Marines! Ooh-Rah!

Um, day what?

Okay, okay, I give up. I'm so far behind... I don't even remember everything we did on day three. Or when day three of this vacation really was. :P

So, I'll just tell you the important things.

Yesterday was Family Day for the graduating Marines here in MCRD (Marine Corps Recruit Depot) in San Diego. It was great to see my cousin Daniel again after so long, and his siblings were really excited to see him too (like "I wanted to leap into his arms! I had to restrain myself" excited). I don't blame them. :)

Seeing them all was sort of odd. I couldn't pick Dan out from the crowd, since with the uniforms they all looked as if they could be the same person. Of course, that seems to pretty much be the point.

After the graduation, we went to an LDS luncheon for some of the graduating marines. It was shocking when the oldest and youngest Marines of the group were supposed to taste the cake to see if it was edible (no, that's not the shocking part) that the youngest one had turned 18 only the day before. That means he was only two and a half years older than me. I suppose some people can just know what they want to do with their lives. Good on them.

After that, Daniel got baptized. It was interesting to see the traditions that are in that... and I will say no more about it, but that I'm glad Daniel found something that he feels right doing.

Today was Marine Graduation for Charlie Company, and... It. Was. Awesome. We got up early (ha ha, to one of the most annoying alarms I have ever heard) and went to the Friday morning color ceremony. The marching band played there, and that's when I first really saw it: THEIR MARCHING IS AMAZING. (You will see me repeat that more...) Their music is amazing too! They have a 50 person band, and I wanted to film them the whole time... ha ha, they were awesome. Their drum major sure could do some fancy things with their baton. (Uh... I'm pretty sure there's a fancier name, but that's what it is when the name is eluding me.)
ALL of the military persons were so well trained and their marching was the definition of perfection. They are all amazing, in everything that they do.
I could get used to hearing the National Anthem played every morning. It really does put a sense of joy in being an American. Maybe I'll have to play it myself every morning...

So, lots happened there, but it was awesome, and you'll just have to get someone to San Diego for the Marines to see it yourself... ha ha, or I could just become patient enough to try to post a video. :)

At the actual graduation ceremony, the band played more, lots more. With the red stripes down the sides of most of their pants (if not all), you could see how precise their marching really was. THEIR MARCHING IS AMAZING. They were absolutely flawless.
The graduating Marines were amazing too. At one command they would change position in near perfect unison within half of a second. I just wish our marching band was as disciplined as they are. THEIR MARCHING IS AMAZING. They were perfect at dressing, guiding, marching, saluting, EVERYTHING. People who haven't been through it would probably not understand all of the work that goes into that. I know I really really don't. They were in boot camp for 13 months. They endured insane things. I hear that one day they had to stand at attention for four hours, with their drill instructors just watching them. From what I hear they go through, that seems like it would be easy. Water combat training, strength testing, rifle training... the Crucible.
From what I remember, the Crucible sounds crazy hard. It's one of the final tests that the Marines have to undergo in boot camp. 50 miles in 3 days. 8 hours of sleep for the whole 3 days. Minimal food. A ten mile hike at the very end. Of course, it seems like it would work with their core values, honor, courage, and commitment. They would need it.

I just have to say that it's amazing that these people would put themselves out there to protect their country... our country. You don't see it when they're marching or at attention, but as soon as their dismissed and you see smiles and hugs, you see that these are real people. They have mothers, fathers, grandparents, sisters, brothers, girlfriends, wives, children. I heard yesterday that one Marine would not be at the attending graduation because his 6 month old son died a few days previous. My heart goes out to him. And to everyone sacrificing their time for us.

Dan was a rifle expert at the end of it all. Somehow, that makes me sort of happy. :) Of course, I expected as much as soon as I learned that there were 3 levels, because he had been hunting before it. Sadly, I don't know who made the best shooter of the whole company. Or platoon, for that matter. But what does it matter?


Marine Corps Hymn - the lyrics are in the description. I keep getting this stuck in my head now.

Dan will do great things, I know he will. I've definitely seen him change, along with everyone else in the Marines (ha ha, of course, I didn't know them before). The chivalry is amazingly fantastic, if I do say so myself, which I do, which is a rare occurrence for me to say. Holding doors open, saying thank you even when unneeded, moving out of the sidewalk... goodness gracious.

Now the new Marines are going on ten day leave, which started today. When I heard "ten day leave" I was awestruck. They're not going to have barely any time! "Well-deserved" leave is an understatement.

(REMINDING MYSELF TO PUT PICTURES AND VIDEOS UP! You can remind me too... please?)