Ladies and Gentlemen, Cadets, my fellow Veterans, Marines;

I am honored to have been asked to speak at this year’s ceremony.   I have attended these ceremonies over the five years that I have taught here at CGUHS and look forward to them each year.  The reason is that on that day, for one day each year, I wear this little Marine Corps emblem and one of my old rank insignias and for that day, I feel that I am a Marine once again.  I remember the feeling of pride that I had as a younger man when I wore the uniform of a United States Marine.  But there is much more to being a Marine that just wearing the uniform.  And this is what I would like to talk to you about today.

The process of making a Marine is thought by many to begin with recruit training, but actually it begins well before that, as part of the recruiting process.  It begins right here with young men and young women such as these cadets.

I remember career day during my junior year of high school.  One of the sessions that I attended was the military recruiters. 

Usually, on high school career days, recruiters from each of the armed services give presentations on benefits, education opportunities, job selections, and pay incentives.

The Marine recruiter waits to speak last. After the sales pitched by the other recruiters, the Marine’s message goes something like this: “There may be one or two of you good enough to be Marines. If you think you are, I’ll talk to you!”

You may have noticed that Marine recruiting campaigns do not discuss material benefits such as money for school or make promises about how strong you will be, but rather, “Maybe you can be one of us.” or; “Nobody likes to fight, but somebody has to know how” (which was the recruiting slogan when I enlisted), and “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 ordinary young Americans seeking to attain the extraordinary aura of the Marine Corps.  

There are three things that I would like to speak about today, three things that are at the core of what makes a Marine.  These are intangible things that I have carried with me and that have served me well.  These things are honor, duty, and esprit de corps.

Honor

I remember my first Platoon Sergeant, S/Sgt Clark, was really focused on his non-rate Marines taking on responsibility and on all of his Marines having personal integrity.  Upholding the honor of the Marine Corps was foremost in importance to them.  

S/Sgt Clark had been L/Cpl in Vietnam and had really seen a lot.  For him, personal honor was paramount.   S/Sgt Clark had been a Recon Marine and did not accept any excuses.  He pushed us, but did not ask us to do anything that he had not done.  I remember overhearing him counseling a young Marine NCO and describing all that the Marine Corps had given him – an education, a home, and a satisfying professional career. He also mentioned the intangibles – honor and duty.  These were things that I took with me into the working world.  I believe that it was part of the reason that I was so successful when I went to work in industry.  As I have tried to instill in my own children and my students, you do the best that you can with what you’ve got and when you screw up, you take responsibility for it and fix it.  You never give up, you never blame anyone else for your problems, and there is always a way.  When I think of a man of honor, I remember S/Sgt. Clark.

Spirit, tradition, pride, comradeship, and dedication are the fundamental hallmarks of Marines. Courage is foremost among these.  Courage to do what needs to be done regardless of your circumstances. 

“First to fight for right and freedom, and to keep our honor clean, we are proud to claim the title of United States Marine.”  Remembering these words has on more than one occasion helped me to have the courage to do the hard things, to do what needed to be done, both as a Marine and in my professional life.

With being a Marine comes a real sense of pride and a positive self-image.  When I went home to Detroit on my first leave after recruit training, I found that I didn’t really fit in anymore.  Most of my friends from high school were still doing the same things.  But, I had changed.  I remember my closest friends commenting on the change in me.  Most obviously, my hair was really short.  I also stood up very straight and I didn’t just walk anymore, I marched.  When my friends introduced me to someone new, it was now, “This is John.  He’s a Marine.” 

Duty

Two basic leadership traits that you learn as a Marine are “accomplish the mission” and “welfare of the troops”.

It has been said that you should never tell a Marine to do something unless you’re really sure that you want it done.  “Send in the Marines” has been the American response to countless crises near and distant from our shores over the history of our nation.

“Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. Marines don't have that problem”. - Ronald Reagan, President of the United States

 

After completing Infantry Training School (I was a contract 0311), I received orders to report to 1/1 at Camp Pendleton were I was assigned to S&TA Platoon.  I was initially assigned as a ground surveillance radar operator and later selected to be intel assistant in the S-2.  After six months as an office pogue, S/Sgt Clark got me back into the field.  I was sent to scout-sniper school and upon completion received a secondary MOS of 8541 and was assigned to a sniper team.  Basically, my partner and I became a part of the “eyes-and-ears” of the battalion commander and operated rather independently most of the time.    

 

In industry, your boss does not assign tasks just to hear excuses and reasons why it cannot be done.  She tells you to do something because it needs to be done and you are the person that she has chosen to do it.  So often in industry, I have seen others just sitting around, complaining, and listing all of the reasons why it is a stupid idea and why the task can’t be done.  The “nay-sayers” are the ones who just get in the way.  There is a saying, “Lead, follow, or get out of the way.”  You often observe that while so many are sitting around debating and complaining, you will see Marines getting things done and accomplishing the mission. 

 

“We have two companies of Marines running rampant all over the northern half of this island, and three Army regiments pinned down in the southwestern corner, doing nothing. What the hell is going on?” -- Gen. John W. Vessey Jr., US Army, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the assault on Grenada in 1983.

 

Take care of your people and they will take care of you.  I believe that there is no such thing as an ex-Marine or a former-Marine.  I believe that on the day that we reach our EAS, we are simply transferred to the 1st Civ. Div. as a Marine on civilian duty.  We take the things that made us Marines into the civilian world.  These are the things that continue to set you apart.

