Semper Fidelis in a Garden of Stone

Thank you Semo_MCDad from MarineParents.com for allowing us to use this wonderful example of the meaning of Semper Fidelis you have written. Last Sunday as my son prepared to return to his MOS school from liberty an old WWII Marine friend of mine asked us to follow him to the final resting place of a young Marine who lost his life in Iraq. This young man had two great loves. The Marines and Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Both are remembered on his stone. I want to tell you about it. It is a beautiful black granite stone. On the front is the young Marines dress blues picture engraved into the stone with startling detail. To the left of the picture is the EGA, the symbol of the Marines, with USMC engraved beneath it. To the right is a full rendition of this young Marines H-D Heritage Softail, with Harley etched into the stone beneath it. Along the face of the stones foundation 'Do not grieve for me, for now I am free, I am following the path God laid for me'. On the back of the stone 'From the Halls of Montezuma to the Shores of Tripoli'. On the left and right are beautiful renditions of the fortress the Marines stormed at Montezuma and the beaches of Lebanon are engraved with painstaking detail. Freshly placed American flags fluttered in a chill wind as we three stood there, each lost in his own thoughts and paying quiet tribute to this young mans memory. My young Marine walked around the stone several times, thinking what I do not know, but it was obvious the impact it was having on him. He quietly walked to the left of the grave and squared himself away, then marched up to the center front, did a left face, and saluted the final resting place of a fallen brother. He held the salute for a long moment then stepped away with tears in his eyes, and came and stood quietly next to me. We all had tears in our eyes as we walked away from this young Marines final resting place with a promise to return, to always keep a new, untattered flag flying over him, and to remember who he was and what he stood for. For this fallen hero and others like him, Semper Fidelis is more than simply words in latin. It was a way of life and an unquestioned commitment to the Marine Corps, each other, and the nation they fought and died for. Let us who survive also be 'Always Faithful' to their memories and their families. As my Marine son and I embraced as he went to the car, we held each other a little tighter, a little longer, and our already strong bond was tempered a little more. I cannot express my love for my son in words, he knows he is one of the great lights in my life, and how proud I am of him. To the young Marine who rests beneath the stone, sleep well brother, we'll be back to see you often. God Bless You. Semper Fi.

Click the links below to navigate this site.

| Main | Once a Marine ... |

Designed and Maintained by a VPMM (very proud Marine mom). © 2005 T. Becker
Dedicated to my son, Eric and all of his Marine brothers. Semper Fidelis!
Part of Fireflii's Inner(Net) Universe.