On July 5, 2009 I wrote a hub titled “What’s Marine as in U.S.M.C? You may wish to read it at http://hubpages.com/hub/Whats-a-Marine

The primary reason why I wrote that hub was my discovery there are some who don’t know a Marine from a soldier. It made me think of the sacrifices made by my uncle as he served in the Pacific in WWII, froze in Korea during the Korean War, and sweated in Viet Nam for two tours of duty and retired a Sgt Major from the Corps.

I am gratified by the comments I received from Marines and non Marines. Some are very brief, some are longer. All are worth the time spent reading and thinking about.

I would also suggest that those of you who want to learn more about what a Marine is and why Marines feel the way they do may start by visiting the official Marine Corps web site 

Marine Drill Instructors have a way communicationg very concisely and directly. From the use of first person it is obvious Tom is a Marine. Tom also sounds like a Drill Instructor when he made this comment. “Marines are Department of the Navy. We live on Navy ships.We are the human tip of the spear. We make amphibious landings.”

The first response I received came from Teresa who is one of the highest rated hubbers here at Hubpages. I was honored that Teresa took a moment to read my hub. Here is what she wrote

Teresa writes, “I started to leave a comment about how you should not mind, that it should make you proud to have served, no matter what kids think; but that's a crock -- The armed services deserve respect. The Marines and the Airforce (sorry!) in particular. A lot of respect.”

It is obvious that Teresa has a soft spot for the Air Force also. That is okay. The larger point is that those who serve deserve our respect.

Maven’s  writes,   writes “Semper Fi, Keith… Nice story about your uncle...A Sgt Major in the Corps was probably the most respected rank out there...Mine was a hell of a man from Tennessee, S/M Stonebocker...God rest his proud Marine soul...I was a boot brownbar and he saved my butt more than once...Thanks, Larry

Note: Semper Fi is short for Semper Fidelis which is Latin for ever faithful and the Marine Corps motto. However, as it is explained at the Marine Corps web site simper fi “is more than a motto, it is a way of life.

Lastly if you wonder what “brownbar” is, a brown bar is slang for a  lieutenant, so called because of the single bar that denotes that rank. In the field officers wear camouflage rank of brown or black instead of brass.

I was particularly moved by what Walt had to say. Walt was serving in Beirut in 1983 when a truck carrying explosives crashed into the USMC barracks resulting in 241 deaths and 80 seriously wounded.

Walt writes. “In memory of my fallen brothers… These young people, on a mission of peace in a land stricken by violence, were killed as they slept peacefully.

Beirut is where we learned to kill and where we learned to die. We never wanted to hurt anyone. I like to think of myself as a seeker of peace. However, I realized that I could not afford the luxury of second thoughts or hesitation. I knew that I may not have time to contemplate over someone's life or it could mean the loss of my life or the life of one of my brothers. That is when I made a choice deep down inside of myself. I made the choice to live.

I consciously allowed myself to become a killer. Of course, I found a way that it was justified inside of me, I would only kill killers. The fact remained the same; I was ok with killing others. I would not hesitate when confronted in such a situation. Did this mean that I had to kill some part of myself to become this way? I often felt that something had died inside of me and has yet to be resurrected. People should not be so comfortable with the thought of killing

Upon this discovery came the understanding that I could kill came the understanding that I could also die at any time. I had to learn to die. I came to a place in my heart that my death was an acceptable sacrifice. I did not want to die, and I understood this could be the sacrifice I would have to pay; I was ok with it. I lost my fear of man and my fear of death. I found that I often had the opposite reaction to danger that others did, especially compared to non-veterans.

It was our job to be the communicators and meet anger with understanding. We were smart and well trained, that is why we had this dangerous job. We were brothers, but not by blood. We were brothers of commitment, brothers of fate, and brothers of sacrifice. We shared a bond that most people will never understand. We had been through hell together. We are Marines, defenders of liberty, yet we were normal people. We are not superheroes; we have no extra powers that make living easier or even more likely.

I have heard that to defend freedom, a person must first be willing to give up that freedom. I joined the Marines to feel that I had paid my dues to my country. I wanted to feel that I did not take my freedoms for granted. I wanted to earn my freedom. I wanted to truly appreciate liberty. I knew that I might be called upon to sacrifice for my nation. At this point, I feel fulfilled in my obligations. It is a common understanding that men die in wars. I did not know that there are many shades of gray between living and dying.

After returning home, I have often thought of myself as lucky in that I returned with my body intact. Yet sometimes I still wonder if something remains dead inside me. Is there something that I am missing? Is there something that I left behind? If so, is it something that I am still missing? Is it something that I need to be fully human?

