Hold and Die

Today is the 233rd birthday of the United States Marine Corps. One Marine who isn't here to witness it is the American hero, Col John Ripley, who passed away last month. Here's a video of a small portion of his amazing story. (Hat tip to Gannon)

(Feed readers click through).

His orders were to hold and die.

Not hold OR die. Hold AND die. Implicit in the orders are not one, but two promises.

1. His men would accomplish their mission against overwhelming odds.
2. They would die while performing it.

So what happens?

As Col Ripley put it:

"When you know you're not going to make it, a wonderful thing happens. You stop being cluttered with the idea that you're going to save your butt."

The uncluttered mind is unencumbered by the desire for self-preservation. It can free you up to focus on the transcendental ideals of love for the things you should have been devoted to all along.

Most of us are very blessed to not have to face the same circumstances as Col Ripley, but perhaps we can all learn something from his noble example.

Stop worrying about the terrible things that may happen -- to your job, to the economy, to your life -- and just focus on serving your fellow man. You may find out what Col Ripley found, that they were safer as a result of it, anyway.

Semper fi, Colonel. And happy birthday. - Cam Beck

Comments

[Gannon BeckGa]

Well said. Happy Birthday.

[CK]

Thank you for this; beautifully said--really appreciate your sharing this. I promise to never forget this lesson.

[Connie Reece]

Cam, thanks for sharing this. Very inspiring.

[Lloyd Lemons]

Thank you for reminding the rest of us how fortunate we are. Happy Birthday USMC.

[Alan Wolk (The Toad Stool)]

Really nice. Very inspiring.

[Jody Gnant]

Thank you for this!

You inspired me, and I can imagine countless others!

:D