As some of you may already know, I'm more or less obsessed with an HBO special called GENERATION KILL. It was seven episodes long, and followed the Marine reconnaissance unit that spearheaded the majority of the invasion of Iraq. As an American, I think it should be required that you watch every minute of it. But that's a rant for another time, and believe you me, there will be a time for it. The reason I bring it up is because at the end of the final episode, during the credits, there's an audio clip that's playing of two Marines talking. From what I've been able to gather it's the real deal, and they only played the audio to keep the two men anonymous. Maybe not. It could be entirely made in a studio. Regardless, it's amazing. There's two parts to it, and I'll get to the second part in a later post. The initial monologue is brilliant, though, and I just figured I'd share it, as it's the perfect description of every Marine infantrymen.
“Ten November 1775. I was born in a bomb crater. My mother was an M16 and my father was the devil. Each moment that I live is an additional threat upon your life. I eat concertina, piss napalm and I can shoot a round through a flea’s ass at three-hundred meters. I travel the globe festering on anti-Americans everywhere I go for the love of mom, Chevrolet, baseball, and apple pie. I’m a grunt. I’m the dirty, nasty, stinky, sweaty, filthy, beautiful little son of a bitch that’s kept the wolf away from the door for over two-hundred and twenty-five years. I’m a United States Marine. We look like soldiers, talk like sailors, slap the shit out of both of ‘em. We stole the Eagle from the Air Force, the Rope from the Army, and the Anchor from the Navy. And on the seventh day, when God rested, we overran his perimeter, and we’ve been running the show ever since. Warrior by day, lover by night, drunkard by choice, Marine by God. Semper Fidelis.”
-Anonymous Marine
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5 comments:
I must agree with you that that is amazing.
Though I was slightly disappointed by the show (due to the fact that I'd read the book just before watching it), those end credits sent shivers down my spine. It's easily one of the best moments of the show, as odd as that may sound.
The way it's delivered, I'm pretty sure it was an actor reading from script, bt man... what would I give to find out whos the original author.
When I was in the Marines I wrote down the quote that we had posted on the wall in a barracks somewhere. I have no idea where or who wrote it originally but the show shortened it and changed it for whatever reason.
The USMC. Over 215 years of romping, stomping, hell, death and destruction. The finest fighting machine the world has ever seen. I was born in a bomb crater, my Mother was an M-16, and my Father was the Devil. Each moment that I live is an additional threat upon your life. I am a rough looking, roving soldier of the sea. I am cocky, self-centered, overbearing, and do not know the meaning of fear, for I am fear itself. I am a green amphibious monster, made of blood and guts, who arose from the sea, whose sole purpose in life is to perpetrate death and destruction upon the festering of anti-Americanism throughout the globe whenever it may arise. And when my time comes, I will die a glorious death on the battlefield, giving my life for Mom, the Corps, and the American Flag. We stole the eagle from the Air Force, the anchor from the Navy, and the rope from the Army and on the 7th day when God rested, we over-ran his perimeter and stole the globe, and we've been running the show ever since. We live like soldiers and talk like sailors and slap the Hell out of both of them. Soldier by day, lover by night, drunkard by choice, and MARINE BY GOD!
The Marine reciting this was doing it from memory. His name is Gunnery Sgt. McLeod. Someone recorded him and posted it to YouTube when he was deployed. The makers of Generation Kill contacted him and gained his permission to use the recording. It was not an actor reading a script, just a Marine being a Marine over in the sandbox.
I heard something this morning that gave me a serious flashback to this work of inspiration. I first saw the full version while at MCRD San Diego in 1991, it's even better than I remembered! I'm so fired up right now... I've been out of the Marine Corps for over 20 years and if a recruiter walked into my office right now I'd re-enlist. Oorah!!!
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