Written by William E. Mahoney and filmed in 1980, this ETV Classic, Once A Marine, will stir something deep inside you, even if you are not a Marine. The memoir opens with three successful businessmen who talk in turn about what they perceived as the lifelong benefits of having once been a marine, each some twenty years before.
Produced and directed by Marc Manges, the camera paints warm tones over the train station in Yemassee, South Carolina, the starting point for this production, which is equal parts documentary and ode. The sound of the train betokens the change, separation, and challenges to come as the recruits leave the environment of the recruiting station and move into the notoriously demanding basic training. Learn more about the Marines in the Side Notes below.
In Once A Marine, ETV content mingles with historical documentary footage and takes us to Guadalcanal, Bataan, Okinawa, Belleau Wood, Korea, and Vietnam. Writer William E. Mahoney dedicated this production "to those who are Marines, who were Marines, and most of all those who gave their all and are now forever Marines", and we are pleased to share this treasure from the ETV Tape Vault with you.
Side Notes
- Key Differences and Similarities between the Navy and the Marine Corps: The Navy focuses on naval operations, protecting the U.S. at sea and maintaining freedom of the seas. The Marine Corps specializes in amphibious warfare and provides a rapid response force, often being the first on the ground in combat operations. Both branches have rigorous training programs, but the Marine Corps' boot camp is longer (12-13 weeks) compared to the Navy's (usually 8 weeks)
- Marines – Recruit Training. An Intensity of Purpose Required. Learn about the phases of training, the Crucible, and more.
- United States Marine Corps Parris Island - Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, South Carolina, Eastern Recruiting Station.
- The term "Teufel hunden" (meaning "devil dogs") was used by German soldiers to describe the United States Marines during the Battle of Belleau Wood in 1918.
