In 1948, Texas A&M’s Fish Drill Team formed the U.S. Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon for what was supposed to be a one-time performance.
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But everyone was so impressed with their uniformity and precision that the unit became a permanent fixture, and the 24-man platoon has been wowing audiences for the last 70 years!
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They all look so serious! But then, they’re Marines holding M1 Garand rifles topped with pointy little bayonets, so now probably isn’t the best time to joke around. And their uniformity is no coincidence. Members have to meet certain weight and height requirements (anyone over 6’1 need not apply). Once they’ve been accepted, the men serve a two-year ceremonial tour at Marine Barracks in Washington, D.C., then go on to perform at venues around the country.
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Live audiences are wowed by the elaborate series of spins and tosses they perform with those lethal-looking weapons, which come with a lot of time and practice. (And, we imagine, more than a few trips to the infirmary.) But practice obviously makes perfect, because anyone else who tried to pull something like this off would almost certainly skewer an eyeball or puncture a vital organ…
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A couple years ago, students at Gallatin High School in Nashville, Tennessee, had the rare privilege of seeing these soldiers perform at a special assembly. The routines are meant to highlight “the professionalism associated with the United States Marine Corps.,” and they certainly made their point. Watching this performance had to have been the highlight of this school’s year!
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Juggling a few bowling pins is hard enough, and carries some risks. But juggling pointy firearms is a whole other ball of wax. We’ll just leave that to the pros.
Check out their impressive moves in the video below, and share to spread appreciation for how much work they put into these routines.
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