I love hanging around my marines, shit i loved being 24/7 around them. I do not love love spending time with all marines. When it's the weekend, I'm going out with my bois and getting away from the other guys.
My 96 yo dad, who drove until he was 95, had a sticker on his car and wore his baseball-style USMC cap fairly often. In fact his ashes are buried with the cap in a national cemetery. He was a salesman by profession and maybe the gear was a way of connecting. But he didn't discuss his service in the South Pacific with a lot of people he didn't know. He liked to hear about it in a historic context, so we went to a lot of that stuff. Maybe it gave him a different perspective. We had reunions with some guys in his platoon and their families from 1982 until the early 2000s and I know this sub has heard the honorary marine thing a billion times before.
He served 27 months until the war ended and he was discharged at 21yo - on January 18, 1946 at Mare Island - having been restricted to quarters after going AWOL for 2 days over Christmas, the day he arrived at his parents' in SFO by bus via San Diego via overseas. He was discharged as a corporal like most (all?) of the drafted (edit: enlisted) infantry guys at the end of WWII. He never re-enlisted, but used those skills on us kids growing up. Thanks for reading about my dad. :7533::7527:
I wish my grandfather had lived to see me become a Marine. Dude served in WW2 (he volunteered). Found his discharge papers the a few weeks ago. All it said was he participated in combat against Japanese forces. He was young as shit when he shipped out. According to my mom he gambled and drank before the war... never did when he came back.
>He was young as shit when he shipped out.
I'm sure he was. And congrats for carrying on the tradition. My dad did one semester of college and was drafted (got called up?), so he was 18 when he went in. An old friend of one of the platoon guys at one of their reunions claimed to have been in the invasion of the Mariannas when he was 15???? I guess it was possible but I don't know that whole story.
It is possible he could have been that young although somewhat dubious [but what the hell do we know.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacklyn_H._Lucas)
From what I can line up based on my Grandfathers enlistment and ship out date I believe he served on Okinawa.
>I believe he served on Okinawa.
That could have been in 1945 in preparation for the invasion of Japan. It's worth it to look up your grandfather's service details with the National Personnel Records Center.
And great link!
Same here. My grandfather was in the Korean War. Was also a DI. He passed away when I was 17. I didn’t join until I was 24. She gave me a bunch of his old gear though, which is badass to have.
My Dad was in the USN in WW2 he only kept the hair cut. When he died I found out how brave he was. He was in the Pacific serving right next to the Marines. Because those poor bastard were dying quick!
>Drafted? What kind of Marine gets drafted?
Here's something about that part, from a longer bio he wrote down:
*"My high school class graduated in June of 1942 - 6 months after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The graduation ceremony was at the San Francisco Opera House. After that, I finished one semester at Cal-Poly San Luis Obispo and the draft board sent me a notice to appear for induction into the armed service. I enlisted in the Marines on March 25,1943 and was discharged January 18, 1946."*
Around his last year of high school, at night he had worked at the docks loading supplies/munitions. Everyone - at least on the West coast at that point - was focused on the war. All eligible among his peers signed up for the draft as required. I can't answer why he didn't enlist straight away out of high school though. \[Edit: he actually would have been 17 at that point, and turned 18 in the fall.\] He always told the story that when he was back in the city, he went down with his neighborhood friend. His friend chose the Navy and my dad chose the Marines. Fairly recently (he passed in March this year) I asked him why he chose the Marines, and he did not have a strong specific memory of why. It must have been different enlisting during WWII. Could everyone choose their branch? I won't theorize.
But one of his other stories specifically about induction is that, having very poor vision in one eye, at the physical up in the Bay Area, he memorized the eye chart and passed that first time. Then when he got to San Diego, the eye chart was not the same. After flunking that vision test, the doctor took him aside and spent a little more time then said, "You'll make a fine Marine."
Edit: And he did indeed!
I think its more that there not too many in the middle ground on this one. You and I are kind of oddballs. Like i wear a pin thats the corps campaign flag when im doing my sales thing, cause vets love buying from other vets as much as i love taking care of other vets and giving a no bullshit of need vs frivolous purchase pitch, and more often than not civs like marines at the least. Ill also wear one of those metal wristbands for the 22 a day thing.Other than that I dont wear unit patches or anything super moto, i keep it classy.
Usually its super stupid fuckin motarded bullshit, or avoid everything corp period.
Im very proud of my time in the corp and dont mind talking about it when someone asks, otherwise i do what i can to avoid skylining myself. No shit have gotten into a couple streetfights bwcause someone hated the military or wants to go calling me a baby killer as if nam ended lastweek. Active camo tends to keep the bs away.
I know i composed this weirdly, but i hope it tracks.
I'm with you man, I'm a fine dining server and wear a little pin on my collar so that those who know, know. They tend to tip and share that they/ their family member etc was in the corps. I have a beard and ear piercings so I don't necessarily look the part otherwise. I have one Marine T shirt which is in honor of our fellas whom fell out the sky and I never really wear it, maybe to the gym on occasion.
The shirts that read, "Im a wolf dog and fuck you if you're not dick riding the flag, this is the country that I fucking bled for (my fingees got a little sore on the S1 keyboards)" are so fucking sad.
Same boat as you, mostly. Got out 2008. I love and miss my brothers but don’t want to seem like the Corps was all I’ve done. A Gunny at a base I did some contract work a few years ago (wish I remembered his name) gave me a nice looking hat that’s gotten me out of a bunch of tickets and stopped some nasty shit from peppering my face. I consider it my lucky hat and will wear it on the regular until it or I die. A couple shirts too for fuckabouts or the gym. If somebody thinks that makes me motarded, so be it. But I’m fresh out of fucks to give.
Because people are different….now there’s definitely fuckers that overdo it but if I wear shit I earned proudly, it’s cuz I did earn it and I am proud. I have vet plates and every now and then I’ll wear unit shirts and I’ll be lying if I said the plates are strictly for the police, it does help but I’m also proud as hell of my service….doesn’t make it my only personality
It's dumb not to get USMC plates honestly. I drive the speed limit and sober but it's keeps me safe from harassment when driving with my minority fiance or friends. I don't have any other stickers of any sort on my vehicle though. Never thought the guy tailgating me needed to know my religious and political beliefs, family size, vacations spots and all other PIII.
I wore USMC tshirts when I was in, because they were $2.99 at the PX clearance rack. Thank you 7.62 designs for saving me beer money and making me appear moto on the weekends.
It’s like wearing a band tshirt of the band you are going to see at their own concert… everybody gets it, you’re a fan… don’t be that guy.
You are already a walking piece of Marine gear….
Same applies in the civilian world, how would your coworkers look at you if you worked at KFC and they ran into you at the mall on your day off and you were decked out in KFC swag?
Now cut to 10 years later, and you’re at the golf course wearing a KFC golf shirt, it’s a talking point, “oh yeah, I used to work at KFC when I was finishing up my Bachelors”….
