(no subject)

Sep 12, 2005 11:36

Those Goddamn Marines...

By Lt. Col. David W. Szelowski USMC (ret.)

May 5, 2005 01:02 PM

I wonder how many times during Operation Iraqi Freedom that the phrase

"goddamn 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 230 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

10th 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 3rd 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 "Goddamn

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 USMC (ret.)
Previous post Next post
Up