He's any Marine, yours or mine, back to WWII for sure, probably every war since there have been Marines.  It's winter, and he's got on every layer he carries with him.  He has a dark knit cap pulled down low, covering his ears.  If you could see his hands, they'd be covered in ragged gloves, the tips cut…

Loving a Marine brings you into another family.  The Marine Corps family.  This family has a unique and special bond.  It is strong.  Often stronger than any other you've known outside of blood bonds.  With that comes many shared experiences, emotions, up and downs, fears and joys, elations and sometimes heartbreak.  While we share all of these, holding hands and hearts, happy dancing and shedding tears, let us always remember to support one another through the good and bad.  Let us rejoice…

This is a prayer/poem I wrote from the perspective of my three year old. We read it everyday to protect our marine! I love you and miss you, her daddy, our hero, our marine!

My One Request

God, we need to talk, just you and me,

  a one on one unlike any talk we have had before.

It's about my Dad, he needs your help,

  because there's a chance he may come knocking at…

As I was leaving Wal-Mart this past Sunday, the greeter nodded his head and commented that he really like my sweatshirt.   I happened to be wearing my Christmas present from Zach – a grey hooded sweatshirt with the Eagle, Globe and Anchor logo and the quote “Pain is weakness leaving the Body”.

I smiled and told him it was a gift from my son who had just graduated from Boot camp and was currently in SOI at Camp Pendleton California.  …