Happy Birthday Marines!

In order to survive, humans need water, food and shelter, but our deepest craving is to be loved. This love takes on many forms: romantic love, parental love, love of a cause or a group. No matter the form, our hearts are imbued with a deep desire to belong. For most, the first sense of “belonging” comes from our family. But, for far too many, “family” isn’t a loving place.

My family fractured when, as a young child, my Mom was killed by a drunk driver. From that moment on I didn’t know where I belonged, and I questioned if I was loved.

Two days after graduating high school I stood on Parris Island’s yellow footprints where The United States Marine Corps said to me, “we don’t take applications, only commitments”, “if you make it out of here, you can be one of us.”

Ninety-three days later I heard Senior Drill Instructor, Staff Sergeant Lazenby, call me a Marine for the very first time, I wept.

This brotherhood of warriors welcomed me into their family with a brutal trial by fire. But now I was in, part of something much bigger than myself. My Marine Corps career couldn’t fill a Post-It Note. I served fours year while we were at peace, between the Beirut Barracks bombing in 1983 and the early Desert Storm deployments in 1989.

My lack luster career aside, the Corps loved me and gave me purpose. It pointed an angry, wayward 17 year-old boy towards true North. It demanded I think of others before myself. It taught me “team” always comes first, and that integrity is priceless.

I have no business being in the company of warriors like Dan Daley, Chesty Puller or Dakota Meyer. However, until I receive my orders for guard duty on the Streets of Gold, I will strive to live up to the gift the Marine Corps gave me, a loving family.

Happy 248th Birthday Marines!

?

Semper Fidelis,

Raymond T. Hawkins