Most of us who have served in the U.S. Marine Corps are very proud of our service in one of the highest regarded military units. The Eagle Globe and Anchor is not given away. You must earn it the hard way.

When another Marine greets me with 'Semper Fi" he is acknowledging our bond. It is like saying 'hi brother'.

When a non-Marine greets me in the same way I regard it as a thanks and acknowledgment of my service and what I did to earn it. It is like saying 'thank you'.

There are those however who seem to think that all military is bad, wrong, or to be looked down upon. I simply ignore them. They are not worth my time. I do not have to explain to them and in most cases would be wasting my time trying.

If you were to greet me on the street with a heartfelt "Semper Fi" I would stop, shake your hand, and probably offer to buy you a cup of coffee.