fontman
07-15-06, 09:18 AM
Author's focus on military heroes yields gripping 2nd book
By Ethan Risom
In his second book, "The Few and the Proud: Marine Corps Drill Instructors in their own Words," author and island homeowner Larry Smith examines the process that creates military heroes. It's a theme he's building on following his first book, "Beyond Glory: Medal of Honor Recipients in their own Words," in which the veteran reporter and editor for Parade and the New York Times told the stories of outstanding soldiers - those men who go above and beyond the call of duty to achieve some heroic feat.
After his more generally themed first book, what made Smith focus specifically on Marine drill instructors? Smith says that he was drawn to the subject by his own ties to the Corps - his brother served. In addition, Smith detected two intriguing themes within his Marine Corps research. One was that the history of the Marines reflects the history of America. The second was that the "Marines change a man for life."
Smith devoted "The Few and the Proud" to charting these two themes, as well as to introducing the Marine Corps to the general public as more than the malicious hard-asses depicted by R. Lee Ermey in "Full Metal Jacket."
The fascination with drill instructors was born when, early on in his research, he heard the line "nobody ever forgets the name of his D.I." The idea stuck with him, he said, and he decided that the story of the Marines is best told through the eyes of the people who help shape each new generation of soldiers: the drill instructors.
The book opens with the first step for any newly enlisted Marine, at boot camp on Parris Island in South Carolina, or the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego. Here hopefuls undergo intense training that will prepare them for combat. This training, as the Marine Corps advertises, changes the soldier for life - nobody leaves boot camps the same person they entered. It's drill instructors who make sure that happens.
For the almost 100-year history of the modern Marine Corps, there have been drill instructors - and while, Smith explains, methods may have evolved, the core being of these men has remained a l m o s t unchanged. Toiling to prepare men for combat, men that, during war-time, have a high probability of dying, drill instructors have left an indelible mark on the Marine Corps as a whole.
To tell the full story of these men and women, Smith interviewed 28 instructors, whose combined service spans the past 60 years, and then tells their stories in individual chapters.
"The Few and The Proud" breaks the last 60 years of Marine Corps history into three eras: World War 2 to Korea, Vietnam, and the modern period. Through Smith's interviews, each era takes on its own distinctive feel.
For the veterans of WWII, psychological toughness was key, a fact reflected in their training methods. In the interviews, two themes run throughout, linking men such as Chuck Taliano, "Iron Mike" Mervosh, and Dave Robles: all enlisted to find a paycheck, and almost all had trouble with the law. They describe "their" Marine Corps as filled with tough guys and bemoan the "softness" of today's training regimen. Each man speaks of boot camp as a place where the drill instructors break soldiers down so that the Marine Corps can rebuild them. By contrast, they view the modern Marines as more physically fit, but less mentally tough.
The reason for this generational gap, Smith explains, occurred during the Vietnam period as a result of the Ribbon Creek Disaster. This disaster, a training exercise in which six recruits died, was a catalyst for massive overhaul of the entire Marine Corps training system. Where before drill instructors could do pretty much as they pleased, a new code of conduct was written, forbidding physical contact between instructors and recruits, as well as training methods like sleep deprivation marches. The drill instructor whose recruits had died, Staff Sergeant Matthew C. McKeon, was courtmartialed. Many of McKeon's contemporaries, however, say that he did nothing out of the ordinary - he simply had bad luck. The Ribbon Creek disaster not only defined the Marine Corps of the Vietnam era as ruthless, but also ushered in a new breed of Marine.
Most of the active-duty Marines that Smith interviewed don't think that the Corps has gotten any softer since WWII. They disagree with the "Old Guard" - and reference the staggering physical and mental capacities that a Marine requires. They maintain that many post-Ribbon Creek training techniques, such as the Crucible, the 54-hour "test" that completes basic training, are far more demanding than their predecessors.
There are also separate sections dealing with both black and female Marines. Both sections chronicle the rise to equality for each group - black Marines were integrated under President Truman's order in 1948, while women began training on Parris Island in 1949 but are still barred from active combat postings. Each contains inspiring stories of courage and frustration. Black soldiers recall landing on Iwo Jima as ammunition carriers, subjected to the same danger for less pay and glory. These interviews, along with those of other Iwo Jima survivors, are actually the subject of Smith's next book, which will cover, in detail, the historic battle of Iwo Jima.
The women interviewed by Smith tell of obligatory makeup training in boot camp that had less to do with boots than it did with eye shadow but was, Smith explains, "designed to combat the reputation of homosexuality amongst female Marines."
"The Few and the Proud" is a comprehensive review of the modern history of the Marine Corps - but it doesn't read like one. Smith's interview format, as well as the strong personalities of the Marines he interviews, keeps the book less dry than much historical non-fiction. Moreover, the personal anecdotes offer up more than the official party line on the Marines. Smith shows the Marine Corps' dark side just as readily as he showcases the positive.
When "The Few and the Proud" does falter it is the result of over saturation. Smith has included tremendous detail, but in certain instances, such as the Ribbon Creek section, this detail can be ponderous. In all, though, these relatively minor faults are overcome by the evocative power and educational impact of the interviews. "The Few and the Proud" will not only teach all but the most knowledgeable reader about the Marine Corps' history, it will also enlighten readers about the mindset and culture of the Marines.
