I found this little piece while looking for something else entirelly.....hmmm, now I still have to remember to continue the search for that other thing!

Someone asked me one day why the Marine Corp thought they were better than any other service. A little dumbfounded, I stated because, “They just are.” Well, it got me to thinking, why are we better than the other services. They are all our brothers and they are all excellent warriors. But what makes a Marine different.

Well, besides the shared agony of basic training and the almost instinctual desire to live up to Corp standards, I can think of a few good reasons.

Number 1 and very important, is that EVERYONE IN THE CORP IS A RIFLEMAN.”

Cook, pilot, paper pusher, they can all shoot when the situation is required of them. They may be a little rusty, but everyone in the Corp thinks of himself as a trigger puller. All 170,000 or so active duty personnel and all of the reserves are infantrymen. While the other services have slipped into “specialization” the Corp has retained the warrior spirit of the rifleman.

The Corp has also resisted the political correctness of the day to maintain its razor sharp fighting ability. They have accomplished this by keeping the training of male and females separate and by keeping their standards high.

Number two, Shared misery.

From basic training to the grinder to the crucible to using hand me down equipment, the Corp has always gotten MORE than the task done while doing it with LESS. Case in point:

“The big difference between Marines and the Army, Air Force and Navy, is the Corps runs on the smell of an old oily rag. They're the poor cousins of the other, richer services. Col. James T. Conway's total annual budget for putting almost 3,000 officers through basic school is a lean $967,031 per year. The Army's "kiddieland" at Fort Bragg, built to baby-sit serving soldiers' offspring (71% of the family-oriented U.S. Army is married), costs five times as much; a month's per diem (hotel and food) for 300 USAF fighter jocks in Italy -- who are too princely to sleep on cots in tents as Marines do -- is about $1 million a month; the cost for a headquarters in Naples to deal with ex-Yugoslavia is $8 million a year, and boy, do the staff weenies there live high on the hog.” (1)
The Corps gets only six percent of the defense budget. This pays for 12 percent of the active forces, 23 percent of the active divisions, 13 percent of the fighter/attack aircraft and 14 percent of the total reserve force.
Why do Marine pilots sleep in tents next to their planes while Air Force pilots live downtown in plush hotels? Why does the Army have 200 major generals for only ten divisions? Why do Marine sergeants serve as navigators aboard Marine C-130 aircraft while majors do the same job in the Air Force? Why does the Corps have one officer to every nine Marines when the Air Force ratio is 1 to 4, the Army 1 to 5 and the Navy 1 to 6?
Still, with a great disadvantage in manpower, equipment and budget, the Marine Corp has completed every task assigned to it with honor and pride.

Reason 3, Pride:

Of the many monuments to the Nation's Fallen there is no other more powerful memorial than the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial in Washington. There is a flag near the entrance of the memorial. At its base are the seals of all the services. Every morning, the Marines from the Marine Barracks at 8th & I polish the Eagle, Globe and Anchor. The other seals have not been touched since the Memorial was built.

I WAS THAT WHICH OTHERS DID NOT WANT TO BE.
I WENT WHERE OTHERS FEARED TO GO,
AND DID WHAT OTHERS FAILED TO DO.
I ASKED NOTHING FROM THOSE WHO GAVE NOTHING,
AND RELUCTANTLY ACCEPTED THE FACT OF ETERNAL
LONELINESS. . .SHOULD I FAIL.
I HAVE SEEN THE FACE OF TERROR,
FELT THE STINGING COLD OF FEAR,
AND ENJOYED THE SWEET TASTE OF A MOMENT'S LOVE.
I HAVE CRIED, PAINED, AND HOPED. . .BUT MOST OF ALL,
I HAVE LIVED TIMES OTHERS WERE TO SAY
WERE "BEST FORGOTTEN".
AT LEAST SOME DAY I WILL BE ABLE TO SAY
THAT I WAS PROUD OF WHAT I WAS

A UNITED STATES MARINE (2)

Marine Corps Leadership Principles
• Know yourself and seek self-improvement.
• Be technically and tactically proficient.
• Develop a sense of responsibility among your subordinates.
• Make sound and timely decisions.
• Set the example.
• Know your Marines and look out for their welfare.
• Keep your Marines informed.
Seek responsibility and take responsibility for your actions.

Reason 4, ONCE A MARINE ALWAYS A MARINE.

