- (Rooster crows) - (Alarm beeping)
- (Footsteps) - (Dogs barking in distance)
(Door closes)
(Microwave beeping, whirring)
(Door opens, closes)
(Water running)
- (Microwave beeps) - (Footsteps continue)
(Microwave door opens)
- (Plate scraping) - (Microwave door closes)
7:30 in the morning, and today is the day
that I have been kind of dreading since April,
put, um, my flance Sam enlisted into the marine corps,
and he leaves for boot camp today.
Um
You, too, honey. You take care
thank you.
- Grandpa. - Take care, big guy.
(Good morning.
Sam: Aw, you.
J
Gene hackman (voice-over): These young men and women
are going on a long journey.
I love you so much.
- Mm. - We all love you.
I'll miss youl.
Hackman: One that goes around the globe
and back to the foundations of our nation
(crying)
Boy: Bye, daddy.
Man: Bye, honey! Love you!
Man: Go, go, go, go, go, go!
J
Vlove, move, move!
(Explosions popping)
J
ID all we've ever nheedeq j
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hands up!
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pvwhoo j
get those knees up! Keep them up!
Hackman: People say that the marine corps
ss different from all other military organizations
anywhere in the world.
I'm gene hackman, and I was a marine.
Once you're in the corps,
you're in the corps all your days on earth.
Why is that”?
The answer starts when the marine corps was founded,
nnn1/7/5
(horse trotting)
The continental Navy needed sharpshooters
to give their frigates an edge over the superior english Navy.
- (Explosions, gunfire) - (Men shouting)
Marines picked oft dozens of the enemy seamen,
in our nation's first battles at sea
without these first marines,
our nation might not have been born.
Today, the men and women of the United States marine corps
are reaqy to go anywhere on a moment's notice,
to fight if need be,
Ana to help where help is needed.
Mian: All right, marines! (Shouting orders)
Hackman: Marines are fiercely loyal to each other,
always moving, thinking and feeling as one.
That's what our motto, "semper fidelis,"
"always faithful,” really means.
J
(Men shouting in unison)
But committing to the corps is not for the faint of heart
- (bus engine slows) - (Brakes squeal softly)
At parris island or in San Diego,
Instructor: Get off my bus!
Now! Now, how, now!
I said get off my bus!
Move 1t! Move it!
Eyes on footprints! Eves on footprints!
Hackman: Some come from families with long traditions
- of serving their country. - Recruits: Aye, sir!
Hackman: Others come from tough places,
where it's hard to find work
(instructor shouting orders)
But they all arrive looking for direction to their lives.
10 better themselves.
It all starts when you step onto the footprints
where generations of marines have stood
woman (voice-over): Some of us are right out of high school.
Some have never been away from home.
Just coming here takes courage.
Barber: You got to put your feet on the floor.
- Recruit: Aye, sir! - (Clippers buzzing)
Barber: You got moles to report, too,
let me know where they at.
Barber 2: I et's go, sir.
Feet on there. Get your feet on, get it on there.
Recruit 2: Yes, sir.
Move faster!
(Indistinct shouting)
Now, boy!
Hackman: Then the recruits begin their training,
py meeting the person who will scare
the living civilian out of them,
their aril instructor
recruits: Yes, sir!
- Now stand right here! - All right, sir.
- "Aye, aye, sir!” - Aye, aye, sir.
Help her!
- Run! Run! Run! Run! Run! - Yes, sir.
(Indistinct shouting)
Aye, sir!
Man (voice-over): And he's tough,
put I can tell you, he's instilling
not only physical toughness but mental toughness.
(Indistinct shouting)
Hackman: Believe me, it ain't no walk in the park.
(Grunting)
Instructor: Go! Go!
(Grunting, panting)
(Indistinct shouting)
Woman (voice-over): You learn never to leave
- any team member behind... - You got him! Pull!
Under any circumstance.
Push! Come on!
(Shouts)
Hackman: At boot camp, we determine
what young men Ana women are made of,
whether they can adapt and overcome.
