When the Marines ask us to help them out, we jump off our respective couches and report for duty. And by "we", I mean "brave young and women ready to make a litany of sacrifices for their country and fellow Americans," not "pasty, out-of-breath bloggers who can't run a mile." So, not me.
One brave soul from that former group is Major General Paul E. Lefebvre, Commander, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command. Lefebvre actually coached at Penn State following his graduation from Springfield College in 1975, but before enlisting in the Marine Corps in 1977.
Debbie B. Lefebvre, wife of Brig. Gen. Lefebvre and also a graduate of Springfield College, described what she remembers as his first call to service in the Marine Corps. Years before he joined, when he played football for Springfield College, the college was scheduled to play a game against the Marine Corps football team.
"The bus pulled up and these guys got off the bus," Debbie described. "He said he just knew there was something different about them. He was fascinated with them, and he asked 'who are these guys?' Someone said 'those are Marines. That's the Marine Corps football team.'"
Debbie said he went on to coach football at Penn State where each day he walked passed the Marine Corps recruiting office on his way to the stadium. She was not surprised when he came home and said he had made a now-or-never decision. "It was a good fit."
What is he doing today, you ask? Oh, he's just the Commanding General of the Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC). Nothing COMPLETELY BADASS or anything like that.
We salute General Lefebvre and all of our current and former Marines who have served our country (and supported Penn State). Oh, sure, the other branches of the military too, but they didn't sponsor a post this week.