Perhaps I had become detached from the world around me; I was detached from myself, existing without feeling. Perhaps I was traveling through life by willing myself through life. Perhaps I learned that I could not count on life's uncertainties, the unpredictable wind and waves. This could be a good way to live, never worrying about the current or the storms of life. Nevertheless, did this come at a price? Was I missing the joy and freedom of living was that what I was missing, the emotion of life?

Am I doomed to be a killer inside, a man of sorrows who is acquainted with grief, feeling no joy in my existence? Was I such a person who would ride through the storms and trials of life and never come out to enjoy the sun and joy of living? Sometimes, I feel a yearning, perhaps for that which is missing. Like a statue, left behind hoping against odds that some day I would return to live again.

On one such an occasion, I was standing to sing the National Anthem. I stood and I must admit my anticipation to sing such a noble song. Once I started singing, I was filled with that feeling of loss that I still do not quite understand. It was as if joy and pain had merged and were trying to awaken something in me. I found myself unable to continue singing. I stood there trying to maintain my composure. My face was hard against the chaos of emotion. I began to weep deeply from this unknown feeling. What have I become? I stood there silent like a statue, a warning to those who may follow my example, monument to those who have fallen. I stood there with a face of stone streaming with tears for what was, what could be and what might never be awakened again.

I have heard that death is the greatest sacrifice. I wonder what the greater sacrifice is, dying for something or living the rest of your life for it.

SF

United States Marine Corps

Combat Engineer

The Title of Marine is earned not given!"

Joesph had this to say. “Our educational system has been dumbing down for years and our media isn't as informative as it is sensational and divisive. I don't expect people growing up in today's climate to know their cathole from a hole in the ground. I'll tell them and give them as much info as they will hear because I like to teach. And if that isn't enough, I tell them to watch Full Metal Jacket and they hopefully will get it then.”

Gunny Greg who left service 10 years ago has this to say. “The term Marine is as hard to describe to a non-Marine as religion is to someone who has never gone to church. Last Summer, my teenage neighbor joined the Corps via delayed entry. I spent a long time speaking to his parents both while he was on delayed entry as well as while he was gone to boot camp. His father is a pastor who was never personally in the military and the decision was hard to explain. The process really made me think about what a Marine is. I personally retired 10 years ago so it was really reopening a lot of memories. A Marine is a unique creature. He (she) is proud, patriotic, and driven by tradition and a commitment to uphold honor of the Marines who have come before him. The brotherhood is the nations oldest fraternity. There are fewer marines at any one time than any other branch yet daily I notice that there ar far more stickers, decals, hats, t-shirts, and tatoos than any other branch. The only ones who truely know what a marine is, is a Marine or their immediate family. I grew up as an only child, but I am proud to say that even 10 years after I left service, I still have an untold number of brothers and sisters. We are all related by the common bond of being Marines. I know that this is not a complete answer but it is a few of my thoughts on the subject.

The best way i know to answer this question, is by doing exactly what you've done and soliciting other marines for their thoughts.

Semper Fi,

 If you don’t know what Gunny is as in Gunny Greg, A Gunny is a Gunnery Sgt,   E-7 which is the equivalent pay grade to a First Sergeant in the U.S army but not the same responsibility. Gunnery Sergeants are commonly referred to by the informal abbreviation "gunny". This nickname is usually regarded as a title of esteem

Christophers Flow says,  “Those who serve become transformed. It is both a loss of self, and a gaining of some spiritual stuff that is brotherhood or shared essence. With the loss of self and the gaining of the essence, and the actual torment of war, the soul is transformed. This marking, this indelible something then becomes a part of that man or woman so that they are never the same, always different. This stays with them for the entirety of their lives and beyond. And so, songs change their hearts. Wayward comments cut to the core. Offhand insults mean something different. Praise is acknowledged. Life means more, but different. And death. It has been contemplated for so long...Mazel Tov, Keith”

I hope the above compilation of comments provides insight as to why I first asked the question, “What’s a Marine as in U.S.M.C?

The answer is as straight forward and obvious as a DI’s introduction to his platoon of new recruits and as cerebral as the most complex human experiences. I thank those men and women, those marines and non marines who responded with the comments you have read have proven this.

I ask that if you wish to share your perception of What’s a Marine as in U.S.M.C. please do so. This request is for non marines also. It is for the moms and dads, the brothers and sisters, the children of and others to share their definitions on what is a Marine as U.S.M.C.?