I was reared at the knee of a Navy man. He regaled me with tales of manly men who took no guff from anyone. As a southern gentleman, however, he always impressed on me that violence was reserved for defending oneself, one's family and one's country. Any violence perpetrated against a fellow serviceman was only used to address egregious behavior. The kind of abuse heaped on young Marines by "superiors" is tantamount to treason. It is my opinion that many Marine officers would be in prison if they had not chosen to hide out in the Marine Corps. Their behavior is a breath away from that exhibited by incarcerated inmates. Their bulldog mascot should be called "The Hound of Hell."
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I SPENT THREE YEARS IN THE MARINE CORPS. DURING THAT TIME I FOUND OFFICERS TO BE EFFECTIVE LEADERS AND MEN WHO WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THE WELL BEING OF ENLISTED MEN UNDER THEIR COMMAND. MARINE OFFICERS APPEAR TO BE ALOOF AT TIMES AND THE GOOD OFFICER INSTEAD OF ISSUING COMMANDS MAKES STATEMENTS. EXAMPLE: I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE JEEP OUTSIDE THE OFFICE AT 1300 HRS.
THERE ARE A FEW BAD APPLES IN EVERY BUNCH. BY AND LARGE OFFICERS I WAS EXPOSED TO WHERE OUTSTANDING.
SINCERELY,
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I did a four year hitch in the suck. I never saw combat, but I may as well have. When I was in, the Corp was run largely by Vietnam Vets that I recall were incredibly abusive. Everyone of us hated that **** everyday and could not wait for it to end. The only relief was liberty on the weekend witch would often result in a fist fight, drunken stupor or some other trouble. The Marine Corp infantry is like getting dogged out in Hell. I'm incredibly proud to claim the title. I knew so many people that got thrown out. The Marine Corp is not a place to be between wars.I'm glad I'm one of the lucky ones that made it with an honorable.
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There is not a day that I live that I do not draw on my experience's as an active marine. I can spot most former marine's because of their carriage, ability and level of self confidence that sets them apart from the rest of the crowd.
When life has offered me adversity, tragedy or challenge, I have been able to reach deep inside my being for the fiber and grit instilled in me by my Senior Drill Instructor, Gunny Tomlimson. A swarthy, cobalt blue-eyed, old corp type with a well waxed mustache and calloused hands that never hesitated to lead a recruit around by his stacking swivel. I was convinced he supped with the devil and studied under DeSade.
He, and a whole line of Senior and Junior NCOs after him, helped change me from a smart-ass street kid, going nowhere fast, into a fairly reasonable replica of a man and marine. Did I get smacked (maltreated) around? Did I get bounced off a few bulkheads? Did I deserve it? Yes, on all counts.
And, not a day goes by that I don't recall a lesson I learned about leadership and management from some damn fine young lieutenants, including Walter O. Britton, and the "Mad Greek" Knopsinis and at least a squad of others. I owe part of my success in life, also, to a hard-charging young light Colonel, Kenny Houghton, who in five minutes in an auditorium of young marines could have us all ready to follow him into the bowels of hell armed with only a teacup of water. I learned more about motivation, how to build an organization and leadership by example while serving under him, than in a whole lifetime of tapes, classes, seminars, and books out here in the world.
I also, unfortunately, saw my share of ****birds. They included enlisted brig rats, deadly lazy and incompetent NCOs just marking time to get in their 20, and drunken career captains protected by a system which should have cashiered them.
But, what I never saw was the scenario that you describe. What exactly is it that you are in such dudgeon about? Why would you come and spout such anger about something which you know but little.
Those who have not paid their dues really have no say.
Quite frankly, I'm more concerned about some rear echelon office pinkies, and staff pogues who have let some fine young marines die in this Osprey fiasco than I am about your supposed violence in the ranks.
Let me end this by assuring you that I was no poster Marine. I had my share of office hours. I never went to sea school or embassy duty. I was what was called, "A good field marine, not a barracks marine". I had my share of beefs with some slack-jawed lifers and even got busted once from Corporal back to Lance Corporal for going over the hump for eleven days to Reno with a nurse I met in Laguna Beach. But, you're not interested in my seas stories, anymore, than I can guage by your diatribe, than you are in the truth.
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You reveal both your ignorance and your arrogance by presuming I know not whereof I speak. The TRUTH ripped out my heart as I stood at the casket of my 19 year-old brother following his discharge from the Marines. I will not sully his memory by debating drivel.
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I deeply regret that you've lost a loved one, however,
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July 1 2001, 6:41 PM
that does not open the door to your calling me arrogant and ignorant. Grief is grief and unmitigated rudeness is still rudeness.
Your bereavement gives you no license to characterize as "drivel" my response to your emotional outburst.
You are not the only person in the world who has lost a loved one. You mention your brother was nineteen at the time of his death. I was a nineteen year-old Marine L/Cpl, cavorting in the jungles of Southeast Asia, when my mom, who raised me single-handedly died a sudden and tragically violent death when she was only 51. So I understand loss, but I do not understand people such as you, who wear their loss as an emblem and use it as an excuse to display and inflict on others their intolerably bad manners.
You offer nothing of the circumstances of your brother's death so your rant against the Marine Corps remains just that, a sorry outburst by a bereaved person luxuriating in their grief and inflicting it on the nearest target.
You may very well speak knowingly about your loss and pain, but you seem still to know nothing of the Corps.
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I'm sorry that the abusive speech offends you. It is evident to me that the Marine Corp Infantry in which you speak of differs greatly from my own personal experiences in the suck. Yes, that's what everybody called it. Obviously you have never had a blanket party for dropping out of a run, or got the living crap knocked out of you for selling your firewatch.I was a squared away Marine too. I was no ****bird. It was all I could do to keep from becoming one of the misfortunate ones. I'm surprised that you're offended. The things me and my buddies did overseas would make the Devil himself blush like a little bitch. I don't think you recall the 40 mile Marine Corp readiness test in eight hours, full combat gear. There was no motivation about it, our unit was herded like cattle and everyone hated it.Nobody said it would be easy.To me it was one of those invaluable lessons of life. Building interpersonal relationships with people and witnessing a debauchery of authoritarian mismanagement.
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I'm not certain if you're replying to me or the Gunny. If to me, let me say that I was replying to the original poster and not to you.
But, either way, I don't know how I could empathize with you as I never dropped out and I never sold my fire watch. And no squared away Marine in my experience did either.
If you've been wonderfully successful in civilian life then you can certainly attribute your Marine experience to just that, a bad experience. If you have not been wonderfully successful in life, as it appears you were not in the Corps, then the problem just may be you.
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