‘Once a Marine:’ A raw and real look at life after combat

Travis Pike | August 12, 2021

One day I was scrolling through Amazon Prime and stumbled across the documentary “Once a Marine.” I’d never heard of it, but there are lots of war documentaries out there. The History Channel convinced me to join the Marines through their documentaries, so I’ve been a big fan ever since. Without reading the description, I hit play and sat back with my wife and a little popcorn, ready to tune in to the 69-minute documentary.

I honestly haven’t watched much on the GWOT outside of some early documentaries during the Iraq invasion. As the documentary started, I realized it’s the first I’d ever watched about my war and my time in the Marine Corps.

Specifically, it’s about the war in Afghanistan in 2010. While the war raged for 20 years, the Marines in this documentary served in Afghanistan at the same time I was there. These Marines invaded Marjah, the last stronghold of the Taliban. I served south of them at the exact same time, and during the invasion of Marjah, I could hear the rockets, IEDs, and other explosions at night from the battles these Marines fought.

The Marines of 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment fought a hellacious battle and took Marjah from the Taliban. Here’s the thing: this isn’t a documentary about the war; it’s about the guys who came home.

Not your usual documentary

“Once A Marine” follows several Marines that the director, Stephen Canty, served with in Afghanistan. We see footage and photos of the Marines fighting their war, sure, but it punctuates the movie to make a point. It’s not about their time in combat, but what followed. “Once A Marine” includes interviews of eight Marines and the mother of one of their fallen comrades.

“Once a Marine” is the story of how these Marines dealt with life after the war and their return to civilian life. The eight Marines’ stories are almost entirely identical. The men felt isolated among the civilian population, alone, and without purpose.

Most of the subjects turned to alcohol and drugs to cope with their new life. Many Marines who decide to exit the service look forward to their time as a civilian. It’s like being free once more. No more early reveille, no more uniform inspections, no more regulations to follow. However, as we see here, once the novelty wears off, the Marines find themselves searching for purpose.

Some struggle with what they had seen and done during the war. They regret their mistakes, and they miss the brothers they lost. It’s a raw look at a topic often ignored. It doesn’t take a stance on the war, and it excludes politics. It doesn’t toss dates and the actions of generals at you. Instead, it just lets these veterans talk about their experiences.

It’s raw

I watched “Once A Marine” expecting a bit of a “rah rah, let’s talk about the battle of Marjah and how badass the Marine Corps is” experience. Instead, we get a raw look at infantrymen and warriors who left the war, but the war didn’t leave them. These men are surprisingly honest in their struggles, their addictions, and their life post-war.

Once A Marine is not comfortable to watch, at least it wasn’t for me. Sometimes these guys said things that could have fallen out of my own mouth.I’m not exaggerating. These men say things that I think and feel — specifically, when one of the Marines talks about telling war stories and how he won’t do it with civilians. Another Marine mentions hyper-vigilance as a symptom of PTSD and how he thinks that’s a good thing, and I’ve said that myself.

Have you ever watched a movie with your parents and come across a love scene? It gets awkward and feels awkward. I watched this with my wife and felt that same awkwardness with her there because it feels like an intimate look into my own experiences through the voice of someone else.

Simple and well done

This is director Stephen Canty’s first film, and he keeps it simple. I think that’s a smart move, because trying to be fancy with a low budget and lack of experience can often create a cheesy movie. The simplistic and raw nature of “Once A Marine” works, and works well.

Everything’s simple, but the footage is clear, and the audio and lighting are good. I think the fact that Canty served with these Marines in Afghanistan makes the movie work. These guys know him and open up to him. If the filmmaker had a different experience or interviewed Marines he didn’t serve with, I don’t think he would’ve gotten the same response, and the movie wouldn’t have been nearly as raw.

“Once A Marine” isn’t an easy film to watch, and it shouldn’t be. If you want to hear what veterans have to say in their own words about returning to civilian life, here it is. Don’t expect a film that makes you feel good, it’s a film that will make you reflect, and it’s a film the nation needs to see.

All images courtesy of Hotbrass productions

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Travis Pike

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Travis Pike

Travis Pike is a former Marine Machine gunner who served with 2nd Bn 2nd Marines for 5 years. He deployed in 2009 to Afghanistan and again in 2011 with the 22nd MEU(SOC) during a record-setting 11 months at sea. He’s trained with the Romanian Army, the Spanish Marines, the Emirate Marines, and the Afghan National Army. He serves as an NRA certified pistol instructor and teaches concealed carry classes.

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