So, what is it that I am trying to teach and why? Let's answer the latter question first; I have a few pet peeves, but I don't like to constantly correct people and come off as arrogant when they usually have good intentions. Now, what is it that gets to me? The easiest way to get this point across is to list the aforementioned 'peeves' in a list. It is as follows:
1. 'Marine' is a proper noun, and therefore should ALWAYS be capitalized. I see it in newspaper articles, online, in books, and occasionally catch people writing it without using capitalization, and I honestly can't stand it.
2. I am NOT a Marine, and will not be a Marine until I complete recruit training. I don't like being referred to as a Marine, ever. Why? Because I haven't earned that title yet; I do not deserve to be called "Marine". Until I complete "The Crucible" event in boot camp, no one in the Marine Corps will ever refer to me as a Marine, so you shouldn't either.
3. Since I am not a Marine, I also do not rate the phrases "Semper Fi" or "Oorah". If you're not a Marine, Marine parent, Marine spouse, or Marine sibling, you probably shouldn't say it either; you'll just sound stupid and pretentious. Sorry.
4. Don't try to "school" me on the Marine Corps if you do not have a firsthand account of it yourself. Occasionally I'll get an off comment like "You'll regret joining", "Marines are stupid compared to service members of the other branches", or the one person who has any idea of what Marine Corps boot camp is like because they had a cousin, whom had an uncle, whom had a best friend that joined, thinks they can try to intimidate me with stories and hearsay as if they went through it themselves. There is a quote that sums this up perfectly: "There are only two kinds of people that understand Marines: Marines and the enemy. Everyone else has a second-hand opinion."
Now that that's clear, I hope we all learned a little something today.
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ReplyDeleteAbout #4...
ReplyDeleteThe people who claim that other branches are somehow superior to the Marine Corps speak from ignorance and lack of knowledge. One of the differences in the Marine Corps is that we don't have anything to prove to the other branches. We're Marines.
You can say Navy SEALS, Special Forces, Rangers... whatever you want. Everyone knows and respects Marines... including our enemy. If you want to judge a Marine, judge them by our enemy. The enemy who fears us, and goes into hiding, and then comes out when the Army arrives. The enemy who refuses to fight head on if they know Marines are in the area.
The Marine Corps is made up of the toughest, most disciplined, most fearless human beings on earth. Everywhere they send us, we provide results. The Army is considered a "clean-up" branch that goes in after Marines have completed the task. The Air Force and Navy consist of some of the most undisciplined humans on earth. It is hard to tell them apart from civilians. I know first-hand.
Marines are proud,and work harder than any other fighting force. Even our cooks and secretaries have combat training, and can shoot a paper plate from 500 yards with iron sites. If our rifle fails us, no problem. We can also use a knife and a bayonet.
I would put most female Marines up against most males from other branches any day of the week.
And about us being dumb... I have a 126 out of 128 GT score. I scored an 87 on the ASVAB. I am an expert rifleman. I have a first-class PFT and a first-class CFT. I know first-aid, combat marksmanship, patrolling, IED detection, check point procedures, field and wilderness survival, how to detain someone, and much more... and I have an office job in the Corps. Same goes for our janitors.
When another branch can compete with that as a pound-for-pound non-infantry service member... then they can come talk about Marines.
LCpl. Webb
http://www.KevinWebb22.com
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