---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The Marine Corps was the first father…"
description: "\"The Marine Corps was the first father figure I had ever known.\" — Art Buchwald"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cba/art-buchwald-8223_army_the-marine-corps-was-the-first-father-fi_903004.png"
---

#  The Marine Corps was the first father figure I had ever…

![“The Marine Corps was the first father figure I had ever known.” quote by Art Buchwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cba/art-buchwald-8223_army_the-marine-corps-was-the-first-father-fi_903004.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cba/art-buchwald-8223_army_the-marine-corps-was-the-first-father-fi_903004.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cba/art-buchwald-8223_army_the-marine-corps-was-the-first-father-fi_903004.png)

> “The Marine Corps was the first father figure I had ever known.”

[Art Buchwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-buchwald/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The Marine Corps provided a paternal presence absent elsewhere.

**In simple terms:** The Corps was a father figure.

Key Takeaway

Recognize the role of mentorship in growth.

Themes

mentorship family military

Mood

nostalgic thoughtful

Type

journalistic commentary

When to use this quote

- career transitions
- personal growth
- leadership development

Key Concepts

psychology social support

Questions to Reflect On

- How has mentorship shaped your life?
- What are the benefits and drawbacks of institutional support?

A Different Perspective

Reliance on institutions can limit personal autonomy.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Army](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/army/) [Corps Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corps-father-1258868/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Father figure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father-figure/) [Figure Known](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/figure-known-1258869/) [Had](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/had/) [Marine Corp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marine-corp/) [Marine corps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marine-corps/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/)

## Related quotes

> [I can now say without hesitation the Marine Corps was the best foster home I ever had.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-buchwald/i-can-now-say-without-hesitation-the-marine-corps-was-the-best-foster/)

[Art Buchwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-buchwald/)

> [I earned my stripes as a Marine, and the Corps gets full credit for straightening me out. At 17, I was young, I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-buchwald/i-earned-my-stripes-as-a-marine-and-the-corps-gets-full-credit-for/)

[Art Buchwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-buchwald/)

> [The Marine Corps taught me that I could achieve my goals. In short, the Marines made me believe in myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-alan-williams/the-marine-corps-taught-me-that-i-could-achieve-my-goals-in-short-the/)

[Gregory Alan Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-alan-williams/)

> [When you’re working with Army and Marine Corps units, you immediately notice a difference. The Army is pretty tough, but their performance can depend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kyle/when-you-re-working-with-army-and-marine-corps-units-you-immediately/)

[Chris Kyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kyle/)

> [“Just remember,' a Marine Corps lieutenant colonel told me as he strapped his pistol belt under his arm before we crossed into Kuwait, 'that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hedges/just-remember-a-marine-corps-lieutenant-colonel-told-me-as-he/)

[Chris Hedges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hedges/)

> [“The president called upon the Marine emergency evacuation helicopter that the White House Military Office had stationed nearby in the event of a surprise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrett-m-graff/the-president-called-upon-the-marine-emergency-evacuation-helicopter/)

[Garrett M. Graff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrett-m-graff/)

> [There's a mindset of flexibility and adaptability that comes with us. We don't mind hardship. We don't mind somebody saying, 'Go in and do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-f-amos/there-s-a-mindset-of-flexibility-and-adaptability-that-comes-with-us/)

[James F. Amos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-f-amos/)

> [In the Marine Corps there is no individual effort, we're all a big team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-carpenter/in-the-marine-corps-there-is-no-individual-effort-we-re-all-a-big-team/)

[Kyle Carpenter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-carpenter/)

> [During a mock battle attended by President Warren Harding in 1921, Marine Corps General Smedley D. Butler exhumed the arm \[of Stonewall Jackson; he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-horwitz/during-a-mock-battle-attended-by-president-warren-harding-in-1921/)

[Tony Horwitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-horwitz/)

> [We will build a Marine Corps based on 36 battalions, which the Heritage Foundation notes is the minimum needed to deal with major contingencies.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-will-build-a-marine-corps-based-on-36-battalions-which-the/)

[Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/)