Instructor: Don't look down. Don't look down
hackman: If they have what it takes
to earn the title marine
we learned lessons from past wars,
ike world war I,
where at belleau wood, in France,
our army and marine corps
- faced new weapons: - (Rapid gunfire, men shouting)
Machine guns,
aerial bombardment and chemical warfare
chemical weapons are still a threat,
so we train for them today.
(Filtered breathing)
(Indistinct shouting)
(Coughing)
Recruits are told to unseal their mask
so they can learn how to clear out the gas.
(Gasping) I can't breathe!
Hackman: It's nasty.
(Retching)
I can't
(grunting)
(Indistinct shouting)
(Coughing)
Hackman: Over the 12 weeks of boot camp training,
our goal is to become an integral component of our team.
We start out pretty raggea.
(Chuckles): Oh, yeah.
(Indistinct shouting)
J
Woman (voice-over): But just a few weeks later,
we've ironed out most of the wrinkles
recruits: Yes, sir!
J
Hackman: To be true to our heritage,
all marines train for combat
every marine is a rifleman.
(Distorted gunshot)
All marines learn to shoot with precision
at long distance.
(Distorted gunshot)
Woman (voice-over): Yes. Ma'am.
(Indistinct talking)
Yes, ma am!
- (Indistinct talking) - Yes., ma'am.
(Indistinct talking) Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am.
Hackman: If boot camp is a series of character tests,
you could say they saved the best for last.
Recruits: Yes, sir.
Hackman: Few things are as memorable
in a marine's boot camp experience
as the rite of passage called the crucible
it's 94 hours,
48 miles of marching, 45 pounds of gear,
anda 29 intense team-building exercises,
all with only six hours of sleep
- and two meal rations to go on. - Instructor: I told you to go!
Get through the obstacle!
Man (voice-over): On day one of the crucible,
I kept telling myself, "I've got to finish this."
Instructor: What are you doing, soldier?!
Man: And during those grueling 54 hours,
I learned one thing above all:
We can ao this... together.
- (Indistinct shouting) - (Grunting)
Jj
And when we do
it'll be the hardest thing that we have ever done in our lives.
Instructor: I et's go! Help each other!
Work as a team!
Hackman: We learn to lead and to count on each other
(recruit groans)
The crucible emphasizes our motto:
Semper fidelis, always faithful.
We can't make it alone.
We need each other
dn all we need j
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instructor: Push push
(groaning)
J and for that we have each other j
pang j
j we will rise, we will rise j
pwewilllrise j
woman (voice-over): We all started this journey together,
and we are all going to finish it together.
Mp we'll rise j
j lll riseupd
j rise like the day... j
hackman: Then we're done
j in spite of the ache j
plwill nse j
present arms!
J and welll rise up j
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js we'll rise up j
j in spite of the ache j
js we'll rise up j
j and we'll do it a thousand times again... j
hackman: You've earned the marine corps
eagle, globe, and anchor,
and a handshake of congratulations.
Instructor: Job well done
hackman: At that very moment,
you become a marine.
(Soft crying)
It's a moment you'll never forget.
Man (voice-over): When you go on that final motivational run
with your battalion, you realize
youre part of something bigger.
(Crowd cheering)
J and lll rise up j
- d' I'll rise like the qay j - (Excited shouting)
J I'll rise up... j
woman: Oh, I'm so proud of you!
J lll riseupd
j Ana I'll ao it a thousand times again j
(laughter)
J for you, ooh, ooh, ooh j
j for you j
j ooh, ooh, ooh j
you jd
j you, ooh, oon, oon j
tp ooh I
j ooh, ooh j
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js ah, an. J
hackman: At the same time at Quantico.
The fitness of officer candidates
to lead Ana inspire marines is tested in every way.
- (Marching footsteps) - (Soldiers chanting)
(Chanting continues)
Hackman: So if you think officers have it easy,
think again.
(Yelling, grunting)
The quigley exercises.
(Chuckles): Oh
its name alone makes officers squirm.
It's snakes in the summer, ice in the winter
man (voice-over): Putting us through that culvert
with a d.L. Yelling at us in a confined, muddy trench,
I don't think that that's anything that any of us
will ever forget.
