The following submission was published in the Winter edition of “Semper Fi”, the magazine of the Marine Corps League. It is authored by Kingman resident Terry Flanagan, Commandant, Dean W. Reiter Detachment 887.
Some time ago, I pulled into a gas station, and as I exited my pickup, a voice was heard behind me: “Semper Fi.” As I turned to see who had used the term, a gentleman with a baseball cap that had the EGA and the word ‘Marine’, had just exited the vehicle behind me at the pumps. I will assume that he knew I had a connection to the Marines as I had a Toys for Tots sticker in my window along with a Third Air Wing sticker. I returned the greeting with, “Semper Fi, Marine.”
No other words were spoken as we went about our business. A friend who was with me at the time asked what was all that about, and I stated, “It’s a Marine thing.”
This close encounter got me to thinking … yes, it is a “Marine Thing,” a thing that is unique to members of the United State Marines Corps. As you read over this article, try and remember each time you were greeted with “Semper Fi” and responded in kind or with “Ooh-Rah.” How many times did you use one of those terms to greet a member of your Marine family? I write this article not just for my fellow Marines, but for those who may wonder what it is that makes marines greet each other with a time-honored slogan.
The Investigation Begins
As I thought about this Marine Thing, I began to try and keep track of how often this informal greeting took place. I began to notice more and more that if I had a cap or shirt that identified me as a Marine, I was greeted with one of the two phrases and responded in kind. I would also observe this interaction between other Marines around me. You noticed that I referred to the term Marine family, because we are a family. I have found these same greetings used by Marine moms, grandmothers, dads and brothers and sisters and even an ex-spouse of a Marine.
Although I found this greeting common in Marines, I also observed that this form of greeting was lacking in the other services. I have observed several vehicles at a gas station, and some had “Army Strong” stickers in the windows or perhaps a “Go Navy” or just “U.S. Air Force” sticker. The drivers exited and never greeted one another. This same lack of acknowledgment took place between members of the same service who had a cap or shirt that denoted their branch of service. They would pass each other and never exchange a greeting. I will say that the only greeting that I found common between service members of all branches was if each had an item that identified them as a veteran of the Vietnam War. They may look at each other and say, “Welcome home,” but that is the topic for another article.
So why do the Marines feel moved to greet each other? I am sure that a student of psychology could do a thesis on this subject, but I can attribute this greeting thing between Marines to one phrase: “esprit de corps.” As Marines, we do not need a dictionary to tell us what this means, but as this article may be read by non-Marines, I will cite Webster, which defines “esprit de corps” as “the common spirit existing in the members of a group and inspiring enthusiasm, devotion and strong regard for the honor of the group.” As Marines, we have a general idea of this spirit when we choose the Corps. When we complete boot camp, we have adopted the concept of honor, courage and commitment that builds on our esprit de corps. I will agree that specialized units of another branch may have a higher esprit de corps but when taken as a branch of our nation’s military, ‘The Few, The Proud, the Marines’ stand out. So how do we get from “esprit de corps” to “Semper Fi?”
Some research showed that the first military unit to use the term Semper Fidelis, a Latin term that means “always faithful” or “always loyal”, was the Devonshire Regiment, which was a senior infantry unit of the British Army that was created in 1662. The U.S. Marines had various mottos, but in 1883 the motto of “Semper Fidelis” was formally adopted by the Marines. The quotes following are from the website marines.com and perhaps are some of the best descriptions for what “Semper Fi” stands for.
~ “Semper Fidelis” distinguishes the Marine Corps bond from any other. It goes beyond teamwork – it is a brotherhood that can always be counted on.
~ It guides Marines to remain faithful to the mission at hand, to each other, to the Corps and to the country, no matter what.
~ Becoming a Marine is a transformation that cannot be undone, and “Semper Fidelis” is a permanent reminder of that.
~ Once made, a Marine will forever live by the ethics and values of the Corps.
These words are more than words. They instill a feeling of comradery with every other member of our Marine Corps family. It is that feeling that almost compels a Marine to greet another member of the family. It is true that the transformation into a Marine cannot be undone: Once a Marine, Always a Marine.
I did mention one other saying, and that is “Ooh-Rah.” Yes, “Ooh-Rah”, not “HooRah, Urra, Hura, Hooah, Hoorah, Hurrah, Huzzah.” There appears to be several references of how this phrase became part of the Marine vocabulary. The most colorful one appears to be that shortly after the Korean Conflict, a Gunnery Sgt., later to become Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, adapted the sound of the Navy Klaxon horn on a submarine that would sound when the sub had to dive. The Gunny believed that the sound of the horn could make a good motivator for Marines in training or going into battle. So the sound of a Navy Klaxon horn was morphed into a Marine Thing. (Got to love Marine ingenuity) Take a Navy horn and turn it into a Marine Thing. “Adapt and Overcome,” but that too is another article.
Among Marines, “Ooh-Rah” has become a combination of a cheer, recognition for a job well done and nay other assortment of verbal acknowledgments. Some years ago, our community held a service for a highly respected retired Marine Captain. There were Marines scattered throughout the church. His son gave an enthusiastic talk about what it was like growing up as a member of the Marine family with this dad. As he ended the presentation about his father, with no command given, an enthusiastic cheer of “Ooh-Rah!” came from the Marines in attendance. I think this startled the minister and those members of the congregation present who were not familiar with this particular Marine Thing. This cheer was given as a sign of respect for a fellow Marine who had been called to guard the streets of Heaven. Yest, that is also another story.
In conclusion, there are no former, past or ex-Marines. A Marine is a Marine, but they active, reserver, retired or discharged. I guess you can say that “Semper Fi” is one step above “esprit de corps,” because “it guides Marines to remain faithful to the mission at hand, to each other …” forever.
So, to all the members of our Marine family and to the future members of our family I say, “Semper Fi!”
Terry Flanagan