> [Our mom was a super strident, capable, and strong individual. I think because she was a military wife in the Marine Corps, she had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-wilson/our-mom-was-a-super-strident-capable-and-strong-individual-i-think/)

[Nancy Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-wilson/)

> [“In the simple moral maxim the Marine Corps teaches — do the right thing, for the right reason — no exception exists that says:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-rushing/in-the-simple-moral-maxim-the-marine-corps-teaches-do-the-right-thing/)

[Josh Rushing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-rushing/)

> [If you're from New York and you're Catholic, you're still Jewish. If you're from Butte Montana and you're Jewish, you're still goyisch. The Air…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/if-you-re-from-new-york-and-you-re-catholic-you-re-still-jewish-if/)

[Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/)

> [And all of these together, as much as any campaign the Marine Corps has ever pursued, have brought an unrelenting, never-ceasing pride to all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-webb/and-all-of-these-together-as-much-as-any-campaign-the-marine-corps/)

[Jim Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-webb/)

> [Without discipline, there is no Marine Corps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-lee-ermey/without-discipline-there-is-no-marine-corps/)

[R. Lee Ermey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-lee-ermey/)

## More by Art Buchwald

> [The things that matter most are not things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-buchwald/the-things-that-matter-most-are-not-things/)

[Art Buchwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-buchwald/)

> [Every time you think television has hit its lowest ebb, a new program comes along to make you wonder where you thought the ebb…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-buchwald/every-time-you-think-television-has-hit-its-lowest-ebb-a-new-program/)

[Art Buchwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-buchwald/)

> [I found out I'd spent my whole life believing things that weren't necessarily accurate. My sisters' memories of certain events are entirely different from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-buchwald/i-found-out-i-d-spent-my-whole-life-believing-things-that-weren-t/)

[Art Buchwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-buchwald/)

> [As the economy gets better, everything else gets worse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-buchwald/as-the-economy-gets-better-everything-else-gets-worse/)

[Art Buchwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-buchwald/)

> [I can now say without hesitation the Marine Corps was the best foster home I ever had.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-buchwald/i-can-now-say-without-hesitation-the-marine-corps-was-the-best-foster/)

[Art Buchwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-buchwald/)

> [Writers are funny about reviews: when they get a good one they ignore it-- but when they get a bad review they never forget…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-buchwald/writers-are-funny-about-reviews-when-they-get-a-good-one-they-ignore/)

[Art Buchwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-buchwald/)

> [Television has a real problem. They have no page two.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-buchwald/television-has-a-real-problem-they-have-no-page-two/)

[Art Buchwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-buchwald/)

> [No one ever mentioned it, but thousands of men welcomed World War II as a way to escape their humdrum lives rather than a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-buchwald/no-one-ever-mentioned-it-but-thousands-of-men-welcomed-world-war-ii/)

[Art Buchwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-buchwald/)

> [Don't commit suicide, because you might change your mind two weeks later.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-buchwald/don-t-commit-suicide-because-you-might-change-your-mind-two-weeks/)

[Art Buchwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-buchwald/)

> [When it came to writing about wine, I did what almost everybody does - faked it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-buchwald/when-it-came-to-writing-about-wine-i-did-what-almost-everybody-does/)

[Art Buchwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-buchwald/)

> [I learned quickly that when I made others laugh, they liked me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-buchwald/i-learned-quickly-that-when-i-made-others-laugh-they-liked-me/)

[Art Buchwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-buchwald/)

> [An economist is a man who knows a hundred ways of making love but doesn't know any women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-buchwald/an-economist-is-a-man-who-knows-a-hundred-ways-of-making-love-but/)

[Art Buchwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-buchwald/)

> [Every once in a while your world stands still... There are certain friendships that are so important they leave a mark on you long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-buchwald/every-once-in-a-while-your-world-stands-still-there-are-certain/)

[Art Buchwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-buchwald/)

> [I just don't want to die the same day Castro dies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-buchwald/i-just-don-t-want-to-die-the-same-day-castro-dies/)

[Art Buchwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-buchwald/)

> [The best way to clean up a son's room is to close the door and pretend it's not part of the house.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-buchwald/the-best-way-to-clean-up-a-son-s-room-is-to-close-the-door-and/)

