ANTONIO SMITH 3:02

I was probably an above average student but I probably wasn’t college material at the time. I still needed—I think I was probably a diamond in the rough, that’s probably the easiest way to say it. So getting an opportunity to go to college was a golden opportunity for me. I was the first child in my family—first child, I think, even external to my family—to attend college so it was a pretty significant transformation but it was not beyond what I was capable of doing.

I think the opportunity just needed to be there. Certain individuals came into my life, my high school counselor, Master Chief Hutchison, Clark Atlanta University staff, and basically said, “Here is a golden opportunity for you. You have the skills. You have the aptitude to go to school. Why don’t you go to college?” Because really, I did not know the difference between an officer and an enlisted. I wanted to be a Marine and I still want to be a Marine. I know that there’s a difference in enlisted and officers but it was about being a Marine.

When I wanted to go to college, then that’s when I started understanding the difference between enlisted and officer and I started to come to grips with the leadership responsibilities that are entrusted to officers. I can’t think of any job—and I am thinking hard—but I cannot think of one occupation where you are 21 years old and you are responsible for forty, forty-one people. And you can make life and death decisions at 21 years old and that’s where I was. Twenty-one years old. The class that I am with, we have four or five of Lieutenant Colonel screen commanders. Or four or five officers that were screened on the ‘05 board. So we are all extremely proud of the accomplishments. I know some of the people at the ROTC, some of the instructors that are there are just beaming with pride. I’m proud also of those students who graduated after me because the tradition continues.

I really truly love the Marine Corps. I love the people. I think the people are important. I think what the Marine Corps stands for: Honor, Courage and Commitment. That’s what I stand for and so those things keep me in. I do understand, at a time at some point, I am going to have to retire and transition into the civilian world but right now I love being a Marine. I’ll always be a Marine. I don’t think, when I retire, I’m out of the Marine Corps. Maybe I’ve taken the uniform off but being a Marine is in your heart.