Marine Corps Birthday Video: ‘If I Was Gonna Die, I Would Die With My Boots On’

“Si vis pacem, para bellum.”

Thus begins a video marking the birthday of the U.S. Marine Corps. In Latin, the phrase means, “If you desire peace, prepare for war.”

The video proceeds with shots of Marines in action, and goes to a black screen.

A voice speaks from the darkness: “If I was gonna die, I was gonna die with my boots on. Let’s do it.”

The video is meant to underscore that Marines “are professional warfighters who have earned their reputation of discipline and lethality in the crucible of combat,” the group’s leaders wrote in a statement. The video will be played this weekend at Marine Corps Ball events around the country. Watch the full video, below.

U.S. Marine Corps video by SSgt Joshua Chacon, SSgt John Martinez, GySgt Melissa Marnell and Mr. Rick Robinson.