The woman was trapped at the base of the Key bridge on the George Washington parkway-those marines had just come from funeral duty at Arlington national cemetery.
They're based at 8th and I st. in DC. These guys are the ones who sit in the woods at Camp David when Comrade Joe goes there.
8th and I are considered "barracks marines" by some because they do duty at Camp David, man the doors at the White House, etc. As if they're "less Marines" than the guys at Pendleton or Camp Yama or Beaufort. Mistake on their part! Nope, these guys are hardcore. And conservative. And good kids. The barracks is in a less than savory area of DC-but you'll see the marines hanging around the gates, on the streets etc (checking out the babes jogging past) and keeping the crime down. These ARE the guys that help little old ladies cross the street. They rock, folks.
There's usually a line of traffic getting onto the bridge during rush hour. Can you imagine being stuck in a blinding rainstorm in flood waters and a van load of marines in dress uniforms hop out and proceed to push you, in the driving rain (and they're in dress uniforms no less) out of harms way. Then hop back into their van and go back to 8th and I to dry off.
Above and beyond is their everyday work ethic. We need more marines.