MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. – About 10 years ago, the Parris Island Marine Museum began looking for a local Marine to fill the role of Gunny Claus, a decades-old Marine Corps tradition. Unfortunately, no retired Marines could fill the boots, leaving one of the museum's own to step up and take on the role.
“I put a uniform together, started showing up around the depot, the air station, different battalion holiday parties, I visited the front gates, and the sick Marines in the hospital,” said Ray Cording, a retired sailor and airman. “I'd just walk around, trying to make people smile.”
Cording had a custom uniform made with a bright red coat with white highlights in the Marine Corps dress blues style. It boasted a bright red campaign cover to highlight the drill instructors of Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C.
Cording is not alone in his mission to bring cheer and smiles to the Marines, sailors, and family members of the Tri-Command area. Joining him as Pvt. Franklin Norbert Elf is Dave Robles, a retired Marine sergeant major, who dresses in a green elf costume with a pointy hat, elf ears, and a bright red nose.
Cording and Robles attend events all over the Tri-Command area, visiting holiday parties with the battalions on Parris Island, the squadrons on Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, and even injured recruits in the hospital.
“When you reach our age, you have to have something to look forward to, or else you don’t want to get up in the morning,” said Cording. “So, I do it, and it puts a lot of smiles on people's faces.”
One of the skits that Cording does at holiday parties is the 12 Days of Marine Christmas. He gathers Marines and families and assigns them a verse they must modify with Marine Corps jargon.
"On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave me -- a cartridge in a Humvee.
If they make a mistake while singing, Cording plays the role of a drill instructor and gives corrections with incentive training.
No one is safe during this game; this includes battalion commanders, executive officers, or even the sergeant major.
"He'll go through the 12 days of Christmas, and someone will make a mistake, and he'll jump on the CO screaming, then the drill instructors will join in as well," said Robles. "All the audience will see him getting worn out, which is cool, but it's all in fun."
"It's fun for the people in the audience, especially the drill instructors," said Cording. "It lets them know that the top three of their organization are still human."
Cording and Robles are often asked how much they charge for an appearance from Gunny Claus. The answer every time is nothing, they do it for free.
“We don’t charge a thing, we do it because we want to,” said Cording “We don’t do it because we have to, or because our wives told us to get out of the house.”
“The uniform isn’t cheap, so where does the money come from?” said Robles. “From our own pockets, we are doing this because we want to do it, and we like doing it, and we don’t accept anything for it.”
When Cording first became Gunny Claus and took photos with children, they sent the images to Marines deployed overseas.
"It puts a smile on people's faces," said Cording. "Those pictures are special to me."
Many of the children return years later to express their continued excitement about their Gunny Claus experience.
"I get people who took pictures with Dave and me 10 years ago," said Cording. "They come up and show me that picture, and it just makes us feel good."
In or out of costume, people are always excited to see Gunny Claus.
"I'll be shopping around the grocery store, and little kids will run up to me, wrap their arms around my legs, and say 'Gunny Claus!'" said Cording. Even three or four months after Christmas, they still remember me, which is kind of neat."
Although the holiday season is over and these men are hanging up their costumes for the year, they aren’t done giving back to the community. Marines, sailors, and civilians in the area can still see them at parades and various charity events throughout the year.
(U.S. Marine Corps story by Lance Cpl. William Horsley)
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Date Taken: | 01.01.2025 |
Date Posted: | 01.07.2025 14:31 |
Story ID: | 488776 |
Location: | PARRIS ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA, US |
Web Views: | 32 |
Downloads: | 0 |
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