Itu2019s not necessarily mentioned or written in the John Wick series that he was ever in the military, nor a specific service, however, a decent amount of veterans to include myself would like to think that John Wick at one point was in the Marine Corps for the following reasons:His Back TattooIn the first movie, as heu2019s taking a shower, we see tattooed on his back the motto Fortuna Fortes Juvat, or Fortune Favors the Brave asides from faith-themed tattoos. Thatu2019s the motto of 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines based out of Hawaii.The theory is that prior to entering into a life of sophisticated crime, John most likely enlisted in the Marine Corps, shipped out to 2/3 and like any motivated Boot in the Marine Corps, spent half of his paycheck to get a motivating motto of his unit tattooed on his back, only to leave when he realized that the Marine Corps doesnu2019t pay with gold coins every two weeks for killing people [legally].Dress CodeWhile not all Marines tend to be of the dapper kind especially for new Boots, John seems to fall in line with level-headed Marines who invest in dressing well after earning a decent amount of tax-free deployment pay.Having to deal with the Marinesu2024 stringent uniform standards that demand a form-fitting appearance, along with having to obtain a suit for the Transitional Readiness Seminar prior to exiting the Marine Corps, John knows how to talk to the tailor in terms of measurements and knowing what he wants in terms of appearance for the appropriate occasion. Not to mention spending a ton of money getting tactical lining for a nice suit.Leadership MindsetIn this scene of John Wick 2 where heu2019s preparing for an assassination, John is being proactive by applying principles of a 5 Paragraph Order better known by the acronym SMEAC in the Marine Corps.For those unfamiliar with a 5 Paragraph Order, John takes into consideration the Situation, Mission, Execution, Administration and Logistics, but omitting Command and Signal as heu2019s working alone for this specific job.To illustrate whatu2019s going in his mind, John has to plan for the Situation that will determine how he Executes his Mission in killing a member of the High Table. In doing so, he tailors the Administration and Logistics of what equipment he needs in order to be successful in completing the job.Marines in leadership positions that require planning rely heavily on SMEAC in order to have a thorough plan.Due to this, John most likely spent some time as a Team Leader or NCO in 2/3 prior to entering the criminal world.Choice of WeaponsWith the exception of some weapons that are used based off of a cool appearance factor, John utilizes variants of the M-16 family such as the Coharie Arms CA-415 in the first movie and a heavily customized version of the Taran Tactical Innovations TR-1 Ultralight in the second movie.Marines train on the M-16 variant from Recruit Training and annually in the Fleet to the point that it essentially becomes a part of a Marinesu2024 body in terms of use and familiarity inside and outside of the Marine Corps.Johnu2019s primary rifle choice is no exception, to also include secondary weapons such as the Benelli shotgun, Glock, Colt, and Beretta variants, along with knife usage. Although Marines donu2019t usually use cool knives like the one John uses, they can be known for spending a lot of money on them outside of work.Wear of WatchWhether heu2019s preparing for a night out in town or strangling the thug who ordered the theft of his car and killing of his dog, we see that John is wearing a watch inverted like how a typical Boot and Drill Instructor would wear it.While heu2019s not necessarily any of those types of Marines, John has the basic understanding of wanting to conceal any sort of illumination that can expose him to enemies with a sharp eye for light, not to mention a fancy functional watch.Choice of RideJohnu2019s car is a Ford Mustang, a classic example of a car the stereotypical Marine buys (and probably gets broke from) when they enter into the Fleet or after a deployment.Chances are John decided to be wise during his time in the Marine Corps after buying said Ford Mustang, keeping it and got a nice tune-up from Aurelio instead of making the same initial mistake he did when he was a junior Marine of buying another convertible with an outrageous APR.Killing MethodsAsides from living up to the fantasy of every Marine who loves Gun Fu and silent killing, John is extremely effective in hand to hand combat along with how he uses his firearms.By mixing up a variety of martial arts such as Filipino Kali, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Wrestling, Wing Chun among many others, chances are John got a high degree Black Belt from the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP).He utilizes his ammunition conservatively and skillfully by constantly mastering the basics of a failure drill, which entails two shots to the chest and one to the head, something that every Marine learns in Table 2 Marksmanship training.While itu2019s not mentioned or Easter Egged in John Wick, itu2019s heavily implied with all these mementos that at one point in his career, he was a Marine and carried those traits on like any good stereotypical veteran who canu2019t kick those habits.
