A U.S. Marine is getting the boot after he was arrested for hanging a white supremacist banner

[linuxman]

10. Except he is, at least in the sense he is a Marine.

I never cared for the "They did something awful, so they're no longer a Marine. They're an ex-Marine" sentiment. The Marine Corps, like all branches has it's share of bad people. To suggest that someone isn't really a Marine by virtue of their poor character and actions is silly to me. It perpetuates this idea that we're infallible, when in fact the Corps is just a cross section of society at large. Many Marines are sacks of shit, and many are close to living saints. There's a whole lot in between. I often hear this in regards to Lee H.Oswald. "He's an ex-Marine" and so on. He's not. He was just a Marine that also happened to be a piece of shit.

To clarify, I'm not strictly saying this is what you said, or implied, but it seemed to be in the same vein. It reminded me of my thought on the matter anyway. If that wasn't your specific meaning, don't take it the wrong way.