The Few, The Proud, The (Knitting) Marines

I have just seen one of the most awsome sights a knitter could lay her eyes upon. A Marine knitting in a war zone. But knowing how macho male Marines can sometimes be, I never thought I'd see one knitting. How cool is this!

I spend 8 years and 3 months in the Marine Corps, 3 and a half of those as a knitter. I remember knitting on lunch hours, when the phone wasn't ringing, early in the morning on "phone watch," and late at night on "duty." But I never knit in the field, on a helicopter, or in a war zone. I knit in office chairs, not camp chairs, and my sticks and string came from a long sought-after LYS, not a long-awaited hard-earned much-needed morale-boosting care package from a home half-way around the world. I knit fine gauge beanies for preemie heads, not hard wearing beanies to help keep my buddies warm. I've never knit a tea cozy, much less a rifle cozy. I knit with my cell phone and coffee nearby, not my rifle and helmet.

The Marines are close to my heart, being one and being married to an AMAZING one. But I have respect for every member of the armed forces and their families. The Lt and I pray for the service men and women, and our leaders, every day. Regardless of how you feel about what business the DoD is conducting day-to-day around the world, please never forget that it's knitters and husbands and daughters and friends out there. They're out there not for any political inspiration, but because they want to go to school, they want to see the world, they joined with a friend, they want to send money home, they love wearing the uniform, they love leading Marines, they love saluting the flag, but most of all because they love America.

Here's to him and them. Thanks, and Semper Fi.