SAN FRANCISCO, CA

Starting at the End

Production of the America's Marines television commercial kicked off by filming the last scene first. Thirty-six Marines formed a perfect line in the shadow of the Golden Gate Bridge, standing on the remnants of an artillery battery that guarded the bay for more than 50 years.

Nearby, a dozen people found vantage points on the abandoned structures of Battery Spencer, standing where massive guns once protected the entrance. Among them were Mike and Marva Lyons from Richmond, CA. They didn't mind the predawn chill...the Lyons always stand by the Marine Corps.

Their son, Corporal James Lyons, is an avionics technician stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan. In addition to supporting her son, Marva has also launched a group that has sent 10,000 "civilian ration" packages to Marines and members of all the Armed Forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Mike describes his feeling about his son and the Marines. "James has given me a better sense of what patriotism truly is -- more than anything I have done myself, and I'm not talking about some kind of sunshine patriotism."

"I was drafted and opted for the Air Force to avoid going into the Army," the Vietnam veteran said. "My son enlisted without any push from me. There is no draft. There was no one telling him he had to go. But he will tell you, it was something he had to do."

As he spoke, the Silent Drill team finished wrapping-up the first of many shots for the commercial about 40-yards away. The vivid, crisp dress blues contrasted boldly against the green bay water and rolling sunrise. Mike pointed out the ornate nature of the uniforms and the Marines' meticulous attention to detail.

"When I wore a uniform it was just clothing," he said. "But when James wears that uniform it bonds with every part of his persona. Every crease, every line, every detail has to be just right. Nothing less will do."

"When I see James in that uniform, he's a man," his father said, adding, "He's a Marine."

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