Semper Fidelis, to the end of time

Two Marines with carbine rifles slung over their shoulders stand beneath an American flag flying atop Mount Suribachi on the Pacific Ocean island of Iwo Jima in the Ogasawara Archipelago. They are watching the cloud of smoke and dust as the World War II battle rages on in the distance. Varying sources give varying figures for casualties, but it is accepted that nearly 21,000 Japanese defenders were killed in the fight which lasted from February 19 to March 25, 1945. American casualties were about 6,800 dead and more than 19,000 wounded, mostly Marines. A variety of naval vessels and landing craft are visible on the right along the shoreline.

It's a good place to be from ....

Driver training class seemed to be moving slower than slow one summer morning as we pulled into the parking lot at the high school. A young man walked up to car and asked the high school principal, who was giving the class, if he could get his records so he could enroll in college. The principal went to retrieve the records and I started talking to the young man. I knew he had just been discharged from the 82nd Airborne, where his older brother remained on active duty.

"Did you like the army?" I asked, a curious 14-year-old boy plotting my own future.

"It's a good place to be from," replied the young man.

His answer puzzled me then, but now I understand it. When someone asks me if I liked the Marine Corps, I usually provide the same answer: "It's a good place to be from."

In terms of myself, I never have been able to think a more concise and accurate response. I also never have been able to adequately explain why I went into the USMC beyond the stock cliché: "It seemed like a good idea at the time."

Part of my entry, I am sure, came from reading about the Marine Corps and seeing films about it and having known veterans from all branches of the armed forces and hearing their remarks about their military lives. Beyond those things, I am hesitant to search deeper within myself.

Today is the 246th birthday of the United States Marine Corps and, in the spirit of the Corps, I wish happy birthday and salute all Marines -- those among the dead, those who still live, those yet to be born: Semper Fidelis, to the end of time ....