Hackman: The officers are ready.
Now it's time to really go to work.
(Indistinct military radio chatter)
All across the world, marine corps operational units
prepare for deployment to anyplace on earth.
(Radio chatter continues)
At camp Pendleton, marines train to go in fast,
by air, from the sea,
and across the land
vlarines are a triple threat.
In one of the greatest battles of world war il,
viarines stormea the beachhead at lwo jima island
while the first marines landed,
the enemy hid in caves and tunnels,
waiting for the right moment to strike back
then
all hell broke loose
(bombs whooshing)
(Explosions, gunfire)
- Many became heroes that day. - (Indistinct radio chatter)
At the top of mount suribachi,
marines raised the stars and stripes,
poosting morale for all of our troops
and creating the immortal image known around the world
Since lwo jima and other island campaigns in the pacific
- in worla war 11, - (Indistinct radio chatter)
We've developed better ways to get ashore.
A landing craft air cushion, lcac.,
can carry vehicles and marines even up over land.
(Indistinct radio chatter)
Man (voice-over): We need fast, long-range planes
that can collect people Ana equipment without an airfield.
That's the osprey, the v-22.
Hackman: The marines are always devising new ways
to get troops where they need to be,
and get them out safely.
(Soldiers grunting)
I'he training exercises across marine corps bases and stations
encompass every type of a marine,
including the four-legged kind.
(Dog panting)
Loyalty is the hallmark of the marine corps.
And who's more loyal than man's best friend?
Man (voice-over): When a handler and a dog
- pecome a team... - Up, up. Up, up. Up, up.
They must first establish a fundamental level of respect
amongst each other.
1he way you do that
ss by simply spending time with each other
and letting the dog be a dog around you,
then slowly incorporating commands as you go along.
(Speaking German commands)
(00d
man (voice-over): The reason training is happening every day
is because the bona is constantly being developed.
And that bond is what saves your life
when you're downrange.
Forward. Hop up.
Forward. Easy.
Aw, yeah. I hat's a gooa girl.
Man (voice-over): What's so beautiful about the bond
petween a handler and their dog
ss that you can communicate without saying a word.
Hackman: Today, military working dogs
are trained at camp Pendleton to detect bombs
and prevent terrorist attacks. Search
(barks)
Search
hackman: Villages have been built to simulate
- other parts of the world. - That's a good boy.
Hackman: They look and sound authentic.
They even smell ike the real thing.
Man (voice-over): This dog lies down and wags its tail
when it finds explosives.
Dogs have a better record of finding explosives
over anything else, even fancy electronic equipment.
Soldier: Good boy.
Man (voice-over): We love our dogs.
We'd risk our lives for them:
And vice versa
hackman: In vietham,
more dogs were deployed nn combat than ever before
(barking)
Over the course of this long war,
it was nice to see some familiar faces from home.
- Folks like Bob hope. - (Laughter)
Bob hope: And I want to tell you, folks,
these marines are really tough. -(Cheering)
And their motto is "semper fidelis."
That means, "oh, don't worry about it, doc,
- just nail it back on.” - (Laughter, cheering)
Man (voice-over): It was a difficult war,
but getting a letter from home meant everything to us.
(Indistinct chatter, laughter)
It's these moments that remind us
what we are protecting.
Hackman: The mountain warfare training center in bridgeport
was founded in 1951 to train marines for Korea
months after North Korea invaded the south,
a Chinese communist army swept in,
encircling the 1st marine division
at chosin reservorr, just as a brutal winter set in.
Our troops were surrounded and badly outnumbered.
Despite frostbite, hunger and exhaustion,
the marines carried their wounded with them.
As they fought their way 00 miles to the sea
(wind whistling)
To prepare for harsh cold-weather conditions,
like those faced in Korea,
marines train high in California's Sierra Nevada
(yells)
Hackman: It's cold
(chuckles): Oh, yeah.
All right.
(Speaking indistinctly)
0851
(speaking indistinctly)
Man (voice-over): T's not just about being able
to jump into a frozen lake, t's being the sort of person
that can deal with anything without fear
that's the sort of person that you can send anywhere.
