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Author: Cpl. Beddoe
The China Marines: The Post That Time Forgot
Before the first Higgins boat hit Tarawas reef, before Semper Fi echoed through Khe Sanh or Helmand,…
Inside the Sacred Walls of Trader Jon’s
There are bars, and then there’s Trader Jon’s, where the floor was sticky, the air was thick…
Semper Fidelis – Our Motto
In the world of the United States Marine Corps, words do not just carry meaning, they carry…
Green Side Out, Brown Side Out
In the United States Marine Corps, every phrase carries weight. Some are barked as commands, others whispered…
Keto: The Unlikely Marine of 1776
Jonathan Martin, also known as Keto, holds the quiet distinction of being the first documented Black Marine…
Roll Call: Sgt. John Beeman, 1964-1970
John Beeman MCRD San Diego | Sergeant | 6400 | 1964 – 1970 Then Now The Journey…
Roll Call: Cpl. Wally Beddoe, 1981-1985
Wally Beddoe MCRD San Diego, Cpl, 3073, 1981, 1985 Then Now The Journey Begins I joined mostly…
Discipline’s Dark Night, 1956
On the humid night of April 8, 1956, Staff Sergeant Matthew McKeon led his platoon of fresh-faced…
The Few, The First: A Night at Tun Tavern, 1775
Setting: Tun Tavern, Philadelphia, December 1775. It’s the coldest winter in recent memory, but inside, the heat…
“Rush Act”, The Last Extraction
Que Son Mountains, South Vietnam, November 1970 The jungle doesn’t whisper, it swallows. Rain clawed at the…
Smoke’em If You Got’em – A Boot Camp Story
The plywood walls of the target shed pressed in around me like a coffin as Staff Sergeant…
The Quiet Valor of Colonel William R. Higgins, USMC
Colonel William Richard Higgins was born on January 15, 1945, in Danville, Kentucky, and raised in Louisville,…
Every day in Vietnam seemed like a Monday
Every day in Vietnam seemed like a Monday, because the weekend good times were over, and you…
Resurrecting the Few: The Navy Act of 1794
When the muskets fell silent in 1783, and the Treaty of Paris declared American independence a reality,…
Guadalcanal: The Marines’ Crucible in the Pacific
The Battle of Guadalcanal (August 7, 1942 – February 9, 1943) was the first major Allied offensive…
Sunrise at 12,388 Feet: A Marine’s Journey up Mount Fuji
The sun broke over the horizon in a brilliant display of orange and gold, painting the clouds…
YT-14: The Last Helicopter Lost in Vietnam
At dawn on April 29, 1975, the CH-46D Sea Knight, known as YT-14, stood ready on the…
How to Register and Submit a Guest Post on TheSuckLife.com
Whether you’re a Marine or Corpsman with a story to tell, a patriot with something on your…
THESUCKLIFE Takes the Mic on Gunny G’s Podcast
I recently had the opportunity to join Gunny G on his Pit-Talk Podcast, where we discussed a…
Bea Arthur, Hunter College, and the First Women Marines
When we think of Marines, we often picture the sun, bleached sand of Parris Island or the…
Zulu Company: Marines on the Perimeter
During the turbulent years of the Vietnam War, the U.S. Marines were not only called to engage…
Protocols and Sacrifice: The CH-46 Tragedy of 1999
On a seemingly routine training day in December 1999, a Marine Corps training exercise turned into a…
The USMC UH-34D’s Last Flight Operations in Vietnam
From the late 1950s until the CH-46 entered service in 1965, the UH-34 operated as the mainstay…
Poll: Why did you join the Corps?
The results are in, the poll has closed, but the voices behind each vote still echo with…
Need Your Help: CH-46 Crash in A Shau Valley 03-MAR-1967
Marines, Corpsmen, & Others, I’m assisting Jack Kull, HISTORIAN/Contractor for SNA International, working MACVSOG losses for the…
Rediscovering My 1982 FNG Jackets
When I was in Iwakuni in 1982, I had a couple “FNG” jackets made up. Found them…
Goodbye Hair, Hello Corps: A Buzz Cut Memoir
There are few experiences that mark a transformation like the moment every boot-ass recruit steps off the…
The Story of Emmylou Harris’ Father, A Marine’s Marine
Some men live their lives as if they were forged from something stronger than the rest of…
Inside the Psychological Transformation of Marine Recruits
Marine Corps boot camp is one of the most grueling and transformative experiences a recruit can go…
The Crayon Joke: Just Another Battle We Win
You’ve heard it. I’ve heard it. Every Marine has heard it. “Marines eat crayons.” It’s the go-to…
You Are Stronger Than the Darkness
You’ve been through hell before. Maybe in a combat zone, maybe in your own head. Maybe both….
The One-Eyed Ugly Angel, A True Marine Corps Legend
Post Image: Christmas 1967, Khe Sanh, Celebrated Ugly Angels style! By Elaine Zimmer Davis, www.BringingJerryHome.com An upside…
Dream Sequence: Where Antiques Find Their Forever Homes
As a father, nothing brings me more joy than watching my children pursue their passions. Today, I…
Marine Corps Movies
The United States Marine Corps has been immortalized in film for decades, with stories of heroism, sacrifice,…
50 Unwritten Rules Every Marine Lives By
50 Unwritten Rules Every Marine Lives By: The Complete Guide to Surviving The Suck Look, we all…
Roasting the Navy Is Tradition, but Corpsmen Are Untouchable
The relationship between Marines and their Navy Corpsmen, affectionately known as “Doc,” is one of the most…
Semper Fidelis
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