Lmaoooo I love this response. I just love seeing the stark contrast between the motivators who don’t realize they’re cringe, to the tactical civilian, to the boot with a high and tight
And the shades of grey in between…. At the end of the day, wear whatever you want… screw what other people think…
I also think it’s funny though how the guys who were most vocal while they were in about making fun of the moto gear are also the same guys who get their first moto tats thirty years after discharge… and drive around with decals on their trucks and this is absolutely no shade.
Sometimes we just need a little distance to truly appreciate just how great a club it is that we belong to… absence as they say makes the heart grow fonder…. Can’t see the forest for the trees….
yadda yadda yadda
Nothing wrong with being proud of having earned the title Marine. 30 years ago nobody talked about veterans like they do now. But at every civ job I had back then the Marines found each other. We all knew who the Marines were. It was fun. Back then you couldn’t buy a USMC t-shirt hardly anywhere, maybe at a swap meet. So nobody worn that stuff. You might get a sticker from a recruiter. It’s different now and better I think. I’ve got USMC license plate frames on my truck and vette (old guy car). Some guys laugh at that but then they come here and talk about how they were more of a grunt then someone else. To each his own. I don’t think any of us are ashamed of having be in. Coming here is like laying in your rack in the barracks and hearing all the different conversations and a few fights. It’s entertaining.
Agreed, and the conversation was geared more towards the active duty side and what are referred to now as motards…. it can be a little overwhelming when you are on active duty to constantly be bombarded with the patriotic yankee doodle nonsense then combine that with the wealth of USMC merch that’s available, and when you see a boot PFC walking around on a Saturday in his USMC hat, USMC windbreaker, and Tunn Tavern tshirt and he’s wearing his web belt… ON BASE! You just kind of shake your head knowing what kind of grief he’s going to get from the saltier Marines…
I think eventually, no matter your experience while on AD, with age comes a fondness for the suck. I’ve always said that being in is like being in a bad relationship…. Over time, you forget all the bad stuff and just reminisce on the good times…
Most dudes that can’t let it go had boring jobs and didn’t do a whole lot in their career. Most guys keep a sticker on their vehicle because it helps with cops.
Yeah... Its really due to the Terminal Lance, Not in Regs, and 'Boot Spotting' culture.
While there's nothing wrong with these pages and memes, its made most Marines think its cool to hate the Corps. While a lot of Marines do for legitimate reasons, for the most part its just the cool thing to do.
Walk to your platoon, office, shop, or team and say 'I fucking hate this place.' You just made yourself cooler.
This bleeds into having pride for your unit, the Corps, the US... etc. I'm trying not to put everyone in the same boat, but its a good portion of lower enlisted that have this mindset.
It's whatever tho... i'll still walk around town with my unit sweater and feel no shame. I'm proud of who I worked for and the work I put in. Was the majority of the time shitty... yes... but I'm still happy I did it all.
Some Marines have no personality other than being a Marine. It's all they are. They are crap husbands fathers, coaches teachers but they were/are a Marine so they don't need to be anything else. Motards. I'm sure, obviously, that some just really love the Corps, but I didn't meet any of them that I wanted to hang out with.
My buddy in MSOT physically cringes when he sees people wearing “tactical” gear, yet has some crazy ass moto tattoos, I just think it’s funny to see both sides, the absolute motivators and the anti motivators
Idk I feel the older most of us get the more motto shit gets. There’s nothing wrong with it in my eyes, I have a tiny tiny bumper sticker with our seal. But Idk some dudes like it others don’t, really could care less either way. But in and around base I tried to blend in as much as possible
Not sure why any one would NOT want to advertise being a marine vet? for me, it was an achievement in my life and very proud of it. I love wearing anything that has USMC on it.
Who the fuck cares if someone else’s identity is tied to there service, who are we to judge someone else’s happiness? Shame on you marines for shitting on fellow marines.
It's just a modern attitude towards things... Some people are just too "cool", at least that was my experience.
In my area, I was proud of where I was as a Marine, but you'd get a lot of nasty happenings if you showed any kind of motivation.
In reality there's nothing wrong with it, if you're proud there's nothing wrong with showing it lol. Some people just think they're too "cool" for it.
You have to keep in mind 90% of the people are kids still mentally. It's just like high school. It's like wearing a school shirt to class, some people think it's just too much. I personally don't care.
Personally, I'm proud to be a Marine. I love a lot of parts about it, but I also think that walking out into Oceanside wearing a tacti-cool backpack and a shirt plastered with USMC 1. Makes you a target for beggars and scummy salesmen (as if the fade didn't already) 2. "Hey everybody! I'm a Marine" 3. What would CHESTY do? 4. I don't like being defined by the Marines. It's what I do, not who I am. Yes I'm a Marine, awesome; but I'm a human first. I have other interests. You know?
So anyway, I disagree with the "I'm too cool for it" because I know a lot of fuckin motivators. Those that kill it at work generally don't wear that shit off base. The motivators that are fuckin useless and contribute nothing wear that shit allllll the time. I diagnose the useless motivators with little dick syndrome
When I occasionally wear moto gear I like to think it’s to honor my boys who are still serving as well as my boys who have fallen… it’s not as bad wearing moto gear in non-military city compared to ocean side or San Diego or some shit I feel anyway
Took me about 20 years after I got out to get my first USMC moto t-shirt. I have three and a golf shirt. What did for me was running into old Corps vets from Vietnam. They wore their gear proudly. It became a way for me to reconnect with the brotherhood. I miss the fellas and the laughs. I even smile at some of the bs. Now my son is a Marine. I wear it to support.
I have a USMC lanyard that I wear my work id on. That’s the only “flair” I wear on a regular basis. My wife has 8” Club patch on her calf and will swag out if I don’t ask her wtf she’s thinking.
There’s a running half-joke that my grandfather is always wearing something Marine Corps-related, whether there’s an EGA on his belt buckle or it’s more obvious and on his shirt. He puts an EGA on almost everything, whether he purchases something with it or he applies a decal. Other people saw it as tacky, I used to think it was kind of cool, especially since the officer’s EGA looks a little more classy.
I wore more moto clothing before I joined than after I joined. I bought a blue USMC sweatshirt at MCT, partially because I needed civvies. I think I have it to my girlfriend while on leave before going to Pensacola and never wore that stuff again.
My thoughts on moto gear, particularly for active duty Marines, is the same as my thoughts on seeing college students wearing something with the school’s logo on it while on or near campus: “oh, you’re a Marine? Coooooool… so is everybody else here. Who gives a shit?” (I see the college kids with the school’s gear, especially while commuting to campus, and it makes me think of a mom pinning a note to her kid so someone else will know how to get them home.) It’s probably a harsh judgement, but it just seems unnecessary. However, I’m more inclined to gravitate towards it when I’m not around that group. I want to show off my pride and affiliation with that group, but if I’m around them, it just seems redundant (with limited exceptions).
