SHOW
SHOW TO
SHOW TO CONTINUE IN EARLY TWENTY TWENTY TWO A MAJOR MILESTONE FOR THE MARINES TODAY
AND A FIRST WOMEN EVER TO
GRADUATE FROM SAN DIEGO. FEMALE
MARINES COMPLETED THE FIRST
COED BOOT CAMP EVER OFFERED ON
THE WEST COAST. FIFTY THREE OUT
OF SIXTY WOMEN MADE IT TO THE
VERY END AND WERE HONORED AT
THE GRADUATION CEREMONY
NEWS HEATHER HOPE BRINGS US
THEIR REMARKABLE JOURNEY. SUCH
AN EXCITING MOMENT FOR ALL THE
MARINES WHO GRADUATED TODAY.
THE FANFARE IS IN THE AIR BUT
MOST EXCITING FOR THE 53 FEMALE
MARINES WHO MADE HISTORY FOR
THE WESTERN UNITED STATES
OF THE MARINE CORPS TO BE THE
FIRST EVER TO DO SO AND IT ALL
TOOK PLACE HERE AT MARINE CORPS
RECRUIT DEPOT SAN DIEGO
MARCHING INTO THIS MARINE
MILESTONE 53 WOMEN IN 344 MEN
GOT TO THEIR MARINE GRADUATION
DAY LOW ON A SOLEMN DAY GIVING
THESE NEW MARINES MIXED
EMOTIONS. I DID IT LIKE I MADE
.I'M FEELING OVERJOYED QUITE A
BIT ONCE YOU FINALLY GET HERE
YOU YOU'RE JUST IN ALL 18 YEAR
OLD HAWAII BORN AT SHOTARO
PREPARED HERSELF FOR THIS DAY.
I'M GOING TO MAKE IT THROUGH
TOUGH. WE CAUGHT UP WITH HER
FRESH OFF THE BUS TO BOOT CAMP
IN FEBRUARY AT SAN DIEGO
LEARNING QUICK IN AN INTENSE
THIRTEEN WEEK TRAINING FIVE
MALE PLATOONS AND THE FIRST
EVER FEMALE PLATOON OF THE
WESTERN UNITED STATES. TOGETHER
THIS INAUGURAL CADET CREW
PUSHED THEMSELVES TO THE LIMIT
THE LAST DAY CRUCIBLE THEY
COMPLETED A 45 MILE HIKE
CARRYING 55 POUND BAGS WITH
RIFLES AND 54 CONSECUTIVE HOURS
DEFEATING THE ODDS A LOT
OF PEOPLE SAY THAT WE COULDN'T
TRAIN FEMALES HERE AT MARINE
CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT SAN DIEGO
SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE OF THE
SKILLS AT CAMP PENDLETON. THE
STEEP HILLS WERE A BIG
CHALLENGE. IT WAS VERY HARD
REALLY MADE ME FEEL THE BURN IN
MY LEGS. THE HIKE BROKE BOTH
OF RAMY ALDRIDGE'S FEMUR'S
STANDING AT JUST FOUR FEET 11
FEET PAIN OF COURSE. YES,
DETERMINED TO THE END ALL 390
SEVEN RECRUITS OF THE LIMA
COMPANY FINISHED STRONG AND IF
YOU SAW MOMENT YOU WILL BE
FOREVER TRANSFORMED. EACH WENT
FROM CIVILIAN TO MARINE
RECEIVING THE COVETED EAGLE
GLOBE AND ANCHOR SYMBOL THAT
BROUGHT SOME TO TEARS COMING
FULL CIRCLE TO THEIR VERY OWN
GRADUATION DAY. MARCHING IN
TODAY'S PARADE ARE THREE
HUNDRED AND NINETY SEVEN OF THE
GRADUATE MARINES FROM COMPANY
ELF STANDING PROUD AS THEIR
FAMILY SAT IN THE STANDS. EVEN
THIS MARINE MASCOT, AN ENGLISH
BULLDOG FROM FALLBROOK WAS ON
HAND FOR THE BIG MOMENT TO
PROUDLY INTRODUCE TO YOU THAT
THREE HUNDRED AND NINETY SEVEN
YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN WHO THREW
THEIR BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS
ARE NOW AND FOREVER WILL BE
PROUD TO CLAIM TITLE NINE
PREVIOUSLY FEMALE RECRUITS HAD
ONLY BECOME MARINES IN PARRIS
ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA UNTIL
NOW. YOU KNOW NOT MANY PEOPLE
GET TO EXPERIENCE THIS NOW MANY
PEOPLE ACHIEVE THE TITLE
OF UNITED STATES MARINE. SO
BEING HERE TODAY I'M EXTREMELY
PROUD AND SO WAS THE CROWD.
CONGRATULATIONS ON MAKING
HISTORY AND WELCOME TO OUR
CORPS THEN WITH NO CELL PHONES
AND NO FAMILY CONTACT PLATOON
THIRTY TO FORTY ONE WAS FINALLY
DISMISSED. RAMY ALDATE'S LEGS
WERE STILL IN PAIN MARCHING BUT
SHE MADE IT FEELS INSANE TO BE
HERE STANDING ON THIS PARADE
DECK FINALLY WALKING OFF TO
KNOW THAT WE BECAME UNITED
STATES MARINES TODAY ON DECK
SHOWING WOMEN ALL OVER THIS CAN
BE DONE IT'S JUST POSSIBLE FOR
FEMALES TO BECOME MARINES HERE
TOO AND MARGARET FRAZIER FEELS
HONORED TO BECOME A MARINE IN
HER HOMETOWN OF SAN DIEGO. THIS
ALL SEEMS KIND OF UNREAL
BECAUSE I REMEMBER THE FIRST
WEEK BEING HERE AND I'M LIKE
MAN, 13 WEEKS IS A LONG WAY TO
GO AND THE TRAINING DOESN'T END
HERE NEXT THIS ENTIRE COMPANY
WILL BE SHIPPED OUT TO CAMP
PENDLETON TO