Fun facts about the Marines

I wanted to have a little bit of fun with this post and lighten up the mood, so I decided to post some more interesting facts regarding the Marines. Some of these facts will catch you by surprise. Not to many are familiar that some of the famous stars of Hollywood actually served in the U.S. Marines. There are also tales of survival that are hard to believe and some very interesting stories of heroism.  These facts are always intriguing to know and can make for some good conversation:

• Jason Dunham, a Marine Corporal saved two fellow Marines in Iraq by covering a live grenade with his helmet and body - Source
• CNN medical correspondent and neurosurgeon Sanjay Gupta saved a Marine’s life after he was shot in the head during the opening days of the invasion of Iraq. Without proper tools, Gupta performed the brain surgery with a Black and Decker handheld drill. The Marine lived - Source
• Ernest “Boots” Thomas, one of the U.S. Marines who raised the flag on Iwo Jima, was able to enlist in spite of being color blind by memorizing the results of another man’s test - Source
• Comedian Drew Carey served 8 years in the Marine Corps where he would tell jokes to his fellow Marines, jump starting his comedy career- Source
• The US Marine Corps is older than the United States itself, predating the Declaration of Independence by a year- Source
• Rob Riggle, (SNL, The Daily Show, The Hangover, 21 Jump Street) is a retired US Marine Lt. Colonel, serving his country for 23 years, deploying to Kosovo, Liberia and Afghanistan - Source
• Carlos Hathcock, was a Marine sniper who shot an enemy sniper through the enemy’s own scope, hitting him in the eye and killing him- Source
• The Battle of Chosin Reservoir during the Korean War was lost due to Tootsie Rolls. A code reader mistook the code for mortar shells (“snacks”, they were called), and literally sent hundreds of crates of Tootsie Rolls to the marines who were out of mortar rounds - Source
• 3 years after illegally joining the Marines at the age of 14, Jacklyn Lucas snuck onto a ship bound for Iwo Jima, stormed the beach without a rifle, and threw himself on top of two grenades to protect his team. He survived, and earned the Medal of Honor at the age of 17- Source
• Before his work as a talk show host, Montel Williams was a Marine, a naval intelligence cryptologic officer, a motivational speaker, a rodeo clown, got a degree in engineering, and studied Mandarin - Source

I hope this has peaked your interest as much as it has for myself. There are many other fascinating facts about the military that are intriguing to know. Facts such as the ones mentioned get me excited to learn about the folks who carry these honorary titles. It doesn’t take a strong person, nor does it take a smart person, to make a great Marine, all you need is the heart to serve your country.