If the Army and the Navy

[Willow]

Oftimes a song or a portion of a song gets stuck in my head and plays over and over again, sometimes for days.

If the Army and the Navy
Ever look on Heaven's scenes,
They will find the streets are guarded
By United States Marines.

It's a rather silly concept as if the streets of Heaven need to be guarded by any mortal force even the finest fighting force ever known to man.  It's cute phraseology, though, and though overstated is intended to express the relative ranking.

My heart goes out this day to those who have willingly placed their antes in the table and had it called by the enemy, whatever the branch of those who gave so much for us.  

[f6john]

My Dad was a Marine and served in WWII. Just surviving boot camp was an accomplishment. Always proud of him and his service but never knew many details. I went through boot camp in 1972 and looking back probably not tough enough. Guys were still dieing in Vietnam and I’m not sure we were prepared enough.

[Chrisj CMA]

My Dad was a Marine and served in WWII. Just surviving boot camp was an accomplishment. Always proud of him and his service but never knew many details. I went through boot camp in 1972 and looking back probably not tough enough. Guys were still dieing in Vietnam and I’m not sure we were prepared enough.

Basically I had two separate boot camps when I joined the Air Force. As all I ever knew about boot camp was What they show on TV about Marine boot camp, that's what I expected.  It was not that.  It was a joke.

Then the second boot camp for my special ops job.  Holy  Crap. The only time I didn't hurt was when asleep which felt like mere minutes a day.  That second tough boot camp wasn't designed to prepare us as much as it was designed to get rid of us. That indoctrination school had an 80% or higher washout rate.  If you made it through the instructors knew you would make it through anything you set your mind to.

That's exactly what I learned.  I can do anything I set my mind to and when it feels like you are giving 100% you're really not, there's more in there.  Too many young people never learn that.

[Raider]

Semper fi, Marine.

[Willow]

Semper fi, Marine.

Semper fi.

It is so refreshing to see that someone still knows to put a comma before a noun of address.   

[Cracker Jack]

Dang Willow dont beto hard on us dummies. BTW whats a noun of address.

[The emperor has no clothes]

Dang Willow dont beto hard on us dummies. BTW whats a noun of address.

it's the opposite of a verb of redress 

[carolinarider09]

My Dad was a Marine and served in WWII. Just surviving boot camp was an accomplishment. Always proud of him and his service but never knew many details. I went through boot camp in 1972 and looking back probably not tough enough. Guys were still dieing in Vietnam and I’m not sure we were prepared enough.

My dad served as a Marine aviator in WWII.  He never talked about it.  I know he enjoyed flying, but never talked about it.

I joined the Navy in 1967.  Boot camp was ok, but I was destined for nuclear submarine service.  I had always admired the "Silent Service" and was very proud of being able to participate.  A lot was learned.

[JimmyG]

I went through boot camp twice, due to an injury the last week of my first boot camp....long story.   My good friend  joined the Marines and went through boot camp. Now, don't get me wrong, everyone is different and sees things differently, but this buddy of mine was a dud, in the biggest sense of the word. Could not tie his own shoe if it was too hot to bend over, yet he made it through boot camp just fine. I decided right then, Marine boot camp is just as easy as any boot camp out there, had to be if he made it through.  I also went through with a former Green Beret, and far out distanced him in everything we did. I served with Ranger training companies and did bivouac with them in training. Tough training, but still doable.     Long story short, training is tough on some people and not on others. For me, and some of my buddies,  it was a game, for some others, it broke them.  Training is what helps to keep you alive under fire.  What you're made of determines your reactions under extreme danger and stress.  I always figured the most important guy in the ranks was the cook.  Never get on the bad side of a cook   I salute all the services and veterans. God bless you all....... I will mhave to admit, Marines have a cool uniform.

[Rams]

Semiper Fi to all my Marine brothers.    

Having served in both the Marines and the Army and having served in various assignments with our sister services, all I'll say is everyone is welcomed to their own opinion.   I've been there and done that..

Having said that, I'll readily admit that the toughest son of a gun I ever knew while serving was a SEAL.  
I thought I was tough but they made me look like a child.   Rangers, Green Beret or any other group need to step it up to be a SEAL.   Though admittedly, they have different roles to play.

Never knew a Marine that wasn't proud and dedicated, can't say that about others.
But, I still appreciate all those other support services and their roles of supporting those actually taking and holding the ground.   A team effort saves lives.    Thank you.

Rams

[old2soon]

          When I picked and was accepted for aircraft training-enlisted puke-and when I finally arrived on the Carrier U S S Yorktown CVS-10 I KNEW I had made the right choice. And that KNOWING the right choice thing was only bolstered by my first cat shot and my first arrested landing.  Feb 1968 I made what I now recognize as one of the biggest mistakes in my life-I opted for civvy street.  My rate was wide open could have had the Hat in minimum amount of time. The Hat-Chiefs hat where you change from bell bottoms to an officer "type" uniform. In The Navy it was E-7 and above-E-8 and E-9. Coulda woulda shoulda.  But I would NOT change the 4 years I Served for any thing else I've ever done!  And I had an opportunity to retire at Warrant 4. I for one do NOT care which American Armed Service that you were in-the Very FACT you were in tells me a Lot. RIDE SAFE.

[Willow]

... BTW whats a noun of address.

Most generally it will be the name of the person to whom you speak (or type), but it can also be a descriptive noun used as an identifier.

Two examples would be:

Willow, I think you're being altogether too picky.

That's not nearly as important as you think it is, dufus. 

