WEBVTT 00:02.609 --> 00:04.849 Marines are unapologetic defenders of 00:04.849 --> 00:08.520 our nation . As a World War II corporal , 00:08.600 --> 00:11.899 EB Sledge put it , Our country didn't 00:11.899 --> 00:14.560 need to be perfect to be worth fighting 00:14.560 --> 00:17.290 for . The Marines believe that you 00:17.290 --> 00:20.340 cannot know what you stand for . If you 00:20.340 --> 00:23.040 do not know where you came from . And 00:23.040 --> 00:25.280 they teach their history because they 00:25.280 --> 00:28.459 are determined to repeat it . No matter 00:28.459 --> 00:31.180 how complicated war has now become , we 00:31.180 --> 00:33.402 need small boats that can take men on a 00:33.402 --> 00:35.419 beach , and we need men who will go 00:35.419 --> 00:38.740 ashore . More than anyone 00:39.229 --> 00:41.540 we know the tragedy of war . 00:42.669 --> 00:44.790 You and all our men and women in 00:44.790 --> 00:48.700 uniform have borne . The burden 00:49.229 --> 00:52.500 in this time of war . I salute 00:52.669 --> 00:55.790 Marines , former Marines and their 00:55.790 --> 00:58.869 families everywhere . You've been there 00:59.080 --> 01:01.040 whenever and wherever our country 01:01.040 --> 01:02.040 needed you . 01:56.650 --> 01:59.080 It's an honor . It's a privilege to 01:59.080 --> 02:02.720 know that I was chosen to serve along 02:02.720 --> 02:04.720 with all the other Marines who have 02:04.720 --> 02:07.440 served these now 250 years . It makes 02:07.440 --> 02:10.320 you feel fulfilled , but it also makes 02:10.320 --> 02:12.600 you feel a bit small . It's such a big 02:12.600 --> 02:14.822 thing to think of that the Marine Corps 02:14.822 --> 02:17.119 has fought this country's battles all 02:17.119 --> 02:19.899 of those years . I was an active duty 02:19.899 --> 02:22.339 Marine from 2001 to 21 . I joined the 02:22.339 --> 02:26.029 Marine Corps in 1981 , 1968 , 02:26.179 --> 02:30.179 1946 to 1969 . 84 to 191 , 02:30.320 --> 02:34.210 1943 . 2015 , I joined 02:34.210 --> 02:36.729 in 2019 . I'm currently serving active 02:36.729 --> 02:38.649 duty . Served in Iraq , went to 02:38.649 --> 02:41.029 Afghanistan , Jordan and Kuwait , 02:41.369 --> 02:43.570 Vietnam , Norway , Germany , the 02:43.570 --> 02:46.610 Philippines , Saudi Kuwait , up into 02:46.610 --> 02:49.029 Iraq . I'm stationed in Okinawa , Japan . 02:49.529 --> 02:52.830 I went to Vietnam . Korea 02:53.630 --> 02:56.710 Mediterranean , South America , and two 02:56.710 --> 02:57.766 tours in Vietnam . 03:01.529 --> 03:03.751 What does the Marine Corps mean to me ? 03:04.039 --> 03:07.520 Wow . You're asking questions . I'm not 03:07.520 --> 03:11.089 prepared to answer . Thousands of 03:11.089 --> 03:14.850 lives given up for the country . For 03:14.850 --> 03:18.080 one common goal . Marine Court to me is 03:18.080 --> 03:20.929 uh very much like a family . Having 03:21.929 --> 03:24.589 Another family , it's given me a sense 03:24.589 --> 03:27.360 of purpose . There's a purpose for 03:27.360 --> 03:30.720 being , being able to say that I , I 03:30.720 --> 03:34.669 really did earn this title . It wasn't 03:34.669 --> 03:36.820 handed to me . I had to earn it . 03:37.309 --> 03:39.589 Proudest moment of my life was to be 03:39.589 --> 03:41.779 told I was a marine to me . 03:43.679 --> 03:45.846 The Marine Corps is kind of a state of 03:45.846 --> 03:47.846 mind . It's it's a way of life . It 03:47.846 --> 03:49.957 means mission accomplishment , taking 03:49.957 --> 03:52.179 care of your Marines . The Marine Corps 03:52.179 --> 03:54.290 means almost everything to me , to be 03:54.290 --> 03:56.512 quite honest . It means everything . In 03:56.512 --> 03:58.830 a word , it means everything . When you 03:58.830 --> 04:01.710 say the few proud the Marines , we all 04:01.710 --> 04:03.932 know that wear the uniform or have worn 04:03.932 --> 04:06.360 the uniform . That there are a few that 04:06.360 --> 04:09.960 make the cut . That feeling that 04:10.130 --> 04:12.889 inner embodiment of the ethos of the 04:12.889 --> 04:16.859 Marine Corps . is to me the single 04:16.859 --> 04:19.059 most important part of what the Marine 04:19.059 --> 04:21.929 Corps should be and is and will always 04:21.929 --> 04:24.579 be . And that's what every young Marine 04:24.579 --> 04:26.579 does . That's what every Marine has 04:26.579 --> 04:28.690 done for the past 250 years . 