[ANGLICOone]

Agree in part, but I have a little different perspective because of the chatter amongst ANGLICO Marines who typically work with all sorts of units from the US Army to Korean units to Polish, German, and Ukranian units.

You can't just shake'em up in a bag and they all come out the same. Not so. It's a matter of entry criteria, training, attitude, professionalism and leadership, in my opinion. You can walk around a base back in the World and observe these characteristics. Do the warriors look and act squared away at all times, or do you see them slouching around looking unkempt and unprofessional? That's a good tipoff. And you will notice huge differences among various military outfits worldwide.

I can't say first hand that Marines in Nam were better than any specific unit. In fact, the entry criteria were lowered to anyone who seemed willing and had a pulse for a while during Nam. I can say that I never heard of U.S. or Korean Marines debating orders whether to take an objective they were ordered to take. They just buck up and figure out a way. There's something to be said for that.

I hear very positive things about U.S. Army units from today's ANGLICO teams who support them. I hear very positive things about todays Korean Marine brothers, where about 1 in 100 make the grade. I don't hear such positive feedback about all military units. It goes back to the criteria that I think are critical.

Little comment on Iwo. I know some Marines who were there. Moving up a mountainside occupied by well-trained enemy entrenched in established defensive positions in volcanic rock that is impervious to NGF, well if you've ever moved uphill you have only a bit of the picture.

So I would agree that there are outstanding U.S. Army units. I would not agree that all Army and Marines are same same, and most certainly not all warriors in general. There IS something special about Marines, and the warriors who have the advantage of all those criteria I mentioned, and yes Marines do have attitude. If you don't have attitude, if you don't BELIEVE you are the best, well....... let's just say that you don't hit a target higher than you set your sights. We feel like the hotter the fire, the harder the steel. We can debate who has the toughest training, the strongest discipline all day. But you're kidding yourself if you think everybody is the same.

That said, throw a bunch of old warriors in a bar, and you won't get much agreement on anything except whether the beer is good. Hell, half my brain cells have been demolished by ole' Jack Daniels.