Photo By Lance Cpl. Terry Stennett | U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Gracia Hartley conducts daily operations, Marine Corps...... read more read more
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Throughout history, numerous people from all over the world have accepted the challenge and earned the title of United States Marine. As Marines, there are many things that set us apart from all other warfighting organizations in the world. Aside from our rich history, time-honored traditions, and relentless pursuit of excellence, the Marine Corps also boasts a unique and diverse culture – a culture that was created and continues to be maintained by the numerous different members that occupy its ranks.
Retired Sgt. Maj. Juan Williams, the regional chief instructor for the Enlisted Seminar Program at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, was raised in Brooklyn, New York. Graduating from high school, Williams planned to join the Army.
“I told my sister I wanted to join the Army, and she got me all set up,” remembered Williams. “I got on a train and went downtown to meet with the recruiter.”
When Williams arrived at the recruiting office, the Army recruiter left and told him to wait outside.
“I sat out there in the cold,” said Williams. “I didn’t have any money, and I had no way to get back home, and the distance was too far to walk.”
Williams sat on the steps of the recruiting office all day, but the Army recruiter never returned.
“At eight o’clock, when the office was closing up, a Marine recruiter walked outside and saw me sitting there,” said Williams. “He brought me in his office and started talking to me about the Marine Corps.”
Going through the enlistment process, Williams ended up at recruit training on Parris Island, South Carolina and graduated boot camp three months later.
“After boot camp I went to MP [Military Police] school, which was in Alabama,” recalled Williams. “That was the first time I really saw discrimination.” It was reiterated to Williams, by his instructors, that they should travel in pairs because they were “in the deep south”.
From MP school to the end of his days in the Marine Corps, Williams remembered one moment distinctly.
“I was trying to get a house for me and my family, so I walked into the office and everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at me,” said Williams. “I told them that I was First Sgt. Williams and that I had been in contact with one of them, and they said they had no properties for me.” This was contrary to what he was originally told over the phone during his initial inquiry.
Despite the discrimination Williams faced, his 30 years in the Marine Corps showed many changes in the behaviors of Marines.
“The environment has changed one hundred percent,” said Williams. “As a whole, I see more of a unity in Marines.”
Looking back on his service and despite challenges faced, Williams felt being a Marine was the best choice he ever made.
Within the same timeframe that Williams was retiring from the Marine Corps, MCBH’s admin chief, Staff Sgt. Gracia Hartley and her family were facing their own challenges.
Born in the city of Kinshasa, in Congo, Africa, Hartley and her family were affected by the Second Congo War.
“Families that were affected by the war were allowed to seek asylum from the United Nations,” said Hartley. “Our family was able to get approved, and we came to America as refugees.”
Relocating to Texas, Hartley and her family saw many differences in the cultures and lifestyles of the people around them.
“We lived in a predominantly Hispanic part of Texas,” recalled Hartley. “The first time I heard people speak Spanish, I thought it was English and I was very confused.”
The language barrier, already acting like a separation between the community and Hartley, was used as a way to make discriminating comments.
“One day while I was walking home, a bus carrying students passed me,” Hartley remembered. “Out of the window, they were shouting, ‘She’s black, she’s black!”
Despite the discrimination, Hartley persevered and graduated from school and joined the military. It was through her participation in the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps and her JROTC mentor that she decided to join the Marines Corps.
“I personally haven’t really seen discrimination in the Marine Corps,” said Hartley. “I enjoy wearing this uniform. I enjoy knowing that I am a part of the few, the proud.”
As time progresses and the Marine Corps passes from generation to generation, the respect and unity we have grows our bond closer together. Both Hartley and Williams’ experiences add to the Marine Corps’ legacy, as the Marine Corps is committed to building strength through the diverse culture of its members.
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| Date Taken: | 02.17.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 02.25.2022 14:22 |
| Story ID: | 415274 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 95 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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