Once A Marine

ONCE A MARINE, ALWAYS A MARINE: A Memoir of Service and Survival
At sixteen, he struggled to survive above a friend’s garage on his own. By seventeen, he joined the Marine Corps in San Diego, seeking discipline and purpose absent from his youth. Boot camp in 1976 was brutal, marked by abuse and loss, but he endured and became a Marine.

His service included surviving violent encounters and harsh conditions, from a gang attack in Phoenix to Arctic Circle war games that almost killed him. Though faced with setbacks like demotion, his resilience earned respect and restoration of rank.

Stationed at Camp Lejeune (1978), he unknowingly drank contaminated water daily—an exposure linked to illness and death among Marines, concealed by the Corps. The memoir details a forty-year battle with disease caused by toxic water, and the struggle for recognition.

His gratitude lies not with the institution that harmed him, but with the identity, camaraderie, brotherhood and purpose that is a Marine.

Once a Marine, always a Marine—even when consequences follow.

About the Memoir
A stark account of survival, brotherhood, and the lasting impact of toxic exposure on Marines.

Content Warning
Contains descriptions of abuse, violence, medical trauma, and progressive illness.

“Someone needs to bear witness to what happened. Someone needs to tell the story for those who can no longer tell their own. The tremors make typing difficult. The cognitive decline makes sustained concentration nearly impossible. But I write anyway, while I still can, because this story matters.” —R.D. Parrish