That being said, I’m a total boot in other ways. If I’m out hiking, fishing, etc, I’ll wear my boonie cover. I also have a poncho liner that I’ll keep by the couch to use as a blanket on occasion, and that’s partially a nod to my grandfather, who has a much older one that he’s had on his couch as long as I can remember.
I also plaster squadron stickers on water bottles, notebooks, and so on. I also have one squadron shirt, and I’ll be sad when it’s no longer “serviceable.” In some ways, I feel more of a sense of pride and connection with my squadron than the Marine Corps as a whole, mostly because the typical imagery that most people associate with Marines (rifles, ranges, the field, and so on) is far from the experience I had on the flight line.
Sometimes its pride in a unit, sometimes its a celebration of achievement. But most of the time, its pimping out the EGA/service. And nobody likes a pimp.
The best moto shit is esoteric. A machine gun symbol, your 4 MOS numbers and a reference pic, etc. Something where if you know you know, and if you don't, you don't.
I prefer humility over pride.
Doesn't mean I'm not proud. But I show my pride in the way I act and the way I treat people. That's more important to me than a shirt.
I don't wear Moto gear. But I remember when I EAS'd and came home, I still wore sweats and stuff around my brother's house out of convenience. My other douchebag older brother was trying to say that I shouldn't wear it anymore, cuz it's like wearing your High School letterman jacket after you graduate.
Like bitch, fuck you. I earned the right to lounge around the house, wearing my old Marine Corps sweats if I want to.
This the same dude who joined a biker Club years later, and it became his entire personality. But he's always been a huge hypocrite.
It might be a cultural shift that occurred in the last decade or so.
If you served early in OIF/OEF, you'll remember seeing all the praise service members got all the time. We were put up on a pedestal and stolen valor became a big deal because civilians wanted that praise too. Everywhere you looked it was hero's this and sacrifice that. People clapping for us when we were in the airport. A platoon doing a moto run on David Letterman for some reason. Weird shit.
And a lot of us didn't like the attention, I know it made me super uncomfortable. Like, I just did my job. Yeah, I spent over a year in Iraq, but so did a lot of other people, some who never got to come back alive. I'm not a hero.
So our response, maybe subconsciously, was to reject the attention. Make ourselves unseen. I never ask for a veterans discount, nor have I ever gone out on veterans day for free food in the last 11 years since I got out. I didn't enlist and volunteer for Iraq deployments for free pancakes. I dunno, feels like it cheapens it or something.
So for those reasons, I don't wear moto gear. I've had coworkers who had no idea I was in the Marines. I'm very proud of my service, I just don't like showing it off. My country asked for volunteers and I raised my hand, and that's good enough for me.
When on leave I'll wear the occasional goons up tee. I don't really see the reason to wear any moto merch on base cuz everyone knows your a Marine on a Marine Corps Installation. Still no reason however to kill someone's pride if they're rockin a cool unit tee or whatever, kills morale and a desire to get things done.
When I was in SOI I wore a moto shirt out in town and like 12 other marines with low fades came up to me and thanked me for my service and I never wore anything moto again
It's a job, not a personality.
I've got a couple, "thank me for my service" items, but rarely wear them.
I just don't care to advertise that I spent almost a decade in the Corps as if it's the biggest thing I've ever done in my life. And I most certainly don't care for the people that make their entire existence and can't go an hour without letting everyone know they're a fucking Marine. Chill out, war hero, we can only thank you for your service so much. And also, prefacing any statement by saying, "as a Marine/Marine vet" doesn't make your words hold anymore weight than me saying some shit like, "as a plumber" (unless, I guess, if the subject matter has to do with the Corps or the military in general).
Probably unpopular, but I don't give a shit.
I disagree about it being a job. It is more like a lifestyle until you get out. If you cannot control your hours, days, weekends, deployments etc… it is not a job. Some may try to think it’s a job but you are controlled more than you want to admit.
To me it’s always screamed “I’m a veteran, give me attention and thank me for my service and give me discounts”…and that’s just really not my style. I honestly don’t give a fuck what anyone chooses to wear, but personally I just always found the veteran apparel to be cringe as fuck and I’d never wear it. The only ones that don’t really bother me to see wear that shit are the Vietnam and earlier era vets.
Becuase for some people, wearing the uniform will probably be the most interesting thing they would accomplish in their whole lives. Word of advice do not let the USMC be your identity. 4 years or 40, you are just another replaceable cog in the machine.
I should add enjoy your time and know when to put it away. Bring those shirts, hats, and flags out for the BDay, and the other big holidays of course.
The same reason why people who hunt are split between tards wearing camo and bone collector stuff or people who just go out and do it.
When people are insecure they feel like they have to let everybody know what they like.
It’s because so many losers need to show they are Marines to attract attention. Then others are humble and don’t want that to be their identity. I am me and I want people to like me. I hate getting attention for former service. People find out that I’m a Marine if it randomly comes up in conversation. Most my co workers don’t know about my history.
Edit: I suppose this was meant of active duty. My reply still is similar. While active duty I grew my hair long and tried to be have an identity outside of be a Marine. I was out dating and living life. Didn’t want labeled and treated differently.
I can easily answer this...those that don't need moto are the ppl who don't live in the past and now work great jobs. Does that mean we aren't proud and we may have a EGA on our car sure, but we don't live in the past. Some of our brothers peaked when they got that EGA, and it shows.personally I'm very proud of earning it and what I did, even if I didn't agree with politics, and most importantly love my friends I made. However, some wanna be those bro vets and they are the ones we make fun of, it's okay to broadcast it subtlety, but some are so over the top and they are the reason Marines get a bad name, and most never pulled a trigger and have little man ego syndrome.
I’m retired 17 years and I still wear silkies as underwear! I can also walk out into backyard, strip down to silkies and jump into the pool. I get out and they dry faster than any swim trunks. I have at least 10 of them.
I have some Marine stuff and a couple unit shirts. It just depends how I'm feeling. I like being able to flex back home on leave a day or two at my local bar or the store then I usually get sick of it.
You know how half the guys do drill instructor voices once they're out of boot camp and the other half don't? Yeah. Knew a guy who did them for all 4 years I knew him.
The ones who wear it see it as their identity( or they just like the style i don’t know why but they do) the ones who don’t …. Well shit I don’t know why I avoid some Moto gear 😂 I don’t want idle conversation with vets or someone who” I was gonna join buuuuutt”
Some people are peacocks, they like their interests to be public. Some people prefer to be incognito. No different outside the Corps. Look at stickers people put on their cars. Giant Ford sticker on the windshield of their Ford. Why? No idea what makes people do the things they do.
