10 Ways to Spot a Former Marine in a Crowd (Civilians Walk Right Past Them)

There is one thing every former Marine does in a crowd, and it happens in the first three seconds after a certain song starts. Former Marines are all around you — pushing a cart at the grocery store, sitting in the bleachers, standing in line at the bank — and none of them wear a sign. This old Gunny spent thirteen years in the Corps, two of them on the drill field teaching recruits how to stand, walk and talk, so I know exactly what to look for. In this video I count down ten signs that give a former Marine away, from the high and tight haircut and the gig line to the knife hand he still uses for directions and the cap that comes off the second he steps indoors. You will meet the man picking up cups in the bleachers, the one standing at parade rest in the hardware store line, and the one whose plate is clean before you have buttered a roll. Number one is the three seconds at the national anthem, and once you see it, you will never walk past one of us again. If you served, tell me in the comments which one gave you away — one line is enough, unit and year if you want. And if there is a former Marine in your life, send him this before November tenth.