RCN
S3 Marco Petrucci: “There has to be trust at every level”
By RCN
A family history rooted in sacrifice is anchoring Sailor 3rd Class (S3) Marco Petrucci’s journey in the Royal Canadian Navy.
“My great, great grandfather served in World War 1 and World War 2 in Italy. He was actually captured,” he explains. “A few German soldiers were actually found killed in the area of Pianosinatico, where my family comes from. Because of that, they actually lined up 25 Sisis and 25 Petrucci’s and they all shot them.”
A shared gravestone bearing 50 names stands in Pianosinatico, memorializing the soldiers executed as a result of the German casualties. Twenty-five of these names end with “Petrucci”. “We’ve all gone and visited that grave,” says S3 Petrucci.
You come out of high school thinking ‘the world is your oyster, everything is going to be easy’, says S3 Petrucci.
“But it is absolutely not.”
Before joining the Royal Canadian Navy as a Marine Technician, S3 Petrucci tried a variety of odd jobs.
“I did lifeguarding, I was a substitute teacher at one point. But in the end, they didn’t give me enough purpose.”
Marine Technicians (MARTECHs) serve a crucial role at sea. They troubleshoot internal issues, advising command and restoring system functions.
Every system on board is connected; a ship’s crew must function like a well-oiled machine. Even a minor equipment fault at sea can escalate quickly if not addressed, putting every crew member at risk.
“Our gearbox, that’s the most important part of the ship for us. If anything goes wrong, that can cause the ship to stop,” says S3 Petrucci. “And now I’m responsible for all that.”
“Fights, fires, floods, damage, Helo crashes.” The S3 and his team are responsible for dealing with all of these.
“There has to be trust at every level,” S3 Petrucci says of life at sea. “Because we know if anything happens, we’re looking at each other.”
Through shared challenges, S3 Petrucci and his shipmates have built a powerful camaraderie. Having seen “the best and the worst of all of us” has created a bond he calls family.
With the experience he has gained in the past year, S3 Petrucci now has the privilege of mentoring new recruits.
“We’re getting new guys on, new recruits, and now I’m one of the guys they look towards.”
Mentorship is an important part of any sailor’s progression, allowing them to apply what they have learned and reinforce their knowledge by sharing it.
This is especially true for technical trades like MARTECH, as sailors like S3 Petrucci must evolve with the times and instill modernization efforts into the new generation of recruits.
S3 Petrucci also carries out any metal work required, such as welding and machining. He has found himself responsible for the vital systems, from mechanical to electrical, that keep the ship moving.
S3 Petrucci now has the privilege of playing a key role in building the Navy of tomorrow, all the while enhancing his leadership skills and furthering his career.
Historical memory, like that of S3 Petrucci’s great-grandfather, shapes modern identity in the Navy. He carries forward a dual legacy: the resilience memorialized in Pianosinatico and the critical role of today’s Navy, proving that service bridges generations and oceans.
“I’m proud to be part of that lineage that stood up for themselves and made sacrifices, and in the end, succeeded.”
Watch S3 Petrucci’s full story in the first episode of “To Serve”, a new RCN video series.
