Death Before Dishonor

What is up w/ that phrase?
Saw a expedition over the weekend that had that air brushed on the back door.
Today looking at a music video (r&b), there was a part that the camera focused on a guys tat that said that.

I've been thinking of getting a tat and want it to mean something.

Googled it but all i came up w/ was that it was a name of a pop/rock band and a movie from the late 80s about a guy becoming a single man army and trying to fight off terrorist.

Am i missing something here?

I believe its a Marine saying.

it is marine

yea... It's a Marine saying as it flows with our traditions and values. I see it all the time by itself and on a scroll around or accompaning Marine Corps tats. It has been argued to start in ancient greek times but also flows with the samurai warrior spirit to die for country and cause before surrender. To me, It simply means just that... to give my own life in the face of battle to preserve freedoms of our country and no retreat or surrender to protect our way of life.

I was actually thinking about it adding it to my back piece that is just a huge Marine corps tat then I started spending money here.

markwerline wrote:

I was actually thinking about it adding it to my back piece that is just a huge Marine corps tat then I started spending money here.

You made a good choice!

A-Ray wrote:

markwerline wrote: I was actually thinking about it adding it to my back piece that is just a huge Marine corps tat then I started spending money here. You made a good choice!

no doubt brotha. My Inferno comes tommorow...woot!!!!!!

http://www.tattoosymbol.com/just-for-site/death_before_dishonor.html

^^ some information about it

It is usually associated with the Marines, basically they would rather die than have to live with the dishonor of surrendering.

Its Marine related

You want it to "mean something"? Why? Isn't "I like looking at it" a reason? I think so...

If you do want "meaning", for God's sake don't look something up on the web - then it means something to SOMEONE ELSE and not to you, which is, in a word, lame. If you want a tat, do it for YOU, because I guarantee you'll end up hating it and want to cover it up or remove it if you do it for someone else.

^ couldn't have put it better. I'm big on tats and that was said well.

ImagoX wrote:

You want it to "mean something"? Why? Isn't "I like looking at it" a reason? I think so... If you do want "meaning", for God's sake don't look something up on the web - then it means something to SOMEONE ELSE and not to you, which is, in a word, lame. If you want a tat, do it for YOU, because I guarantee you'll end up hating it and want to cover it up or remove it if you do it for someone else.

No i completely understand what you are saying.
I just thought it had another meaning and i liked it. So thats why i googled it to find more info on it.

But thanks everyone..especially maddog9486..that link really did explain it well.

*shows up a day late, stating the obvious*

IT'S A MARINE THING!

kinda motivates me that everyone knows this.

It's a Marine thing.

hey btw, it's a Marine thing.

Dude! Seriously! It's a marine thing.

That's a def. a Marine thing.

It's tattoo'd on my ribs...

Wait a minute...



...I think it just might be a Marine thing!


Judges?

It is a Marine thing! Semper Fi!!! I'm not a Marine though.

Bobby Lee wrote:

It's tattoo'd on my ribs...

mmmm ribs...


(I didn't eat lunch today, so some nice baby backs popped into my head )

Survey says...

Booby where you at? I'm on my way across the pond in a week brotha.

actually I hear it was something completely different.


I hear it was..

a marine thing..

correct me if I'm wrong

You guys all are way off.... It's a Marine thing.

Bobby Lee, Whats up brotha? where you stationed?

IIRC he's stationed in North Carolina

it could be a Marine thing. I'd have to do more research.

Wiki and google both tell me it's a Marine thing. But what do they know?