To a jarhead

Any Marine
Company F, 2nd Battalion, 23rd Marines
Box 555425
Camp Pendleton, Calif., 92055-5425
Dear Leatherneck,
I saw the recent article about F 2/23 in the Salt Lake Tribune, and I was inspired to write to you. Even though I don’t know who this letter is going to, it doesn’t matter, because it’s going to a Marine.
I had the privilege to serve in the Marine Corps Reserve from 1986 to 1992 with HMA-773, which became part of MAG-70 during Desert Shield and Desert Storm. I know what you’re going through right now is very difficult: the separation from your family is hard, and the uncertainty about where you might go or what you might do wears on you. I left behind a good civilian job, a new car, and a very worried fiancée to fly out to Pendleton and start gearing up for deployment.
I remember it vividly, and so I sympathize with the mix of emotions you’re probably feeling right now. Excitement at getting to do what Marines do, love and brotherhood as you work side by side with your fellow Marines, anxiety about what the future holds, loneliness as you miss your family and friends back home, and frustration at having to do everything the way the Big Green Machine wants it done.
I can tell you this with authority, though: you are a Marine, and when the time comes, you will know what to do. Whether you’re LDS or not (I was baptized in 1997), I believe that God watches over the men and women who preserve the freedom of this country, just as he did for Moroni when he carried the title of liberty. Ask an LDS buddy to tell you the story if you don’t already know it; it’s in the Book of Mormon in Alma 46. Trust in His protection; work hard to prepare yourself, and never forget the generations of Marines who have gone before you and those who will follow. May God watch over and bless you and your fellow Marines as you do what is right for our nation.
Good luck, and Godspeed.
Semper Fi,
Paul Robichaux
SSgt USMCR