“Those four years actually, were the best part of my entire career,” said retired Gunnery Sgt. John Stofiel, an Oregon City, Oregon native, when asked about his time as a drill instructor. Stofiel sat down to tell his story earlier this year on the morning of May 15th, 2022.

Given this versatile career, Stofiel had many opportunities to lead, follow, and impact the lives of both Marines and civilians.

Stofiel has served and filled jobs such as rifleman, infantry unit leader, correctional supervisor and first sergeant within the Marine Corps. He also served on two deployments to Okinawa, Japan and deployed to the Republic of Vietnam, serving as a rifle platoon sergeant and leader in the Republic of Vietnam.

Though Stofiel spent a majority of his career as an infantryman, a lot of his memories are focused on the recruits that he trained as a drill instructor at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego and preparing them for the war in Vietnam.

Marines who have graduated from his platoons and returned home from combat in Vietnam, often stated how hard he was on them. Stofiel responded with, “You know… [they] came home; so, I did my job.”

As a recruiter, Stofiel was assigned to the recruiting station currently known as Recruiting Station Des Moines, which is a part of the 9th Marine Corps District, Western Recruiting Region, in the Midwest. As a recruiter, he was able to enlist five qualified applicants for three months in a row. His efforts rewarded him with a position as the staff non-commissioned officer in charge of Recruiting Sub-Station Omaha.

Following recruiting duty, he deployed to Okinawa, Japan as a company first sergeant for a rifle company until his retirement in 1979

After retiring from the Marine Corps, Stofiel managed to stay active within his community. He worked at Washington County Sheriff’s Department before moving to Clark County Washington and has now been a member of the Marine Corps League (MCL), Colombia River Detachment 826, since September of 1992.

“The need to continue to look after my brothers and sisters has never left” said Stofiel when asked why he became a sheriff and has stayed with the MCL. “It is like we always say… Once a Marine, always a Marine.”