[Art Buchwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-buchwald/)

[Explore all 83 Art Buchwald quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-buchwald/)

## More Army quotes

> [There are no more worlds to conquer!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/there-are-no-more-worlds-to-conquer/)

[Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/)

> [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/)

[Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/)

> [Every army in the history of the world has always had some deserters, usually much greater than we have today, because once again every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-hilferty/every-army-in-the-history-of-the-world-has-always-had-some-deserters/)

[Bryan Hilferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-hilferty/)

> [It is the rule in war, if our forces are ten to the enemy's one, to surround him; if five to one, to attack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/it-is-the-rule-in-war-if-our-forces-are-ten-to-the-enemy-s-one-to/)

[Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/)

> [The surprise of an army is now next to an impossibility. ... Prearranged surprises are rare and difficult because in order to plan one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-henri-jomini/the-surprise-of-an-army-is-now-next-to-an-impossibility-prearranged/)

[Antoine-Henri Jomini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-henri-jomini/)

> [I just read an article about how young American males feel uncomfortable appearing naked in front of each other in locker rooms. That was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ivory/i-just-read-an-article-about-how-young-american-males-feel/)

[James Ivory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ivory/)

> [ I can't imagine that I would be asked that by the president-elect \[Donald Trump\], or then-president \[Barack Obama\]. But it's - I'm very clear.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/i-can-t-imagine-that-i-would-be-asked-that-by-the-president-elect/)

[James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/)

> [Holy shadows of the dead, I'm not to blame for your cruel and bitter fate, but the accursed rivalry which brought sister nations and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/holy-shadows-of-the-dead-i-m-not-to-blame-for-your-cruel-and-bitter/)

[Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/)

> [“The most important lesson that came out of Vietnam for me was that Marines take care of Marines.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-clancy/the-most-important-lesson-that-came-out-of-vietnam-for-me-was-that/)

[Tom Clancy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-clancy/)

> [One of our great allies at present is the Church itself. Do not misunderstand me. I do not mean the Church as we see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/one-of-our-great-allies-at-present-is-the-church-itself-do-not/)

[C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/)

> [I have real strong feelings about our troops and support them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-fichtner/i-have-real-strong-feelings-about-our-troops-and-support-them/)

[William Fichtner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-fichtner/)

> [Personally, I don't really have a set style or look. It's pretty much what I feel like wearing that day, from a floral-print dress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shay-mitchell/personally-i-don-t-really-have-a-set-style-or-look-it-s-pretty-much/)

[Shay Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shay-mitchell/)

> [Growing up with a parent in the army, I saw firsthand the challenges our service members face when transitioning to new jobs after time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharice-davids/growing-up-with-a-parent-in-the-army-i-saw-firsthand-the-challenges/)

[Sharice Davids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharice-davids/)

> [Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-prescott/don-t-fire-until-you-see-the-whites-of-their-eyes/)

[William H. Prescott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-prescott/)

> [Thanks to all members of the military around the world for giving me the ultimate motivation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalya-neidhart/thanks-to-all-members-of-the-military-around-the-world-for-giving-me/)

[Natalya Neidhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalya-neidhart/)

[Browse all 3,919 Army quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/army/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The Marine Corps was the first father figure I had ever known.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Art Buchwald"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-buchwald/the-marine-corps-was-the-first-father-figure-i-had-ever-known/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Army"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-buchwald/the-marine-corps-was-the-first-father-figure-i-had-ever-known/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cba/art-buchwald-8223_army_the-marine-corps-was-the-first-father-fi_903004.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cba/art-buchwald-8223_army_the-marine-corps-was-the-first-father-fi_903004.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cba/art-buchwald-8223_army_the-marine-corps-was-the-first-father-fi_903004.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The Marine Corps was the first father figure I had ever known.” — Art Buchwald",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Art Buchwald",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-buchwald/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The Marine Corps was the first...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-buchwald/the-marine-corps-was-the-first-father-figure-i-had-ever-known/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-buchwald/the-marine-corps-was-the-first-father-figure-i-had-ever-known/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