Here is a marvelous story to makes my point:

The Visit By Tre' M. Barron (3)
My dad, Angelo, was in the hospital in Tacoma, Washington. A former Marine and veteran of the Korean War, he was having his third knee replacement surgery. A long and very painful operation was going to be made even worse because Dad was going through it alone. There was no one to hold his hand, no familiar soft voices to reassure him. His wife was ill and unable to accompany him or even visit during his weeklong stay. My sisters and brother lived in California, and I lived even farther away, in Indiana. There wasn't even anyone to drive him to the hospital, so he had arrived that morning by cab. The thought of my dad lying there alone was more than I could stand. But what could I do from here?
I picked up the phone and called information for the Puyallup, Washington, Marine Corps recruiting station, where I joined the Marines ten years before. I thought that if I could talk to a Marine and explain the situation, maybe one of them would visit my dad. I called the number. A man answered the phone and in a very confident voice said, "United States Marines, Sergeant Vanes. May I help you?" Feeling just as certain, I replied, "Sergeant Vanes, you may find this request a little strange, but this is why I am calling..." I proceeded to tell him who I was and that my father was also a former Marine and 100 percent disabled from the Korean War. I explained that he was in the hospital, alone, without anyone to visit and asked if Sergeant Vanes would please go and see him. Without hesitation, he answered, "Absolutely." Then I asked, "If I send flowers to the recruiting station, would you deliver them to my dad when you go to the hospital?" "Ma'am, I will be happy to take the flowers to your dad. I'll give you my address. You send them, and I will make sure that he receives them," he replied.
The next morning, I sent the flowers to Sergeant Vane's office just as we had planned. I went to work, and that evening, I returned home and phoned my dad to inquire about his surprise visitor. If you have ever talked with a small child after that child has just seen Santa Claus, you will understand the glee I heard in my dad's voice. "I was just waking up when I thought I saw two Marines in their dress blue uniforms standing at the foot of my bed," he told me excitedly. "I thought I had died and gone to heaven. But they were really there!" I began to laugh, partly at his excitement, but also because he didn't even mention his operation. He felt so honored: Two Marines he had never met took time out to visit an old Marine like him. He told me again and again how sharp they looked and how all the nurses thought he was so important. "But how did you ever get them to do that?" he asked me. "It was easy. We are all Marines, Dad, past and present; it's the bond."
After hanging up with my dad, I called Sergeant Vanes to thank him for visiting my dad. And to thank him for the extra things he did to make it special: wearing his dress blue uniform, bringing another Marine along - he even took a digital camera with him. He had pictures taken of the two Marines with my dad right beside his bed. That evening, he emailed them to me so I could see for myself that my dad was not alone and that he was going to be okay.
As for the flowers, they hardly mattered, but I was glad for the opportunity to express my feelings. The card read: "Daddy, I didn't want just anyone bringing you flowers...so I sent the World's Finest. Semper Fi."

Number 5, History and Customs:

Marine Corps Birthday
One of the most famous Marine customs is the observance of the Marine Corps Birthday. Since 1921 the birthday of the Marine Corps has been officially celebrated each year on 10 November, since it was on this date in 1775 that Continental Congress resolved, "That two Battalions of Marines be raised...." Over the years the Marine Corps Birthday has been celebrated in a wide variety of ways, depending on the location and circumstances of the Marine units. The celebration involves the reading of an excerpt from the Marine Corps Manual and a birthday message from the Commandant; the cutting of a birthday cake by the commanding officer; and the presentation of the first and second pieces of cake to the oldest and youngest Marines present. Recently, the ceremony for the observance of the Marine Corps Birthday by large posts and stations has been incorporated into written directives.

There are many other customs, which have significance in the life of a Marine. A few of the notable ones are listed here. Boarding a small boat or entering a car. When boarding a small boat or entering a car, Juniors enter first and take up the seats or the space beginning forward, leaving the most desirable seat for the senior. Seniors enter last and leave first.
Marines' Hymn. Whenever the Marines' Hymn is played or sung, all Marines rise to their feet and remain standing during the rendition of the music.
Serenading the Commandant. Commencing with the last New Year's Day of the Civil War, on the morning of 1 January of each year the Marine Band serenades the Commandant of the Marine Corps at his quarters and received hot buttered rum and breakfast in return.
Wetting Down Parties. Whenever an officer is promoted, he customarily holds a "wetting-down party." At this time the new commission is said to be "wet down." When several officers are promoted at the same time, they frequently have a single wetting-down party. And can anyone forget his or her first mess night?
Wishes of Commanding Officer. When the commanding officer of a Marines says, "I wish" or "I desire," these expressions have the force of a direct order and should be acted upon as if he had given a direct order.
One feature, which has made the Marine Corps such a respected organization, is the custom of Marine leaders looking out for their men. A Marine leader makes sure his men are comfortably clothed, housed, and justly treated. For example, in the field a Marine officer takes position in the mess line after all the enlisted men in order to insure all men get their food. A Marine leader never leaves a wounded or dead Marine on the battlefield to fall into the hands of the enemy.

