Happy 250th Birthday, Marine!

Today, November 10, 2025, marks the 150th birthday of the United States Marine Corps.

For every Marine—past, present, and future—this day is more than a milestone. It’s a reminder of what it means to serve, to sacrifice, and to live by a code that doesn’t fade when the uniform comes off.

My late father, Captain Brian Ahearn Sr., served in the Corps from 1962 to 1969. He spent 13 months in Vietnam, where he saw and experienced things that shaped the rest of his life—and mine.

When he passed away in September 2020, I felt compelled to write about him and the impact his service had on our family. The result was His Story, My Story, Our Story: Eternal Lessons of Fatherhood, Sacrifice, and Service. The book explores his time in the Marines, the scars left by war, and the way those scars ripple through generations.

Toward the end of his life, my father began writing extensively about his experiences in Vietnam. Putting words to the past helped him process what he had carried for decades. I’ve done the same through years of journaling. Together, our writings give a rare, side-by-side look at a father and son—one who went to war, and one who grew up in its shadow.

Here is an excerpt from my father’s writing:

From Captain Brian Ahearn Sr.:

After about three months, contacts increased, and we were able to take some wounded VC captives. We needed information. One prisoner in particular was brought to the ARVN (Army of the Republic of Vietnam) HQ for interrogation. The ARVN did not like any VC. The VC prisoner was gut shot and didn’t have long to live. The ARVN decided to push him hard for information. Since I was the battalion S-2 (Intelligence Officer), I was present. They had dragged the VC out into the hot sun for interrogation. After a while, I couldn’t take any more of the ARVN brutality and through an interpreter told the ARVN officer to stop. He ignored me and went on. I pulled my .45 and put it to his head [Addition: my father told me his words were, “Kick him again and I’ll blow your f**ing head off!”]. He stopped and shortly after, the VC died [Addition: my father told me the man died in his arms under a tree]. I was verbally reprimanded by my CO who restated that we were guests of the Vietnamese. I always wondered if I would have shot him. I think I would have.*

The following is from my journal, written when I was 15 and trying to make sense of my parents’ separation—something that, like so many military families, had its roots in the aftershocks of war.

From my journal (age 15):

Well, dad moved out of the house. I didn’t see him, but I heard him talking to my mom. I haven’t seen him for nine days. Mom says if he asks me to go over for Thanksgiving, I should feel free to go. I shouldn’t spend it with either. I don’t really know what to think or do. On the outside I try not to show anything, but I don’t know what to think on the inside. My mom was asking me what I think about them getting a divorce. I told her to do what she wanted to do and I won’t let it affect me, or I’ll try not to let it. I also said he’s still my dad and the only difference would be that he’s not with us. But I’ve been thinking about how it might affect me. I think my grades might go down without him pushing me or I could act like nothing happened and do normal. There are two sides to everything. I know that I’d start staying out late and stuff like that because he wouldn’t be there expecting me home. My discipline will go down the drain, I know that. I guess I sometimes do things because I’m afraid of my dad but not my mom. Neither of them alone would have much control over me, they’re too busy. But together, when one isn’t looking after me the other is, so I don’t get away with anything. Or, I would have to self-discipline myself, so I don’t get f**ked over because of them. I guess I do need them pushing me. I realize you need all that stuff to be successful and I think I want to be successful. In that respect I admire my dad. He’s come a long way but he’s not successful in everything. This whole ordeal is proof. That’s what I want to be most successful at, love or marriage. That’s what I’m waiting for, the day I’m so in love that I get married.

These two perspectives—one from a Marine who saw war up close, and one from his teenage son trying to understand the fallout—represent just a glimpse of what so many families endure.

Honoring Those Who Served

If you’ve served in any branch of the military, or love someone who has, you know that service doesn’t end with discharge papers. It continues in the quiet moments, in the relationships that bend under invisible weight, and in the generations that follow.

So today, on the 150th birthday of the Marine Corps, I want to honor every Marine—and every family who’s walked alongside one.

If you’ve served, or know someone who has, I hope you’ll consider reading or gifting His Story, My Story, Our Story. Because while our stories are deeply personal, they remind us of something universal: we share more than we realize—and healing begins when those stories are told.

Click here to order your copy.

Semper Fi!

Edited with ChatGPT

Brian Ahearn