04:30.579 --> 04:33.829 To make it 250 years . Is 04:33.829 --> 04:37.790 accomplishment in itself . It's 250 04:37.790 --> 04:40.410 years of this country . The one that 04:40.410 --> 04:42.521 the Marie has been around that long . 04:42.850 --> 04:45.570 I'm very proud of it . I'm just super 04:45.570 --> 04:47.681 honored to be a part of that legacy . 04:47.681 --> 04:49.681 It's very special and something I'm 04:49.681 --> 04:52.290 proud of . I'm proud to see , uh , see 04:52.290 --> 04:54.209 young Marines anywhere I go . It 04:54.209 --> 04:56.209 reminds me of all the young Marines 04:56.209 --> 04:59.239 that I've served with . But it also 05:00.010 --> 05:02.010 You know , if you have that knot in 05:02.010 --> 05:04.121 your stomach that makes you concerned 05:04.121 --> 05:06.177 because you know those young men and 05:06.177 --> 05:05.959 women are doing the same thing that you 05:05.959 --> 05:08.660 did and you remember the losses and 05:08.660 --> 05:11.239 sacrifices that uh if you stay in the 05:11.239 --> 05:13.679 Marine Corps long enough , you , you 05:13.679 --> 05:16.350 know . You know someone and sometimes 05:16.350 --> 05:18.760 you know many that paid the ultimate 05:18.760 --> 05:21.269 sacrifice . Well , I just walked over 05:21.269 --> 05:23.989 to the uh Vietnam Memorial Wall , and 05:23.989 --> 05:26.190 there were a number of Marines that I 05:26.190 --> 05:28.246 was very close to whose names appear 05:28.246 --> 05:32.130 there . 25 of my fellow Marines 05:32.130 --> 05:34.690 were killed in Vietnam . Uh , several 05:34.690 --> 05:36.468 of us were wounded , some of us 05:36.468 --> 05:39.369 severely . Marines lost half of their 05:39.369 --> 05:42.640 company . There was an army company 05:42.640 --> 05:44.751 behind them and they all got captured 05:44.751 --> 05:47.170 the one . That was my whole focus . I 05:47.170 --> 05:49.226 gotta get TJ , I gotta get David . I 05:49.226 --> 05:51.226 gotta get Jethro , I gotta get them 05:51.226 --> 05:53.440 patched up , drag him back out . We 05:53.440 --> 05:56.119 lost 7 guys within 2 days , and when 05:56.119 --> 05:58.500 you have a family that's tight knit , 05:58.880 --> 06:01.399 uh , there's not a day or a week or a 06:01.399 --> 06:03.621 month that goes by when you don't think 06:03.621 --> 06:05.843 of them and what they could have been . 06:05.843 --> 06:07.843 They were great men and I asked why 06:07.843 --> 06:10.720 them ? Why , why did they have to die ? 06:10.739 --> 06:12.961 I didn't have anybody to go home to . I 06:12.961 --> 06:15.130 wasn't married yet . Uh , they had 06:15.130 --> 06:18.850 children and and families . Vietnam got 06:18.850 --> 06:21.072 real , real quick . It was there was it 06:21.072 --> 06:24.059 wasn't play . Uh , I wasn't shooting at 06:24.059 --> 06:27.170 a target . I was the target . Then when 06:27.170 --> 06:30.299 I got hit , Drake David out 06:32.880 --> 06:36.040 And I passed out . Too much blood 06:36.040 --> 06:39.519 loss . The Marines hatched me up , they 06:39.519 --> 06:42.119 were still able to make sure I go on 06:42.119 --> 06:44.970 that medevac flight . So they're like , 06:45.029 --> 06:47.085 Doc , you're staying with us . We're 06:47.085 --> 06:49.251 gonna take care of you . You took care 06:49.251 --> 06:51.362 of us through 3 combat ops . Our turn 06:51.362 --> 06:53.690 to take care of