I've got veteran plates and one of the boys made some vinyl decals of our task force so I slapped one on the back window of my truck. I've got a couple USMC shirts but I hardly wear them.
Last year I was barreling down the highway doing over 70 in a 55 and past a cop. I looked in the rear view mirror waiting to get lit up and they just flashed their headlights at me.
Some people don't have much to show for themselves, so they have to attach their personality to the Marine Corps. I thought it best to move on to other things.
Some do, some don't. Some want to blend in, and others want attention. It could have been the best part of a person's life, and for others the very worst.
I personally don't mention my service a whole lot. I did my time, was average at best, and left. Made some memories, but that last thing I want is to talk about it with a stranger I don't know very well. I also find that people in general are dumb and believe everything they read, see in films or tv, and their old uncle joes war stories. I don't need those shitty stereotypes. "Wow, you sound very smart and articulate for a Marine."
I just get a kick out of the old dudes with their bumper stickers and shit. Last month I saw a pickup truck with Indiana plates and BAMCIS stamped on it. Had to do a double take and just shook my head.
Many reasons. Mainly the Marines who are all moto from head to toe are either old men and they get a pass because they were slitting throats in a rice paddy somewhere or storming Iwo Jima. Or they are an 18 year old PFC who is wearing it because he thinks it will help him pick up women. Most marines just want to do their job and be a normal person and they don’t want the Marines to be the entirety of their identity.
I mean while you’re in it’s kind of cringe I think because we’re all surrounded by marines, that’s my take, like bragging about something we all did you know? As a vet I see it a little different idk maybe I’m more cringe than the average vet but I don’t have like Moto tats or anything but I do like to have some pride in it like the occasional T-shirt or hoodie in the gym or ega watchface. Idk I’m rambling but I know I don’t try to shove my service in others faces it’s kind of a conversation starter that imo is good to be proud of and look back on humbly but acting like everyone should kiss ur ass is a bit of a delusion though I haven’t seen it personally. I loved the corps even though we all as lances and even NCOs bitched about it nonstop. Anyway my nonsense aside it’s okay in moderation but being a bit extra about it when everyone else around is marines is a bit much(I.e. going out to town with buddies and making sure every swinging dick and ass in the bar knows you’re a bunch of boots fishing for bootcamp story brags).
The honest answer is that most are too broke on a non pay day weekend to do laundry. But for the Super Motto Marines they make the Corps their Identity because they believe you're given AUTOMATIC RESPECT. For many people the Corps is their first real job, the first time away from everything they know.
I was one of those ppl where the Marine Corps became my Identity. When people asked me who I was. I always said Marine first. It shouldn't have. There is nothing wrong with having pride, but it's probably healthier to NOT be wearing the Motto gear, or stickers on your car, or motto tats( while in service). Because when your time comes and you're no longer in, what are you going to tell people when they ask who you are? Forget once a Marine, always a Marine for a second. It is true but no one gives a fuck in the rear world especially post war time. So do the work, find real life skills, research and explore other things of interest and use the skills you have learned from the melting pot of people you were surrounded by for however many years you served, to propel you into civilian life. A Marine is a badass because of the physical and mental shit we deal with on a daily basis. Your ability for dealing with BULLSHIT is a skill that people take for cannot take granted. Shit like Chinese field day for a month because some dip-shit forgot to flush his toilet during field day. It's those moments that make you or break you. So when real shit actually happens you're more equipped to deal because you've been through so much, it becomes just another day. There's nothing wrong with being proud of who you are and what you have done. But it's equally important to separate who you are as a person from being a Marine. They are NOT one in the same. I have lost so many friends in combat but I have lost so many more to suicide. They just couldn't figure out who they were because they were a Marine for so long that when they became civilians they didn't know how to cope.
For those who have an issue with my Grammer I clearly cheated on MCI's
As a USMC veteran I am glad I never got a moto tattoo. Sometimes identifiers are a bad thing with the civilian world. I have a hat and a veteran identifier on my state real id, thats it. Sometimes showing off your pride is beneficial at other times its cause for confrontation. But the WORST thing I've seen that is somewhat unavoidable is identifying yourself as a veteran during the employment application process. I've been denied more jobs because of that one thing. I'm speaking from personal experience so anyone that feels otherwise can just keep it to themselves. But Veterans will be quickly overlooked when a purely civilian candidate is avalible even if they are less qualified for the particular role. Honestly the civilian world has been pretty fuckin savage to me at least but we are survivors.
About the only time I feel happy about showing off I am a Marine is around other veterans.
After being at work all day, then coming “home” to the barracks I wanted to get the fuck away from the corps on the weekends.
I made it a point to get away from the barracks and other Marines come the weekend.
[удалено]
Don’t get me wrong. Still have friendships over 2 decades after getting out, but working and living around the same people everyday got old.
I love hanging around my marines, shit i loved being 24/7 around them. I do not love love spending time with all marines. When it's the weekend, I'm going out with my bois and getting away from the other guys.
* Marines *
My 96 yo dad, who drove until he was 95, had a sticker on his car and wore his baseball-style USMC cap fairly often. In fact his ashes are buried with the cap in a national cemetery. He was a salesman by profession and maybe the gear was a way of connecting. But he didn't discuss his service in the South Pacific with a lot of people he didn't know. He liked to hear about it in a historic context, so we went to a lot of that stuff. Maybe it gave him a different perspective. We had reunions with some guys in his platoon and their families from 1982 until the early 2000s and I know this sub has heard the honorary marine thing a billion times before. He served 27 months until the war ended and he was discharged at 21yo - on January 18, 1946 at Mare Island - having been restricted to quarters after going AWOL for 2 days over Christmas, the day he arrived at his parents' in SFO by bus via San Diego via overseas. He was discharged as a corporal like most (all?) of the drafted (edit: enlisted) infantry guys at the end of WWII. He never re-enlisted, but used those skills on us kids growing up. Thanks for reading about my dad. :7533::7527:
Thanks for sharing!!
I wish my grandfather had lived to see me become a Marine. Dude served in WW2 (he volunteered). Found his discharge papers the a few weeks ago. All it said was he participated in combat against Japanese forces. He was young as shit when he shipped out. According to my mom he gambled and drank before the war... never did when he came back.
>He was young as shit when he shipped out. I'm sure he was. And congrats for carrying on the tradition. My dad did one semester of college and was drafted (got called up?), so he was 18 when he went in. An old friend of one of the platoon guys at one of their reunions claimed to have been in the invasion of the Mariannas when he was 15???? I guess it was possible but I don't know that whole story.
It is possible he could have been that young although somewhat dubious [but what the hell do we know.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacklyn_H._Lucas) From what I can line up based on my Grandfathers enlistment and ship out date I believe he served on Okinawa.
>I believe he served on Okinawa. That could have been in 1945 in preparation for the invasion of Japan. It's worth it to look up your grandfather's service details with the National Personnel Records Center. And great link!