Number 6, Fighting ability.

This goes back to basic training and to the concept that every Marine is a rifleman. Marines are taught from the very beginning, the history of the Corp and its unbounded loyalty to America and of the heroic exploits of the Corp in the past. No Marine wants to be the first to dishonor that tradition. Marine pilots are taught that they are just flying rifleman whose main purpose in life is to protect the grunt on the ground. Everything in the Marine Corp is geared in this direction.

While many of the armed services look upon the infantry as the “low men on the totem pole, the Marine Corp make the infantry its central orientation. Everything in the Corp is geared toward the infantry and all jobs in the Corp have but one goal and that is the support of the infantry. This is the prime Marine Corp secret to success.


The Marine Corp fighting ability also comes from good leadership:
• Ensure assigned tasks are understood, supervised, and accomplished.
• Train your Marines as a team.
• Employ your command in accordance with its capabilities.

Marine Corps Leadership Traits
• Dependability: The certainty of proper performance of duty.
• Bearing: Creating a favorable impression in carriage, appearance and personal conduct at all times.
• Courage: The mental quality that recognizes fear of danger or criticism, but enables a man to proceed in the face of it with calmness and firmness.
• Decisiveness: Ability to make decisions promptly and to announce them in clear, forceful manner.
• Endurance: The mental and physical stamina measured by the ability to withstand pain, fatigue, stress and hardship.
• Enthusiasm: The display of sincere interest and exuberance in the performance of duty.
• Initiative: Taking action in the absence of orders.
• Integrity: Uprightness of character and soundness of moral principles; includes the qualities of truthfulness and honesty.
• Judgment: The ability to weigh facts and possible solutions on which to base sound decisions.
• Justice: Giving reward and punishment according to merits of the case in question. The ability to administer a system of rewards and punishments impartially and consistently.
• Knowledge: Understanding of a science or an art. The range of one's information, including professional knowledge and an understanding of your Marines.
• Tact: The ability to deal with others without creating offense.
• Unselfishness: Avoidance of providing for one's own comfort and personal advancement at the expense of others.
• Loyalty: The quality of faithfulness to country, the Corps, the unit, to one's seniors, subordinates and peers.

Number 7, Legends
Tell It to the Marines"
This legend goes back to the London of 1664, when Charles II was King of England. A ship's master, returned from a long cruise, told him a sea story he couldn't believe.
"Fish that fly like birds?" the Merry Monarch exclaimed. "I have my doubts!"
"Nay, sire, it is true," said Sir William Killigren, colonel of the new British Marine regiment raised that year. "I have myself seen flying fish many a time in southern waters. I vouch for the truth of this strange tale, your Majesty."
The King thought it over. At last he turned to Samuel Pepys, the Secretary of the Admiralty.
"Mr. Pepys," he said, "no class of our subjects hath such knowledge of odd things on land and sea as our Marines. Hereafter, when we hear a yarn that lacketh likelihood, we will tell it to the Marines. If they believe it, then we shall know it is true."
HERO’S

Who was Smedley Butler? Sounds like an English Professor. Hardly! He was a career United States Marine Officer, who earned two Congressional Medals of Honor. But he was also a bit of a maverick and an enigma who made enemies in high places. (4)

CONCLUSION

With the combination of pride, history and training the Marine Corp is and will always be, THE BEST OF THE BEST.



Sources and Permissions:

Thanks to Col. Hackworth (1)
Tre’ M. Barron (3)
The United States Marine Corp Web Site (2)
Joe Leach (4)

Hmmmm, found this little piece located on the same website as the above, so in all fairness to our Army brothers in arms, I've brought it in here for your continued reading pleasure.

THE BEST OF THE BEST THE UNITED STATES ARMY
Since 1775 the guardians of freedom have worn the uniform of the United States Army. They are an organization rich in history and honor and they continue that tradition today.

