Somehow they always amaze me and make me proud to have served beside Marines multiple time during my career.
My daughter lost her ID card. Instead of taking her to the Navy PSD in San Diego I took her the Marine Corps Recruit Depot figuring there would be less of a wait (I was right). When I pulled up to the gate and showed my retired ID card, the Marine sentry snapped to a perfect position of attention and gave me a text book perfect salute. When I nodded my head and said "thanks, that made an old Navy guy feel kind of like an officer again" he replied "Sir although I would have saluted you because you're an officer that salute was because you're retired. I salute all retirees officer or enlisted out of respect for the years they spent in service to our country and the sacrifices they made.".
I thanked him for his service and his sacrifices (he had a CAR so he's been there) and got directions to the ID card office. After getting my daughter's new ID card, I got directions to the base Sergeant Major's office to tell him about this gate sentry. The actual base Sergeant Major wasn't in but another one was there. He said he was going to find out this Marine's name and ensure the General heard about this. I swear I thought the Sergeant Major was going to shed a tear when he commented, "these young Marines just keep getting better and better every year."
My daughter lost her ID card. Instead of taking her to the Navy PSD in San Diego I took her the Marine Corps Recruit Depot figuring there would be less of a wait (I was right). When I pulled up to the gate and showed my retired ID card, the Marine sentry snapped to a perfect position of attention and gave me a text book perfect salute. When I nodded my head and said "thanks, that made an old Navy guy feel kind of like an officer again" he replied "Sir although I would have saluted you because you're an officer that salute was because you're retired. I salute all retirees officer or enlisted out of respect for the years they spent in service to our country and the sacrifices they made.".
I thanked him for his service and his sacrifices (he had a CAR so he's been there) and got directions to the ID card office. After getting my daughter's new ID card, I got directions to the base Sergeant Major's office to tell him about this gate sentry. The actual base Sergeant Major wasn't in but another one was there. He said he was going to find out this Marine's name and ensure the General heard about this. I swear I thought the Sergeant Major was going to shed a tear when he commented, "these young Marines just keep getting better and better every year."