Marine Corps Moms: Yard Guards

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January 11, 2007

Yard Guards

Last Friday night, I had a rare opportunity to curl up by myself, with my dog, and watch TV with the remote in MY hand. Instead of shoot-em-up crime shows, I watched an English nanny try to set straight a family of six spirited preschool children. And once again, I'm thankful I had only one child. Six of my son and I'd be writing this from an institution. Next on the roster was Trading Spouses which I'd heard about but never watched. The premise of the show is that two opposite families trade moms for a week. And, I don't think they could have chosen more opposite families unless they'd searched on both Mars and Venus. One family hailed from the hills of North Carolina - the wife makes puppets and the husband is a very French baker. They have two free-spirited children, a stinky dog, and far-left political views. Their cabin matches the dog - dirt everywhere. Both spouses from the other family are retired Marines and the family identity is rooted firmly in the USMC values. They have one well behaved daughter and their house is spotless . . . and a shrine to the Corps with memorabilia in each room The puppeteer is learning to shoot and the Marine is plotting how to get that dog in a bathtub. I can't wait until this Friday's conclusion.

That's not what I started to write about.

The Marine family yard is guarded by one of the most attractive lawn ornaments I've seen (apart from a real live Marine).

Eric Tischler, a former Marine (Weapons Co. Dragons platoon. 3rd Batt. 8th Marines Camp Geiger, 1983-1987), makes handcrafted Marine Corps Lawn/Home ornaments in full dress blues. They stand about 2 feet tall, are hand painted and come in all enlisted ranks from Private to Sergeant Majors. Here's more, from the Pennsylvania Centre-Daily:

A mix of tiny, uniformed men, cleverly named "Yard Guards," stand at attention in Eric Tischler's yard.
These wooden, painted lawn ornaments -- representative of the Marine Corps, in which Tischler once served -- are now his full-time job. The State College resident sells them to everyone from Marine Corps moms and families to former Marines.

"You don't have to remind a Marine of who he is," he said. "We're just crazy about this stuff."

In the future, Tischler hopes to expand to include all branches of the armed services.

He made several dozen yard guards, but it wasn't until one sold on eBay just six hours after it was posted that he realized there was a market for the ornaments.

"I was in the basement going nuts trying to make as many as I could," he said.

These days, Sky Top Machine custom cuts the guards out and Skills of Central Pennsylvania does most of the painting, save for a handful Tischler does at home.

Part of the proceeds, he says, will go to the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund.

Yard Guards this fall will make their debut in Sgt. Grit's Marine Specialties, a catalog containing a mix of goods from T-shirts to luggage with Marine Corps logos, Tischler said.

For more information visit www.yardguards.org.