A regal Thanksgiving for Marines at the US Embassy in Germany

I interviewed a Marine non-commissioned officer who attended that dinner, Sgt. AnnaCathryn Colson. She offered some thoughts on her service and what the dinner meant to her Marines.

What motivated you to join the Corps and to become a Marine Security Guard?

My father was in the Marine Corps and started opening up more about his time and the lifelong friendships he made. I knew it was just something I had to do for my country and for myself. Joining MSG was something my father had also talked to me about. With the career field I want to pursue after my time is done, there wasn’t a better [choice].

When did you find out about the Thanksgiving dinner at the embassy?

We found out about two weeks prior. It was a wonderful surprise for the ambassador to do this for us.

What was the atmosphere in the room?

The atmosphere was very relaxed, it always is when we are there. Ambassador Grenell and Matt [Grenell’s partner] are always so welcoming, it really felt like home.

How was the food?

The food was superb! All of it went really well together.

Is this the first time an ambassador has thrown this kind of event?

This has been done before, certainly, but not specifically just for the Marines and that really did make us feel special. We are blessed to have an embassy community that cares so much about us.

Anything else you wish to add?

Having the chance to serve under an ambassador like Richard Grenell really is a once in a lifetime opportunity. The Marines can always be themselves around him and for us, that’s a breath of fresh air. He truly is unlike any ambassador I have ever been around and takes a lot of interest in our welfare, it means so much. The opportunities he provides us and the way he treats us, we just couldn’t ask for a better ambassador.

Now back to me. Some will think this is a puff piece, and perhaps it is. But it is only so because Grenell chose a great way to pay respect to the Marines that protect his embassy personnel. All too often at U.S. diplomatic facilities around the world, the Marines are taken for granted. That should never be the case.

In the photo below you see Grenell joking with the Berlin Marines. But note the decorations on many of the Marines’ chests. Many are young public servants who, like my grandfather and his friend Ernest Kernen in the Pacific, have served multiple combat tours abroad. They deserve our respect — and so does Grenell for respecting them.