QUANTICO, VA

History and the Modern Marine

Quantico, VA -- Once a Marine, always a Marine, the saying goes. Just a moment with Larry Ward is all the evidence you need that it’s a fundamental truth.

Actually, he’d prefer to be called Lieutenant Ward. He’s earned the right after 31 years in the Marine Corps, which included four purple hearts and two stints as a drill instructor. Officially he may have retired in 1982, but he’s still ready to serve.

“I tried to re-enlist when the first Gulf War came up, but they said I was too old,” the 83-year-old Ward said, pulling out the dog tags he still wears. “I’d be over there today, if they’d take me.”

On Wednesday, Lt. Ward might as well have been on active duty. He spent the entire day with his beloved Marine Corps. First it was at the Modern Marine Expo, then later at the National Marine Corps Museum.

“I met one of my recruits just the other morning when he was in town, and he said all that he is, he owes to me,” Lt. Ward said. “I can’t imagine that’s true, but the change we put them through is that powerful.”

A few yards away at the Modern Marine Expo another former Marine, with a very different experience in the Marine Corps, was making much the same point.

“I learned a lot about leadership, about taking care of people and showing that you care,” said retired Lieutenant General Carol Mutter, a pioneer for women in the Marines. “True leadership means showing people that you care about them, that you care about the mission, and that those two are much more important than yourself or your career.”

Lieutenant Gen. Mutter retired in 1999, but not before earning her third star, the first woman to earn that rank in the Marines. She joined the Marines 1967 after college as an alternative to taking a teaching job.

It was a day for merging the past and future of the Marine Corps. The Silent Drill Platoon started with a performance at the Modern Marine Expo, where vendors offered new tools for the next generation of Marines. In addition Sergeant Major Carlton Kent, sergeant major of the Marine Corps, handed out 11 honors during the Enlisted Award Ceremony.

Several hours later the SDP was performing again, this time in front of the National Marine Corps Museum.

The SDP’s silent performance was louder than normal. The echoes of their 10 ½ pound M-1 Grand rifles bounced off the high concrete walls and the soaring entrance to the museum.

The museum tells a story that every Marine who’s served can feel part of, Marines will tell you that a visit here is like suddenly looking through a mirror. The soaring spire of the museum represents the famous flag-raising at Iwo Jima in WWII. It’s a sight that still brings a flood of emotion for former Sgt. Walter Smedley, who was one of the Marines to invade the island.

“I joined the Marines for the glory,” he said. “Iwo was something that happened so long ago, but I remember it like it was yesterday.”

In the years since, he’s seen two grandsons join the Marines, as aviators. The pride of watching them earn their Eagle, Globe and Anchor only reinforces his memories, he said.

“They say we were the greatest generation,” he said. “But I look at the Marines today and think they have it tougher than we ever did. They are carrying on our traditions. They are a huge part of our country’s traditions.”

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