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  1. #1
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    Cool Those Marines

    THOSE MARINES
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    This comes to us by way of one of our own, Keith Cole. It is a very good
    read and I think it's one of the reasons we love being Marines so damn
    much....THANKS KEITH.

    Those ******* Marines
    By Lt. Col. David W. Szelowski USMCR (ret.)
    May 5, 2003 01:02 PM

    I got this from an Army friend.

    I wonder how many times during Operation Iraqi Freedom that the phrase
    "******* Marines" was uttered? Even in the best of times, Army and Air
    Force officers have been heard muttering some epithet about Marines,
    invoking either heaven or hell. Interestingly enough, we Marines find it
    all rather reassuring and, at times, amusing.

    Most of the time, Marines do not go out of our way to be obnoxious; we are
    just doing what Marines have done for over 200 years. A good example is the
    fact that Marines always raise the American flag over mountains or cities
    they have conquered. From Mt. Suribachi to the City of Hue, to Kuwait City
    to Baghdad, U.S. Marines have raised the Stars and Stripes -- in the latter
    examples, much to the chagrin of higher headquarters. You don't get these
    kinds of problems with the army.

    So what is it about the U.S. Marines that they stick U.S. flags on
    everything and do more with less, a less that is either old or an army
    hand-me-down? We call it Esprit de Corps , but it goes deeper than
    that. We learn and maintain myths of the past, which also means living up
    to those historical examples. Marine Corps boot camp is the longest of the
    services; it is where we mold young men and women into the mythical image
    called a Marine. You can be in the Army, you can join the Air Force, but
    you become a Marine. All of the other uniformed services have songs; the
    U.S. Marines have a hymn. The basic pattern of Marine Corps uniforms comes
    from the late nineteenth century; our emblem "the Eagle, Globe and Anchor"
    has remained largely unchanged since 1868. The buttons on our dress blues,
    whites and greens date back to the founding of our corps. The Marine Corps
    is the only service that requires its officers to carry a sword, whose
    pattern dates back to 1805.

    I think that the path of being a Marine was established long ago. On the 10
    th of November 1775, the Marine Corps was first established...in a tavern.
    To this day, no matter where in the world, Marines celebrate the founding of
    our beloved Corps, much to the confusion of the other services.

    A few years ago, a congresswoman from Colorado felt that the Marine Corps
    was radical and extreme. She contended that the Marine Corps was not
    politically correct, nor did we seem to be part of the Department of
    Defense's transition to a "kinder and gentler" military. She was correct,
    and the Marine Corps took it as a compliment.

    But the proof is in the doing, and during Iraqi Freedom the Marines
    demonstrated what Marines can do. I watched with some amusement as a
    reporter asked a young lance corporal about being in Iraq and under rifle
    fire. "Love it, sir!" was his response. The reporter was taken aback and
    asked, "No, really." The Marine then tried to explain that this is what he
    was trained to do, he looked forward to doing it and was now happy to be
    doing it. No doubt in boot camp he was told that he was "a minister of
    death praying for war." Contrast that with the poor U.S. Army Apache pilots
    who said that if they had to take life, they would do so reluctantly. You
    are either a warrior or you are not.

    Marines are mission oriented. Live or die, the most important thing to a
    Marine is accomplishing the mission. Whether taking the bridge, river or
    town, accomplishing the mission is the Holy Grail of being a Marine. How
    the mission is accomplished is not so important, as it is expected of all
    marines to accomplish the mission with the tools available. This is
    probably why we heard that Marines in one
    engagement were fighting with knives and bayonets. This was hardly high
    tech, but it was effective. These Marines now have bragging rights, for
    they have proven that they talk-the-talk and walk-the-walk. I doubt there is
    a single Marine who is not envious.

    Marines are practical, as well. I enjoyed hearing two reporters
    interviewing each other, one embedded with the army, the other with the
    Marines. The reporter with the army noted that the sandstorm had blown down
    many of the soldiers' cots. The other reporter countered that the Marines
    did not have this problem because they slept on the ground. The Marine
    learns to live with what he can carry on his back. He expects to be moved
    around on the battlefield via his two black Cadillacs (boots). If he is
    lucky and gets a ride on an amtrack, so much the better -- but it is not
    expected. At the end of a mission, the priority for cleaning is weapon,
    then equipment, and finally, body. When the other services talk about
    "quality of life," they are referring to housing, clubs and food. Marines
    are talking about better weapons, equipment and training, winning the battle
    and coming home alive is considered "quality of life."

    All of this translates into combat power. In comparison to the U.S. Army's
    3 rd Infantry Division, the Marines of I Marine Expeditionary Force were
    lightly equipped. Yet, they battled through the heart of Iraq, fought to
    the center of Baghdad and then moved off to Tikrit, taking that city as
    well. The press was so enamored with the Marines that in the final days of
    the war they even credited the Marines with deeds actually accomplished by
    the army. Little wonder we heard "******* Marines!" so often.

    So we need to give the Marines some slack when they do something
    politically incorrect, such as raising the flag or appearing insensitive
    when killing the enemy. In the field, they look sloppy compared to the
    army, but are aggressive in the attack and generally unhappy in the defense.
    Marines take pride in their work, even if that work is war. We are just
    Marines and that is what we do.

    Lt. Col. David W. Szelowski USMCR (ret.)



    Semper-FI
    Red Dog
    DELTA COMPANY 1st BATTALION 4th MARINES
    "When you guys get home and face an anti-war protester, look him in the eyes
    and shake his hand. Then, wink at his girlfriend, because she knows she's
    dating a pussy."

    -Gen. Mattis, Commanding General, 1st Marine Division-


  2. #2

    Thumbs up

    Ohhh Rahhh....great article!!



  3. #3
    yellowwing
    Guest Free Member
    Pilots - Flyers trained for war.
    Aviators - Warriors trained to fly!

    Every Marine a rifleman!


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