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In The Pink Marine, Greg Cope White’s sharp, funny, and unexpectedly moving memoir, he recounts how an insecure New Orleans weakling transforms into a Devil Dog Marine. A coming-of-age story set in the most unlikely place: boot camp.

When Greg’s straight best friend Dale tells him he’s spending the summer at Marine Corps boot camp on Parris Island, all Greg hears is “summer” and “camp.” So, he signs up too. Never mind that he’s underweight, out of shape – and gay, which is illegal in the U.S. military at the time.

Yes, it’s insanely dangerous for both of them. But as fate would have it, the Few and the Proud turn out to be a bunch of oddballs and eccentrics – and a brotherhood is born. In a world where the landmines are both literal and metaphorical, this book takes a hard – and hilarious – look at masculinity and what it really means to belong.

Greg’s chaotic childhood hasn’t prepared him for military life. He packs five suitcases for thirteen weeks of training. The U.S. Marines strip him of all of it, shave his head, and put a rifle in his hands. At first, he struggles to keep up – afraid that his secret will be discovered. But as the weeks go by, the desire to survive and earn the title of Marine triumphs over fear.

He learns that everyone enters the Corps feeling different – judged for the color of their skin, their weight, or their past. Some even choose boot camp over jail. This will push every man past his limit and strip away who he thinks he is. What breaks them also binds them. Nobody comes out the same. Something shifts for Greg. For everyone.

Told with disarming honesty and biting wit, The Pink Marine follows Greg and his new brothers as they navigate the brutal system of recruit training. Greg must prove he belongs – and figure out who he really is.