![]() |
|
Finding Your People - Special Groups Are you a member of AA? Neurodiverse? a Vegan? Find your people here! |
View Poll Results: Are you a Veteran??? | |||
I served in the Army |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
24 | 46.15% |
I served in the Navy |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
5 | 9.62% |
I served in the Air Force |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
7 | 13.46% |
I served in the Coast Guard |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
1 | 1.92% |
I'm a United States Marine |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
5 | 9.62% |
I served in the Army Nat'l Guard |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
2 | 3.85% |
I served in the Air National Guard |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
1 | 1.92% |
I served in a Reserve Component (please specify) |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
3 | 5.77% |
I served in the Armed Forces of another country |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
4 | 7.69% |
Voters: 52. You may not vote on this poll |
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
![]() |
#12 | |
Senior Member
How Do You Identify?:
Cranky Old Poop Preferred Pronoun?:
Mr. Beast Relationship Status:
Married Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Central Texas
Posts: 3,534
Thanks: 11,091
Thanked 9,926 Times in 2,506 Posts
Rep Power: 21474855 ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
![]() Quote:
Semper Fi, Brother!!! ![]() I knew you had been a DI, but didn't know you were discharged for being gay. That really just blows my fuse. Back in '79, all of my drill instructors, save one, were discharged for homosexuality as the result of a huge WITCH HUNT (yes, I'm going to use that word, because that's exactly what it was, back in the day, before DADT). All I can say about that is that 3 careers were ruined and terminated, and the Marine Corps lost 3 of the most exemplary, squared away, dedicated, motivated (and motivating) Marines. During my tour, I witnessed even more, even some of my dear friends, get less than honorable discharges just because they were gay. They have no VA benefits to this day, and that is beyond deplorable. In the Marine Corps, there has always been a few good men and women who are "different", yet not all that different, except for sexual orientation, and I'm sure this probably goes for the other branches, too, but in the Marine Corps, we were always just a bit tighter. That's pretty damned tight, too. We served together, protected each other, had each other's back (in most cases, sadly, not in others) and shared that extra bit of camaraderie. I think that's what really hurt, back then and even now....when there was a betrayal, and in most cases, that resulted from coercion and lies. It was all so very sad. It hurt everyone concerned and certainly the loss of these very good Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coasties was not beneficial to the service. Yes, we ARE Marines. We don't make excuses or apologies for that. It just is. It doesn't mean that any branch is any "better" than another. Each branch is specially and specifically trained to accomplish it's specific mission. It has to be that way. That training is instilled in each Marine during basic training and it never leaves us. You don't go through something like that and not have it change your life forever. It changes how you think about everything...every challenge you will ever have in your life reverts your mind back to your Marine Corps training. When it's said "The change is forever.", that is exactly what they mean, and it is. JAGG, as a Drill Instructor and Marine, you touched and changed a LOT of lives in ways which you will never know. I think back about my own DI's often, and I wonder where they are and what they've done after The Corps. I wonder if they will ever know how much I've been able to do and overcome in my life. I want them to know that I do push a little further, try a little harder and hang in there a lot longer......because of them. I AM a Marine. ![]() Semper Fi, ~Theo~ ![]()
__________________
"All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost." -- J. R. R. Tolkien
|
|
![]() |
![]() |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|