Extremism in the Marines

[thedrifter]

Extremism in the Marines

Sara E. Lister, the Army's top personnel official and, according to Rowan Scarborough in a recent article in the Washington Times, the Pentagon's most ardent advocate of women in combat, in a public forum called the Marines "extremists" and "a little dangerous."

"I think the Army is much more connected to society than the Marines are," Mrs. Lister told a seminar on October 26, 1997. "The Marines are extremists. Wherever you have extremists, you've got some risks of total disconnection with society. And that's a little dangerous."

Commandant of the Marine Corps, General Charles Krulak, fired back. "Assistant Secretary of the Army Sara Lister has been quoted as characterizing the Marine Corps as 'extremists,'" Gen. Krulak said. "Such a depiction would summarily dismiss 222 years of sacrifice and dedication to the nation. It would dishonor the hundreds of thousands of Marines whose blood has been shed in the name of freedom.

"Citizens from all walks of life have donned the Marine Corps uniform," continued the Commandant, " and gone to war to defend this nation, never to return. Honor, courage and commitment are not extreme."

I have to assume that Ms. Lister includes all Marines who have ever worn the "... checkerboard fancy uniforms and stuff..." that she mocked in her speech. If she does, and clearly that was her intent, I have to address her remarks, and then make a few of my own.

Are Marines 'extremists'?

Dr. Daniel W. Polland, a former Corpsman in the 1st Battalion, 9th Marines and now a physician in Colorado < awakener@ruralhealth.org > said this at a recent gathering of veterans:

"O Lord, we have long known that prayer should include confession. Therefore on behalf of the Marines... I confess their sins:

* Lord, they're just not in step with today's society;

* They are unreasonable in clinging to old-fashioned ideas like patriotism, duty, honor, and country;

* They hold radical ideas believing that they are their brother's keeper and responsible for the Marine on their flank;

* They have been seen standing when colors pass, singing the National Anthem at ball games, and drinking toasts to fallen comrades;

* Not only that, they have been observed standing tall, taking charge and wearing their hair unfashionably short;

* They have taken John Kennedy's words too seriously and are overly concerned with what they can do for their country instead of what this country can do for them;

* They take the Pledge of Allegiance to heart and believe that their oath is to be honored;

* Forgive them, Lord, for being stubborn men and women who hold fast to such old-fashioned values;

* After all, what more can you expect? They're Marines!

0 Lord our God, bless our misguided ideals, continue to raise up in this nation strong leaders and deliver us from "me first" managers and "don't ask me" followers. Be our honored guest this day. Let it be a day of laughter, good food, good drink, and the telling of tall tales and legends that occasionally exceed the truth. Watch over and keep safe those who wear this nation's uniform with special attention to their families everywhere."

And a former Air Force officer, Vietnam veteran and fighter pilot, Toby Hughes of San Antonio , said, in response to Ms. Lister's ill-thought remarks, "... I never knew many Marines who were only a "little" dangerous. Most of them seem to be a LOT dangerous. That, I think, is the idea."

Are Marines as 'extremist' as Ms. Lister would have us believe?

* We believe we are Marines up until the day we die, at which time we become dead Marines;

* We believe in the Marine Corps, God, country, Mom, apple pie (or enchiladas, in my case), and often in that order (and only a half-hearted apology to those who believe that God comes first!);

* We believe that Marines draw the Guard duty in Heaven, because the Marines' Hymn says so;

* We believe the Marine Corps Guidebook to be the finest book ever written;

* We believe in the three B's: Bullets, Beans, and Band-Aids;

* We believe the Marine Corps is bound by honor, guided by the past, and driven by tradition;

* We believe that Marines in service today are our direct descendants;

* We believe that Lewis 'Chesty' Puller was the greatest American who ever lived, with former Commandant Al Gray a close second, and former Secretary of the Navy (and the most decorated Marine of the Vietnam War) James Webb coming in third;

* We believe that Duty is a Right;

* We believe that Service to our country is a God-given opportunity;

* We believe only two types of people exist: Marines, and everybody else; which is what probably gives you, Ms. Lister, all of your sleepless nights;

* We believe that Patriotism is Duty, not to be taken lightly;

* We believe in the Brotherhood of Marines;

* We believe that the blood shed by our brothers who went before us gave us Life;

* We believe that the Marines in service today are the finest Marines who have ever served, even as...

