God, Country, Corps
What it means to be a United States Marine.
Today marks the 242nd Birthday of my beloved Corps. This is always a special time of the year. Not just for me, but for every Marine who currently is or at some-point was. Today is important to all those Men and Women who, at one time, dawned the Eagle Globe & Anchor (EGA) and proudly wore U.S. Marines across their hearts. This time, 242 years ago, at a small Philadelphia bar famously known as Tun Tavern, my Marine Corps came alive. Unless you were a part of it, you simply will not understand.
Why does any of this matter? Why do Marines make a big deal about our branch’s birthday? Why do we care about EGAs, titles, and history? Is it because we are Proud to be Marines? Damn right. Is it because we earned the title Marine and were not given it? You are correct. Is it because we are the best and know it? Of course. All these things play a part in the pride and purpose becoming a Marine brings to one’s life. It is all these things yet so much more.
Marine Corps boot camp is infamous for its innate ability to break somebody down mentally and physically in order to build them back up stronger, faster, and smarter than before. We all went in as individuals and came back out as warriors. We all went in selfish, caring only about our own well-being, and came out selfless, worried about the person to the left and right of us before even thinking about ourselves.
That is why the Marine Corps is so special, so revered, so looked up to and idolized. From day one they remove all sense of individual self. I was no longer, Adam Cummings, I was now Recruit Cummings. It did not matter my gender, creed, sexual orientation, religion, or economic background. I was 1 of 80. I was not special. The individual Marine is not special. The Marine Corps as a living and breathing entity is special. As an individual, I was nobody. But as a member of the World’s Greatest Fighting Force, I was somebody. I was and continue to be a United States Marine.
We have a saying in the Corps; “Once a Marine, always a Marine.” What does this mean exactly? Why, of all the branches in the Armed Services, does the Marine never lose their title? It is because we earn that title through blood, sweat, and tears. It is because all the Marines who came before us and will serve after us, earned that title just as we did. It is because some of the greatest warriors this country, this world has ever seen, eternalized what being a Marine is. It is because the Marine Corps brought self-fulfillment, purpose, and a level of camaraderie unmatched through the paradoxical removal of individualistic mentalities.
This is why two Marines can run into each other in the streets, never knowing one another, and instantly form a bond and connection that can be seen materializing in real-time. How could we not be forever connected? The Corps taught us how to stand, how to talk, how to walk, how to stare. The Corps taught us how to eat, how to fight, and how to be the best versions of ourselves possible.
We are taught to embody three warrior ethos; Honor: to do the right thing at all times especially when nobody is looking, Courage: to stand in the face of adversity, no matter the odds, without backing down, and Commitment: to stay committed to your training, your discipline, and to the person to the left and right of you. No Marine joins the Corps for VA benefits. No Marine joins the Corps to get money for school. No Marine joins the Corps to travel the world. Marines join the Corps for just that reason alone. That is the prize at the end of the tumultuous tunnel, the right to the title of United States Marine.
The day my life changed forever was the day I stood outside of the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, on those infamous yellow footprints, and asked myself what the hell I was doing. Delirious, scared shitless, and completely overwhelmed I closed my eyes and said, “Adam, you are going to hit the ground running and never look back, you have no choice now.” Most people will never know when their lives changed forever. Most people will never know if they ever lived and made a purpose. This is why we are the Few, this is why we are the Proud, and this is the only reason we are and will forever be Marines.