you . It's just a 06:53.690 --> 06:56.679 reminder of how lucky we are um to be 06:56.679 --> 06:59.929 alive , and also how lucky we are to 06:59.929 --> 07:02.089 claim that title of the United States 07:02.089 --> 07:05.119 Marine and to and to honor them . I 07:05.119 --> 07:07.286 look at my son who's now a sergeant in 07:07.286 --> 07:09.341 the Marine Corps and his friends and 07:09.341 --> 07:11.563 Marines that I , I've had the privilege 07:11.563 --> 07:13.720 to get to know and uh I think about 07:13.720 --> 07:16.559 those things . And I also think about 07:16.559 --> 07:19.720 uh what I feel about the Marines that 07:19.720 --> 07:21.831 have come before , the ones that I've 07:21.831 --> 07:24.164 known and the ones that I haven't known . 07:24.164 --> 07:27.079 And I'm grateful Uh , grateful that 07:27.079 --> 07:30.959 they also took up the charge and uh 07:31.239 --> 07:33.940 made the choice . And they , they did 07:33.940 --> 07:37.029 what it means to earn the EGA . When I 07:37.029 --> 07:39.251 think about those that came before us , 07:39.251 --> 07:42.450 I think of the legacy they left . The 07:42.450 --> 07:44.672 hardships they endured , the paths that 07:44.672 --> 07:46.617 they blaze for us . One of the big 07:46.617 --> 07:48.920 things that comes to mind is just the 07:49.140 --> 07:52.089 the absolute selfless sacrifice that 07:52.089 --> 07:53.970 they gave . Those Marines did 07:53.970 --> 07:56.329 incredible things across every theater 07:56.329 --> 07:58.440 we've been involved in . Knowing that 07:58.440 --> 08:00.662 all those heroes that stepped up to the 08:00.662 --> 08:02.885 plate , all the ones who went before me 08:02.885 --> 08:05.489 pa paved the way so that I could , I 08:05.489 --> 08:08.380 could survive in any terrain , Korea . 08:08.970 --> 08:11.081 My God , those Marines that they were 08:11.081 --> 08:13.130 in Korea with the frostbite . There 08:13.130 --> 08:16.049 were 6000 Chinese up there . We're less 08:16.049 --> 08:18.600 than 200 millions we're gonna go up 08:18.600 --> 08:20.878 there and and mix it up with them , so . 08:22.570 --> 08:24.292 The way they worked that out , 08:24.292 --> 08:26.403 everybody and his brother that was in 08:26.403 --> 08:28.570 the Marine Corps , Cook Baker switchco 08:28.570 --> 08:30.237 was on the front lines to all 08:30.237 --> 08:33.890 infantrymen . Those Marines stood up 08:34.099 --> 08:36.090 and fought just like Marines have 08:36.090 --> 08:38.669 always fought . There's one thing about 08:39.010 --> 08:42.409 marines . It doesn't matter when you're 08:42.409 --> 08:44.609 in the Marine Corps . You're all 08:44.609 --> 08:47.770 Marines and all fight like lions , and 08:47.770 --> 08:49.940 we get the job done . That's just who 08:49.940 --> 08:52.169 and what we are . No one should love 08:52.169 --> 08:54.002 war , but if there's a war , the 08:54.002 --> 08:56.169 guaranteeing the Marines will be there 08:56.169 --> 08:58.447 and do the best job that could be done . 08:58.760 --> 09:02.119 Being part of a crew made friendships 09:02.400 --> 09:04.989 that lasted for many years . 09:06.530 --> 09:08.252 There are still Marines that I 09:08.252 --> 09:10.419 communicate with that I served with 55 09:10.419 --> 09:12.570 years ago , and uh they're just like 09:12.570 --> 09:14.530 brothers to me . I have biological 09:14.530 --> 09:17.000 brothers , I love them . But the bond 09:17.000 --> 09:19.280 that I have with my brothers in the 09:19.280 --> 09:22.119 military is right up there . You know 09:22.119 --> 09:24.119 that it wouldn't have been possible 09:24.119 --> 09:26.230 without the brother and sister to the 09:26.230 --> 09:26.039 left and right of you . You know , they 09:26.039 --> 09:27.706 have your back , whatever the 09:27.706 --> 09:29.928 circumstances are . I joined the Marine 09:29.928 --> 09:32.150 Corps because my dad was