To the Corps
By David Knize
I am highly trained and highly skilled.
I live by principals that form the foundation for leadership.
I am strong, I am always faithful and I am fearless.
I serve with honor and protect with devotion and dignity.
I am a humanitarian, a peace keeper and a strategic warrior.
I am first to fight and ready to react to any course of action.
I am prepared to respond to full scale combat engagements at a moment’s notice.
I guard my post with vigilance, to protect my brothers, my squad, my compound and my country.
I stand tall, proud, and I risk life for liberty.
I am referred to as a Jarhead, a Grunt, a Leatherneck, or a Devil Dog.
I am a United States Marine.
Over 6,000 Soldiers have lost their lives fighting in the Iraq and Afghanistan coalitions. The Marine Corps makes up only 10.8% of the total Department of Defense force, but experienced 23.3% of the combat related deaths. Approximately 867 Marines have fallen.
Note: The statistics are approximate.