Sergeant Nate Dietsch

Girard, PA

I enlisted in the Marine Corps before my senior year of high school, not because of a lack of options but because it had been my dream. Since the day I stood on the yellow footprints at Parris Island, not a single day has passed that I haven't appreciated the decision I made. I chose to become one of the few so I could have the honor of serving our great nation; to protect the rights of the American people, my family and my friends. 9/11 happened while I was at Recruit Training and from that point on we were a proud nation, and as a Marine I was right at the tip of the spear. I knew I'd have the opportunity to do what I had joined to do. And I did. Every single day in Iraq we helped build a nation. For that I am proud. I'm proud of my fellow Marines, I'm proud of my fellow Americans and I'm proud to be a United States Marine.