Squire “Skip” Wells, Lance Corporal United States Marine Corps April 24, 1994 – July 16, 2015
The memorial service for a young Marine I’ve never met was held this evening at Sprayberry Highschool. Some will say I’m trying to garner publicity by piggybacking on a public event. I don’t care. Those who know me, know me and the rest can go hang. So why did I go?
I went because I could. I went because Skip couldn’t. I went because there are thousands and thousands of others in Georgia and across this nation who would have gone if they could, but weren’t able to go. I went because I may not have ever met Skip, but we’ve both met the same challenges presented to Marines for centuries as they step onto the same yellow footprints at a Marine Corps Recruiting Depot. Skip endured the descendants of the same obnoxious sand fleas whose ancestors I met several decades prior. Skip met the same rigorous standards of Marine Corps boot camp I did, and earned the same Eagle, Globe, and Anchor I earned.
Skip chose that mantle for some of the same reasons I did, I learned tonight. He thought the principles of fairness for every person embodied in our country, its founding documents, and it’s presence on the face of the earth were more important than his own personal liberty; and he was willing to give that liberty up for a time to preserve it. Turns out, his sacrifice was more lasting than my own.
The image I posted is a piece of commissioned art I own with the card from Skips memorial service. The art is by an artist named Wayne Vansant. I met him at a comic book convention and commissioned a piece. He asked me what I wanted and I told him I was a Marine and to surprise me. He drew the pencil and ink drawing with the chorus of a very famous cadence that goes like this:
“And when he gets to Heaven, To St. Peter he will tell, Another Marine reporting, sir, I’ve served my time in Hell.”
Another Marine reporting sir, he’s served his time in Hell.
Semper Fi Skip, rest easy son, you’ve served your time in Hell.