Our Final Visit To The Marine Corps War Memorial

The Marine Corps War Memorial depicts the flag raising atop Mount Suribachi on the island of Iwo Jima, one of the later Pacific campaigns against Japan during World War II. The statue was based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph by Joe Rosenthal. The memorial is dedicated to all Marines who have given their lives in service to our country since the founding of the U.S. Marine Corps in 1775. Around the base of the memorial are inscribed the campaigns in which U.S. Marines have been engaged throughout our country's history.

As printed on the shirt I wore for the Marine Corps Marathon, each of my male ancestors have been U.S. Marines since my family immigrated to the U.S. from Cornwall, England in the late 19th century. My great-grandfather Herbert was a member of the first Nail generation born in Pennsylvania.

Herbert Nail enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1918 towards the end of The Great War (later World War I). He was a member of one of the last units to ship over to France before the armistice. He earned the rank of Private-First-Class before being discharged during the military drawdown following the "war to end all wars".

My grandfather Bruce Nail likewise enlisted as a Marine in 1943 during World War II. He served in the Okinawa campaign and later in China after the Japanese surrender. He earned the rank of Sergeant before being discharged at the end of the war.

My father James Nail enlisted as a Marine in 1967 after dropping out of college. He was lucky enough to serve in Hawaii for two years before shipping out to Chu Lai, Vietnam near the end of his enlistment. He earned the rank of Sergeant before his discharge.

As for me, the farthest I ever travelled from home was 29 Palms, California. I too dropped out of college in my second year and enlisted in the Marine Corps. I trained to be a truck mechanic (although in the Marines we keep a wrench in one hand and a rifle in the other). My service followed Desert Storm and concluded before 9/11 so I fortunately did not deploy overseas.

It is humbling to be able to point to markings on the memorial and to be able to connect with a relative through time to when they may have felt just as you do. That shared moment of "what did I get myself into"; a feeling of fear of the unknown, and mastering that fear by carrying on anyway. You come to realize that your worst day pales in comparison to having to charge out of that landing craft or step off of that helicopter into an immediately uncertain future.

So for me, it was meaningful to run this race for all that it represented. I did not know it at the time, but I started training for this race 869 days ago with a 30 minute walk. Reversing 15 years of physical neglect does not happen overnight. Training for and running a marathon takes as much mental toughness as it does physical stamina. There were many times during my training, and even a few during this race when I questioned my ability to finish what I had started. This history is part of what made it possible for me to succeed.

Thank you all for taking the time to read this and for supporting this personal endeavor of mine.