Happy 245th Birthday, Marines

In my life, there’s three titles that I hold dear: father, husband, and Marine. Of those three, being a Marine is what has shaped my life and influenced how I approach the other two.

Being a Marine has taught me that in order to lead my children, I must be fair, direct, and understand their basic needs. It’s a simple leadership trait that takes a long time to grasp. Take care of your Marines and they’ll take care of you. Simple in theory and difficult in execution.

Being a Marine has also taught me that I can be yelled at by my wife when I make an enormous or small mistake and forget it a moment later while I’m cleaning the toilet for my mistake. Thick skin for the win. In all seriousness though, being away from family for long periods of time taught me to value that time with them. Granted, the pandemic is making that time a little more difficult to value but nevertheless.

I’m fortunate to be able to talk with other Marines and veterans so long after being out of the Marine Corps which is why I love zero blog thirty so much and why I encourage folks to reach out to their buddies- many of whom are struggling. We constantly hear about the scourge of suicides within our ranks. Im a firm believer that we can only begin to quell the squalls of our mental seas by grabbing a bucket and assisting when our shipmates have taken on too much water.

Although many of the ways I act, think, and conduct myself are much different than my active duty days, I’m grateful that the Marine Corps shaped me into the person I am now. I’m grateful that I had the opportunity to bounce back and continue living a life worth living. I’m grateful for a lifetime of experiences that were packed tightly into a duffle bag of less than a decade. I’m grateful for each one of the Marines whom I led and who led me.

Mostly, I’m grateful that there are still rough men and women who stand at the ready to do unbelievable violence when called upon. The words of the former Commandant of the Marine Corps are as true as ever.

“Through the constant sacrifice of young men and women the legacy of the Marine Corps stays intact and in fact it grows. We aren't determined by the policies of our highest commanders but by what is instilled in us by our enlisted leaders. We are determined by the will to locate, close with and destroy the enemy by fire and close combat. The sounds of the guns still echo. We March to those muzzles. Happy Birthday, Marines. Your valor is still uncommon.”

Semper Fi and grab a bucket.