The Pink Marine - by Greg Cope White

About the Book

The Pink Marine is the story of a teenage boy who struggles with self-acceptance and doesn't fit the traditional definition of manliness finds acceptance and self-worth in the most unusual place. Can a gay teenager become a US Marine?

Book Synopsis

NOW A NETFLIX SERIES - BOOTS

In The Pink Marine, Greg Cope White's sharp, funny, and unexpectedly moving memoir, he recounts how an insecure New Orleans weakling transforms into a Devil Dog Marine. A coming-of-age story set in the most unlikely place: boot camp.

When Greg's straight best friend Dale tells him he's spending the summer at Marine Corps boot camp on Parris Island, all Greg hears is "summer" and "camp." So, he signs up too. Never mind that he's underweight, out of shape - and gay, which is illegal in the U.S. military at the time.

Yes, it's insanely dangerous for both of them. But as fate would have it, the Few and the Proud turn out to be a bunch of oddballs and eccentrics - and a brotherhood is born. In a world where the landmines are both literal and metaphorical, this book takes a hard - and hilarious - look at masculinity and what it really means to belong.

Greg's chaotic childhood hasn't prepared him for military life. He packs five suitcases for thirteen weeks of training. The U.S. Marines strip him of all of it, shave his head, and put a rifle in his hands. At first, he struggles to keep up - afraid that his secret will be discovered. But as the weeks go by, the desire to survive and earn the title of Marine triumphs over fear.

He learns that everyone enters the Corps feeling different - judged for the color of their skin, their weight, or their past. Some even choose boot camp over jail. This will push every man past his limit and strip away who he thinks he is. What breaks them also binds them. Nobody comes out the same. Something shifts for Greg. For everyone.

Told with disarming honesty and biting wit, The Pink Marine follows Greg and his new brothers as they navigate the brutal system of recruit training. Greg must prove he belongs - and figure out who he really is.

Review Quotes

"White recalls the grueling yet confidence-building three-month Marine Corps boot camp training he endured as a still-closeted teenager in 1979. "I learned that I had to respect myself if I wanted others to respect me." The author demonstrates that respect and delivers a heartening coming-of-age story... an inspiring memoir that displays a balanced, surprisingly reverent view of the Marine Corps and military service." Kirkus Reviews

"The Pink Marine is a beautifully detailed, passionately written and very necessary book - it's the fascinating and surprising story of a gay man in the military, told with respect, wit and insight." Paul Rudnick, Playwright, Screenwriter, Essayist, Novelist

"Hilarious...this gifted writer manages to find incredible humor in a remarkable chapter of his life." He Said Magazine

"This is the story of how, through pure gumption, a most unlikely Marine candidate rises to the occasion to show his true colors!" Jane Lynch, Actress (Glee, Hollywood Game Night, Angel From Hell)

"While I served in the military, the Air Force was a social club compared to the Marines. I've known Greg Cope White for some thirty years, and have admired him every minute throughout. That he could write as intriguing and honest a book as The Pink Marine is no surprise." Norman Lear, TV Legend

"Greg Cope White takes on the universal tragedy of human isolation and the fear of exposure with such humor and grace that it becomes a triumphant comedy." Dylan Brody, Author, Humorist

"What's a gay man to do when a roomful of naked men is a minefield rather than the set-up for a hot fantasy? In this riotously funny peek into USMC boot camp Greg finds both the ultimate test of will and a camaraderie he'll never lose. The Pink Marine puts the "A" back in YA!" Susie Bright, Author, publisher, Editor-at-Large at Audible