a Marine , and 09:32.150 --> 09:34.372 seeing the camaraderie that he had with 09:34.372 --> 09:34.159 other Marines , I wanted to be a part 09:34.159 --> 09:36.559 of that . The camaraderie was was 09:36.559 --> 09:39.479 awesome . You , you can't find it 09:39.479 --> 09:41.812 anywhere else . Well , the Marine Corps , 09:41.812 --> 09:43.646 I think that's a special type of 09:43.646 --> 09:47.270 emotion that you just have . I , I , I 09:47.270 --> 09:49.103 don't think you get that type of 09:49.103 --> 09:51.890 fulfillment anywhere . Certainly miss 09:51.890 --> 09:54.719 it . I still miss it . Went to boot 09:54.719 --> 09:57.859 camp in July 2001 . I was 17 years old 09:58.390 --> 10:00.900 and I retired when I was 38 . It's been 10:01.190 --> 10:03.357 20 something years of my life . When I 10:03.357 --> 10:05.549 go back and do it all over again in a 10:05.549 --> 10:08.070 heartbeat , even knowing the , the 10:08.070 --> 10:10.700 outcome , I wouldn't change any of it . 10:10.950 --> 10:13.469 If I could go back in , I'd go back in 10:13.469 --> 10:15.525 and go right back Fleet Marine Force 10:15.525 --> 10:17.747 again , the informer with the Marines . 10:18.150 --> 10:21.830 When I joined the Marine Corps . My 10:21.830 --> 10:24.052 mother and my sisters told me there was 10:24.052 --> 10:26.274 no way I was gonna make it through boot 10:26.274 --> 10:28.386 camp . They told me it was just too , 10:28.386 --> 10:30.386 it was too tough and you , you just 10:30.386 --> 10:32.950 can't do it . And I proved them wrong . 10:33.299 --> 10:35.410 Sure there were times I was tired and 10:35.410 --> 10:37.632 exhausted , and ready to break down and 10:37.632 --> 10:40.520 cry , but I didn't . You looked for 10:40.520 --> 10:42.559 strength from your fellow Marines , 10:42.650 --> 10:44.880 from your squad leaders . My first 10:44.880 --> 10:46.880 platoon guide in the infantry was a 10:46.880 --> 10:50.590 Vietnam vet as a sergeant . My uncle 10:50.590 --> 10:52.423 was a Marine . He was wounded on 10:52.423 --> 10:54.312 Incheon . He was one of the first 10:54.312 --> 10:56.690 Marines hit . We had Thanksgiving one 10:56.690 --> 10:58.809 day . The following day they come the 10:58.809 --> 11:02.450 Chinese . 140,000 11:02.450 --> 11:04.228 Chinese are coming towards us . 11:06.679 --> 11:08.846 Are we gonna be able to stop all those 11:08.846 --> 11:11.289 some coming this way . We saved First 11:11.289 --> 11:13.530 Marine Division from being overrun by 11:13.530 --> 11:16.549 the Chinese . It's hard to explain . 11:16.580 --> 11:18.719 It's emotional to have been a part of 11:18.719 --> 11:22.599 that , a small part of the legacy short 11:22.599 --> 11:25.280 of my family and faith . There's 11:25.280 --> 11:27.447 nothing in my life that I'm more proud 11:27.447 --> 11:30.380 of to have been a part of . It's a 11:30.380 --> 11:33.780 legacy of uh of honor and 11:33.780 --> 11:37.530 commitment and courage . Absolute 11:37.530 --> 11:39.570 dependability . If you send in the 11:39.570 --> 11:41.929 Marines , um , there's a reason for 11:41.929 --> 11:44.096 that , and you are sending in the very 11:44.096 --> 11:46.040 best that you have at the moment . 11:46.040 --> 11:48.250 Other services claimant , the Marine 11:48.250 --> 11:49.250 Corps lives in . 11:54.619 --> 11:55.619 Oh 11:59.330 --> 12:02.059 fire Hey 12:10.289 --> 12:12.510 The Marines are looking for a few good 12:12.510 --> 12:14.621 men . I love you . I miss you , and I 12:14.621 --> 12:16.343 can't wait to come home soon . 12:18.010 --> 12:19.288 delicious to be here . 12:22.400 --> 12:22.690 Oh . 12:29.580 --> 12:32.020 Our legacy , which will continue on for 12:32.020 --> 12:35.580 the next 250 years . Is one of 12:35.580 --> 12:39.450 sacrifice , hard work , endeavor , 12:39.859 --> 12:42.510 and never ever giving up on your fellow 12:42.510 --> 12:42.979 Marines .