My Interview with a Marine Before I Enlist Essay

Earning the rank of NCO in the Marine Corps is a difficult feat and it is the mentor’s job to guide his mentees on a path that would have them attain not only the next rank but also any goals they may have set out for themselves. No one can put the mentorship program in any better words than Gen John A. Lejeune himself. He once said “One must put himself in the place of those whom he would lead; he must have a full understanding of their thoughts, their attitude, their emotions, their aspirations, and their ideals; and he must embody in his/her own character the virtues which he would instill into the hearts of his/her followers.”. Which in my interpretation I believe him to be saying Not only does the Marine

No matter if you stay in for one enlistment or two, the depth of the Marine Corps is unknown so knowledge will continuously flow and it is endless. All Marines get taught the basics of being a leader in entry level training, but only a few can react to help form their trait into an elite skill only for them. In order to become the elite you have to build a "Foundation of Values" (pg.31) so that respect in all aspects will become evident between the followers and their leader(s). While setting the example it does not matter what rank you are, you still show that the standards that you hold will reflect on who you are as a person and a Marine. Each Marine chooses how their standards and ways will become beneficial not only to the Marine Corps, but to themselves also. Why do ethics make conducting a moment of decision making so hard? At some point and time every Marine will come to a point in their career or life where the grey area will be the path they choose, but will not think that it is the right way. Moral and ethic dilemmas are common more and more each day. Every Marine is taught to be the toughest both physically, and mentally.

     My grandfather, Larry, served in WWII. He enlisted and stationed at Camp Polk. He went through places like New Guinea and the Philippines during the war.

November 10, 1775, is revered as being the Marine Corps birthday, and its birthplace being at Tun Tavern, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Continental Congress met at Tun Tavern, to establish two battalions of Continental Marines, under the command of Cpt. Samuel Nicholas, as an amphibious fighting force who would later in March of 1776, participate in their first foreign raid, in the Bahamas (www.globalsecurity.org ). After the Treaty of Paris

I am very persistent. Once I set my mind to something, I strive for it until I achieve it or it has proved impossible for me to obtain my goal. It was once my goal to join the Army. Although I was overweight, I worked until I made the correct weight limit and kept trying to join until they told me I couldn't join because I had eczema as a child. I believe that I should always try my hardest and do my best as much as possible in every situation.

Ideal- The Marines Embody more of my personal views and ideals then the other branches of the armed services.

The Marine Corps Experience, pp. 12 – 31 The Corps today, pp 318 – 335

There are lots of ways to further your education. Most everyone instantly thinks about college as the next step in their education after high school. Some people just simply aren’t ready for college yet, or do not think that it is their thing. The next thing people consider is to join the workforce out of highschool. That is not always the best idea because you do not get any education by doing so. A better way to further your education would be to join the military. The military can give you education in things that no college is able to, help with expenses (including helping pay for college while you serve), and has an interesting daily lifestyle that is unique and different than college would be. The job I want to do in the military is to

Serving the United States Military comes with many responsibilities as well as pressure and accountability. However, the military isn’t for everyone, but it offers so much for those who serve. One thing that must be known and dealt with is that this career could be a life threatening one, and there are many obstacles one must go through beforehand.

The most hardworking people are usually the least recognized. They are generally the least paid as well. There must be some sort of incentive for them to continually work so hard. The United States Army has been the underdogs of the military branch. The United States Army is probably the hardest working branch of the military, but also the least sought after. To the general public they are not considered to be at the top of the spectrum amongst the other branches of military. The government has helped in creating a bias within the branches of military by making the standards to get into the military so low compared to some of the other branches. The Army should be considered the “People’s Army.”

Many people are concerned about the U.S. military because of how many risks come with joining it. However, the U.S. military also explains the benefits that one could receive. Joining the military is a decision that should not be taken lightly. One must understand all aspects of the military. In order for a voter to be fully informed about joining the US military, one must consider both the risks, like mental illnesses and commitment and benefits, like education, and experience.

I spent most of my time as a child and teenager being apart of a team. I enjoyed the culture and integrity that comes with being apart of a strong team (page. 193). After my first year in community college, I knew I needed to be part of a team and to do something bigger than myself. It was one of those abrupt random decisions I made one emotional day. On top of wanting to be part of a team, I had personal issues going on in my life that I felt like would disappear by joining the military. Would I have been less willing to comply if I did not have the personal challenges or skeletons to run from? Who knows? Before I made the final decision to join, I had set up multiple meetings with Marine Veterans of all different ages and rank to hear their honest experiences. Almost all of

Joining the military was astonishing in very many aspects in my life and it truly molded me into who I am today. I will genuinely say that the most important people in my life are my mother and father. I am not a parent myself but I have had years to only imagine how tough parenting can be; especially when raising three stubborn boys. My mother and father are very open minded and kind hearted to everyone regardless of who they are. I will be honest here and say that I may not have been as grateful as I should have been when I was a younger kid, but that’s just life. When you are younger, everything is very simple and do not realize the little things in life. I had no other worries except for, “What’s for dinner?”. The military made me realize how much I appreciated and very much needed my loved ones. Travelling far away to Marine Corps Recruiting Depot, San Diego California and starting my very own journey was one of the toughest decisions at that time to make for myself.

For this Oral History Lab, I turned to the Veterans History Project, which has an online archive full of Interviews of War Veterans ranging from all eras. The interview that I chose to critique for this assignment was conducted in September of 2003. The interviewer is Bruce Wirz and the Narrator is WWII sergeant William C. Abernathy. The interview is conducted in just under 25 minutes.

On November 10th 1775 in a small tavern just outside of Philadelphia, PA called "Tunn Tavern" a family was started. America, a fledgling nation at the time was in need of an elite, fast moving, amphibious military, one that could be useful in sea to land assaults. The Marine Corps was born, and recruiting for this newfound, elite force began. The Army was for the average man, it was thought of as the branch who would enlist any and all. The Marine Corps operates on a different principle, one that is bold, yet refreshing; "Maybe you can be one of us". I became part of this family at a young age; I was taken under a wing and developed as a human, and as a man. It became part of me, it embedded itself into my