(Wind whistling)
Here, we think about a winter in Korea.
Having to deal with that kind of cold,
I think, is something I won't forget.
Hackman: In the mountain terrain at bridgeport,
we also learn to climb and rappel.
J
Man (voice-over): Having to create
your own one-rope Bridges and-and jump in freezing water,
it's just some of the best training,
most dangerous training we did.
Hackman: But it comes with consequences.
Man: If you have a fracture there...
Hackman: The training is realistic and tough.
- (Groans) - Man: Yeah, it's painful.
Hackman: You won't forget it.
J
Man (voice-over): We train to get into places quickly.
We need to be able to get ready in a few hours
at a moment's notice.
We don't choose where they send us.
J
(50!
Man: It's literally a leap into the unknown.
It's a different sort of courage,
dangling there in the dark,
not knowing what dangers are ahead.
But what we do know is that we are part of something bigger,
more important than just us.
Hackman: The corps trains marine air crews
to go in first, fast and undetected.
The best pilots are put through
an intensive seven-week training course.
When marine infantry units call in an air strike,
precision is vital.
J lonely shadows... j
the latest laser technology
nas made this teamwork more accurate than ever
j lonely voices talking to me j
j now I'm gone, now I'm gone j
j now I'm gone j
j and my mother told me j
- j son, let it be j - (Rapid gunfire)
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j' sold my soul to a sweet melody j
j now I'm gone, now I'm gone... j
(rockets whooshing)
J lord, gimme that fire j
j lord, gimme that fire j
j burn, burn, burn... j
man (voice-over): When they're on the ground
and they see our gunships in the air protecting them,
they're telling us thank you every day.
J' sold my soul to a sweet melody... j
hackman: When it's time to move,
the ch-53 does the heavy lifting.
J lord, gimme that fire j
j lord, gimme that fire j
j burn, burn, burn... j
midair refueling is the modern equivalent of jousting,
except a lot more's at stake
if you don't hit the bull's-eye.
Pilot (over radio): 0-1-1. Iron horse 2-1.
We've got a good flow.
Pilot 2: Copy. Good flow on starboard hose.
Hackman: Helicopter crashes can be deadly,
especially when water's involved
so some marines now train
to escape from a submerged helicopter, upside down.
J
J vwwhen the night j
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dp and the land is dark j
d and the moon j
j is the only light we'll see j
js no, I wont j
I be afraid I
j no, I won't be afraid j
j just as long j
j as you stand j
j stand by me. J
man (voice-over): When you do the dunker,
(laughs) It was the scariest thing I did
in all of my training.
Hackman: We do it three times.
The third time, t's blindfolded
We also train to proviae humanitarian aid
to other countries around the world
we're America's international 9-1-1 responders.
(Labored breathing)
When there's a disaster, we're ready.
(Wind whistling)
Man (voice-over): As the philippine government
ask us for-for support,
I've got airplanes that can look for people
in-1n areas that are stranded.
- I'hat's what I do. - (Indistinct chatter)
Hackman: Marines rushed to help in Japan
when a devastating earthquake and Tsunami struck
and in haltl, after the earthquake.
And in Nepal, where six vlarines lost their lives
when their helicopter crashed in bad weather
viarines are reaay anytime.
Several times a year, we gather to coordinate
the capabilities we've trained for
in a combined arms exercise in twentynine palms,
and at other bases nearby.
It's a dance.
And the combat operation center
ls where the dance is choreographed.
Charlie 1-1, this is actual
mission is a go. I say again, mission is a go.
(Indistinct military radio chatter)
Hackman: Their mission is to land a battalion of marines
in a small desert village
with integrated air and logistics support.
Now the dance begins.
J
Man (over P.A.): Ship is in flight quarters.
All hands not involvea in flight operations,
stand clear of the flight deck.
(Jet engines whirring)
Hackman: One of the most critical components
of this dance ss the fire support,
which prepares the objective
before we put boots on the ground.
I'hey have a language all their own.
(Indistinct shouting)
Fire!
(Indistinct military radio chatter)
There should be three positions.
