United States Marine Corps · 22 years
Before the Final Salute
- 最後の敬礼の前に
- Antes del último saludo
35 Chapters • 35 Thank You Letters • A Journey of Gratitude • April 1, 2027
Esteban
Why this journey?
Before the Final Salute is my journey of gratitude before retiring from the United States Marine Corps after 22 years of service. Over the next nine months, I’ll share 35 chapters honoring the people, places, and moments that shaped my life. This isn’t a story about my career - it’s a heartfelt thank you to those who believed in me, challenged me, stood beside me, and helped make me the man I am today. My hope is that these stories inspire others to tell the people they love, thank you, while they still can.
Chapters
Contents
- 01 The Gift of Life Before I thank a single person, I want to begin by thanking life itself.
- 02 The Hands That Raised Me As I began writing these letters of appreciation, I thought this chapter would be the easiest.
- 03 The Roots As I sat down to write this third letter, something bothered me.
- 04 My Childhood Home When most people hear the words childhood home, they probably picture a house.
- 05 Brothers and Sisters If you asked me as a little boy how many brothers and sisters I had, I’m not sure what answer I would have given you.
- 06 Childhood Friends When I started thinking about the friends I had as a kid, I realized something.
- 07 Somewhere Between Boy and Man I don’t remember the exact day I stopped feeling like a little kid.
- 08 When the Outside World Came In There wasn’t one day when our home suddenly became a different place. At least, I don’t remember one. It happened slowly.
Chapters 9 – 35 Eight letters are here. The other twenty-seven are still being written, one thank-you at a time, through retirement on April 1, 2027.
My hope is that these stories inspire others to tell the people they love, thank you, while they still can. Esteban