How a 31-year old reporter became a marine

Fascinating: Matt Pottinger, a Wall Street Journal correspondent to China, decided to become a Marine. Tells the story of why, and also of how:

I made a quick trip back to New York in April to take a preliminary physical fitness test with the recruitment officer at the USS Intrepid. By then I could do 13 pull-ups, all my crunches, and a three-mile run along the West Side Highway in a little under 21 minutes, all in all a mediocre performance that was barely passable. When I was done, the officer told me to wipe the foam off my mouth, but I did him one better and puked all over the tarmac. He liked that a lot. That's when we both knew I was going for it.

He is scheduled to be commissioned a second lieutenant tomorrow.

Comments

[yarbz]

I wish I could re-join the Marines (I got out in 1983) I suppose, being 45 that I should be glad I can't... Anyway, I envy him. Great story.