Hackman: The marines always say that no plan
survives first contact
woman (voice-over): Instructors will throw
a wrench in our plans,
so we'll know how to geal with the unexpected.
Soldier: Thunder 4-1, immediate cast.
Stand by for game plan and eyeline.
Pilot (over radio): Thunder 4-1. Ready. Copy.
Hackman: Mortars protect the approaching assault.
Soldier: Fire!
J
Hackman: This training has been essential in irag
and Afghanistan.
Since the beginning of the global war on terror,
the face of combat has changed.
Man (voice-over): We no longer have
- an enemy that wears uniforms. - Fire!
We don't have an enemy that, uh, has a state capital.
We don't even have an enemy that has a state
get over here! Come on! Come on!
Hackman: In one block, they may need to assault a building.
(Rapid gunfire)
And on the block right next to it,
nand out bottled water and packaged meals.
It's not just about using force,
but also making and keeping the peace.
At the end of a combined arms exercise,
you work on ways to do it better
98 a team the next time.
Man (voice-over): The difficult you'll do immediately,
and the impossible just takes a little bit longer.
And the marine corps taught me that:
Nothing was impossible.
Man (voice-over): We are ready when others are not
I'hat's why we're committed to each other
and to our core values of honor, courage and commitment,
selfless service and sacrifice.
Woman (voice-over): My favorite thing
is being a leader and being a mentor.
Man (voice-over): Theyre the best people I've ever met,
and it's been an absolute honor
to be able to serve with them, and it's something I'll Cherish
for the rest of my life.
Man (voice-over): And when we've done our job...
We go home.
That's when we realize who we do it all for
J
J oh, yeah j
j come on, vall j
j I'm just the world's greatest j
j yean, I'm just the world's greatest, y'all j
j I'm just the world's greatest j
(crowd cheering)
J I'm just the world's greatest j
ml am a mountain &
js I am a tall tree, on j
ml am a swift wind I
j sweeping the country j
ml am arver j
j down in the valley, oh j
ml am a vision j
j and I can see clearly j
j if anybody ask you who I am j
j just stand up tall, look 'em in the face and say j
j I'm that star up in the sky j
j I'm that mountain peak up high j
j hey, I made it j
j mm, I'm the world's greatest... j
man (voice-over): We don't aim to be heroes
woman: Dad! (Laughs)
Out in the eyes of our loved ones,
we feel pretty special.
J if anybody ask you whol am j
j just stand up tall, look 'em in the face and say j
(crowd cheering)
J I'm that star up in the sky j
j I'm that mountain peak up high j
j hey, I made it j > said I made it j
j I'm the world's greatest j
j I'm that little bit of hope j
j vwwhen my back's against the ropes j
j I can feel it j > feelit
j I'm the world's greatest j
j I'm that star up in the sky j
j I'm that mountain peak up high j
& yeah, I made it j ll madeit
j I'm the world's greatest j
j I'm that little bit of hope j
j vwwhen my back's against the ropes j
pl can feel it I
j I'm the world's greatest... j
hackman: Most marines start out as scared kids
but the corps treats them well and builds their self-respect.
Js yean, I made it j
j I'm the world's greatest... j
and that's why they'll be loyal marines
till their last day on earth.
Pl can feel it I
j now I can just walk through j
j I'm the world's greatest j
- j' it's the greatest j - J' it's the greatest j
- & can you feel it? J - &' can you feel it? J
- j' say it, the greatest, yeah j - J it's the greatest j
- &' can you feel it, yeah? J - & can you feel it? J
- j' and I saw the light j - J it's the greatest j
- 4 at the end of the tunnel j - > Can you feel it? J
- j' believe in the pot of gold j - J it's the greatest j
- j at the end of the rainbow j - & can you feel it? J
j'and the faith was right there j
- j' 10 pull me through j - > Can you feel it? J
- 4' used to be locked doors j - J it's the greatest j
j now I can just walk on through j
j can you feel it? J
(excited chatter, cheering)
(Laughing)
Woman (voice-over): Boot camp was hard being apart,
but seeing his dreams come frue made it all worth it
j can you feel it? J