The video 101 reasons to love your Marine Corps with the reminder that the Marines fly the president when he takes a helicopter, and is called upon to protect embassies, reminded me of yet more duties entrusted to our Marines, in addition to fighting the enemy in our stead. Then I found even more reasons to love the Marines – 232 reasons!

As with 101 reasons, this listing of 232 reasons, has a mix of tongue-in-cheek reasons, and serious reasons. For today, I am going to list some of my favorites.

50. Cpl. Gareth Hawkins, lying on a stretcher after an IED shattered his leg, demanded re-enlistment before medical evacuation. And got it.

58. From “Aliens” to “Doom,” the future vision of warfare almost always includes Space Marines.

60. Marines predicted the WWII campaigns in the Pacific years earlier and prepared for the inevitable. So when a Marine says, “Hey, I’ve been thinking …” perhaps you should take notes.

61. Give a Marine some free time, and he’ll rip down your dictator’s statue.

73. Bill Barnes. In June, the former Marine beat the crap out of a 27-year-old pickpocket who tried to make off with his dough. Oh yeah, he’s 72.

79. Mustangs #2. You know at least three Marines who drive them. It’s like a Ford dealership exploded on base.

80. Fred Smith, founder of FedEx. Only a former Marine could truly appreciate the value of getting your mail on time.

93. John Lovell. A 71-year-old former Marine is sitting in a Subway restaurant when two armed men try to rob the place. Lovell grabs his .45, kills one and wounds the other. No word on how Lovell’s sandwich fared.

110. Maj. Gen. Marion E. Carl, the Corps’ first fighter ace. First Marine to fly a helicopter. Two Navy Crosses, five Distinguished Flying Crosses, 14 air medals. In 1998, the 82-year-old was killed during a home break-in when he jumped in front of a shotgun blast aimed at his longtime wife, Edna.

150. John Philip Sousa. A Marine, the nation’s March King and composer of “The Stars and Stripes Forever.” Ooh-rah.

154. The slogans: “The Few, The Proud, The Marines.” “We’re Looking For a Few Good Men,” “Once a Marine, always a Marine,” “Tell that to the Marines.” If they could only purchase the rights to Hallmark’s “When You Care Enough to Send the Very Best.”

155. Speaking of slogans, “The Few, The Proud, The Marines” beat out such notables as Nike’s “Just Do It” and Burger King’s “Have It Your Way” for a 2007 spot on the advertising Walk of Fame. Better luck next year, losers.

162. Former Sgt. Chris Everhart. While camping with his three sons in June 2007, a bear snatched their cooler and made a play for his 6-year-old. Everhart threw an 18-inch log at the bear’s head, cracking its skull before it could attack and killing it instantly. Then, the park ranger gave him a ticket for leaving the cooler where the bear could get it.

The above was a first taste….more of the ones that I also really like to follow.

I did not forget the history update of our Marines. The following section takes us up to 1965, including the Korean War, in which more Marines died – 25,000 this time around.

While Marine units took part in the post-war occupation of Japan and North China, studies were undertaken at Quantico, Virginia, which concentrated on attaining a "vertical envelopment" capability for the Corps through the use of helicopters. Landing at Inchon, Korea in September 1950, Marines proved that the doctrine of amphibious assault was still viable and necessary. After the recapture of Seoul, the Marines advanced to the Chosin Reservoir only to see the Chinese Communists enter the war. After years of offensives, counter-offensives, seemingly endless trench warfare, and occupation duty, the last Marine ground troops were withdrawn in March 1955. More than 25,000 Marines were killed or wounded during the Korean War.

In July 1958, a brigade-size force landed in Lebanon to restore order. During the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962, a large amphibious force was marshaled but not landed. In April 1965, a brigade of Marines landed in the Dominican Republic to protect Americans and evacuate those who wished to leave.

We cannot bring back the thousands who died, but we can donate to Project Valour-IT, to provide voice-activated laptops to those in recent conflicts,  who gave limbs in our place.  Heck, even Applebees is once again giving what I am terming “meals of appreciation” to our troops. I dubbed these meals as I did because these men and women already paid a price, so the meals are not really “free” in the traditional sense.

So, who are you going to call when you need a fighting force, well prepared, well-toned, fearless, ready to topple dictators – or their statues? Yep – your first answer is correct. You call in our Marines!  By the way, don’t be fooled into thinking that I am forever sharing “my” Marines. This “our” thing is for the duration of Project Valour-IT, then I am back to being selfish with – “my” Marines! OK, I am relenting and will forever share. I release the “few, the proud, my the Marines,” to protect all of us, the “many, the vulnerable!”  God bless all of our protectors of all branches of service.