PORT TOWNSEND — Once a week for five years, James DeLeo and Jeff Short stood shoulder to shoulder, raised their right hand and repeated the Scout’s oath: “On my honor, I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country. . . .”
Now, the two life-long friends, both Eagle Scouts, will carry out that pledge by serving in the United States Marines.
“It comes down to doing my part to serve my country,” said DeLeo, 23. “I’m sorry I waited so long.”
“I want to do my part for my country,” said Short, also 23.
DeLeo and Short were both born and raised in Port Townsend and have been friends since they played together as infants. Last August, they enlisted in the Marines under the buddy program, but Short was called up first. In December, he went to San Diego for 13 weeks of recruit training, the Marine version of boot camp. On Feb. 28, he received the Eagle, Globe and Anchor, the Marine Corps emblem, as one of 36 of the original 63 recruits in his platoon to graduate.
“You have to earn the title of U.S. Marine, it doesn’t get handed to you,” Short said. “You know you’ve challenged yourself and done something very few people accomplish.”
A former Jefferson County sheriff’s deputy, Short requested security forces as his specialty, but was upgraded to presidential protection duty, a move that has him assigned to the White House and Camp David.
“I’ll be the Marine you see saluting the president when he gets off the plane,” Short said.
DeLeo leaves March 16 for the recruit training center in San Diego, then Marine Combat Training. After he graduates, he’ll enter school for his specialty, crash, fire and rescue.
If the country goes to war, both he and Short could end up in Iraq.
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