Since I grew up in an Army family, I was surrounded by soldiers—from all branches of the military—my whole life. Our house was full of cavalry, midshipmen, air assault, rangers, jumpmasters…you name it, we fed them! My intro to the Marine Corps was through my dad’s dear friend, Sands Robnick. (Here’s a picture of Dad and Sands at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas in 1981.) He was big and tall, a good Dad, and a great combat-ready soldier. His weakness? Peanut M&Ms. My mom kept a bag in the kitchen just for him.
My father-in-law is also a Marine. Yes, both Sands and my father-in-law are retired now, but once a Marine, always a Marine…you may not be considered active-duty, but Marines take an oath to be a Marine forever. The Marine Corps symbols (Eagle, Globe, and Anchor) are earned by each soldier. Anchor symbolizes the Corps heritage, the Globe stands for worldwide presence, and the Eagle symbolizes defense. The Marine Corps motto is “Semper Fidelis,” which literally translates to “always faithful,” but it pertains to many categories: your unit, your family, your honor, your country. “Ductus Exemplo” – lead by example.
One of the most visually distinguishable signs of a Marine in uniform is the Mameluke Sword. There are two different versions of the sword…one for Enlisted and one for Officers. In the early 1800s, the original sword was given to Lieutenant Presley O'Bannon by a gracious Mameluke chieftain in North Africa. By 1825, all Marine officers carried the sword as a reminder of this important battle. It was adopted in 1859 and is used for ceremonial purposes. Look up the Mameluke story though and see where “the shores of Tripoli” story started.
Now, a little about Camp Lejeune…the base we're visiting this Sunday on In the Kitchen with David! Camp Lejune is named after General John A. Lejeune who was the Commandant of the Marine Corps from 1920-1929. He reorganized the Corps, made huge improvements in training, and put focus on better education for Marines. The base boasts 14-miles of beaches, making it ideal for amphibious assault training. (Say that five times fast!) Camp Lejeune’s mission does not seem to have changed much since the beginning: to remain combat-ready and maintain state-of-the-art training capability. The base and nearby towns have an active duty, dependent, retiree, and civilian employee population of approximately 170,000 people. Sounds like a large, busy community: OORAH!
We’re getting so many great entries from you all—thanks for taking time to honor the veterans in your lives! We got a great story from Karina Garcia about her husband Paolo. He joined the Corps when he was 18, served in Afghanistan in Operation Freedom, and they called Camp Lejeune home for four years. I have to say…I breathed a happy sigh when I read he’s home safe. We will never forget all of you, your fellow soldiers, and your family’s sacrifices. We know you give all that you are every single day to maintain our freedom. So my question to anyone reading this is: how would you thank a soldier? Would you shake their hand? Give them your seat? I would love to hear your stories.
See you soon,
~ Mary QVC