MARINE CORPS AIR GROUND COMBAT CENTER, Calif. — Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Eric M. Smith today honored Vice President-Elect J.D. Vance with a bronzed locker that he was regularly locked in while serving as a Marine.

“This really brings back a lot of great memories,” Vance told the regiment as he fondly patted the locker. “Every time I told people that I was too busy to help because I was a press correspondent, they never hesitated to remind me of what it means to be a part of the Marines.”

Vance served in the Marines from Sept. 22, 2003, to Sept. 21, 2007, with one deployment to Iraq. While hazing isn’t anything new to military life, many Marines who served with Vance are proud of the results.