58 U.S. VETERANS MAGAZINE WWW.USVETERANSMAGAZINE.COM

FEATURE FEATURE: COVER STORY

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he Price is Right host and Hollywood icon Drew Carey is, in many ways, an unlikely Marine. The congenial, bespectacled, self- described peacenik comedian served his country as a sergeant and field radio operator with the 25th Marine Regiment and calls the experience a pivot-point in his life. Military life and experiences gave me incredible experiences in leadership - especially in small groups, and under pressure, Carey, 63, said in an interview with U.S. Veterans Magazine . The military is not about yelling at someone to do things, as people wholly unfamiliar with the military would believe. Theres a tremendous amount of trust that other people will do their jobs and that youll do yours. So, theres social pressure. And a lot of subservience to the mission and the greater good of the group. So, you learn to swallow that and perform because there are always stakes, great and small. And you never want to be the one who cant rise to the occasion. Youre reminded of this dynamic constantly in the Marines. Its just there. No one has to yell at you about it. Rewind to 1980. Carey, who hails from Cleveland, was jobless, broke and crashing at his brothers California home when he joined the military. It turned out to be a watershed move. I went from not being able to afford to eat or clothe myself to getting three meals a day. I had an instant family, Carey said. The lessons his new family - the Marine Corps - taught Carey ring true to him to this day. They explain, in part, why hes committed to the ideal of service. Carey, who once credited his interest in comedy from a joke book checkout out

Drew Carey

A Grateful Marine

By Brady Rhoades