The Department of Army is composed of two distinct and equally important components: the active Army, as one of the three military departments (Army, Navy and Air Force) reporting to the active component and the reserve components. The reserve components are the The United States Army Reserve and the The Army National Guard. Regardless of component, The Army conducts both operational and institutional missions. The operational Army consists of numbered armies, corps, divisions, brigades, and battalions that conduct full spectrum operations around the world.

The United States Army has taken steps to make sure they remain the Best of the Best. Even in basic training, the Army is evolving to not only compete with the other services but to overtake them in training. Note the new Victory Forge segment of Army basic training:

“Victory Forge is a 72-hour exercise that climaxes Army basic training at this post. The Army created Victory Forge using the Marine Corps' 54-hour-long Crucible as a model. While the Crucible and Victory Forge rely on team-building exercises, the big differences are that Army men and women train together and their exercise is totally tactical -- conducted as if in a combat zone. Marine men and women train separately, and the Crucible is a training environment.”

The core professional qualities of commitment, competence, In the United States Army, the word “Duty” takes on new meaning:

The Army Ethos
The Army ethoses are the standards and ideals that distinguish, characterize and motivate the Army. They inspire the sense of purpose necessary to sustain soldiers in the brutal realities of combat and help them deal with the ambiguities of military operations where war has not been declared. The Army ethos are succinctly described in the word "DUTY," which means behavior required by moral obligation, demanded by custom, or enjoined by feelings of rightness. Duty compels us to do what needs to be done despite difficulty or danger. Contained within the concept of duty, integrity and selfless service give moral foundation to the qualities the ethos demand of all soldiers. Integrity is the uncompromising adherence to a code of moral values, the avoidance of deception or expediency of any kind. Integrity provides the basis for trust and confidence. Selfless service puts the welfare of the nation and the accomplishment of the mission ahead of individual desires; it leads to teamwork and unity of effort.

Professional Qualities
candor, compassion, and courage are the facets of the pro-fessional soldier's character that undergird the ethos. Commitment is dedication to serving the Nation, the Army, the unit, and one's comrades; commitment is seeing every task to completion. Competence is finely tuned proficiency that ensures success. Candor is unreserved, honest expression. Mission accomplishment and soldier lives depend on the honest answer delivered directly and forthrightly. Compassion is basic respect for the dignity of each individual. Courage, both physical and moral, makes it possible for soldiers to fight and win in the chaos of battle. Physical and moral courage can be the difference between failure and success, whether in peace or in war.

The Army - Nation Bond
Committing the Army commits the Nation. No other single gesture so readily demonstrates U.S. resolve as placing American soldiers in harm's way. The Army's strength always has been, and always will be, the American soldier. Soldiers are our most important assets. An American soldier, on the ground, is the most visible symbol of American determination and will. Committing America's Army makes a strong statement that adversaries cannot misinterpret. The Army makes the most significant investment it can make to the nation's security by properly training, equipping, and supporting our soldiers.

Well said Gunny, I tried to live my 21 years with this in mind as I am sure others in the ARMY have. I read with interest your post on the Marines and I kinda lost it when I read the part of the Marines paying their respects and that is what it is to the older marine in the hospital,it brought tears to my eyes. Thank you for posting these.

yeah, we're just a bunch of old softies, deep down.

Well done & done well....

I liked your first answer:
"Well, because they are."

I'll give another personal story, and a little self serving as well. If some of you have read my other posts, my participation in such forums is to gather information on for a memorial on all Intelligence Marines Killed in Action. I started this project to honor a good friend of mine who was killed in Iraq. When I went to enter his name on the rolls of others who had gone before him I realized there were errors in some of the accounting of those killed listed on "The Wall" that we had dedicated for such a purpose (Intel Marines KIA). And, there was nothing listed but name, rank, date killed, and conflict. So, I wanted to fix this and "get it right" and list not only their names, but photos and biographies for each of the 80+ Marines on the wall from WWII to present. I wanted displays of each conflict and what it entailed. I wanted to identify specific actions where each was killed. I received help from all over the world from Marines and former Marines and their family members. USMC veterans organizations combed their records and everyone has had a sense of "how important" this is and I have much of the information required for a USMC display. The Marine Corps Intelligence Association (MCIA) was extremely helpful and had much of the records I needed.
The Navy was also represented, but only a few guys were on the wall. I attempted to do the same for the US Navy side. Many veteran organization don't keep such records, even ONI has no records that are useful. Only one federal database has helped at all and I have had only one or two people even express an interest in updating and getting Navy names and faces on the wall (The USS Liberty folks are about the only ones concerned about the project at all). There is no sense that this is important. So far I have just a handful of Navy names. When I ask (ONI for example) they say "there just weren't that many killed". I ask them if they've heard of Pearl Harbor, The USS Bunker Hill, The USS Liberty? Surely, there were intelligence officers and sailors killed? Sadly, most of them only know of Pearl Harbor and there's no information they can give me on that as well. I contacted the Navy Intel Professionals (NIP) organization (the equivalent to MCIA) and was told "that's not what we do".

