Archive for August, 2007

I really hate to see things like this. It makes me feel like nothing has changed. This little ditty was purportedly written on a Marine barracks door near Iraq but it could have been discovered, inscribed with a bayonet on a bullet-scarred wall in Vietnam some 40 years ago. It is a not-so-subtle message that speaks to the gut of the frustration that troops on the line feel when they are away from home and under the stress of combat. (I know, I felt plenty of it myself) It's only natural for troops in that situation to want the world to stop and pay attention because "I could lose my life here sports fans, and many of us already have." So how can the folks back in the "world" carry on like there is nothing to worry about? It may seem that way sometimes but I don't think it's as bad as that statement suggests. Let me try to explain: (more…)

This could be your Marine! We invite our readers to submit their favorite Marines to be recognized here. Active duty, discharged or retired Marines that are important to you personally. Just submit a picture and a short bio and we will let you know what month to look for. We will add our own Marines from time to time, family, friends, friends of friends, etc. I have a retired Master Gunnery Sergeant that lives two doors down. He is quite a character and was a Drill Instructor at PI for 8 years. Any of you Marines out there that remember being called into the Duty Hut for a one-on-one with your DI will appreciate this: Bobby, as we will call him, converted his garage to a Duty Hut! I would swear I was in a quonset hut and I start to shake every time I go in there, thinking he is going to ask me, "WHAT'S YOUR FIFTH GENERAL ORDER, PUKE!" But seriously Bobby, thanks for your inspiration, motivation and to always, "lead by example, Marine."

My new friend Joe, known to the world as The Guy From Boston, wants to go to Iraq to visit our troops and pass out some cigars. You may have seen a rant of his on the web somewhere or heard him on satellite radio as he has become quite popular. The first one I had the pleasure of seeing was sent to me by my brother-in-law, a great guy, who is a retired cop. I loved it and immediately contacted the Big Guy himself about using some of his stuff on this site. He was gracious enough to say "it would be an honor to be associated with Marines." That means I have his permission to provide commentary on his rants and supply links to them from my site so that my visitors can enjoy what he has to say and how he says it. His delivery is awesome and what he says will stimulate the thought process as well as entertain.

I think it's a great idea for Joe and friends to go to Iraq and I think the troops would get a kick out of it. In fact, I would love to go with him. (I never could pass up a good cigar!) GFB should put a show together like Bob Hope used to do and travel around to entertain the troops. You know, a few pretty girls, some jokes, etc. Instead of a golf club for a prop GFB would wave around that huge stogie of his. He could do a great stand up routine like he does on his videos (which are hilarious by the way) that the guys on the line would appreciate. Comic relief is always welcome in a combat zone. The big difference between GFB and Bob Hope is that the GFB won't be censored. If he thinks something stinks he is going to tell you about it, after all "he's the guy that has the balls to say what we are thinking." I don't know if our military leaders are ready for this kind of no-holds-barred humor but I know the troops are! Check out the big guy's rant on going to Iraq with a couple of his friends and stay tuned for future oratory from the GFB. I love this guy!

PS. As you can see, part of Joe's shtick is that wheezing delivery of his. But (confidentially) Joe is on a diet and has already lost 30 lbs. He says you can't really tell because "it's like throwing a deck chair off the Titanic." A hilarious analogy, one that I can appreciate myself. But keeping in mind that this site focuses on health, nutrition and weight loss as well as Marines we wish him the best and will provide regular updates as to his progress. Like I told him just today, "The Skinny Guy From Boston" could be even better!

http://theguyfromboston.com/playvideo.asp?video=/videos/2007/june/IRAQ.wmv

Did He Or Didn't He - This was sent to me as the "Jay Leno Letter", you know the one that talks about how we should all be thanking our lucky stars because we live in the USA. I guess it's been floating around in Cyberland for a while but after doing some checking I don't think this can be attributed to Mr. Leno. He might share the sentiment but would have written it better technically and just might have been a bit nicer to his friends in the media. It's fun to think he did write this but, alas,  I think it's just another one of those "Urban Myths" that pop up on the Internet from time to time. This may sound like an oxymoron but it reads to me more like it was written by an intelligent Marine! Personally I don't give a hoot about who wrote that letter, I would like to meet him or her so that I could tell them thanks for presenting me with some good skinny that I could pass along to my fellow Marines. I like to give credit where credit is due and I would thank them for sharing, what could have been, if it was real, a remarkable letter. (more…)