Once A Marine
A Marine's Memoir of Brotherhood, Tragedy, and Parkinson's DiseaseBy R.D. PARRISH
Length3h 48m
About this audiobook
ONCE A MARINE, ALWAYS A MARINE: A Memoir of Service and Survival
At sixteen, he struggled to survive above a friend’s garage on his own. By seventeen, he joined the Marine Corps in San Diego, seeking discipline and purpose absent from his youth. Boot camp in 1976 was brutal, marked by abuse and loss, but he endured and became a Marine.
His service included surviving violent encounters and harsh conditions, from a gang attack in Phoenix to Arctic Circle war games that almost killed him. Though faced with setbacks like demotion, his resilience earned respect and restoration of rank.
Stationed at Camp Lejeune (1978), he unknowingly drank contaminated water daily, exposure linked to illness and death among Marines, concealed by the Corps.
A stark account of survival, brotherhood, and the lasting impact of toxic exposure on Marines.
Content Warning
Contains descriptions of abuse, violence, medical trauma, and progressive illness.
Audiobook details
GenreBiography and Memoir
Length3 hrs 48 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateJan 16, 2026
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1ONCE A MARINE, ALWAYS A MARINE
10Chapter 8 - The Arctic
2Prologue: The Weight of Water
11Chapter 9 - The Colonel
3Chapter 1 - The Bucket
12Chapter 10 - Lejeune
4Chapter 2 - Yellow Footsteps
13Chapter 11 - Walking Off
5Chapter 3 - The Water
14Chapter 12 - The First Signs
Mostrar todos os capítulosVer menos
6Chapter 4 - The Breaking Point
15Chapter 13 - The Long Decline
7Chapter 5 - Becoming a Marine
16Chapter 14 - The Reckoning
8Chapter 6 - Phoenix Beating
17Epilogue - Semper Fi
9Chapter 7 - Paradise and Orders
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