And that's one of the differences. A sense of history and belonging that no other service has for honoring their fallen and looking back on those that have served before and putting them in a place of reverence. It's important to us. My wife and I have done most of the work required for this project and have put a couple thousand dollars into it, but weekly I have E-2 and E-3 Marines volunteering their labor to help. Only one person from the Navy has volunteered his help (and he was ordered to do so by his CO). And so far, nothing really has come of his assistance.

And I'll go back to "every man a rifeman"-- Another friend of mine (another "intel weenie") was just awarded a purple heart. He was wounded recovering the body of an infantry platoon sergeant who was killed entering a house in Fallujah. Notice I said purple heart and no other award. It was expected of him (even as an intel weenie) that he would do this. He won't get a bronze star or anything else, and doesn't expect it either.

Guns....thanks for sharing what you and your wife are doing. It is indeed an honorable thing that you are doing. Don't get too discouraged, as I know the effort is greatly appreciated by those in the community. You have my respect and admiration for what you are doing and for what you have accomplished.
It doesn't surprise me too much, about the reaction from the Navy side, disappointed, but not surprised.

Well, I'm a squid, but frankly, I believe the average Marine does more for the country than me and four shipmates do combined. The Marines get the job needed to be done, and done quick, smartly, and efficiently. The camradere of the Corps is unrivaled across all branches, and the average Marine is willing to deal with more crap in one day than most of my shipmates are willing to deal with in their entire career. In short, they have the closest thing to indestructible and intense morale, and they do their jobs incredibly well.
I salute ya'll, ya damn jarheads.

No one is better. We are all on the same side. Get over yourself. We all swore the same oath and shoot for the same goal. Get over yourself.

Bro, get on your first ship and tell me what's more directly related to defending this country- fixing a valve, monitoring radio waves, and tying a line, or defending a bunker whilst your comrades-in-arms 'get the job done' on some 'insurgents'.
Not saying the Navy ain't needed, but let's face it- when push comes to shove, we simply shuttle 'em there. The Marines kill and surpress the enemy. What do you think is more directly necessary?

quote:

Originally posted by ADforlife:
No one is better. We are all on the same side. Get over yourself. We all swore the same oath and shoot for the same goal. Get over yourself.

Sorry, didn't intend to imply that the other US services were anything other than outstanding.
However, won't apologize for being a little cocky:

"You cannot exaggerate about the Marines. They are convinced to the point of arrogance, that they are the most ferocious fighters on earth- and the amusing thing about it is that they are."
Father Kevin Keaney
1st Marine Division Chaplain
Korean War

With PR like that, it's hard not to be a little cocky. I guess what I wanted to say is:

"I love the Corps for those intangible possessions that cannot be issued: pride, honor, integrity, and being able to carry on the traditions for generations of warriors past."
Cpl. Jeff Sornij, USMC; in Navy Times, November 1994

I'm a little disappointed that the more Sailors do not share the ethos of honoring their fallen like the Marines, but I do have huge amounts of respect for the USN and what they do. The last thing I like to do is sit in that huge grey target, there's no bunker you can run to and nowhere to dig in! Sailors man the ships, provide naval gunfire, air cover, and one of the Marines' most precious assets, the Navy Corpsmen. Marines are nothing without the Navy (well, hell, we're part of the DON, can't get much more dependent than that). You're right, we're all on the same side

So, you tell me to "get over myself", well I won't do that. But tell me to give the Navy their due-- I'll sure as hell do that. And since eloquence is not my strong suite, I'll let the words of others say it for me:

"It is the function of the Navy to carry the war to the enemy so that it will not be fought on U.S. soil."
Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz

Well said. Without the Navy we can't kick the crap out of anybody. And--

"Without a decisive naval force we can do nothing definitive, and with it, everything honorable and glorious."
President George Washington

Agreed. And my favorite--

"No man will be a sailor who has contrivance enough to get himself into a jail; for being in a ship is being in a jail, with the chance of being drowned. . . . A man in a jail has more room, better food and commonly better company."
Samuel Johnson

And that's a no-shitter.
So, you have my respect....but we're still better.