By Gunnery Sergeant John McClain, USMC, Retired
Except for those who served, married them, grew up with them as parents or as sons or daughters, Marines are a strange and difficult to understand a culture which has grown into our unique American form, as they have helped form this Nation to be what it once was, and could be again.
This Nation was designed to be something new, a form based on the certain knowledge of the colonists, they were capable of carving our communities, culture, and States from the wilderness. They could do so with the sweat of their brow, the dreams in their visions, needing no help from any army or government, no help but that of neighbors and those who would be neighbors, when the fields were cut out, and the homes built.
Our founders spent almost forty years telling their government to get off their back, leave them alone, knowing the cost of government only impeded things, and there was nothing it provided which they themselves couldn’t do equal or better. Only then did they challenge the right of government, and win our independence and the opportunity to build the Nation they believed in.
Last week, a squad of Marines fell victim to a training accident, with a report of an eighth Marine dying since yesterday. This is not an unusual incident; the Marines don’t train for “the occasional war”, but for the sudden, unplanned deployment which is called in the middle of the night, because that is “how it is”. We train with live munitions, like we are doing it to survive, because we are.
Senate Majority leader, Harry Reid, took the opportunity to suggest perhaps the training accident was due to poor of faulty training or equipment caused by “sequestration”, suggesting perhaps if his political enemies had capitulated to his demands, those Marines might not have died. There can be no doubt, “sequestration” will be the proximate cause of Marine deaths, and perhaps Soldiers as well, but it will be in the weeks and months ahead, and when it occurs, no one will have the testicular fortitude to open their pie hole then.
I want very badly to bring the full view of War to The People to take a look at, and see, as the democrats are just now seeing the effects of sequestration, and only now squealing, even though the whole issue of “sequestration” is entirely about forced, no choice acts which become such precisely for failure to do their actual jobs, the very least of which is to write an actual working budget which encompasses our whole debts, starts from the real revenue actually to be expected to arrive, and pays off debt, or pays against principle of debt each and every payment cycle.
When a Senator wants to speak on training deaths, and why they occur, they’d best get their jobs done per their oaths and the actual orders which delineate what those jobs are. I feel for those families, I know what they are going through, and while I pray for those Marines, I know they are at home, and have nothing to be ashamed of, they did their duty.
We, serving in our roles in the Marines, face actual forced decisions of how to accomplish our mission given the resources, the down-sized personnel, and reduced supply support, and we never have the option of suggesting we can’t accomplish the mission for lack of resources. We are tasked with a duty, and we go forth and accomplish it.
I retired out of the Corps in 97 while we were still issuing Vietnam era boots. These “troglodytes” don’t know the meaning of “required”; they believe they understand the word “hardship”. These “servants” sit in their millionaire’s offices, surrounded by staff, with the whole revenue of the nation in their hands, and they won’t write a budget. Won’t, not “can’t”, only that writing a budget means real numbers, and having to look at revenue before wishful spending.
If they actually took the steps to write down revenue, then write down the payments in order of precedence, they would have to reach the point where revenue ends, while still not touching the pie in the sky dreaming. Harry Reid suggests Marines die because someone held a firm line, but not a one of them will write down the items they demand, which can’t be acceded to because there is no responsibility from the left, their only principle “never let a crisis go to waste.”
Replies
Well written, thank you for your service.
I thank all those who have served America so well.
How correct you are Sergeant!!! Wish we had more military and retired military that thinks like you!!
Carri,; God bless your words, there is a minimal retired military, That are alive to continue serving, I myself is ONE of 26 yrs. ` I have traveled with flag draped casket's, twice..!! The hardest is looking at the famlies faces.. !! Our leadership is at it weakest Point.. We retired men & women want postive changes for our existing troops..!! I see lately from our higher -- ups they are turning a blind --Eye..!! Thank you..
Ronald - God bless you and Brian!! And God bless all our un-brainwashed military & vets!! I love our true military Patriots!!! It brought tears to my eyes when I read you traveled with two flag draped caskets!!
God bless you and thank you for your service.
I was enlisted in the U.S. Army, did a tour with the 199th LIB in Vietnam in 68'-69 but was not career. I had three years high school Jr. ROTC MANDATORY from shortly after the civil War until the Vietnam war killed the program. We did not have senior proms; we had military field days followed by a military ball that evening attended by the ENTIRE student body and universally known as , The Sergeant's Party. with full blown skills competitions and every year our best competed against and beat the Plebes at West Point with boring regularity. After a 20 year hiatus when the Vietnam backlash killed that program, a new Marine ROTC program was installed but voluntary and opened in the name of political correctness to both genders. Within five years, it was competitively ranked number 2 nationally in a competition in Daytona, Beach, Florida. Values, honor discipline the teaching of responsibility and accountability are all instilled in its participants as it was in the earlier program which existed for well over 100 years. As a result, 22% of my hometown are veterans of all services with a high % now of Marines and they are serving wherever Marines are sent to serve: EVERYWHERE they are sent to serve. Gunny, you are absoultely correct and I salute you and hope that when the puzzle is in the process of being solved, It will be those having served with with valor and honor as our politicians do not as they have none of either, who rectify the corruption and ineptitude of generations of these parasites who feed off us all and produce for us nothing but loss of liberty and increasing, debilitating debt. Thank you for telling it like it is. HOORAH!
I agree. Many are brainwashed!!! Such a shame. Glad to know, if needed, we can not only depend on Patriotic American civilians, but we can depend on experienced, retired military.
Could never say it any better than this:
"Gunny, you are absoultely correct and I salute you and hope that when the puzzle is in the process of being solved, It will be those having served with with valor and honor as our politicians do not as they have none of either, who rectify the corruption and ineptitude of generations of these parasites who feed off us all and produce for us nothing but loss of liberty and increasing, debilitating debt. Thank you for telling it like it is. HOORAH!"
SALUTE, gentlemen! ,,,every last one of you!
God bless the United States Marines! Thank you JESUS for each of these men and women! Keep them safe from all harm.
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