IBMYP Coordinator Tor Strom celebrated Veterans Day, honoring the men that fight for our country while remembering his own years in the Marine Corps.
Why did you join the Marines and how old were you when you did?
I joined the Marine Corps right after high school in 1987. I was from Fairfax County and I graduated from McLean. I attended boot camp at Paris Island in the summer, which was really hot. I then did infantry school and advanced infantry school at Camp Lejuene and finished with special training at Benning. I then went to the Second Marine Division, Second Light Armor Reconnaissance Battalion, which is Mech. Recon.
What action did you see as a Marine?
I served as a gunner as a young corporal during the first Gulf War. Our Mission in the war was actually exciting and silly. Two days before the ground war started we had to go into Kuwait. We were still dropping and we had our massive air bombardment, B-52 air strikes, and I actually mapped lane three of sector Bravo for the mick-lick charges. Those were big trucks that come up and shoot out one-hundred fifty foot ropes with C-4 attached to it and blow up all the land mines, which clear lanes so vehicles can go through. So at 2 o’clock in the morning me and 8 other marines had little shovels and had to dig holes in the ground. I then put up a big orange flag in one that said number four, so that the truck at dawn could go up and do its job. Probably 200 yards away were Iraqi soldiers in their trenches.
Why did you decide to leave the Marines and become a teacher?
I got out in 1997 when I decided that I wanted to get married and have kids since I decided that it wasn’t the best place to have a family. I wanted to get into a profession were I could be at home and coach little league, that sort of thing. I’ve always wanted to be a teacher so after I got out we got married and I went to school. I got my undergraduate degree at Kennesaw State in Georgia and did my Masters at George Mason. I’m finishing up my doctorate right now.
Do you have anything memorable from your time as a Marine?
We do have a coat of arms which I have as a tattoo. It has the unit motto ‘Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori’ which means ‘sweet and fitting it is to die for your country.’
Are there any other interesting facts students should know?
On Saturday the Marine Corps celebrated our 237th birthday. It was established November 10th 1775 so we had parties all over the weekend. The Marines helped fight for this country and were established in Philadelphia, in a place called Tun Tavern. The Marine Corp was founded in a bar and we’ve been there ever since.
