MCRD/ERR PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. -- With the help of a local music producer, a Depot Marine is honoring his fellow devil dogs through country music.
Lance Cpl. Tyson McKinster, a range coach for Chosin range, collaborated with Kirk W. Boland, a music producer from Smoaks, S.C., to help write a song entitled, "And They All Came Home But Me (Once a Marine)."
The song, performed by former Army veteran and singer Gary McVay of Gloryland Studios in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., gives a first person account of a Marine who is caught in a firefight and takes several rounds from enemy fire, but still musters up the courage to stand his ground and take the sniper out despite insurmountable odds. The Marine never makes it home.
"I wanted people to kinda get choked up when they heard it," said McKinster, who helped "inspire" the song written by Boland. "Marines are elite, the first to fight, and I wanted people to hear a song about the Marine Corps, the sacrifices they make and the esprit de corps."
Boland, who met McKinster through a mutual acquaintance, said he wanted to write a song after reading articles about Marines in Iraq, but was even more eager to start writing it because of the lance corporal's enthusiasm for the Marine Corps.
"When Tyson would visit, he would speak of how he felt good about being able to train young Marines," said Boland, who writes military-inspired songs through his production company, Boland Music "For those that serve." "[He said] by training them correctly in weapons [handling] it could save their lives or the lives of other Marines. This loyalty really touched me."
"I enjoy my job, I really do," said McKinster, of his job on training recruits to fire the M-16A2 service rifle.
McKinster added that he enjoys knowing that the recruits - whether they end up going into the infantry or admin - if they deploy to Iraq, have been trained by him to save the lives of their fellow Marines as well as their own.
McKinster, who joined the Marine Corps to emulate his father and older brother who were both Marines, began working with Boland on the song in June. Throughout the song-writing process, McKinster gave advice and made necessary changes to the lyrics to stay true to the Marine Corps.
"Even on a few lines in the song that I liked, if Tyson thought they were not right, I changed them," said Boland. "I felt a Marine should have the final say on the content."
Boland and his 13-year-old son Wes played instruments and provided vocals for the "rough demo" that was sent to McVay in Tennessee for professional recording.
Boland said his hope is to inspire those who hear the song about America's "true heroes."
"I want them to know the respect we have for them over there for protecting our freedoms, for giving me the right to do this," said Boland, who has produced more than 20 military tribute songs. "In America you can do anything you wanna do, and we sure can't do it without folks like the Marines, the Army and all the services protecting us, so we appreciate it."
Having both been in the Army, Boland and McVay both have a special appreciation for those who serve in the Armed Forces.
"Kirk and I both proudly served in U.S. Armed forces and are proud to be Americans," wrote McVay on his Web site. "This new song reflects the feelings of both of us. We pray that it will stir a new passion of patriotism in the hearts and souls of every American that hears it."
To listen to the song, go to www.gloryland.com and click on the link "Once a Marine."