Posted on 09/03/2007 6:32:01 AM PDT by kellynla
BEHIND their no-non sense personas and pa rade-ground posture, the Marines have the wickedest sense of humor of any of our services. It's a hoot to be around them. That take-no-prisoners humor was on display in the Fallujah area of operations. As I walked into a headquarters shack, a poster on the front door made me do a cartoon double-take. To appreciate the beauty of it, you just have to understand one military term, "OPSEC," or operations security - the protection of any tidbit of information that might be of value to an enemy.
On the poster, a frightened kitten bounds across a field of wildflowers straight toward the viewer, as if about to leap into your arms for protection. Fanged gingerbread monsters are in hot pursuit. The main caption:
"Every time you break OPSEC, God kills a kitten."
At the bottom, flanked by twin photos of beseeching kittens, the poster begged: "Please, think of the kittens."
I laughed out loud, then laughed again at the audacity of it. My own service, the Army, would've worried about offending religious organizations. The Navy would've failed to see what kittens have to do with aircraft carriers.
And the Air Force would've objected that its chief of staff had never been personally involved in the execution of kittens, that the scandal was all the contractor's fault.
God bless 'em, the Corps realized that if it made young Marines laugh - memorably - they'd be more apt to remember the message.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
"We're here to protect a country, not a quarterback."
ping
The Corps realized that Jarheads can't read. < g >
Actually, they do have a team. They are really a part of the Department of Navy and they obtain a substantial amount of their officers from the Naval Academy, some of whom have played for the Academy Football team.
That’s “Mr. Jarheads” to you, swabbie...
and for a Corps that “can’t read”, we’ve fought the USN’s battles and win them for 231 years.
Don’t bother thanking us, Americans including Presidents, generals from all services and even sailors with more class than you already have.
Dismissed!
“They are really a part of the Department of Navy?”
Yep, the Men’s department of the Navy. LOL
Most of the buddies were fellow sailors, but once in a while he had a Marine friend staying with us. This led to some friendly, but animated, discussions with my Dad, a WW II Navy vet.
I remember in particular one discussion, as to whether the Marine Corps is a part of the Navy, or the Navy is a part of the Marines. Finally, smiling, the young Marine proposed a compromise: "OK, I will admit: the Marines are a department of the Navy. We're the Men's Department." :-)
BUMP
(got these from my sailor brother) :-)
God bless our men and women in service.
Have a great Labor Day!
LOL!
One of the perky morning infobabes, I forget which network, interviewed a Marine sniper recently. He had recently returned from his 3rd tour of Iraq. She asked him what he felt when he had to shoot somebody. The crusty Marine thought about it for a second and replied "Recoil". I nearly soiled myself while I was rolling round on the floor laughing. The infobabe sat there for several seconds in stunned silence.....
Q How do you identify the Marines on an Aircraft Carrier?
A They are the ones throwing bread to the helicopters.
Mariiiine!
Thanks for sharing that...made my morning!
We were in the break room discussing the merits of the 1903 and 1903-A3 Springfield rifles when our local jerk X-Marine came through. When he heard whhat we were talking about he said in his high, arrogant voice..”An 03-A3? Never heard of it!”
I said in my loud arrogant voice, “You were a Marine and you don’t know what an 03-A3 is? What were you in, Logistics?”
He sulled up and walked out.
Of course, the vast majority of Marine humor is hardly publishable, and though it tends to fall by the wayside when stateside, each new generation rediscovers it in all its hideous glory with the return of conflict.
Though I imagine the Marines of today are far more prudish and effete than the ones in the old, old Corps of WWII, which is no slight to their lethal efficiency, mind you, just more an aside about their recreations.
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