Never leave anyone behind

[wrbones]

An excerpt from an article

http://www.treefort.org/~cbdoten/misc/111399a.shtml

What Marine service does for those fortunate enough to experience it is important. From the first day of boot camp, a Marine recruit learns that Marines never leave their dead or their wounded-their own-behind. Liberals especially ought to stand in grateful awe of this Marine Corps ethic, which contradicts the unbridled individualism that elevates personal well being, comfort and profit above any obligation one might owe to his community or to his country.






((note: An ideal that is, at times difficult beyond belief to adhere to, but one that is constantly before us.))

[wrbones]

http://www.navyleague.org/sea_power/nov_02_05.php



Through the years, the Marines have developed their own unique warrior ethic, and they adhere to it religiously. Individual Marine units have often been outnumbered--they have never been outfought. When a battle starts the Marines run to the sound of the gun, not away from it. They always take care of their own. They never leave anyone behind. When, as at Chosin, a fighting withdrawal is the only option available, they bring their dead and wounded with them.

[wrbones]

A Soldiers Prayer


Lord as I go out to do battle
To defend my Countries Freedom
I shall stand tall and proudly march behind my Flag


Help me Lord to bring only Honor
To my Countries colors
I ask you to help me and guide me


Lord when I am afraid replace my fear with courage
When I am weak give me strength


Where there is battle fatigue
Give me endurance to go on


Where there is despair
Give me faith to carry my flag in my heart


And when my brother or sister has fallen
Give me the strength to carry them back to safety
Never let me leave anyone behind


And when I have taken my enemies life in battle


I ask you to forgive me for what I have done
Realize Lord, I fought proudly for my God and My Country
So that every American we will for ever remain Free!
I ask you Lord to forgive me.


Amen...


Written by:
Ruby Alexandra Beloz
2/17/02 ã

[wrbones]

http://www.wofford.edu/whatsnew/news/archive2002/20020519_b.htm

In the aftermath of the events of last September 11th, Lyndon Harris, a Wofford alumnus who had played a significant role at Ground Zero, returned to Wofford to talk about those harrowing events. In the course of his remarks, he described the frantic concern of firemen and policemen to recover the remains of their comrades, even at the risk of further loss of life. Afterwards, as we were walking from Old Main to join Lyndon Harris at lunch, my wife turned to Ab Abercrombie, a much admired colleague who, as I was vaguely aware, had seen extensive combat in Vietnam. He'd been regular Army, not Marine Corps, but I had heard he went into the enemy tunnels, compared to which the Halls of Montezuma were like health resorts. Not knowing any of this, my wife observed that she'd always had trouble understanding an obsession with recovering bodies, especially if it meant endangering others.

"Well, you know," Ab answered, cocking his head with a quizzical smile that could have been rueful or simply self-deprecating. "They teach you in officer training that, no matter what, you never leave anyone behind, dead or alive. When they told us that, I was fairly skeptical. Why would an officer put himself and his men in harm's way just to rescue a corpse? I figured if it came to that I probably wouldn't, though I kept that thought to myself." He paused to glance in our direction as we walked down the slope behind Dupre. "But then one time in Vietnam I found myself in a truly awful place, where I was ordered to take my men to retrieve a couple of bodies. I thought enough people had died that day already and I was on the verge of refusing. But I did what I was told, and, when I got there and found a body. . . he was alive." Ab paused again as we neared the Campus Life Building. "He looked up at me and said, 'I knew you'd come."

As we walked past the pool tables and trophy cases, I could feel the hair standing up on the back of my neck. I'd never heard Ab say this much about his time in Vietnam, and I thought I understood it and him a little better. But I also understood that, Marine Corps or not, a motto like Semper Fidelis means what the actions of Ab and others like him have made it mean. Every such act invests the phrase in whose name it is done with a meaning that transcends clichés. "Always faithful." Always.

[wrbones]

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08-13-99 USAF Chaplain's Thoughts
Last Thursday morning I was one of more than 300 runners in the NSA Armed Forces Week 5K run (Ft. Meade, MD). It was pretty crowded at the start, but things thinned out after about five minutes or so, and I took my bearings. Perhaps 200 yards ahead of me was a group of maybe 8 Marines or so who were obviously running together. I decided that a good goal would be to beat them, which seemed reasonable as I am a macho Air Force Chaplain and they were only a bunch of United States Marines. I kept them in sight for the next couple of miles, but the longer the race went on, the younger those guys got. It became apparent to me in the last half mile that I was not going to catch them, and I resigned myself to finishing well behind them.

Then I noticed that one of their number was struggling and was gradually dropping off the pace. I panted out a word of encouragement as I caught him and realized that he was not about to give up. Within 100 yards of the finish line I saw a strange sight. The entire group of Marines made a U-turn in the road and were running back towards me. As they ran past me I noted their well-chiseled muscles and the determined set of their jaws. I glanced over my shoulder in time to see them rally around their buddy to provide the emotional support of the team so that they could all finish together.

I was impressed. No way would they leave a struggling comrade behind. As I entered the finishing chute I murmured a prayer. "God, I'm glad those guys are on our side." And so it was that I learned a theological truth from the U.S. Marines that is as vivid as any my seminary professors ever taught. "If anyone... sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth."
1 John 3:17,18

Last Thursday I witnessed "a few good men" in action. They reminded me of the strength of being a team, and that words without actions are pretty much useless.

Thanks, Marines.

[Sgt Sostand]

I love this Quote

SOME PEOPLE LIVE AN ENTIRE LIFETIME AND WONDER IF
THEY HAVE EVER MADE A DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD,BUT
THE MARINES :marine: DONT HAVE THAT PROBLEM"...RONALD
REAGAN...

[SheWolf]

ahhh,, Ft Meade,, NSA,,, my old stomping grounds...........