Original subtitles

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: 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

Boy: Bye, daddy.

Man: Bye, honey! Love you!

Man: Go, go, go, go, go, go!

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Vlove, move, move!

J

ID all we've ever nheedeq j

j is a montage j

hands up!

Pwhoo j

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

the continental Navy needed sharpshooters

to give their frigates an edge over the superior english Navy.

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!

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.

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But committing to the corps is not for the faint of heart

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

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: 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!

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!

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.

Aye, sir!

Man: And he's tough,

put I can tell you, he's instilling

not only physical toughness but mental toughness.

Hackman: Believe me, it ain't no walk in the park.

Instructor: Go! Go!

Woman: You learn never to leave

- any team member behind... - You got him! Pull!

Under any circumstance.

Push! Come on!

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:

Machine guns,

aerial bombardment and chemical warfare

chemical weapons are still a threat,

so we train for them today.

Recruits are told to unseal their mask

so they can learn how to clear out the gas.

I can't breathe!

Hackman: It's nasty.

I can't

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.

Oh, yeah.

J

Woman: 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.

All marines learn to shoot with precision

at long distance.

Woman: Yes. Ma'am.

Yes, ma am!

Yes., ma'am.

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: 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.

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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

the crucible emphasizes our motto:

Semper fidelis, always faithful.

We can't make it alone.

We need each other

dn all we need j

j all we need is hope... j

instructor: Push push

j and for that we have each other j

pang j

j we will rise, we will rise j

pwewilllrise j

woman: 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

I rise like the waves j

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.

It's a moment you'll never forget.

Man: When you go on that final motivational run

with your battalion, you realize

youre part of something bigger.

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d' I'll rise like the qay j

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

j for you, ooh, ooh, ooh j

j for you j

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hackman: At the same time at Quantico.

The fitness of officer candidates

to lead Ana inspire marines is tested in every way.

Hackman: So if you think officers have it easy,

think again.

The quigley exercises.

Oh

Its name alone makes officers squirm.

It's snakes in the summer, ice in the winter

man: 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.

All across the world, marine corps operational units

prepare for deployment to anyplace on earth.

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

Many became heroes that day.

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,

we've developed better ways to get ashore.

A landing craft air cushion, lcac.,

can carry vehicles and marines even up over land.

Man: 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.

I'he training exercises across marine corps bases and stations

encompass every type of a marine,

including the four-legged kind.

Loyalty is the hallmark of the marine corps.

And who's more loyal than man's best friend?

Man: 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.

(00d

man: 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: 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

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: 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: 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

over the course of this long war,

it was nice to see some familiar faces from home.

Folks like Bob hope.

Bob hope: And I want to tell you, folks,

these marines are really tough. -

and their motto is "semper fidelis."

That means, "oh, don't worry about it, doc,

just nail it back on.”

Man: It was a difficult war,

but getting a letter from home meant everything to us.

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

To prepare for harsh cold-weather conditions,

like those faced in Korea,

marines train high in California's Sierra Nevada

Hackman: It's cold

oh, yeah.

All right.

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man: 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.

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: 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.

Man: Yeah, it's painful.

Hackman: You won't forget it.

J

Man: 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

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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

j sold my soul to the calling j

j' sold my soul to a sweet melody j

j now I'm gone, now I'm gone... j

j lord, gimme that fire j

j lord, gimme that fire j

j lord, gimme that fire j

j burn, burn, burn... j

man: 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 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: 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.

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j just as long j

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man: When you do the dunker,

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.

When there's a disaster, we're ready.

Man: 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.

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.

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.

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Man: Ship is in flight quarters.

All hands not involvea in flight operations,

stand clear of the flight deck.

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.

Fire!

There should be three positions.

Hackman: The marines always say that no plan

survives first contact

woman: 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: Thunder 4-1. Ready. Copy.

Hackman: Mortars protect the approaching assault.

Soldier: Fire!

J

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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: 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.

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: 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: 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: My favorite thing

is being a leader and being a mentor.

Man: 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: 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

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: We don't aim to be heroes

woman: Dad!

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

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

Woman: Boot camp was hard being apart,

but seeing his dreams come frue made it all worth it

j can you feel it? J