Molly Marine

PFC Crystal Davionne Conner

O Co, Plt 4019

4 June 2014

 

The late night quietness of crossing state lines combined with the dead silence inside of a life changing white bus was the starting point of the adventure to the dream in becoming a United States Marine. With the bus screeching to a halt, a number of girls planted their feet at a forty-five degree angle on the yellow footprints. The fast paced motions caused the rushing of sounds in the newly received recruits’ heads to suddenly become louder than our receiving drill instructors. Little to our knowledge, the yellow footprints would signify the change we would undergo mentally, physically, and spiritually.

Over the course of recruit training, the transition of our mentality has gradually changed. Recruits came in scared, highly emotional, and easily startled. In order to progress as a platoon, we had to safeguard our actions and ourselves. A Molly Marine must give other recruits tactful feedback to help improve and push them outside their self-determined limits. She must spread the important lesson of building one another up because helping your fellow recruits is the solution in becoming a team and excelling in every aspect of recruit training.

Esprit de Corps- Every single Marine has a ten pound heart. We’ve built our discipline into a high level of willpower to strive to our one common goal. In order to ensure that the recruit to the left and right of you is standing tall and strong, a Molly Marine must fuel their body, mind, and spirit with motivation.

As a platoon, our bond is something beyond grand. Individually, we’ve each transformed into becoming a sisterhood. A Molly Marine places the welfare of her sisters above her own needs. Our journey began here at Parris Island and since then, each and every single one of us has grown to be a part of a living legacy. Altogether, from pounding hearts to pounding boots, we’ve accomplished the first battle to our dream in becoming United States Marines.

 

The city of New Orleans dedicated the first United States monument of a woman in service uniform: “Molly Marine” on 10Nov, 1943. A local recruiter commissioned the statue to help recruit women during World War II. For female Marines around the world, Molly has come to represent the countless significant contributions women have made to the Corps. She proudly stands for endurance, the book she holds records our history, the binoculars allow her to see into the future and she looks up steadfast facing all that comes her way. Molly has become a symbol of Esprit de Corps for all women Marines. Before graduation from boot camp, the recruits are asked to name one fellow recruit within their platoon who best exemplifies being a Marine. Here, we celebrate our newest Marines.