The Few, The Proud, The (Rivers) Marine
On Monday, April 5, the Rivers community was treated to a moving speech from Dave Donahue ’03, who, as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps, will be leading an infantry platoon on a mission in Afghanistan starting at the end of April.
Donahue spoke eloquently about his life at Rivers, his undergraduate years at Bowdoin Collegein Maine, and his decision to join the Marines. He was an active presence at Rivers, performing in musicals, leading campus tours, and serving as a three-sport captain (including football, where he started as quarterback and broke several school records for all-purpose yards).
Even a course-load as rigorous as Rivers’, however, paled in comparison to his training with the Marines. “It was tough, I was challenged, I didn’t sleep much, and I definitely got yelled at,” he said with a smile. “But I learned a lot from it.”
Donahue said that he has long been drawn to the physical and mental challenges of the armed forces. During his freshman and sophomore summers at Bowdoin, he participated in the Marines’ Officer Candidates School. Not sure what he wanted to do after graduating from Bowdoin in 2007, Donahue initially took a job at a local construction company, but soon returned to the Marines to finish his training in September of 2008.
Looking back on his experiences to date, he said that he couldn’t imagine life without his Marine family. “I have friends in jobs everywhere from Wall Street to Hong Kong,” he said. “For me, though, I always knew that I wanted to serve my country, and through the Marines, I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to do so.”
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Even a course-load as rigorous as Rivers’, however, paled in comparison to his training with the Marines. “It was tough, I was challenged, I didn’t sleep much, and I definitely got yelled at,” he said with a smile. “But I learned a lot from it.”
Donahue said that he has long been drawn to the physical and mental challenges of the armed forces. During his freshman and sophomore summers at Bowdoin, he participated in the Marines’ Officer Candidates School. Not sure what he wanted to do after graduating from Bowdoin in 2007, Donahue initially took a job at a local construction company, but soon returned to the Marines to finish his training in September of 2008.
Looking back on his experiences to date, he said that he couldn’t imagine life without his Marine family. “I have friends in jobs everywhere from Wall Street to Hong Kong,” he said. “For me, though, I always knew that I wanted to serve my country, and through the Marines, I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to do so.”
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