By DAVID EPPS
Pastor

Last Saturday, I was driving in my community when I spied a church marquee that advertised the observance of Veteran's Day on the following Sunday. In front of the church property, a collection of flags was prominently on display.

The display featured a couple of American flags, and the flags of the military services the United States Army, the United States Navy, the United States Air Force, and ... what!?

Unable to quite believe my eyes, I turned the car around, drove past the church again and, sure enough, there was a flag missing. Perhaps, because it was Nov. 10, I noticed the missing flag. In fact, several times on Saturday, people wished me, "Happy Birthday." No, it wasn't my own personal birthday, which I share with Martin Luther King, Jr. (Jan. 15). It was the 226th birthday of the finest, fiercest, most intimidating military unit on the planet, The United States Marine Corps.

November 10 is celebrated by all Marines as a special birthday. How in the world could you have a display of flags of the American military services and not have a Marine flag? Marines, even those who have been out of the service for a long time, are touchy about such things.

For the historically challenged, The Marine Corps (and by the way, people who spell it "Corp" need to go to remedial spelling class) was founded, appropriately enough, at Tun Tavern, Philadelphia, Pa., Nov. 10, 1775. The USMC is actually older than the USA itself and, although it is the smallest of the four major military services (no offense intended to the Coast Guard or the Merchant Marines) it has a history of combat, honor, and valor unequaled anywhere.

When the firefighters raised a flag at the World Trade Center, people compared it to the flag raising at Iwo Jima. Marines did that. When the president picks personal guards, the guys who salute him as he leaves the helicopter are Marines. Who guards U. S. embassies? You guessed it. Marines. Germans in World War I called the Marines "Devil Dogs" because of their fighting spirit. Who do they send in first to do a tough job when the mission is not covert? Who else?

In fact, the Marines bill themselves as "America's 911 Force." At any given moment, Marines are on a ship in some ocean waiting for the word from the Commander-in-Chief. The Marines can hit the beach in a matter of hours and 226 years of history and tradition makes them a force to be feared.

One just can't be a Marine. One has to earn the privilege of calling himself or herself by that sacred title at the infamous Marine boot camps at Parris Island, South Carolina or at San Diego, California. Officers have to earn the right to be called Marines at Quantico, Virginia. In the other services, lawyers can just join up and be given a commission. You wanna be a Marine lawyer? You go through OCS and The Basic School where, if you earn the right to be called a combat-trained Marine, then you can be a Marine lawyer. Even the Commandant of the Marine Corps, a four-star general, is content to just be called "Marine."

Some people believe that Marines are arrogant. It's not so much that as it is the fact that the people who have earned the title carry it proudly with them until their dying day. They know what it takes to be a Marine and they respect anyone, including themselves, who has made the grade.

An Army veteran asked me once, "Isn't it time you outgrew this Marine thing?" Doesn't he read the ads? "The change is forever." On my car is a bumper sticker that reads, "Not so lean. Not so mean. But still a Marine." That about says it all.

Marines pride themselves as people who rush into danger in the service of their country and in the fraternity of their brothers. They see themselves as tough people in a tough world. Interestingly, an inordinate number of CEOs in Fortune 500 companies are former Marines (no such thing as an "ex-Marine").

Most former Marines (admittedly all services, including the Marines, have a few bad apples) have a sense of honor, of duty, and sacrifice. Even in civilian life, the training and socialization men and women received in the Corps translates into their civilian life and changes people forever.

Having been a part of this elite fraternity impacts and guides former Marines like Sgt. Michael Curtin, Sgt. John Coughlin, PO Vincent Danz, all of the New York Police Department. It drives men like PO Paul Jurgens and PO James Parham of the Port Authority Police.

It inspires men like Special Agent Leonard Hatton of the FBI. And then there are former Marines like Chief Raymond Downey, Chief Joseph Grezlak, Capt. Patrick Brown, Lt. Michael Esposito, FF Calixto Anaya, FF Ruben Correa, FF John Chipuram, FF Matthew Garvey, FF Gary Geidel, FF Ronnie Henderson, FF William Krukowski, FF Manual Mojica; FF Christian Regenhard, FF Gregory Sikorsky, FF Kevin Smith, FF Sean Tallon and FF Allan Tarasiewicz. All former Marines with the New York Fire Department.

All former Marines who shared a common bond and a common set of values who all perished together running into danger in the attack on the World Trade Center Sept. 11, dying in a different kind of war, trying to save lives and perform their duty. To the very end, they were "always faithful."

So, by all means, display all the flags proudly and honor all of America's veterans. But, please, don't fail to remember and display the blood-red flag of those who have given so much in war and in peace "the few, the proud, the Marines."

[Father David Epps is Rector of Christ the King Charismatic Episcopal Church in Peachtree City. He may be contacted at FatherDavidEpps@aol.com or at www.ChristTheKingCEC.com.]

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