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The Christy Collection

Military Stories and Articles

Service Reflections of Cpl Donte Moore, U.S. Marine Corps (2002-2006)

Service Reflections of Cpl Donte Moore, U.S. Marine Corps (2002-2006)

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While in high school, I was a member of the Naval Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (1998-2002). This interest was ignited by observing my uncle, mentor, and Vietnam Veteran, Percy. I always considered him a hard-working and disciplined person. We both also served as Law Enforcement Officers. During my Junior year in high school (2000), I met with a Marine Corps Recruiter, Staff Sergeant Johnson, and from that moment, I was struck! I had to be a Marine! Then, the events of September 11th, 2001, transpired, and that further tugged on me. I enlisted that year in the Delayed Entry Program. I left for Recruit Training in September 2002.

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Service Reflections of GySgt Peter Bimonte, U.S. Marine Corps (1984-2004)

Service Reflections of GySgt Peter Bimonte, U.S. Marine Corps (1984-2004)

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I wish I could say I dreamt of being a Marine since I was a young child, however, that wasn’t the case. In fact, I was well into my senior year at John F. Kennedy Catholic high school before joining the armed services ever entered my mind.
My best friend, Kevin Hendricks, was visiting the local USMC recruiter quite often just to hang out and he asked if I wanted to tag along. It wasn’t long thereafter that I knew the Marine Corps was my ticket out without having to spend 4 more years behind a desk at some faraway college. So it is without a doubt that my recruiter, Sgt Mark Cross was the single most important person who influenced my decision to join the Corps. I’ve heard some real “horror stories” about recruiters but this guy was top-notch and NEVER lied or painted a rosy picture of how things would be in boot camp. For that, I am forever thankful!
In full disclosure, the girls he introduced me to and the beer he bought me didn’t hurt either – Semper Fi, Sgt Cross!

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Service Reflections of Maj Robert Hayden, U.S. Air Force (1964-1985)

Service Reflections of Maj Robert Hayden, U.S. Air Force (1964-1985)

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Two different reasons or experiences. While I was a small lad, we lived about 90 miles from Wichita, where my grandmother and great-grandmother lived. Immediately after WWII, when I was about four years old, we would drive up to visit them and would drive by the line after line of B-29’s, huge and shiny, that the Boeing company had built but not delivered to the military for the war. I still remember thinking how neat it would be to get to fly one of those airplanes.

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