Semper Fidelis—"Always Faithful"—is the motto of the U.S. Marine Corps, and they are words to live by if you are one of the few and the proud. Growing up surrounded by these icons can create memories that last a lifetime.
I remember perfectly, even though it was many years ago, the call from my gram. She said the hospital had just called to tell her my pop's condition had worsened.
My grandfather—an honest, kind man, who had been a hero to his nation and family—was dying. Throughout the day, my father, mother, brother, and uncle were at his bedside. My grandfather passed in and out of consciousness and we often wondered if he could hear us.
When visiting hours were over, no one wanted to leave. One of the hardest things I ever had to do was let go of his hand. My father was the last to leave. As he stood up, he whispered, one Marine to another, Semper Fi. I began to cry, but what happened next was remarkable. After an entire day of being motionless, my grandfather's hand began to move. It stretched and flexed into a thumb's up, but he did not open his eyes or speak. It was a sign—that he had known we were with him that day, known who we were, what we were saying, and most important, that he was not alone.
My grandfather died the next day, but in a strange way there was a little joy in my heart from those two words that prompted my grandfather's final gesture. There is a plaque in our house that reads, "Once a Marine, Always a Marine." It is amazing the special bond that Marines share. Today, as a naval officer myself, I appreciate more than ever that bond with my grandfather and father.