thedrifter
06-16-05, 01:03 PM
Borrowed from Mark aka The Fontman
Veteran warriors have much to teach us
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By Scott A. Huesing
As a member of a warrior breed that holds onto the traditions and history that set us apart from the other services, I have had several opportunities to meet some of the fine men who set the stage for the Marine Corps’ continued success.
Recently, while attending a commanders conference in Norfolk, Va., I noticed a group of veterans sitting alone at their tables in the dining hall. Presumptuously, I introduced myself and asked one of these men if he would mind if I joined him for lunch.
That afternoon, I had the privilege of spending time with former Pfc. James R. Skinner. What interested me most during our two-hour meal was the interest that Skinner took in what is going on with Marines today, the recent actions in Iraq and what I have done during my career.
I found myself trying hard to turn the conversation toward what he had experienced during his short time in the Corps. I say short time, but in the course of only four years, from 1942 to 1945, this Marine experienced more than most leathernecks will ever know, and all at the rank of private and private first class.
Skinner took part in the landings at Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, Guam, Bougainville and Iwo Jima. As a field engineer and demolitions man with Alpha Company, 19th Engineer Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, he was responsible for blasting the enemy from the fortified, cave-strewn islands. He spoke candidly about the landings, his fellow Marines and the intensity they shared during World War II.
Six decades have passed since Skinner assaulted enemy forces in the island-hopping campaigns of the South Pacific, but the hard-nosed attitude that got him through those tough times remains.
After lunch, he invited me to his hotel room to give me his contact information for future correspondence. Laid out on the bed was his original-issue dress blue uniform with his ribbons prominently displayed. He described the actions for which he received each.
At the top of the eight-ribbon display was the Purple Heart, awarded for clearing an enemy cave on Iwo Jima: Skinner described how he moved slowly through the cave with weapon and flashlight in hand, spotlighting a Japanese soldier who detonated a grenade. The shrapnel hit Skinner in the head, torso and wrist.
I was honored by the experience. Still, I wondered why decorated warriors of the past were dining alone in a room full of Marines and sailors. How could such a wealth of knowledge and experience be left alone?
We should seize every opportunity to learn from those who came before us. Ensuring our traditions stand strong is not just the responsibility of historians, the media, museums or even amateur writers. Maintaining tradition within our Corps is the responsibility of every Marine. However, it is important to remember that we also have the power and opportunity to start new traditions.
We must embrace these aging warriors. Sooner than we would like, the living narrators of the battles of Belleau Wood, Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima, Tarawa, Chosin Reservoir, Khe Sanh and Hue City will be gone.
As more time passes, today’s Marines must be the narrators of the history they are writing even now.
Inevitably, there will be young Marines who will invite themselves to your table and ask about the battles of the Persian Gulf, Khafji, Mogadishu, Basra, Baghdad, Kandahar, and Fallujah.
Tell them what mattered most during those battles and wars — taking care of one another and never letting down your fellow Marines.
The writer is an infantry captain serving with Marine Corps Security Force Battalion in Norfolk, Va.
Ellie
Veteran warriors have much to teach us
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Scott A. Huesing
As a member of a warrior breed that holds onto the traditions and history that set us apart from the other services, I have had several opportunities to meet some of the fine men who set the stage for the Marine Corps’ continued success.
Recently, while attending a commanders conference in Norfolk, Va., I noticed a group of veterans sitting alone at their tables in the dining hall. Presumptuously, I introduced myself and asked one of these men if he would mind if I joined him for lunch.
That afternoon, I had the privilege of spending time with former Pfc. James R. Skinner. What interested me most during our two-hour meal was the interest that Skinner took in what is going on with Marines today, the recent actions in Iraq and what I have done during my career.
I found myself trying hard to turn the conversation toward what he had experienced during his short time in the Corps. I say short time, but in the course of only four years, from 1942 to 1945, this Marine experienced more than most leathernecks will ever know, and all at the rank of private and private first class.
Skinner took part in the landings at Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, Guam, Bougainville and Iwo Jima. As a field engineer and demolitions man with Alpha Company, 19th Engineer Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, he was responsible for blasting the enemy from the fortified, cave-strewn islands. He spoke candidly about the landings, his fellow Marines and the intensity they shared during World War II.
Six decades have passed since Skinner assaulted enemy forces in the island-hopping campaigns of the South Pacific, but the hard-nosed attitude that got him through those tough times remains.
After lunch, he invited me to his hotel room to give me his contact information for future correspondence. Laid out on the bed was his original-issue dress blue uniform with his ribbons prominently displayed. He described the actions for which he received each.
At the top of the eight-ribbon display was the Purple Heart, awarded for clearing an enemy cave on Iwo Jima: Skinner described how he moved slowly through the cave with weapon and flashlight in hand, spotlighting a Japanese soldier who detonated a grenade. The shrapnel hit Skinner in the head, torso and wrist.
I was honored by the experience. Still, I wondered why decorated warriors of the past were dining alone in a room full of Marines and sailors. How could such a wealth of knowledge and experience be left alone?
We should seize every opportunity to learn from those who came before us. Ensuring our traditions stand strong is not just the responsibility of historians, the media, museums or even amateur writers. Maintaining tradition within our Corps is the responsibility of every Marine. However, it is important to remember that we also have the power and opportunity to start new traditions.
We must embrace these aging warriors. Sooner than we would like, the living narrators of the battles of Belleau Wood, Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima, Tarawa, Chosin Reservoir, Khe Sanh and Hue City will be gone.
As more time passes, today’s Marines must be the narrators of the history they are writing even now.
Inevitably, there will be young Marines who will invite themselves to your table and ask about the battles of the Persian Gulf, Khafji, Mogadishu, Basra, Baghdad, Kandahar, and Fallujah.
Tell them what mattered most during those battles and wars — taking care of one another and never letting down your fellow Marines.
The writer is an infantry captain serving with Marine Corps Security Force Battalion in Norfolk, Va.
Ellie