Esprit de Corps and Iwo Jima, 75 Years

On this 75th anniversary of the Marine Corps' famous landing and assault of the volcanic island of Iwo Jima, I thought a very short explanation of esprit de corps, something near and dear to the identity or ethos of U.S. Marines would be appropriate.

At that point in USMC Recruit Training, 'boot camp' to which it is more commonly referred, when recruits earn their eagle, globe, and anchor, EGA for those of us intimately familiar with the importance and symbology of it, Marines become a part of a continuum. The "first to fight" slogan, "a few good men", and "the few, the proud, the Marines" become a piece of our soul, a nearly indelible stamp that lasts a lifetime. "Once a Marine, always a Marine." Truer words have never been spoken. During recruit training, in addition to following a path that nearly consumes the mind, will and body of each recruit with the goal of achieving the title, "Marine", we are also taught that there is a responsibility we take on when we assume that title. We are taught the great history of our Corps, from its founding at Tun Tavern, in Philadelphia, in 1775, to all the wars and expeditions the Marine Corps has been a part of. "From the halls of Montezuma to the Shores of Tripoli," words from the Marine Corps Hymn which, when we embrace it, expresses how we, as Marines, are part of a Corps that came before us, and we know will carry on long after we are gone from it.

And therein lies the beauty of esprit de corps. The phrase captures an identity, crafted by more than 200 years of history, presumes Marines as members of the Corps subordinate our individuality to the goals of and mission of the Marine Corps. It entails a great responsibility. Whether it was the battles and sacrifices in blood throughout Marine Corps history: Belleu Wood, Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima, the Chosin Reservoir, Hue, Beiruit, Desert Storm, Afghanistan and Iraq, or proudly serving as Presidential and Embassy Guard Detachments, the future astronauts and statesmen, and every combat veteran, decorated for valor and bravery, we become responsible for upholding, maintaining and living up to that legacy. And not just to live up to the legacy, but to remember that as Marines, our legacy will be added to it, and be a part of it, and become what some future Marine will be responsible for, too.

I recently attended a boot camp graduation ceremony at MCRD San Diego. And while I was there with fifty or sixty other veterans and retirees like myself, I marveled at their youth, their motivation, and I realized how incredibly proud and a little bit humble I am to call myself a Marine. And this morning I was reminded of the heroic feats of Herschel "Woody" Williams, awarded the Medal of Honor for his valor on Iwo Jima, the anniversary of which we celebrate today. And, just like those recruits become Marines made me feel last October in San Diego, Woody and the other heros of Iwo, Saipan, and all the rest make me proud, but humble to know I was among the best, and one of them. To be counted among them, one of them, and them, one of us.

Esprit de corps is the way we describe the bond we share, the pride we hold in knowing we are a part of it, and finally, the responsibility every Marine shares to not only be the best Marine we can be, but to strive to keep the Corps the best it can be, and to live up to the legacy of every Marine who came before us, leaving our same best legacy to those who come after. And somewhere in there, guys like Woody Williams become a sort or USMC royalty, and we know without a doubt, those new Marines graduating boot camp every week will indeed live up to that legacy and make us every bit as proud as our great history already has.