CHICAGO, IL

Bringing the Best to Chicago

Brigadier General Melvin Spiese, the Commanding General of Marine Week, had an important message for citizens of his native Chicago. "We do take care of our Marines," he said, "and we do that by ensuring they've got the best gear in the world and they know how to use it."

During the course of this inaugural Marine Week, Chicagoans have been connecting with Marines on an individual level, learning about the overall readiness of the Marine Corps. All over the city, helicopters landed in fields, martial arts experts taught civilians how to protect themselves from assailants and rifle instructors demonstrated the latest technology to local police departments. On the campus of Sears Holdings, employee and current Reserve Marine Lieutenant Colonel Charles Brewer watched as his coworkers climbed onboard an MV-22 Osprey for a tour.

"I think the purpose of Marine Week is to provide a visible and a tangible experience for the public that very often hears about the Marine Corps on TV," he said. “But rarely do they get a chance to meet Marines, and see the equipment we use everyday and use all around the world."

The culmination of the week's events took place on the shore of Lake Michigan at Navy Pier, with three days of exhibits, demonstrations and performances. Saturday's cloudless skies brought thousands of people to the pier for sightseeing as well as Marine Week activities, including standing-room-only performances by the Silent Drill Platoon and The Commandant's Own U.S. Marine Drum and Bugle Corps. Many had personal experiences and connections with the Marine Corps - but just as many had never met a Marine in person, let alone spoken with one face to face.

Shweta Radrane had no idea it was Marine Week when she brought her family to Navy Pier on Saturday. But the equipment display provided her a unique opportunity to speak directly to a Marine for the first time. Radrane was impressed with how personable and "normal" the Marines were, "but at the same time, what they do is really very important to all of us."

From the fountain at the beginning of the pier to the terraces at the very end, Marines had set up a wide variety of equipment, weaponry, vehicles, robotics and technology. Visitors to the exhibits were even greeted by four Marines dressed in uniforms from WWI, WWII, the Vietnam War and today. These Marines served as representatives from the National Museum of the Marine Corps, making several appearances in an effort to educate attendees about the innovations in battle uniforms over the past 100 years.

"We're here to tell the story, because it's the history that we learn from," said SSgt Todd Rapoza, who was dressed in a WWI green wool service uniform with a standing collar. "It inspires us to move on and move forward."

Citizens learned about the latest in Marine Corps equipment as well as the latest in training techniques. Instructors from the Martial Arts Center of Excellence provided demonstrations of the Marine Corps’ proprietary martial arts system, experts in marksmanship showcased their virtual training systems and Marines from the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory led visitors through simulated virtual battles. For all that attended it was obvious how highly the Marine Corps values training and education.

"It's so much to take in an hour, and they do this every day," said Jennifer Diaz, who drove from Yorkville, Illinois, to spend the afternoon exploring the displays on Navy Pier. "It's overwhelming; I don't know how these guys can handle it. But they're trained to do this."

"I'm a college student," said Diaz, "and I complain about that. But it's nothing compared to half the stuff that these guys have to learn. It's really just amazing."

Ultimately, the Marines themselves were the most important part of every Marine Week event, as they demonstrated to the city of Chicago that not only do they use the best available gear for their missions, but their training gives them the skills to handle sophisticated equipment with confidence. This message was important for Marines like Sgt Keith Sosnowski, who manned a Humvee display on Navy Pier. To him, it's important that Americans "see that we're prepared and that we're knowledgeable about what we do."

For Trish Johnson, who drove more than two hours to participate in the weekend's events on Navy Pier, Marine Week had a special significance. As the mother of a deployed Marine, Johnson felt that it was important to attend the inaugural Marine Week as a show of support for the Marine Corps. Even though she is familiar with the intense training Marines receive, the equipment displays at Navy Pier gave her a new sense of appreciation of the skills her son possesses.

"There's a reason why they're the Few, the Proud," she said. "They take my breath away."

Watch the first video about Marine Week Chicago. 

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