DICK SCHROEDER 1:26

Semper Fi is a bonding, perhaps amongst Marines only: always faithful—always faithful to one another and to the Corps. I had a time when they played the Marine Corps hymn and I was the only person in the audience that stood up and someone asked me—they pointed down to me and said, “Why did you stand up when they played the Marine Corps Hymn?” And I said, “There were two reasons. One, to honor the Corps, and two, to honor those Marines who gave their lives in defense of this country and that should be good enough for anyone to stand up.”

We were at a parade up in Wilkesbury one time, and as we marched down the street behind the Drum and Bugle Corps and the caller guard, I saw men—grown men crying. Here come the Marines! Grown men were crying, women were cheering. The little kids didn’t know what the Marines were. But it was that type of thing, that type of response, the respect that people have for the Marines—and I think duly so—but it’s something that I’ve carried with me. I have got to say this about these young men who are out there now, these young Marines, compared to us, they’re much better than we were.