* We believe the 1st Marine Division wrote the most glorious chapter in the history of American arms at the Chosin Reservoir in Korea in 1950;

* We believe in Honor, Duty, Service, Patriotism, the United States of America, and the United States Marine Corps;

* We believe in the Freedom of the American citizen, and have proved it, tens of thousands of times.


Are United States Marines 'extremists'?

Yes, Ms. Lister, we are:

* We are extreme in our pride.

* We are extreme, even insufferable, in our Brotherhood.

* We are extreme in our devotion to duty, to service, to country, to you. If we are, at times, ill-served, ill-equipped, ill-fed, ill-housed, we have never completely been without air support (Thanks, Toby, Air Force and Marine pilots and Naval aviators), without naval support (Thanks, all you sailors), without medevacs (both Marine and Army), without gunship support (Marine and Army), without the undying belief in ourselves and each other.

The Chief of Naval Operations would never be called a Sailor.

The General of the Army would never be called a Soldier.

The Chief of Staff (?) of the Air Force would never be called an Airman.

The Commandant of the Marine Corps is damned proud to be called Marine.


I admit: I am old and gray, and I no longer move as fast as once I did. My active duty service is long behind me, but the memory of those Marines with whom I served is as fresh today as it was yesterday or 30 years ago. And my recollection of their devotion to duty serves me now, just as it did then, so long ago in Vietnam.

We will always be 'extreme.' We know no other way to live, to serve, to pay back our country for what we have and for what we have earned.

And what we have earned, Ms. Lister, is a title. A name. A right.

What we have earned is, I believe, something which you will never understand, nor do you, I believe, want to.

What we have earned you can never take from us.

Dr. Pollard said it best, and I can only add:

We have earned, by the service and blood of our brothers, the right to be known as United States Marines.


Sempers,

Roger


OOH RAH

[Jerry D]

Assistant Secretary of the Army Sara Lister is one of those liberals who feel all guns kill people and should be banned, She is one of those people who felt that Military members should be put under the same law as civilians and not be allowed to bear arms if they had been accused of spousal abuse.She is one that thinks groups like the NRA, SCV, Christians, southerners in general are extremist also.
But, when they need their butts pulled out of the Fire they always send for the Marines! so Assistant Secretary of the Army Sara Lister along with Bill and Hillery to me are all a bunch of hypocrites. I would rather have One extremelly motivated Marine watching my back then a group of these new Army of "One" they have today under Assistant Secretary of the Army Sara Lister. "Deo Vindice"

[wrbones]

A toast to extremism, then....and to dangerous men.

A motivated Marine is a Marine to watch....Ain't nuthin' gonna stop him when he's got a mission.

[SuperScout]

.. literally, for MARINES, extremists tho' they be!

And pity for those poor lost souls like Sara Lister and her ilk who just don't get it!!

[the humper]

extremist, then ---
YOU'RE NOT A MARINE!!!!!!!!!!
And Korea was one cold bitch!!!
Marines, in situations, do one thing, they protect the person whose covering their rear, the rest is secondary.
SF
NC

[thedrifter]

I am a Extremism and Proud of it......

Sempers,

Roger

[Keith_Hixson]

We've know for years that the Marines were extremists, what knew about that. They are a little odd and a little different.
BUT, What a wonderful patriotic extremist they are.

Last night I had an old friend driving through Ellensburg. He is a Marine (he tells me there is "no ex-Marine - once a Marine always a Marine" extremism jargon) but I would rather have him as a friend with patriotism and loyality to God and Country than some one not in touch with reality as Sara Lister.

He and his wife spent the night. Wow I was scared with this Marine sleeping in a bed in my home, you never know what these extremist will do?


Semper Fi All you extremist and be proud of your extremism.


Keith