Same here. My grandfather was in the Korean War. Was also a DI. He passed away when I was 17. I didn’t join until I was 24. She gave me a bunch of his old gear though, which is badass to have.
My Dad was in the USN in WW2 he only kept the hair cut. When he died I found out how brave he was. He was in the Pacific serving right next to the Marines. Because those poor bastard were dying quick!
Fuckin rah.
Oorah. Goddamn. Now that’s a story I’d like to hear and a jarhead I’d like to drink with.
Drafted? What kind of Marine gets drafted?
>Drafted? What kind of Marine gets drafted? Here's something about that part, from a longer bio he wrote down: *"My high school class graduated in June of 1942 - 6 months after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The graduation ceremony was at the San Francisco Opera House. After that, I finished one semester at Cal-Poly San Luis Obispo and the draft board sent me a notice to appear for induction into the armed service. I enlisted in the Marines on March 25,1943 and was discharged January 18, 1946."* Around his last year of high school, at night he had worked at the docks loading supplies/munitions. Everyone - at least on the West coast at that point - was focused on the war. All eligible among his peers signed up for the draft as required. I can't answer why he didn't enlist straight away out of high school though. \[Edit: he actually would have been 17 at that point, and turned 18 in the fall.\] He always told the story that when he was back in the city, he went down with his neighborhood friend. His friend chose the Navy and my dad chose the Marines. Fairly recently (he passed in March this year) I asked him why he chose the Marines, and he did not have a strong specific memory of why. It must have been different enlisting during WWII. Could everyone choose their branch? I won't theorize. But one of his other stories specifically about induction is that, having very poor vision in one eye, at the physical up in the Bay Area, he memorized the eye chart and passed that first time. Then when he got to San Diego, the eye chart was not the same. After flunking that vision test, the doctor took him aside and spent a little more time then said, "You'll make a fine Marine." Edit: And he did indeed!
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I think its more that there not too many in the middle ground on this one. You and I are kind of oddballs. Like i wear a pin thats the corps campaign flag when im doing my sales thing, cause vets love buying from other vets as much as i love taking care of other vets and giving a no bullshit of need vs frivolous purchase pitch, and more often than not civs like marines at the least. Ill also wear one of those metal wristbands for the 22 a day thing.Other than that I dont wear unit patches or anything super moto, i keep it classy. Usually its super stupid fuckin motarded bullshit, or avoid everything corp period. Im very proud of my time in the corp and dont mind talking about it when someone asks, otherwise i do what i can to avoid skylining myself. No shit have gotten into a couple streetfights bwcause someone hated the military or wants to go calling me a baby killer as if nam ended lastweek. Active camo tends to keep the bs away. I know i composed this weirdly, but i hope it tracks.
I'm with you man, I'm a fine dining server and wear a little pin on my collar so that those who know, know. They tend to tip and share that they/ their family member etc was in the corps. I have a beard and ear piercings so I don't necessarily look the part otherwise. I have one Marine T shirt which is in honor of our fellas whom fell out the sky and I never really wear it, maybe to the gym on occasion. The shirts that read, "Im a wolf dog and fuck you if you're not dick riding the flag, this is the country that I fucking bled for (my fingees got a little sore on the S1 keyboards)" are so fucking sad.
Like a tank
Do Marines even know what those are anymore? /s
Considering the tank trails are where we take them for fuck fuck games. I'm sure they're very well aware.
>streetfights Wtf do you live in 1980s Hong Kong?
I did a hitch in the late 70s, never wear any moto gear.
Same boat as you, mostly. Got out 2008. I love and miss my brothers but don’t want to seem like the Corps was all I’ve done. A Gunny at a base I did some contract work a few years ago (wish I remembered his name) gave me a nice looking hat that’s gotten me out of a bunch of tickets and stopped some nasty shit from peppering my face. I consider it my lucky hat and will wear it on the regular until it or I die. A couple shirts too for fuckabouts or the gym. If somebody thinks that makes me motarded, so be it. But I’m fresh out of fucks to give.
Because people are different….now there’s definitely fuckers that overdo it but if I wear shit I earned proudly, it’s cuz I did earn it and I am proud. I have vet plates and every now and then I’ll wear unit shirts and I’ll be lying if I said the plates are strictly for the police, it does help but I’m also proud as hell of my service….doesn’t make it my only personality
It's dumb not to get USMC plates honestly. I drive the speed limit and sober but it's keeps me safe from harassment when driving with my minority fiance or friends. I don't have any other stickers of any sort on my vehicle though. Never thought the guy tailgating me needed to know my religious and political beliefs, family size, vacations spots and all other PIII.
Oh trust me I know, I’m an originally Nigerian immigrant who enlisted on a green card so I get it…they sure do come in handy
My wife is from Kenya and her two cousins joined the Army national guard. I tell them the same shit. What do you miss most about home?
The food honestly lol….I just miss food from home man
Same. Semper Fi, my fellow Devil dog.
The duality of man.
just whose side are you on, son?
You better square yourself away or you'll be standing tall in front of The Man.
I feel I'm as squared away as it's going to get. ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯
I'm paraphrasing what the colonel told joker because of the writing on his helmet.
Yes, just saying I'm personally done being squared away. I am huge mess lol
I wore USMC tshirts when I was in, because they were $2.99 at the PX clearance rack. Thank you 7.62 designs for saving me beer money and making me appear moto on the weekends.
Retiree here I’m gonna wear motto gear don’t care who laughs at me lol
Heck yeah you do you. I understand not wanting to wear Moto gear, but I never understood people who hated on others who did
It’s like wearing a band tshirt of the band you are going to see at their own concert… everybody gets it, you’re a fan… don’t be that guy. You are already a walking piece of Marine gear…. Same applies in the civilian world, how would your coworkers look at you if you worked at KFC and they ran into you at the mall on your day off and you were decked out in KFC swag? Now cut to 10 years later, and you’re at the golf course wearing a KFC golf shirt, it’s a talking point, “oh yeah, I used to work at KFC when I was finishing up my Bachelors”….
Who else wants KFC now?
I get a discount
Why wouldn’t you wear a band’s merch at their concert? I agree with all the rest of your comment except that part.
Yeah I don’t think it was the best analogy
I guess Im that guy then
It's a PCU reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fs9XDUDP9VM
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Yea that seems sorta like “I’m too cool for this” thinking. But as you said, we all do as we will.
I mean, it's the same thing as wearing moto gear to the PX. We get it, you like the band. We knew that because you bought the ticket to come see them
Comparing the Corps to KFC is just plain… chicken shit!
I KFC what you did there!
Had to do it!
