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Once A Marine, Always A Marine

The final boot-camp reflection connects Marine values—honor, courage, commitment, teamwork, heritage, and service—to youth development and recreation.

8 min read

Photo Credit: © Can Stock Photo Inc.

This is the fifth in a series depicting the author’s experience in Marine Corps boot camp. The story continues just after the “recruit” is injured and returns to training, but with a different platoon.

I have enjoyed relating my boot-camp experiences over the last four “LBWA” columns, and I hope readers have enjoyed them too, but you might ask, why? Why should it interest someone in parks and rec or a related field? Well, because it’s really about the youth in America. Many of today’s youth need more of what the Marine Corps represents: honor, courage, commitment, heritage, camaraderie, and service.

I have heard many distinguished Marine leaders talk about their experiences on youth-sports teams and how they prepared the players for the type of teamwork required in the Marine Corps, and in life.