DC, UNITED STATES -- Late at night, a bus full of young adults sits in silence, anxiously anticipating the next moments awaiting them as they step onto the pavement. A group of men and women in starched khaki blouses and green wool trousers approach them, screaming orders inches away from their faces and directing them to line their feet up on rows of painted yellow footprints on the concrete.
“Your feet are at a forty-five-degree angle, your heels are touching and your mouth is shut!”
Now recruits, each is inspected up and down on their appearance and posture. At this moment, they begin the grueling 13-week journey to become something larger than themselves: A United States Marine.
For over 100 years, every enlisted Marine recruit has been required to complete boot camp, standardized enlisted training established by Commandant William P. Biddle in 1911. Today, that training occurs at Marine Corps Recruiting Depot (MCRD) Parris Island or MCRD San Diego. Upon completion of boot camp, each recruit earns the coveted Eagle, Globe and Anchor, marking their official induction to the U.S. Marine Corps and giving them the title of Marine. As the Corps celebrates its 246th birthday, Marines from Marine Corps Installations Command (MCICOM) remember the traditions they’ve upheld and the journey each Marine has taken throughout their careers.
“When I see the Eagle, Globe and Anchor, what comes to mind is standing on top of the Reaper in San Diego, California with the flags of all the states of the United States and just hearing that song, ‘I’m Proud to Be an American,’” said Master Sergeant (MSgt) Mario Daraell Lute, MCICOM postal representative. “That and overlooking the California horizon, that’s what I think about and that’s the moment it carries me to every time I take a look at the Eagle, Globe and Anchor. It reminds me of the commitment I’ve made: to be willing to give the ultimate sacrifice if called upon and that what I do can possibly help others.”
Throughout its history, the Corps has developed traditions passed from generation to generation which are honored at the annual Marine Corps Ball. On November 1, 1921, Lieutenant General John Archer Lejeune, 13th Commandant of the Marine Corps, issued an order summarizing the history, mission and tradition of the Corps and directed that it be read to every command each year on November 10 in honor of the birthday of the Marine Corps. Despite the Commandant’s Ball being cancelled this year due to the ongoing pandemic, Marines around the world will continue to celebrate and take part in their traditions.
“My favorite part of the tradition is the passing of the piece of birthday cake from the oldest Marine to the youngest Marine,” said MCICOM Sergeant Major (SgtMaj) Radel. “It’s just symbolic in understanding that every senior leader has a responsibility to pass on the traditions and customs to the junior generation, so that way they can carry on the torch for the Marine Corps.”
During the annual celebrations, many reflect on their Marine Corps career and what it was that inspired them to join, some at only 18 years old.
“One of the reasons why I joined was that I wanted to be able to make a difference, and I didn’t want to be a statistic,” said MSgt Lute. “The Marine Corps has shaped me [because] it has given me that perseverance and that hard core attitude to really go after the things that I desire and to never give up. That’s what the Marine Corps has given me most – that not-give-up type of attitude - the esprit de Corps.”
MSgt Lute has been in the Marine Corps for 23 years, while Sergeant (Sgt) Conner Reeder, an administrative Marine with Deputy Commandant, Installations and Logistics (DC, I&L), has served for seven.
“For me personally, I love to challenge myself. I’ve always been like that with anything I do – football, wrestling, just being athletic and competitive. I wanted something that would push me to my limit and get me something next level, and that’s what I believe the Marine Corps gave me.”
This year and every year, the Marine Corps will look to the future to the next generation of Marines who will continue to carry on 246 years of history, warfighting and spirit. They will honor all the Marines who came before them and created an unbreakable chain with their brothers and sisters, connecting the past to the present. More than that, Marines remember the intangible traditions that link them to the past – those of courage, trust, discipline, loyalty, respect, perseverance, adaptability and leadership.
“The brotherhood keeps driving me to [keep] that goal,” said Gunnery Sergeant (GySgt) Ricardo Schebesta, an operations chief at MCICOM. “Every time I meet a goal, the goal post keeps moving farther and farther, only because I personally move it. The Marine Corps has grown to be my family and I believe that same love and dedication that you have for your family, I have for the Marine Corps and that is why I don’t see myself leaving the Marine Corps for quite some time."