By Ethan Risom
In his second book, "The Few and the Proud: Marine Corps Drill Instructors in their own Words," author and island homeowner Larry Smith examines the process that creates military heroes. It's a theme he's building on following his first book, "Beyond Glory: Medal of Honor Recipients in their own Words," in which the veteran reporter and editor for Parade and the New York Times told the stories of outstanding soldiers - those men who go above and beyond the call of duty to achieve some heroic feat.
After his more generally themed first book, what made Smith focus specifically on Marine drill instructors? Smith says that he was drawn to the subject by his own ties to the Corps - his brother served. In addition, Smith detected two intriguing themes within his Marine Corps research. One was that the history of the Marines reflects the history of America. The second was that the "Marines change a man for life."
Smith devoted "The Few and the Proud" to charting these two themes, as well as to introducing the Marine Corps to the general public as more than the malicious hard-asses depicted by R. Lee Ermey in "Full Metal Jacket."
The fascination with drill instructors was born when, early on in his research, he heard the line "nobody ever forgets the name of his D.I." The idea stuck with him, he said, and he decided that the story of the Marines is best told through the eyes of the people who help shape each new generation of soldiers: the drill instructors.
The book opens with the first step for any newly enlisted Marine, at boot camp on Parris Island in South Carolina, or the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego. Here hopefuls undergo intense training that will prepare them for combat. This training, as the Marine Corps advertises, changes the soldier for life - nobody leaves boot camps the same person they entered. It's drill instructors who make sure that happens.
For the almost 100-year history of the modern Marine Corps, there have been drill instructors - and while, Smith explains, methods may have evolved, the core being of these men has remained a l m o s t unchanged. Toiling to prepare men for combat, men that, during war-time, have a high probability of dying, drill instructors have left an indelible mark on the Marine Corps as a whole.
To tell the full story of these men and women, Smith interviewed 28 instructors, whose combined service spans the past 60 years, and then tells their stories in individual chapters.
"The Few and The Proud" breaks the last 60 years of Marine Corps history into three eras: World War 2 to Korea, Vietnam, and the modern period. Through Smith's interviews, each era takes on its own distinctive feel.
For the veterans of WWII, psychological toughness was key, a fact reflected in their training methods. In the interviews, two themes run throughout, linking men such as Chuck Taliano, "Iron Mike" Mervosh, and Dave Robles: all enlisted to find a paycheck, and almost all had trouble with the law. They describe "their" Marine Corps as filled with tough guys and bemoan the "softness" of today's training regimen. Each man speaks of boot camp as a place where the drill instructors break soldiers down so that the Marine Corps can rebuild them. By contrast, they view the modern Marines as more physically fit, but less mentally tough.
The reason for this generational gap, Smith explains, occurred during the Vietnam period as a result of the Ribbon Creek Disaster. This disaster, a training exercise in which six recruits died, was a catalyst for massive overhaul of the entire Marine Corps training system. Where before drill instructors could do pretty much as they pleased, a new code of conduct was written, forbidding physical contact between instructors and recruits, as well as training methods like sleep deprivation marches. The drill instructor whose recruits had died, Staff Sergeant Matthew C. McKeon, was courtmartialed. Many of McKeon's contemporaries, however, say that he did nothing out of the ordinary - he simply had bad luck. The Ribbon Creek disaster not only defined the Marine Corps of the Vietnam era as ruthless, but also ushered in a new breed of Marine.
Most of the active-duty Marines that Smith interviewed don't think that the Corps has gotten any softer since WWII. They disagree with the "Old Guard" - and reference the staggering physical and mental capacities that a Marine requires. They maintain that many post-Ribbon Creek training techniques, such as the Crucible, the 54-hour "test" that completes basic training, are far more demanding than their predecessors.
There are also separate sections dealing with both black and female Marines. Both sections chronicle the rise to equality for each group - black Marines were integrated under President Truman's order in 1948, while women began training on Parris Island in 1949 but are still barred from active combat postings. Each contains inspiring stories of courage and frustration. Black soldiers recall landing on Iwo Jima as ammunition carriers, subjected to the same danger for less pay and glory. These interviews, along with those of other Iwo Jima survivors, are actually the subject of Smith's next book, which will cover, in detail, the historic battle of Iwo Jima.
The women interviewed by Smith tell of obligatory makeup training in boot camp that had less to do with boots than it did with eye shadow but was, Smith explains, "designed to combat the reputation of homosexuality amongst female Marines."
"The Few and the Proud" is a comprehensive review of the modern history of the Marine Corps - but it doesn't read like one. Smith's interview format, as well as the strong personalities of the Marines he interviews, keeps the book less dry than much historical non-fiction. Moreover, the personal anecdotes offer up more than the official party line on the Marines. Smith shows the Marine Corps' dark side just as readily as he showcases the positive.
When "The Few and the Proud" does falter it is the result of over saturation. Smith has included tremendous detail, but in certain instances, such as the Ribbon Creek section, this detail can be ponderous. In all, though, these relatively minor faults are overcome by the evocative power and educational impact of the interviews. "The Few and the Proud" will not only teach all but the most knowledgeable reader about the Marine Corps' history, it will also enlighten readers about the mindset and culture of the Marines.