[The emperor has no clothes]

I went through boot camp twice, due to an injury the last week of my first boot camp....long story.   My good friend  joined the Marines and went through boot camp. Now, don't get me wrong, everyone is different and sees things differently, but this buddy of mine was a dud, in the biggest sense of the word. Could not tie his own shoe if it was too hot to bend over, yet he made it through boot camp just fine. I decided right then, Marine boot camp is just as easy as any boot camp out there, had to be if he made it through.  I also went through with a former Green Beret, and far out distanced him in everything we did. I served with Ranger training companies and did bivouac with them in training. Tough training, but still doable.     Long story short, training is tough on some people and not on others. For me, and some of my buddies,  it was a game, for some others, it broke them.  Training is what helps to keep you alive under fire.  What you're made of determines your reactions under extreme danger and stress.  I always figured the most important guy in the ranks was the cook.  Never get on the bad side of a cook   I salute all the services and veterans. God bless you all....... I will mhave to admit, Marines have a cool uniform.

Come on. Even an unfashionable bastard as me can clearly see these are the chick magnets.

[Skinhead]

I went through boot camp twice, due to an injury the last week of my first boot camp....long story.   My good friend  joined the Marines and went through boot camp. Now, don't get me wrong, everyone is different and sees things differently, but this buddy of mine was a dud, in the biggest sense of the word. Could not tie his own shoe if it was too hot to bend over, yet he made it through boot camp just fine. I decided right then, Marine boot camp is just as easy as any boot camp out there, had to be if he made it through.  I also went through with a former Green Beret, and far out distanced him in everything we did. I served with Ranger training companies and did bivouac with them in training. Tough training, but still doable.     Long story short, training is tough on some people and not on others. For me, and some of my buddies,  it was a game, for some others, it broke them.  Training is what helps to keep you alive under fire.  What you're made of determines your reactions under extreme danger and stress.  I always figured the most important guy in the ranks was the cook.  Never get on the bad side of a cook   I salute all the services and veterans. God bless you all....... I will mhave to admit, Marines have a cool uniform.

Come on. Even an unfashionable bastard as me can clearly see these are the chick magnets.

They look like they are dating each other!

[The emperor has no clothes]

I went through boot camp twice, due to an injury the last week of my first boot camp....long story.   My good friend  joined the Marines and went through boot camp. Now, don't get me wrong, everyone is different and sees things differently, but this buddy of mine was a dud, in the biggest sense of the word. Could not tie his own shoe if it was too hot to bend over, yet he made it through boot camp just fine. I decided right then, Marine boot camp is just as easy as any boot camp out there, had to be if he made it through.  I also went through with a former Green Beret, and far out distanced him in everything we did. I served with Ranger training companies and did bivouac with them in training. Tough training, but still doable.     Long story short, training is tough on some people and not on others. For me, and some of my buddies,  it was a game, for some others, it broke them.  Training is what helps to keep you alive under fire.  What you're made of determines your reactions under extreme danger and stress.  I always figured the most important guy in the ranks was the cook.  Never get on the bad side of a cook   I salute all the services and veterans. God bless you all....... I will mhave to admit, Marines have a cool uniform.

Come on. Even an unfashionable bastard as me can clearly see these are the chick magnets.

They look like they are dating each other!

Only if they can time travel. 

[Gryphon Rider]

I went through boot camp twice, due to an injury the last week of my first boot camp....long story.   My good friend  joined the Marines and went through boot camp. Now, don't get me wrong, everyone is different and sees things differently, but this buddy of mine was a dud, in the biggest sense of the word. Could not tie his own shoe if it was too hot to bend over, yet he made it through boot camp just fine. I decided right then, Marine boot camp is just as easy as any boot camp out there, had to be if he made it through.  I also went through with a former Green Beret, and far out distanced him in everything we did. I served with Ranger training companies and did bivouac with them in training. Tough training, but still doable.     Long story short, training is tough on some people and not on others. For me, and some of my buddies,  it was a game, for some others, it broke them.  Training is what helps to keep you alive under fire.  What you're made of determines your reactions under extreme danger and stress.  I always figured the most important guy in the ranks was the cook.  Never get on the bad side of a cook   I salute all the services and veterans. God bless you all....... I will mhave to admit, Marines have a cool uniform.

Come on. Even an unfashionable bastard as me can clearly see these are the chick magnets.

They look like they are dating each other!

They do have that look, don't they.  Maybe they're dreaming of this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmGuy0jievs

[JimmyG]

 

[Raider]

Semper fi, Marine.

Semper fi.

It is so refreshing to see that someone still knows to put a comma before a noun of address.   

To continue...

Man, you crack me up!

 

[The emperor has no clothes]

I went through boot camp twice, due to an injury the last week of my first boot camp....long story.   My good friend  joined the Marines and went through boot camp. Now, don't get me wrong, everyone is different and sees things differently, but this buddy of mine was a dud, in the biggest sense of the word. Could not tie his own shoe if it was too hot to bend over, yet he made it through boot camp just fine. I decided right then, Marine boot camp is just as easy as any boot camp out there, had to be if he made it through.  I also went through with a former Green Beret, and far out distanced him in everything we did. I served with Ranger training companies and did bivouac with them in training. Tough training, but still doable.     Long story short, training is tough on some people and not on others. For me, and some of my buddies,  it was a game, for some others, it broke them.  Training is what helps to keep you alive under fire.  What you're made of determines your reactions under extreme danger and stress.  I always figured the most important guy in the ranks was the cook.  Never get on the bad side of a cook   I salute all the services and veterans. God bless you all....... I will mhave to admit, Marines have a cool uniform.

Come on. Even an unfashionable bastard as me can clearly see these are the chick magnets.

They look like they are dating each other!

They do have that look, don't they.  Maybe they're dreaming of this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmGuy0jievs

Probably more along these lines.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BsKbwR7WXN4