Question: Who is the guy getting on the bus yelling "Semper Fi" at the end of the movie?
Question: What is the hospitaler inserting into his mouth as he squats near the creek?
Answer: I thought it was cotton with oil of clove for a bad tooth.
Answer: The answer is a "miswak," a dental hygiene twig used, and still used, for cleaning the teeth.
Answer: He was just an old former Marine (I would assume a Vietnam vet) that wanted to congratulate the Marines, and give them a better welcome home than the Vietnam vets ever got.
EMTurbo