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From his earliest memories, Ryan Erisman of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin knew he wanted to be a part of the United States Armed Forces. He became a Marine and eventually served in Iraq. Erisman says his belief of treating others with respect was felt by those around him. He left the Marine Corps in November 2007. Erisman’s girlfriend, Treva Wetherell, interviewed him about his experiences as part of StoryCorps’ Military Voices Initiative, which is made possible by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.