Yannick, By the time you re-read this I hope you are well on your way to becoming a Marine. I am glad that you feel you understand these Traits. But believe me, when you graduate you will have found a new definition of those traits you thought you knew. Good Luck and I hope to soon call you Brother.

My cousin was a Marine during the Viet Nam era.   He served in the Drum & Bugle Corps, so he never saw any actual combat, though he was in Viet Nam for a while.  When he came home, there was no perceptible personality change, except for the bearing.  He still has it to this day, nearly fifty years later.  They’re right:  There’s no such thing as an “ex”-Marine. 

I am a former Marine and a current father, and I always knew that if I had to do either of those things in order to be a man, that would be pretty pathetic.  Of course, I was right.  Both of those things take a lot of sacrifice, but if you need them to make you a man, you are pretty pathetic.  There are plenty of great great men who were never fathers or marines.  So there, Tom Clancy.  Go write another dull book. 

I know what you mean it’s bearing. I as an elisted was mistaken for having a higher rank. One time at kaneohe I was waiting for a friend. He had been told that there was a
GunnySgt asking for him. Another time while disembarking off a ship overheard a sailor on the quarterdeck ask another Marine if I was one of their officers. I hope it’s carried on,still work with the military so mant years later.

Mike your right cause ours is not to reason why ours is but to do or die.

Another former MSG showcasing his awesomeness!!!

Bearing or Comportment (pun intended), we just can’t get away from the Naval terminology. Outstanding scoop. G 2/6

I was never much for putting “airs”.  MCRD San Diego,  taught me to walk straight.  Eyes straight ahead, 6 to the front 3 to the rear.  Thirty inch step.  If I maintained that stature, is that swagger, I don’t know. About fifty years ago.  I always got be out front of the formation because I’m vertically challenged. If I told strangers I was a Marine some would say aren’t you too short?    At 65, I’m as much a Marine as I was at 17.   Once upon a time, at Camp Pendleton,as a mere private I came upon a young officer passing in the other direction, I was heading back from the PX, carrying my goodies.  I will admit I tried to look away.  As we were nearly parallel I transferred the bag to my already full left hand, and snapped a salute and greeting ,”good evening sir”.  Whew!  Skated on that one.  Then I heard from behind me, “Marine”!  Oh Oh, Turning around I came face to face with an angry second lieutenant.  All I could see were the two gold bars on his collars.  You were not going to salute me, were you?  I stumbled through excuse after excuse till all collapsed. I admitted I was lax in my courtesy, comportment or swagger, whatever it was and I got good reaming, and turned loose.  We don’t forget stuff like that.  And there is a lesson in every occasion like that one. I think Marines stand out from the rest, and bootcamp has a lot to do with that. So.  How people see you and how we see ourselves, well…     It’s all according to your perspective.  DMC

“A Battalion of well trained and armed marines has done more for world peace than the entire United Nations”  Quoting P. J. O’Rourke

Please get rid of the “Swagger” nonsense