By all accounts, Justin Timberlake is a cool guy. He’s incredibly charming and talented, and he has quite the impressive history of lady friends to go along with it. He’s a decent enough actor and he single-handedly owns every episode of “Saturday Night Live” that he hosts. And that’s why it didn’t really come as much of a surprise that he accepted 23-year old Cpl. Kelsey De Santis’s YouTube invitation to be her date to the Marine Corps Ball in Richmond, VA this past weekend.

De Santis, of course, was a part of this summer’s most affable Internet trend, when she recorded a video asking Timberlake to join her at the Marine Corps Ball. Her invite was one of a few, including a soldier asking Mila Kunis, a Marine inviting Scarlett Johansson (she declined), another asking Betty White to be his date, and actress Linda Hamilton very creepily offering that soldier to be White’s replacement when the 89-year old declined. Kunis also accepted her invitation, but she later admitted that her schedule wouldn’t allow her to attend. I like to think she didn’t want to make me jealous.

Timberlake, though, not only attended, but he stayed through the whole event and even accepted when his date challenged him to a dance-off. There needs to be video of this like yesterday.

The 30-year old entertainer also posted a recap of the evening, his heartfelt thoughts and feelings about the USMC, and some photos of the event on his personal website.

On his date, Kelsey De Santis:

She seemed to me to be so humble and honest… Very cool. She also simultaneously seemed like she was nervous about the whole evening and if I was going to enjoy myself. “Are you ok?” she asked 2 or 3 times. “I hope you are having fun. I know you will once my crew of friends get here to the table.” I have to tell you, it’s not every day that I meet a 23 year old girl and she’s more worried about if I’m having fun or if I’m comfortable! It hit me all of a sudden that these were the type of people that look after us and our freedom… Humble, concerned for others before themselves… This was the type of person our Marine Corps was building. I was really blown away.

And the Marine Corps Ball’s opening video tribute to the men and women serving this country:

While this tribute was playing, you could hear a pin drop. It was a surreal moment to be in that room with so many of our great Marines who have such a different type of connection to those stories. One that we who don’t serve will NEVER understand. It was familial. It was like they were listening to their own blood brothers. I glanced around the room at young men and women, spouses and soldiers… At kids way beyond their years, really… All so deeply entwined. Not just by battle, even though we who have never endured anything remotely close to those experiences and have NO position to comment on… But, by having such life changing experiences through them and to not ever waver in their love and respect for our homeland. That’s what I saw. A faith in us that has been tested time and time again. And, through it all, NEVER a drop of doubt. I was truly moved.

Justin Timberlake – actor, singer, dancer… all-around badass.