What is a Marine?

I’ve been asked what it’s like to be a U.S. Marine and what makes Marines different from other veterans. For starters, the Marine Corps’ birthday is on November 10th and Veterans’ Day is on November 11th. Unfortunately, though, I cannot answer that first part. As arrogant as it may sound, if you haven’t started on the yellow footprints and fought to earn the Eagle, Globe and Anchor, then you’ll never understand what it’s like to be a Marine.

However, while I cannot tell you what it’s like to be a Marine, I can tell you what it IS to be a Marine, and why that’s different from any other veteran.

Most have heard the quote that a veteran is someone who, at some point, signed a check to support and defend the Constitution of these United States up to and including his/her life. Marines signed up to do it with less.

A veteran is someone who agreed to leave his or her family, friends, and home to defend this country, our values, and our way of life. Marines do it only with a promise of hardship.

A veteran is someone who sacrifices the best years of his or her life so that others are free to criticize his language, her manners, and his methods and definition of success. Veterans like quotes that say something like, the Sheepdog doesn’t concern himself with the opinions of sheep. Marines, on the other hand, take those opinions to heart and try to do better next time.

Veterans have discounts, holidays, service birthdays and parades where we get together and reminisce about old days. Marines have houses, birthday cakes, and family gatherings where we revere our beloved Corps and celebrate it irreverently.

Veterans are proud of our service. Marines are fanatical about it.

But even with all these differences, one thing is for sure. No matter where. No matter when. No matter what the challenge. When everyone is running away from the fight, veterans will be running toward it. Not because we yearn for the fight, no. But because we will always protect you from it.

You see, some people fret that our great experiment that is these United States is dying – that communism is winning the hearts and minds of youth and our Constitutional Republic is on its last breath. Fret not, I say.

These United States of America will remain free because WE ARE the United States Marines.

Semper Fidelis, brothers and sisters. Happy 244th.