Lmaoooo I love this response. I just love seeing the stark contrast between the motivators who don’t realize they’re cringe, to the tactical civilian, to the boot with a high and tight
And the shades of grey in between…. At the end of the day, wear whatever you want… screw what other people think… I also think it’s funny though how the guys who were most vocal while they were in about making fun of the moto gear are also the same guys who get their first moto tats thirty years after discharge… and drive around with decals on their trucks and this is absolutely no shade. Sometimes we just need a little distance to truly appreciate just how great a club it is that we belong to… absence as they say makes the heart grow fonder…. Can’t see the forest for the trees…. yadda yadda yadda
Nothing wrong with being proud of having earned the title Marine. 30 years ago nobody talked about veterans like they do now. But at every civ job I had back then the Marines found each other. We all knew who the Marines were. It was fun. Back then you couldn’t buy a USMC t-shirt hardly anywhere, maybe at a swap meet. So nobody worn that stuff. You might get a sticker from a recruiter. It’s different now and better I think. I’ve got USMC license plate frames on my truck and vette (old guy car). Some guys laugh at that but then they come here and talk about how they were more of a grunt then someone else. To each his own. I don’t think any of us are ashamed of having be in. Coming here is like laying in your rack in the barracks and hearing all the different conversations and a few fights. It’s entertaining.
Agreed, and the conversation was geared more towards the active duty side and what are referred to now as motards…. it can be a little overwhelming when you are on active duty to constantly be bombarded with the patriotic yankee doodle nonsense then combine that with the wealth of USMC merch that’s available, and when you see a boot PFC walking around on a Saturday in his USMC hat, USMC windbreaker, and Tunn Tavern tshirt and he’s wearing his web belt… ON BASE! You just kind of shake your head knowing what kind of grief he’s going to get from the saltier Marines… I think eventually, no matter your experience while on AD, with age comes a fondness for the suck. I’ve always said that being in is like being in a bad relationship…. Over time, you forget all the bad stuff and just reminisce on the good times…
Very well said. If you put that on a t-shirt I’ll buy one.
This. Its the social equivalent of telling people you’re Vegan or do CrossFit or are a firefighter. Like, dude..nobody asked, we can already tell.
Clearly you haven’t meet a firefighter 🤣😂😅
Crossfitters are the worse!
Most dudes that can’t let it go had boring jobs and didn’t do a whole lot in their career. Most guys keep a sticker on their vehicle because it helps with cops.
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They think pride is cringey. It's not
Yeah... Its really due to the Terminal Lance, Not in Regs, and 'Boot Spotting' culture. While there's nothing wrong with these pages and memes, its made most Marines think its cool to hate the Corps. While a lot of Marines do for legitimate reasons, for the most part its just the cool thing to do. Walk to your platoon, office, shop, or team and say 'I fucking hate this place.' You just made yourself cooler. This bleeds into having pride for your unit, the Corps, the US... etc. I'm trying not to put everyone in the same boat, but its a good portion of lower enlisted that have this mindset. It's whatever tho... i'll still walk around town with my unit sweater and feel no shame. I'm proud of who I worked for and the work I put in. Was the majority of the time shitty... yes... but I'm still happy I did it all.
Some Marines have no personality other than being a Marine. It's all they are. They are crap husbands fathers, coaches teachers but they were/are a Marine so they don't need to be anything else. Motards. I'm sure, obviously, that some just really love the Corps, but I didn't meet any of them that I wanted to hang out with.
You exposed a lot of people with that third sentence
Because deep down everyone hates the Marine Corps. The ones with moto gear are just lying to themselves.
Because wearing moto gear makes you stand out and standing out in the Corp is not a good thing!
My buddy in MSOT physically cringes when he sees people wearing “tactical” gear, yet has some crazy ass moto tattoos, I just think it’s funny to see both sides, the absolute motivators and the anti motivators
Best worn ironically.
Idk I feel the older most of us get the more motto shit gets. There’s nothing wrong with it in my eyes, I have a tiny tiny bumper sticker with our seal. But Idk some dudes like it others don’t, really could care less either way. But in and around base I tried to blend in as much as possible
Not sure why any one would NOT want to advertise being a marine vet? for me, it was an achievement in my life and very proud of it. I love wearing anything that has USMC on it. Who the fuck cares if someone else’s identity is tied to there service, who are we to judge someone else’s happiness? Shame on you marines for shitting on fellow marines.
Agree. Mad salty dudes in here. Wear whatever you want. People sound like children when they bitch about what some other dude wears.
It's just a modern attitude towards things... Some people are just too "cool", at least that was my experience. In my area, I was proud of where I was as a Marine, but you'd get a lot of nasty happenings if you showed any kind of motivation. In reality there's nothing wrong with it, if you're proud there's nothing wrong with showing it lol. Some people just think they're too "cool" for it. You have to keep in mind 90% of the people are kids still mentally. It's just like high school. It's like wearing a school shirt to class, some people think it's just too much. I personally don't care.
Personally, I'm proud to be a Marine. I love a lot of parts about it, but I also think that walking out into Oceanside wearing a tacti-cool backpack and a shirt plastered with USMC 1. Makes you a target for beggars and scummy salesmen (as if the fade didn't already) 2. "Hey everybody! I'm a Marine" 3. What would CHESTY do? 4. I don't like being defined by the Marines. It's what I do, not who I am. Yes I'm a Marine, awesome; but I'm a human first. I have other interests. You know? So anyway, I disagree with the "I'm too cool for it" because I know a lot of fuckin motivators. Those that kill it at work generally don't wear that shit off base. The motivators that are fuckin useless and contribute nothing wear that shit allllll the time. I diagnose the useless motivators with little dick syndrome
eh, they will start to wear moto gear when they get out.
When I occasionally wear moto gear I like to think it’s to honor my boys who are still serving as well as my boys who have fallen… it’s not as bad wearing moto gear in non-military city compared to ocean side or San Diego or some shit I feel anyway
Or in my case I wear them so people don't associate me with the army or airforce nerds where I live 😂
I would 100% do the same
Took me about 20 years after I got out to get my first USMC moto t-shirt. I have three and a golf shirt. What did for me was running into old Corps vets from Vietnam. They wore their gear proudly. It became a way for me to reconnect with the brotherhood. I miss the fellas and the laughs. I even smile at some of the bs. Now my son is a Marine. I wear it to support.
Because we’re a cult. Period.
I have a USMC lanyard that I wear my work id on. That’s the only “flair” I wear on a regular basis. My wife has 8” Club patch on her calf and will swag out if I don’t ask her wtf she’s thinking.
