[LadyX]

"Amazingly, the Marines pulled the performance off without a hitch, never once allowing themselves to be distracted by the enthusiastic crowd."

Dubya, I can attest to the fact it is easy for a Marine to isolate themselves from external distractions.

Wherever we marched, men in those days loved to try to shake our composure and make us laugh, get out of step, look their way, whatever...

As Right Guide, and later as Leader of the Silent Drill Team, I was transported to a plateau where I was impervious to anything except the task at hand.
In Basic, it was the pace the DI had set for me, and I could have done it 14 hours without any effort, all the while catching any changes he made, faster or slower in the cadence.
I was processing the faces on the side and their faces and sounds they made, but they all bounced off stone.
It's hard to explain, but determination is a factor!

Corps rules!

[WVNan]

Looky here Sistah, she got it right. Southrun Sistahs, Maggie and Nan.

[WVNan]

I'm sorry, Sistah, but I've got to take my hurting back and lay it down. I rehurt it cleaning the bathroom today.

[Dubya]

They are tough rules. You had then down pat.
Trying to distract us was part of our training sometimes.
If we let something or someone distract us we could be dead along with several others.