"Fading Light, Unbroken Duty"
Each sunset marked the end of another day of rigorous training or patrol, yet the Marines' commitment remained steadfast—a tribute to perseverance.
The many sunsets in their cascading and varying shades of blue and orange struck me time and time again when we patrolled. Here we were on the other side of the planet, and the sunset was almost identical to the ones we saw in Twentynine Palms. It is, after all, the same sun. Not just the same sun, but the same call to duty, steadfastness and faithfulness. We may have been miles from home, with hearts aching to return and the light fading before our eyes, but the beauty of the sunset in this distant land lapped our hearts with the distant shores with a process to get home; only by continuing to remain true, one patrol after another, watching each other’s backs, heads on a swivel, and our honor kept clean, we would see our this sunset traded back for the one we left behind.
Each sunset is the very one thousands of Marines gazed upon with longing in their hearts to look at with rest but refrained, because their duty lay before them, and they would not gather respite until the patrol returned to their BP, the tour was complete and every man made it home. A sunset and silhouette of a Marine in full gear is not just some piece of art, but an invitation to contemplate uncompleted journeys and the hope to see them come to fruition. That is, after all, the telos, purpose of war fighting organizations -that there will be a day that we all return home and get to gaze upon our sunset in our homeland in safety and bask in its glory and rest.
Each sunset is the very one thousands of Marines gazed upon with longing in their hearts to look at with rest but refrained, because their duty lay before them, and they would not gather respite until the patrol returned to their BP, the tour was complete and every man made it home. A sunset and silhouette of a Marine in full gear is not just some piece of art, but an invitation to contemplate uncompleted journeys and the hope to see them come to fruition. That is, after all, the telos, purpose of war fighting organizations -that there will be a day that we all return home and get to gaze upon our sunset in our homeland in safety and bask in its glory and rest.