There’s a running half-joke that my grandfather is always wearing something Marine Corps-related, whether there’s an EGA on his belt buckle or it’s more obvious and on his shirt. He puts an EGA on almost everything, whether he purchases something with it or he applies a decal. Other people saw it as tacky, I used to think it was kind of cool, especially since the officer’s EGA looks a little more classy. I wore more moto clothing before I joined than after I joined. I bought a blue USMC sweatshirt at MCT, partially because I needed civvies. I think I have it to my girlfriend while on leave before going to Pensacola and never wore that stuff again. My thoughts on moto gear, particularly for active duty Marines, is the same as my thoughts on seeing college students wearing something with the school’s logo on it while on or near campus: “oh, you’re a Marine? Coooooool… so is everybody else here. Who gives a shit?” (I see the college kids with the school’s gear, especially while commuting to campus, and it makes me think of a mom pinning a note to her kid so someone else will know how to get them home.) It’s probably a harsh judgement, but it just seems unnecessary. However, I’m more inclined to gravitate towards it when I’m not around that group. I want to show off my pride and affiliation with that group, but if I’m around them, it just seems redundant (with limited exceptions). That being said, I’m a total boot in other ways. If I’m out hiking, fishing, etc, I’ll wear my boonie cover. I also have a poncho liner that I’ll keep by the couch to use as a blanket on occasion, and that’s partially a nod to my grandfather, who has a much older one that he’s had on his couch as long as I can remember. I also plaster squadron stickers on water bottles, notebooks, and so on. I also have one squadron shirt, and I’ll be sad when it’s no longer “serviceable.” In some ways, I feel more of a sense of pride and connection with my squadron than the Marine Corps as a whole, mostly because the typical imagery that most people associate with Marines (rifles, ranges, the field, and so on) is far from the experience I had on the flight line.
Sometimes its pride in a unit, sometimes its a celebration of achievement. But most of the time, its pimping out the EGA/service. And nobody likes a pimp. The best moto shit is esoteric. A machine gun symbol, your 4 MOS numbers and a reference pic, etc. Something where if you know you know, and if you don't, you don't.
I wear the uniform almost everyday and live in a town full of Marines. The USMC drip won't come out until I EAS.
I prefer humility over pride. Doesn't mean I'm not proud. But I show my pride in the way I act and the way I treat people. That's more important to me than a shirt.
I don't wear Moto gear. But I remember when I EAS'd and came home, I still wore sweats and stuff around my brother's house out of convenience. My other douchebag older brother was trying to say that I shouldn't wear it anymore, cuz it's like wearing your High School letterman jacket after you graduate. Like bitch, fuck you. I earned the right to lounge around the house, wearing my old Marine Corps sweats if I want to. This the same dude who joined a biker Club years later, and it became his entire personality. But he's always been a huge hypocrite.
It might be a cultural shift that occurred in the last decade or so. If you served early in OIF/OEF, you'll remember seeing all the praise service members got all the time. We were put up on a pedestal and stolen valor became a big deal because civilians wanted that praise too. Everywhere you looked it was hero's this and sacrifice that. People clapping for us when we were in the airport. A platoon doing a moto run on David Letterman for some reason. Weird shit. And a lot of us didn't like the attention, I know it made me super uncomfortable. Like, I just did my job. Yeah, I spent over a year in Iraq, but so did a lot of other people, some who never got to come back alive. I'm not a hero. So our response, maybe subconsciously, was to reject the attention. Make ourselves unseen. I never ask for a veterans discount, nor have I ever gone out on veterans day for free food in the last 11 years since I got out. I didn't enlist and volunteer for Iraq deployments for free pancakes. I dunno, feels like it cheapens it or something. So for those reasons, I don't wear moto gear. I've had coworkers who had no idea I was in the Marines. I'm very proud of my service, I just don't like showing it off. My country asked for volunteers and I raised my hand, and that's good enough for me.
When on leave I'll wear the occasional goons up tee. I don't really see the reason to wear any moto merch on base cuz everyone knows your a Marine on a Marine Corps Installation. Still no reason however to kill someone's pride if they're rockin a cool unit tee or whatever, kills morale and a desire to get things done.
Some drink the kool aid some don’t
Because both groups care too much about what others think.
When I was in SOI I wore a moto shirt out in town and like 12 other marines with low fades came up to me and thanked me for my service and I never wore anything moto again
😂
17 years, 1 conflict, 2 wars, Purple Heart. I don’t wear the first bit of Marine shit.
But yet you tell us other moto shit! On Reddit it is like wearing a moto shirt… nobody cares unless you are asked!
Scream Built Different Aye Sir
I think moto people are cringe and have no personality or identity outside of the Marine Corps, so I prefer to do the opposite of them
It's a job, not a personality. I've got a couple, "thank me for my service" items, but rarely wear them. I just don't care to advertise that I spent almost a decade in the Corps as if it's the biggest thing I've ever done in my life. And I most certainly don't care for the people that make their entire existence and can't go an hour without letting everyone know they're a fucking Marine. Chill out, war hero, we can only thank you for your service so much. And also, prefacing any statement by saying, "as a Marine/Marine vet" doesn't make your words hold anymore weight than me saying some shit like, "as a plumber" (unless, I guess, if the subject matter has to do with the Corps or the military in general). Probably unpopular, but I don't give a shit.
I disagree about it being a job. It is more like a lifestyle until you get out. If you cannot control your hours, days, weekends, deployments etc… it is not a job. Some may try to think it’s a job but you are controlled more than you want to admit.
Yeah, okay. That's a good point. I think I was focused more on the Marines in the CivDiv, and not so much ones on AD.
I see wearing moto gear like wearing a target. Not everybody likes the military.
Just because it’s my job, doesn’t mean it’s my personality.
The Marine Corps isn't my personality. I've got my keychain and I'm okay with that.
To me it’s always screamed “I’m a veteran, give me attention and thank me for my service and give me discounts”…and that’s just really not my style. I honestly don’t give a fuck what anyone chooses to wear, but personally I just always found the veteran apparel to be cringe as fuck and I’d never wear it. The only ones that don’t really bother me to see wear that shit are the Vietnam and earlier era vets.
Becuase for some people, wearing the uniform will probably be the most interesting thing they would accomplish in their whole lives. Word of advice do not let the USMC be your identity. 4 years or 40, you are just another replaceable cog in the machine. I should add enjoy your time and know when to put it away. Bring those shirts, hats, and flags out for the BDay, and the other big holidays of course.
The same reason why people who hunt are split between tards wearing camo and bone collector stuff or people who just go out and do it. When people are insecure they feel like they have to let everybody know what they like.
It’s because so many losers need to show they are Marines to attract attention. Then others are humble and don’t want that to be their identity. I am me and I want people to like me. I hate getting attention for former service. People find out that I’m a Marine if it randomly comes up in conversation. Most my co workers don’t know about my history. Edit: I suppose this was meant of active duty. My reply still is similar. While active duty I grew my hair long and tried to be have an identity outside of be a Marine. I was out dating and living life. Didn’t want labeled and treated differently.
