Sure, they look like big, tough jarheads. They even talk a good game. But when you give your Marine the perfect gift, he’ll melt. Marines are not all alike. But there is a common thread that runs through each and every Marine, and you’ll find that it’s not hard to find what appeals to them – if you just think about it for a little while.
The first, and easiest, gift for your Marine is anything that has the Marines logo on it. You’ll find lots of it, from kilt pins to coffee mugs – and you’ll find it because Marines love it enough to buy Marine-themed items frequently. Keep your gift practical – skip the paperweight for the Marine who spends most of his time in the field, and get him a nice pen or warm wool blanket instead.
Speaking of kilts, the Marines have their own tartan, and you can find the Marine kilt for sale online. This isn’t a gift for every Marine, but you’d be surprised how many of them would love something like this. Kilts are more expensive than you might expect, costing upward of two hundred dollars for an authentic one, but they will be treasured for years.
Coffee and/or espresso, with as much caffeine as possible, are another excellent gift. I won’t share with you what one Marine officer I know calls flavored coffee, but I will advise you to keep away from it. Instead, get them a monthly subscription to gourmet whole-bean coffees, fully caffeinated, with no added flavors. An espresso machine is also a great choice, or even a really good combination coffee pot and grinder. Make the coffee routine mindless and easy, and you’ll have one happy Marine.
You already know this about your Marine, but most people don’t realize how darned smart these elite soldiers are. Every Marine I know loves to read, especially dense military-themed books, or military history about the War Between the States or the Revolutionary War. You can consider also classics like Sun Tzu’s Art of War, or military books written by soldiers your Marine admires. If he’s getting ready to deploy into a war zone, pick up a few books that will help him understand his enemy, like the Koran and writings about Muslim extremism.
If books aren’t your Marine’s cup of tea, movies might be. He probably also has We Were Soldiers, Saving Private Ryan, and Blackhawk Down, so look into the older movies. Baa Baa Black Sheep is a good choice, and many of the old World War II war films would be winners. Military romances can be surprisingly good as well, like East of Eden. Keep your Marine in mind as you shop, and remember that he’ll want to be able to share this movie with his buddies as well.
Another great thing for your Marine deploying is a care package put together with thought. Get a compact case (first aid kits are often perfect) and fill it with all the necessities: soap, razors or blades, shampoo, shaving cream (or shaving soap, if you can get him to use it; it’s more compact), pens, batteries, an emergency battery for his cellphone, letters to take with him, favorite snacks. Keep a list of what’s in the package, and send a monthly package to him with refills while he’s out in the field.
Pictures are always the best. One of the whole family, with notes from everyone on the back, is perfect. If he’s already deployed, take pictures of his favorite things, or stage his comfy chair as “waiting for him,” with his dog at his feet, an open beer on the table, a steak, etc.
Also for a deployed Marine, if you go around to the family (and his friends) and get a letter from everyone to send out in a single package, that can be a wonderful surprise. It doesn’t matter how long the letter is or how silly the information, the fact that everyone took the time to write will mean the world to him.
Here’s a dumb-sounding gift idea that’s actually pretty smart: for a Marine deployed in a Muslim country, send a package of Vogue magazines and other ordinary women’s magazines, or even catalogs. The men out there in those countries cannot receive anything that even smacks of pornography, so they spend a surprising amount of time looking at pictures of fully-clothed, but beautiful, women. Even if your Marine doesn’t want to look at this sort of thing, he can trade out the magazines to buddies for other favors – and favors are often the best commodity in a military unit.
Finally, send him a gift that will help him to show you what’s up: a digital camera. He can send pictures back home, or maintain a soldier’s blog, or just take pictures of his buddies and the things they’ve done and seen that he will treasure for the rest of his life. And since it’s digital, no film to worry about!
