Joe Zimmermann on Marine Corps Service, Friendship, and Belonging
Before they were Marines, Joe Zimmermann and John Smith were friends working together in retail. They walked into recruiting offices, took different paths through the Marine Corps, and later ran into each other in a chow hall in Iraq.
In this episode of The Unsung Veteran, retired Marine Major Joe Zimmermann joins John for a conversation full of familiar jokes, enlisted memories, and reflections on the people who made military service meaningful.
Watch the interview
Friends before the uniform
Joe didn’t grow up planning to join the military. He was balancing college with work, then finishing his degree while he and John talked about enlisting after September 11.
Their decisions eventually brought them into the same service, but their careers led in different directions. John remained enlisted; Joe began enlisted and later became an officer. Their friendship continued through assignments on opposite sides of the country and an unexpected reunion overseas.
The conversation carries that shared history: two friends comparing what they remember, laughing at their younger selves, and recognizing how much changed.
The honor of seeing another Marine into retirement
Asked what stands out from his service, Joe points to being chosen as someone’s retiring officer.
He describes the responsibility of preparing remarks that would do justice to a fellow Marine’s career. Even when the ceremony included jokes, he took the invitation seriously. Being asked by someone he had known for only a few years made a particular impression: they wanted him to help mark the end of their service.
For Joe, those invitations remain among the most meaningful experiences of his career.
A handoff back to family
Joe recalls an explanation of retirement ceremonies that stayed with him: the occasion recognizes the people who supported the Marine throughout the years of service. It marks the moment when the family gets that person back.
John and Joe compare their own ceremonies—the humor, the unexpected emotion, and the family members and friends who showed up.
Their stories lead into a conversation about missed milestones and what it means to finish a career that has occupied so much of adult life.
Finding somewhere to belong
Looking back, Joe sees more in his decision to enlist than he understood at the time.
He remembers having friends across different groups when he was younger without feeling that he fully belonged to any one of them. Becoming a Marine gave him a shared identity and a place within something larger.
That identity continues into civilian life, including the jokes he shares with coworkers who are getting to know a Marine for the first time.
Everyday veterans have stories worth hearing
Near the end of the interview, Joe explains why the idea behind The Unsung Veteran resonates with him.
Military stories often bring to mind extraordinary combat experiences. Joe talks about the many people serving in support roles who also have memories, friendships, and experiences worth sharing.
His own conversation includes the practical work of supporting a squadron, the absurd situations that become favorite stories, and the relationships that remain after retirement. Together, they offer a glimpse of a military career through the person who lived it.
Share your own story
You don’t need a famous name or a headline-making military career to be a guest on The Unsung Veteran. Your work, the people you served with, and the experiences you still remember are a place to start.
Interviews are recorded remotely using Riverside. You’ll need an internet connection, a webcam, and headphones.