Sunday Musings

On November 10, 1775, the Second Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia passed a resolution stating that "two Battalions of Marines be raised" for service as landing forces with the fleet. This resolution established the Continental Marines and marked the birth date of the U.S. Marine Corps.

There is no doubt that if you've been following my blog from the beginning, you know that I was raised by a Marine, not just any Marine but this guy...


I always tell people that I was raised in khaki diapers, being a child of a Marine meant you were part of that culture.

You stopped and stood when reveille was played at the flag was raised. Driving to work at the bank, I would pass the headquarters building, and at least once a week was going by when the flag was being raised for the day, yep, stop your car and get out. When retreat was played at the end of the day, even as a kid if you heard it, you stopped and faced the direction of the flag.

You said, "yes ma'am and no sir" ... never ever did you say "yep" to an adult, it just didn't happen.

You knew when you walked out the door, you represented your family, your name was theirs, and your decisions were based on how it would reflect on them.

We watched our mothers run a house and raise the kids while the fathers were off fighting for our country, 1 year or longer at a time, but always with the "wait till your father got home" and that still could put the fear of God in you to not do what you were doing that you weren't supposed to be doing.

The sound of my father's voice could bring tears to my eyes when he was mad or disappointed in me, and it could bring a smile to my face when he called me. I'm not sure if he actually ever said, "stop crying, or I'll give you something to cry about," but I'm sure he could have, yelling at me was enough to bring on the waterworks. You see, I never wanted to disappoint my father, I'm sure most of my friends raised by Marine fathers would say the same thing.

You see, I was raised by a Marine, discipline was key, respect of others, knock on doors before entering, never go into other people's personal space. You didn't go into your mother's purse or father's wallet, didn't snoop in drawers or medicine cabinets, that was rude, and we were raised to not be rude. Manners mattered, all the time!

You see...I was raised by a Marine...and by a mother that was married to a Marine...and the saying is true...Once a Marine - Always a Marine.

So Happy Birthday to all the Marine's out there! SEMPER FI

Until Next Time
Be Kind


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