S3 Marco Petrucci: “There has to be trust at every level”
February 24, 2026 - Royal Canadian Navy
Transcript
My great, great grandfather served in World War I and World War II in Italy. He was actually captured. Few German soldiers were actually found killed in the area of Pianosinatico, where my family comes from. And because of that, they actually lined up 25 Sisis and 25 Petruccis, the Sisis are the Petrucci counterpart, and they all shot them. So we have a gravestone in Pianosinatico, with 50 names. And we've all gone and visited that grave.
You know, you come out of high school thinking, oh, the world, the world is going to be your oyster. You know, everything's going to be easy. But it is absolutely not. I was a server at Boston Pizza, I did lifeguarding, I was a substitute teacher at one point, but in the end they didn't give me enough purpose. So when I started looking for a good path in my life, I talked through with my father and we found that, you know, MARTECH in the Navy, really looked like a good option.
Having no background in the trades, I was a little nervous. Job number one: Make sure that the ship moves.
Now is my first sail not having training, I'm responsible for everything I do. I want a naval experience, I want the trades experience. I've gotten the opportunity to work mechanical, to work electrical, work hull tech. And I'll be sent out to transfer, you know, oil for our MLO systems. And that's like our gearbox. That's the most important part of the ship for us. If anything goes wrong, that can cause the ship to stop. That causes delays. And now I'm responsible for all that. We’re the guys getting in the bunker here.
Fights. Fires. Floods. Damages. Helo crashes. All the above, right? Yeah. There has to be trust at every level because we know if anything happens, you know, we're looking at each other. And so we build this really strong camaraderie. We've seen the best andthe worst of all of us, and that's one reason that we can honestly call ourselves family.
We'll do a load between the boards.
We're getting new guys on, new recruits, and now I'm one of the guys they look towards. To carry on, you know, what my family stood for, really means a lot to me. So my job will always be down in the machine spaces, you know, turning wrenches.
In Pianosinatico, we paid our respects, and it is very solemn. But at the same time, you know, I'm just kind of proud to be part of that lineage, part of that history that kind of stood up for themselves and made sacrifices. And in the end succeeded.
A family history rooted in sacrifice is anchoring Sailor 3rd Class 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, Marco 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,” Marco says of life at sea. “Because we know if anything happens, we’re looking at each other.”
Through shared challenges, Marco 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, Marco 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 Marco must evolve with the times and instill modernization efforts into the new generation of recruits.
Marco 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.
Marco 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 Marco’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 Marco’s full story in the video.