The Medal of Honor recipient talked recently at the Navy Memorial in Washington with Naval History Editor Fred L. Schultz. Actually, I just liked what I'd read about the Marines. My roommate in college, Fred Rollins Smith, was a year ahead of me, and he came back and told me all about the Marines. What I primarily was interested in was flying. But when I listened to Rolly, I really got interested in the Marines and was dead-set that that was the way I was going to go.
Marines go through the same school as any naval aviator.
We're known as naval aviators, number one, and then the Marine designation comes after that. I'm sure you've heard that one before. Yes, I have. Of course, the Marines were upset because the Navy hadn't shown up when the enemy pulled in to Guadalcanal on 12 October 1942. They arrived at 2130, or thereabouts, fired until 0430 the next morning, and just stayed out there.