Marine Corps veteran took his job seriously

“I’m a veteran. I was in the Marine Corps. And there were two things the Marine Corps forgot to teach me. Number one, rollerskating. Number two, ballet. But what did they teach me? They taught me to take my job seriously. They taught me to kill. You think I’m going to let someone come here and hurt you, while I’m wearing a uniform representing this country? No way.

“I remember when I was just 19 years old, and my commanding officer had a mustache. If your commanding officer had one, then you were allowed to have one, too. Well, at 19, my mustache wasn’t as dark as my hair. So how did I accommodate that? Shoe polish and a comb.”

— Ray Allen Benoit