This post reminded me of an article I read several years ago. I found a copy of it via Google (naturally) by looking for +marines +happiness +excellence.

http://www.grunt.com/scuttlebutt/corps-stories/bootcamp/corpsvalues.asp

It includes these passages:

“Don’t pursue happiness; pursue excellence. Make a habit of that, and you can have a fulfilling life.”

And “The drill instructors didn’t try to make their recruits happy. They tried to push members of the platoon harder than they’d ever been pushed, to make them go beyond their own self-imposed limits. Nearly all the members of the platoon cried at one time or another. Yet by the end of 11 weeks almost all had been transformed by the experience-and were more fulfilled than they had ever been. They had subordinated their needs to those of the group, yet almost all emerged with a stronger sense of self. They unembarrassedly used words like “integrity.”

While searching, I also noticed that the writer has published a number of books, and a few of his speeches / appearances are on YouTube. I may check ‘em out, e.g.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBKjl4k-c3k
http://www.amazon.com/Making-Corps-Anniversary-Afterword-Author/dp/141654450X/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1241393347&sr=8-12

Best.