In the history of military recruiting ads, none is more iconic than the Marine Corps’ “Rite of Passage” commercial from 1998. In it, a nameless hero swings a sword with an Eagle, Globe, and Anchor on its hilt to slay a lava monster and then morphs into his Dress Blues.
Although younger Americans may not fully appreciate the awesomeness of this commercial, its status as a legend was cemented in the HBO miniseries “Generation Kill” – based on the book of the same name by Evan Wright – in which Cpl. Josh Ray Person jokes that the ad “got so many f—king guys.”
Now Marine veteran Jackson Dodd is the proud owner of the 8.5-pound sword that inspired countless Marines to become one of the few, the proud, the lava monster slayers.
Dodd, who served as a Marine rifleman and a School of Infantry combat instructor from 2012 to 2021, said it was “pretty mind-blowing” when he acquired the sword earlier this year.
“A lot of people joined the Marine Corps specifically because of that ad,” Dodd told Task & Purpose on Wednesday. “It was incredible that the Marine Corps even considered producing something like that. Marines join the Marine Corps because they want action, they want to get involved. They just want to do crazy, fun stuff. And I think that ad really highlighted the mentality that most Marines have – like, we’ll do crazy things, but we’ll have fun doing it.”
Dodd, who left the Marines as a sergeant, said he remembered the “Rite of Passage” ad from his childhood. Although it was not the main reason he joined the Marine Corps, he said, “It definitely was in the back of my head, for sure.”
During his time in the Marine Corps, Dodd said he and his buddies would joke about how cool it would be to own the sword used in the commercial. Then this past November, he saw the ad on social media and — somewhat like the hero in the ad — he was inspired to a quest: to track down the sword and, if possible, make it his own.
“I just had some time one evening, and I just thought to myself: Maybe I’ll just see if I can find a replica or something of that sword that was used in that commercial,” said Dodd, who lives in Richmond, Virginia. “Somebody has got to have something similar to it.”
After a few hours of internet sleuthing, Dodd discovered a picture of a man with swords on display, one of which was the famous lava sword. The picture’s caption included a name: Tony Swatton, a master blacksmith who has forged swords and armor for movies and television shows.
Dodd reached out to Swatton, who confirmed he still had the sword from the “Rite of Passage” commercial. After a negotiation, the two settled on a price for the legendary sword of $6,000.
Swatton, Dodd said, was as interested in getting the sword to the right person as the money.
“Tony had mentioned to me that he was getting ready to bring the sword to an auction this year, but he was more interested in making sure that the sword went towards someone who could really appreciate it — somebody who has an attachment to it rather than just a collector,” Dodd said. “So, he was very happy with that outcome, and I couldn’t be more grateful for him giving me this opportunity.”
In January, Dodd received both the sword and a certificate of authenticity. He quickly learned that the weapon is very heavy and requires both hands to wield.
Dodd is currently trying to get a custom plaque for the sword so that it can be properly displayed. He has also considered temporarily loaning it to the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Triangle, Virginia.
He feels honored to own such an important part of Marine Corps history. “When you become a Marine, it becomes a big part of your identity,” he said.
“Just the opportunity to hold onto something like this, it’s incredible,” Dodd added. “The Marine Corps will stay with me for the rest of my life. My wife is currently serving in the Marine Corps. It will always be a part of us. So, to be able to have something like this is just beyond words.”