To all concerned,
This should end the dust up about the term "Semper Fi". Pictured is the back of my headstone. No, I'm not dead yet, just preparing my final redoubt.
Semper Fi has been around for a long time as a salutation, a sign of comradeship, esprit de corps. Used only by and in reference to Marines and the Marine Corps.
So, there it is, "Written in stone". Hopefully it will be around for a long time to come even after our names have faded into history. Who would have thought two and a half thousand years ago, the words and deeds of a small group of men would still be remembered today? They were the Spartans at Thermopylae. It is my belief that the exploits of Marines and the Marine Corps will also be remembered for a long time and the term Semper Fi will carry on in history.
Cplcharley
U.S.M.C. 64/68
Chu Lai 66, DaNang 68