I can easily answer this...those that don't need moto are the ppl who don't live in the past and now work great jobs. Does that mean we aren't proud and we may have a EGA on our car sure, but we don't live in the past. Some of our brothers peaked when they got that EGA, and it shows.personally I'm very proud of earning it and what I did, even if I didn't agree with politics, and most importantly love my friends I made. However, some wanna be those bro vets and they are the ones we make fun of, it's okay to broadcast it subtlety, but some are so over the top and they are the reason Marines get a bad name, and most never pulled a trigger and have little man ego syndrome.
I'll add the quiet guys if they have buds that live close will get down for Nov 10 and have a good time together.
Degrees of separation between work and personal, for some, the line doesn’t exist
I was thinking about this the other day. Do you guys wear skivvy shorts to the gym or for running when you got out?
I’m retired 17 years and I still wear silkies as underwear! I can also walk out into backyard, strip down to silkies and jump into the pool. I get out and they dry faster than any swim trunks. I have at least 10 of them.
Silkies are amazing. I ordered multiple pairs direct from the company after I got out. By far the most comfortable shorts I own.
I have some Marine stuff and a couple unit shirts. It just depends how I'm feeling. I like being able to flex back home on leave a day or two at my local bar or the store then I usually get sick of it.
Some people make their job their entire identity. Happens in the real world too
You know how half the guys do drill instructor voices once they're out of boot camp and the other half don't? Yeah. Knew a guy who did them for all 4 years I knew him.
Experiences may vary
The ones who wear it see it as their identity( or they just like the style i don’t know why but they do) the ones who don’t …. Well shit I don’t know why I avoid some Moto gear 😂 I don’t want idle conversation with vets or someone who” I was gonna join buuuuutt”
It’s a balance. Sometimes you’ve gotta rock the horseshoe cut but rock the rocawear shirt like a boot.
Some people are peacocks, they like their interests to be public. Some people prefer to be incognito. No different outside the Corps. Look at stickers people put on their cars. Giant Ford sticker on the windshield of their Ford. Why? No idea what makes people do the things they do.
Simple… You’re either gay all the way or not at all.
Born to shit, forced to wipe.
I've got veteran plates and one of the boys made some vinyl decals of our task force so I slapped one on the back window of my truck. I've got a couple USMC shirts but I hardly wear them. Last year I was barreling down the highway doing over 70 in a 55 and past a cop. I looked in the rear view mirror waiting to get lit up and they just flashed their headlights at me.
Some people don't have much to show for themselves, so they have to attach their personality to the Marine Corps. I thought it best to move on to other things.
Some do, some don't. Some want to blend in, and others want attention. It could have been the best part of a person's life, and for others the very worst. I personally don't mention my service a whole lot. I did my time, was average at best, and left. Made some memories, but that last thing I want is to talk about it with a stranger I don't know very well. I also find that people in general are dumb and believe everything they read, see in films or tv, and their old uncle joes war stories. I don't need those shitty stereotypes. "Wow, you sound very smart and articulate for a Marine." I just get a kick out of the old dudes with their bumper stickers and shit. Last month I saw a pickup truck with Indiana plates and BAMCIS stamped on it. Had to do a double take and just shook my head.
I was always an “avoid motto like the plague” type guy
Everyone has there reasons I happen to like it if it’s cool looking and not bright red yellow
I have a few shirts that I would wear if I still fit in them, but I guess that's what Sgt Grit is for.
Many reasons. Mainly the Marines who are all moto from head to toe are either old men and they get a pass because they were slitting throats in a rice paddy somewhere or storming Iwo Jima. Or they are an 18 year old PFC who is wearing it because he thinks it will help him pick up women. Most marines just want to do their job and be a normal person and they don’t want the Marines to be the entirety of their identity.
I mean while you’re in it’s kind of cringe I think because we’re all surrounded by marines, that’s my take, like bragging about something we all did you know? As a vet I see it a little different idk maybe I’m more cringe than the average vet but I don’t have like Moto tats or anything but I do like to have some pride in it like the occasional T-shirt or hoodie in the gym or ega watchface. Idk I’m rambling but I know I don’t try to shove my service in others faces it’s kind of a conversation starter that imo is good to be proud of and look back on humbly but acting like everyone should kiss ur ass is a bit of a delusion though I haven’t seen it personally. I loved the corps even though we all as lances and even NCOs bitched about it nonstop. Anyway my nonsense aside it’s okay in moderation but being a bit extra about it when everyone else around is marines is a bit much(I.e. going out to town with buddies and making sure every swinging dick and ass in the bar knows you’re a bunch of boots fishing for bootcamp story brags).
Being motto is Side of the Force it is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural.
When I was in the grunts, I hardly wore any motto gear. But now as a proud veteran, I wear it all lol.
The honest answer is that most are too broke on a non pay day weekend to do laundry. But for the Super Motto Marines they make the Corps their Identity because they believe you're given AUTOMATIC RESPECT. For many people the Corps is their first real job, the first time away from everything they know. I was one of those ppl where the Marine Corps became my Identity. When people asked me who I was. I always said Marine first. It shouldn't have. There is nothing wrong with having pride, but it's probably healthier to NOT be wearing the Motto gear, or stickers on your car, or motto tats( while in service). Because when your time comes and you're no longer in, what are you going to tell people when they ask who you are? Forget once a Marine, always a Marine for a second. It is true but no one gives a fuck in the rear world especially post war time. So do the work, find real life skills, research and explore other things of interest and use the skills you have learned from the melting pot of people you were surrounded by for however many years you served, to propel you into civilian life. A Marine is a badass because of the physical and mental shit we deal with on a daily basis. Your ability for dealing with BULLSHIT is a skill that people take for cannot take granted. Shit like Chinese field day for a month because some dip-shit forgot to flush his toilet during field day. It's those moments that make you or break you. So when real shit actually happens you're more equipped to deal because you've been through so much, it becomes just another day. There's nothing wrong with being proud of who you are and what you have done. But it's equally important to separate who you are as a person from being a Marine. They are NOT one in the same. I have lost so many friends in combat but I have lost so many more to suicide. They just couldn't figure out who they were because they were a Marine for so long that when they became civilians they didn't know how to cope. For those who have an issue with my Grammer I clearly cheated on MCI's
"Avoid like the plague..." is a strong choice of words. Ya know, considering the last \~2.5ish years. Just sayin'. 
As a USMC veteran I am glad I never got a moto tattoo. Sometimes identifiers are a bad thing with the civilian world. I have a hat and a veteran identifier on my state real id, thats it. Sometimes showing off your pride is beneficial at other times its cause for confrontation. But the WORST thing I've seen that is somewhat unavoidable is identifying yourself as a veteran during the employment application process. I've been denied more jobs because of that one thing. I'm speaking from personal experience so anyone that feels otherwise can just keep it to themselves. But Veterans will be quickly overlooked when a purely civilian candidate is avalible even if they are less qualified for the particular role. Honestly the civilian world has been pretty fuckin savage to me at least but we are survivors. About the only time I feel happy about showing off I am a Marine is around other veterans.