is, in fact, unique, a cut above. A Marine is, most of all, part of an organization that demands a difference – and delivers excellence beyond others in all it is and does. This is The Corps, the strongest brotherhood in the world.
Among those not in the profession of arms, the notion exists that military service is simply another job alternative; that soldiers go to work with only pay and benefits in mind. Being a Marine has never been just a paycheck, an occupational specialty, or an insignia of rank. Being a Marine comes from the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor that is tattooed indelibly on the innermost being of those privileged to earn the title. It is a searing mark, one that does not fade over time. “There’s no such damned thing as an ex-Marine! Once a Marine, always a Marine!” To dispute this is to invite a brawl.
Few who have borne the title fail to identify with it throughout their entire lives. Former Secretary of State, James Baker, long after his active service, was known, on light-hearted occasions, to identify himself as “Secretary of State, and Captain, United States Marine Corps.” Pride and cockiness are marks of a Marine: a belief in self, a confidence in fellow Marines, and an almost emotional belief in the institution. The Corps is holy to Marines. Their unabashed pride in the organization breeds a selflessness unique in the American culture. As a leathery gun- nery sergeant put it to a recruit many decades ago, “Lad, if you must, it’s okay to die for the Corps, but it’s not okay to soil it’s battle flag on the way down!” This dedication to institution, and to those who comprise it, harkens to the days of loyalty to kings, the loyalty of Napoleon’s Old Guard at Waterloo, and to Henry V’s band of brothers at Agincourt. Indeed, “band of brothers” describes those who are in the Corps – men and women alike – as it describes no other organization anywhere.
Pride runs deep in Marines. The story is told of an American lady visiting a French field hospital in World War I who noticed among the fiercely whiskered Gallic faces one unlike the others. “Oh,” she said, “surely you are an American!” “No, ma’am,” the casualty answered, “I’m a Marine.”
Being a Marine has been likened by some to a calling – an almost religious commitment to the Corps. Among the proud marching songs of the five American services, only one is titled, “hymn” – “The Marines’ Hymn.” Years before it became fashionable among the other services to stand when one’s service song is played, Marines stood at attention for their hymn on every occasion. Today, as proud members of other services applaud and cheer their song, Marines still stand, almost reverently, at attention for their hymn. Newly commissioned Marine lieutenants, experiencing the tradition of the formal officers’ mess dinner, stand solemnly at its conclusion to sing, from memory and in unison, the verses of the hymn. The pride, commitment, and dedication to the Corps in their eyes and in strength of their young voices is palpable and moving.
Marines enjoy a reputation for prowess in combat, a reputation earned in battles “in every clime and place” throughout our nation’s history. Yet, it has been said that the most important contribution the Marine Corps has made to our nation is not that it has fought and won battles. Rather, its most enduring contribution is that it makes Marines, imbues them with extraordinary mettle, and returns the great majority to civilian life with exceptional qualities of confidence, determination, leadership, and a winning spirit that gives strength to our national character. These “once a Marine, always a Marine” citizens, whatever their successes, never abandon the pride instilled in them for, or their identification with, the Corps.
The process of making a Marine is thought by many to begin with recruit training. Indeed, and unique to the Corps, it begins well before that, as part of the recruiting process. On high school career days, when recruiters appear from each of the armed services to give a presentation of benefits, education opportunities, job selections and pay incentives, Marine recruiters want to speak last. Following the sales pitches, the Marine sergeant stands, looks at the audience, and with almost arrogant disdain, announces: “There may be one or two of you good enough to be Marines. If you think you are, I’ll talk to you!”
Marine recruiting posters do not promise material benefits, but, rather, “Maybe you can be one of us;” “We never promised you a rose garden”; “Nobody likes to fight, but somebody has to know how”; “We’re looking for a few good men and women.” A challenge – not a guarantee - is laid down, and the gauntlet is picked up by young Americans of ordinary fiber seeking to attain the extraordinary aura of the Corps.
Arched over the gate at one of the Corps’ oldest and most legendary bases – Parris Island, South Carolina – is a sign: “Where the Difference Begins.” Through this gate, and others like it in San Diego, California, And Quantico, Virginia, thousands of young Americans pass to accept the challenge to become a Marine. Here, in the intense and impassioned weeks that follow, they will undergo trials of stress and physical endurance beyond those they believed themselves capable. Here, self-discipline and personal responsibility are ingrained. “Yes, sir! No, sir! No excuse, sir!” reflect the Corps intolerance of excuse for failure. “I’m sorry, sir” gets thunderous disapproval from the drill instructor: “You’re never sorry for anything you do in the Corps!”
During the weeks in this forge, young bodies harden, maturity emerges, minds focus, confidence grows, brotherhood takes form, and pride begins to tingle. At their conclusion, “recruit” or “candidate” becomes “Marine” in the euphoria of accomplishment. The new Marine knows that he or she has passed through a trial that others have not dared, and has gained acceptance in a storied band of brothers:
“The few…..the proud….the Marines.”
(Grateful acknowledgement for photos to USMC, Rick Mullen and Greg E. Mathieson.
Grateful acknowledgement for all to Marine Corps Heritage Foundation)
