Sometimes, I repeat myself. Sometimes, I consider it important. When asked why I joined the Marines, I frequently say, because when I share a foxhole, I want that other guy to be the best trained man possible. That means he needs to be a marine. Army, Navy, Air Force won’t do. I want that man to know how to use a rifle. It just might help my chances of survival.

To take it a few steps further, it won’t help me if he is Black, Purple, Red or Blue. My only concern is, is he able and willing to fire his weapon when the enemy starts trying to overrun our position.

All the rules of equality, as far as I am concerned mean nothing to me when that other man’s skill with an M16 just might keep me alive.

When talking foxholes, it’s easy to remember the importance of excellence. However, it does become easy to overlook excellence when building houses, cars, or planes. I mean, when you are at 35 thousand feet, just how important is that mechanics abilities with that plane you’re comfortably traveling at 400 mph. Does equality really matter so much when your plane starts falling apart?

Excllence suddenly gets important when that pilot needs to land that plane in a storm at 150 mph. Most anyone can land that thing in good weather when everything on the plane is working right.