Tell it to the Marines

I am posting here a column a wrote for a newspaper in Cleveland in 2002. Happy Birthday to the United States Marine Corps.

Thank You Vets (published November 12, 2002)
I had brunch Sunday with my parents at the Harp, an Irish pub on the West Side near downtown. With living across town from them added to my class and work loads, I haven't seen them very much recently. They are both retired and travel quite a bit to see my siblings who live all over the country. So Sunday was special for us all. My girlfriend and the only other local sibling were there too.

My father has six children, five sons and one daughter. When I was a kid in the 70s my mother would say that with all these boys she worried about war more than usual. She prayed that none of us would have to experience war first hand. My father was just worried about bankruptcy at the cost of putting us through college. Years later, neither horror realized, we are as close as a family can be.

More than just getting together with my family, Sunday was special for another reason. November 10 is the birthday of the United States Marine Corps. The great coincidence of history was that Armistice Day—which we now celebrate as Veterans' Day—was declared on the day following the anniversary of the Marine Corps. Separated by 143 years, the two days honor two different groups of warriors. The US Marine Corps is arguably the toughest military organization in the world, known for its tenacity in combat and its bravery under fire. By the time the World War I Armistice was declared, the USMC was legendary, gaining a new moniker during the struggle.

The German soldiers at Belleau Woods referred to the Marines who first assaulted then defended the five-mile stretch of woods as "Teufel Hunden—(Devil Dogs)." The name comes from a legendary Bavarian breed of wild dog. The Marines unofficially adopted the name as they did most insults directed at them. Five months after the battle, the war ended.
So the first Armistice Day, the cease-fire that ended the First World War fell on the day after the Marine Corps celebrated its 143d birthday.

For me the two days are linked by more than coincidence of calendar because my father was a US Marine. He enlisted in 1951 shortly after the outbreak of war in Korea. He landed at Inchon and spent the rest of the war doing his duty as a Marine. He has spoken of it very little and never directly. One time he admitted to having trouble sleeping after reading a book about a WWII winter battle. Another time he told me about a Captain who lost his legs from a mine explosion. But when asked directly about combat, he would tell a joke or change the subject.

I know at one point he was wounded, but he refused a Purple Heart. He knew that the Defense Department would send a telegram home to his mother announcing his medal. He didn't want to worry her.

Veteran's Day is supposed to honor men like my father. Men who did their duty and thought about the family at home, men who overcame incredible odds and came home.

Sitting in the Harp Sunday, I'm sure no one thought that the old guy having lunch was remarkable in any way. That's what makes veterans so special. They are just regular people even after facing the very real possibility that they would be killed in combat.

The United States is yet again poised to put lives at risk. Whether the mission is appropriate or ill advised, men and women will go into harm's way and some will not return. Those who survive will someday eat a quiet brunch with their children in an unremarkable way.

On behalf of the staff of The Cauldron I'd like to thank all veterans, the ones who saw combat and the ones who served during peace-time. Especially my dad.
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My father is doing well, I spoke with him by telephone today. Retired and age 75, I asked what he planned to do for the Marine Corp's 233d birthday.

"Sleep," he said. "A good Marine never stands when he may sit and never stays awake when he may sleep."

Thanks again to all the Marines past and present who continue to inspire us all. Especially my dad.