Rick Devine:
CLASS OF 1987
Caprock High SchoolClass of 1987
Amarillo, TX
Rick's Story
Rick is from Amarillo, Texas. Rick's schools include Caprock High School.
Music Rick likes includes No One Gets Left Behind.
One of Rick's favorite quotes is:"I woulld go through the gates of hell to get a wounded Marine.
âTwas the night before Christmas as I flew oâer the Marine Base,
when I spied a young man who seemed out of place. His eyes showed
compassion, his hair a bit long, but his head was held high and his body was strong.
His air was confident, his uniform smart, but what impressed me most was the
size of his heart. For he embodied honor, one of his countryâs best,
and the words U.S. NAVY showed large on his chest.
As I stood there in wonder and gazed into his eyes, the words that he spoke
took me quite by surprise. âWhatâs wrong Santa, havenât you ever seen a
sailor before?â I sensed something special and longed to know more.
âTo be honest, this field thing wasnât part of my plan, but God didnât give
me a boat or tin can.â The words he spoke next surprised me all the more,
âBut Iâm as proud of my Navy as I am of the Corps!â
âDonât worry Santa, that Iâm a sailor you see, for when a Marine goes down
they will still call on me. They will forget Iâm a sailor, theyâll call in
my stock. At the top of their lungs theyâll yell, âGet me the Doc!â
âAnd Iâll answer that call, anytime, anywhere. Though I know Iâm a target
I really donât care. Iâll face incoming fire as I race cross the land, and
use my very own body to shield a downed man.â
âWorking long hours and into the night, my unitâs batt...Expand for more
le is over, but Iâm
just starting to fight. For the life of every Marine is sacred to me. I
refuse to surrender them to death, and in that Iâll find victory.â
âAnd yet Iâll take the time to comfort a dying man, to sit down by his side,
to reach out and hold his hand. For it takes as much courage to care as to
fight. For just as the poem says, many donât âgo gentlyinto that night.â
âSanta, itâs not any one uniform that makes you a man, but rather itâs those
ideals for which you choose to stand. I draw my line here, itâs long and
itâs plain. For pain, hurt and suffering are the things I disdain.â
I know very well that I may lose my life, so that a Marine may see an unmet
child and young wife.
So Santa, it really doesnât matter if they donât like my hair, Iâm a Navy
Corpsman, their Doc, and Iâll always be there.â
âI follow the brave Docs who have come long before, from Belleau Wood, Iwo
and Lebannonâs shore. As history proudly shows, they all gave their best,
and for those who have died, surely theyâre blessed.â
âAt Inchon, the Gulf and times during Tet, our brothers have fallen, but we
carry on yet. for we carry their honor and legacy still.â
As I held back my tears it took all of my will. I had to leave him there
for I had other plans, but I know in my heart that the Corps is in goodhands.
As I flew away I heard his laughter, it rang so loud and clear.
âHey, Santa, how âbout a nice pair of boots for the 26 miler nextyear?â".
More about Rick:"14 years as a FMF Corpsman during Desert Shield/Storm, OIF.".
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