Interview 114 with Johnny Cirucci

Giovanni Augustino “Johnny” Cirucci was born into a fourth generation immigrant Italian Roman Catholic family.Show more

His upbringing was typical: an average student and a decent athlete who was sent through multiple Catholic schools.

Johnny’s family was “conservative” and patriotic and this led him to choose the military for a career.

He began with a Navy prep school and Marine Corps-option ROTC in college but decided to leave school without graduating in favor of enlisting in the Marine Corps.

Johnny did not complete boot camp and received a “failure to train” discharge. He returned home to divorced parents. It was a very low point in his life.

Johnny worked as a utility installer for a couple of years and this experience encouraged him to return to school and finish his degree.

He spent many months attempting to get a waiver for his separation and return to the Marine Corps but to no avail.

While at his second iteration of college, Johnny had a conversion experience and became a Born Again
His upbringing was typical: an average student and a decent athlete who was sent through multiple Catholic schools.

Johnny’s family was “conservative” and patriotic and this led him to choose the military for a career.

He began with a Navy prep school and Marine Corps-option ROTC in college but decided to leave school without graduating in favor of enlisting in the Marine Corps.

Johnny did not complete boot camp and received a “failure to train” discharge. He returned home to divorced parents. It was a very low point in his life.

Johnny worked as a utility installer for a couple of years and this experience encouraged him to return to school and finish his degree.

He spent many months attempting to get a waiver for his separation and return to the Marine Corps but to no avail.

While at his second iteration of college, Johnny had a conversion experience and became a Born Again Christian.

It was shortly after this that Johnny achieved a waiver to return to the Marine Corps and did this at 27 years of age. He graduated from Paris Island with honors such as the Board of Governors Marine Corps Association Marksmanship Award.

Johnny asked his Chain of Command to send him through officer training (as he had also finally achieved his Bachelor’s Degree) and was denied due his age.

Johnny got out after four years and shortly after that 9/11 took place.

Being on “Inactive Ready Reserve” Johnny volunteered to come back but was told the IRR wasn’t being activated.

He then enlisted in the Army and was sent through Army officer training at Fort Benning.

Although Johnny excelled in leadership1 he found himself unfulfilled in his service.

A tour in Iraq confirmed it.

It was apparent that, the higher a soldier or Marine got in career progression, the more compromised they became.

Johnny was disgusted with what he experienced in Iraq. The United States military presence was one of chaos and destruction; nothing was beneficial.