 

 “You cannot exaggerate about the Marines. They are convinced to the point of arrogance, that they are the most ferocious fighters on earth - and the amusing thing about it is that they are.” -- Father Kevin Keaney, 1st Marine Division Chaplain, Korean Conflict

Esprit de Corps

There have been many occasions where I have encountered other Marines while on civilian duty.  When I attended Cal State Long Beach working toward my engineering degree, there were several occasions where I encountered fellow Marines on civilian duty.  Always, it was immediately as if I had just met up with a buddy that I hadn’t seen in years. Once we discovered that we had both been in the Corps, the rapport was instant and the sharing of sea stories began. 

You see, being a Marine isn’t so much about the job you do while on active duty or what your MOS is as much as sharing in the traditions and history of the Marine Corps.  When you are a soldier, you are in the Army.  When you are a sailor, you are in the Navy.  When you are in the Marines, you are a Marine.  You have a sense of ownership that is different from anything that I have ever experienced.  It is my Marine Corps.

Most recently, when I began a new career as teacher here at Casa Grande some of the first people that I met on staff were Marines.  In fact, I was very excited to find that there is such a fine Marine Corps junior ROTC program here.  Again, sharing the common experiences that all Marines have had has allowed me to reconnect with my Marine brothers.

Lesson learned

In the Marines, young men and women from all around the country come together for a common purpose and any differences are soon overshadowed by immersion into the culture of the Marine Corps. 

In recruit training, we learned that Marines come in only one color – green.

We learned that Marines fear God, and no one else. 

We learned that every Marine is a rifleman and that one shot means one kill. 

We learned that there are two types of people, Marines and those who wish they were. 

We also learned that it ain’t bragging if you can really do it.

In the Marine Corps, you quickly learn to recognize a situation known as “danger close”.  “Danger close” is a term used when calling in a fire mission to indicate that the target, the enemy, is in close proximity of your position. 

Learning to recognize when things are about to go wrong is an important life skill.  For example,

When a PFC says, "I learned this in boot camp," you know something is about to go wrong.

When the Sergeant says, "Trust me...," you know something is about to go wrong.

When the 2nd Lieutenant says, "based on my experience...," you know something is about to go wrong.

When the 1st Lieutenant says, "I was just thinking...," you know something is about to go wrong.

When the Captain says, "I think I know a short cut...," you know something is about to go wrong.

When the Major says, "Chow and ammo should be on the way...," you know something is about to go wrong.

When the Colonel says, "One more mission this week won’t hurt us...," you know something is about to go wrong.

When the General says, "Last night I had a dream...," you know something is about to go wrong.

And when the Gunny steps back and says, "Watch this...," you know something is about to go wrong.

I don’t think I would be doing a good job in this speech without leaving you with a few arrogant but true comments about my Marine Corps. Please keep in mind that I have the utmost respect for all branches of the United States Armed Forces. 

If you love your freedom, thank a veteran.

The Air Force is like a French Poodle. It always looks pretty, is sometimes a bit pampered, and always travels first class. But you have to remember that the poodle was bred as a hunting dog, has sharp teeth, and in a fight it is very dangerous.

The Army is like a St. Bernard. It’s big and heavy and sloppy and a bit clumsy. But it’s extremely powerful and has incredible stamina and is built for the long haul. There is no force on Earth that can stand toe to toe against the United States Army.

The Navy is like a Golden Retriever. They’re good natured and great around the house. Their hair is a bit long and they often go wandering off for long periods of time. They love water and kids love them.

The Navy provides us with three things: transportation to the battlefields, ships to launch our aircraft, and most importantly, our Docs. Our Navy Corpsmen are a critical part of the Navy-Marine Corps team.  And unlike SEALs, they aren’t afraid of Marine Corps training.

Now, about my Marines.  Marines come in two breeds, Rottweiler and Doberman. Some are big and mean and some are skinny and mean. All are mean. They’re aggressive on the attack and tenacious on the defense. They’ve got really short hair and they always go for the throat. Look at expressions on their faces and you can see where the term “Devil Dog” comes from.

“There are only two kinds of people that understand Marines: Marines and the enemy. Everyone else has a second-hand opinion.” -- Gen. William Thornson, U.S. Army

“Lying offshore, ready to act, the presence of ships and Marines sometimes means much more than just having air power or ship's fire when it comes to deterring a crisis. And the ships and Marines may not have to do anything but lie offshore.” - Gen. Colin Powell.

The Marines are the world’s greatest pacifists. According to the dictionary, a pacifist is someone who wants to end war, to establish peace, and resolve political unrest. This is exactly what the Marines do best. If you want to pacify a world hot spot, send in the Marines. Twenty-four to forty-eight hours later the place is pacified.

“The deadliest weapon in the world is a Marine and his rifle.”  -- Gen. John "Black Jack" Pershing, U.S. Army, Commander of American Forces in World War I.

As always, each generation expresses concern over the next.  Concern about their readiness to assume responsibility for leadership in society and for the welfare of our nation.  One Marine commander in Iraq commented on this.  He said that people who are worried about the next generation should have seen his young Marines in fighting positions at 3AM.  He said if they did, they would have no worries.

Recently, I heard the battalion commander of 1st Battalion, 8th Marines making a similar comment on the performance of his young 18 and 19 year old Marines during the Battle of Fallujah.  His comment was that “Uncommon valor is still a common virtue.”

When I look at these fine young cadets here before us, students who I see in my classroom every day, students like Sierra, our Cadet Sergeant Major, I have no worries. I can assure you that we are in good hands.

In conclusion, you earn the title "Marine" upon graduation from recruit training or OCS. It isn’t a gift, it isn’t willed to you, and it isn’t a government subsidy.  

Few can claim the title and once it is earned no one can take it away.  It is yours forever.

So, here’s to you and to our Corps. 

Semper Fi, Marines.