Received an email from a fellow retired Marine—whom I highly respect—that included the following messages. I share these with you as my second blog post on the current recruiting plan put forth by our CMC significantly touted as, “Operation Semper Fi.”
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Marine Brothers, one and all. I forwarded this to a select few generals. I intend to email Senator Rick Scott…former navy officer. The words and thoughts are harsh but should not be ignored. I fear we are back to 1947…which way will it go?
I want to share these inciteful comments from a distinguished Marine, the father of two outstanding Marine officers (one infantry, the other combat engineer), both of whom had multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“I feel sorry for the head of recruiting. At the same time that the CMC insults and denigrates previous generations of Marines and their flawed culture he is trying to rally retired Generals and Marines to help the Corps recruit. Sending it to retired Generals is preaching to the crowd that at about 80-90% supported or fell silent on the critical issues of perversion, depravity, fraternization, reverse racism, sexual preference for women, unisex uniforms, women in the combat arms, the elimination of tanks, tube artillery, numerous infantry Bn’s, 25% of F-35’s and CH-53F’s, female grooming standards, 18 months of maternity leave, the destruction of the MAGTF concept, the vapid attacks on the culture of the Corps and its racist/sexist heritage. Add to that a bevy of Generals who went from Warriors to politicians and openly and repeatedly insulted a sitting President.
A Marine four- star CINC presided over a catastrophic NEO from Kabul taking orders from the Taliban about who, what, when, how, and why and then fled in the dark of the night with his tail tucked between his legs.
Our beloved Corps is at an historic low point with few allies on the Hill and an American people who view us as mere victims. Eighty percent of our Generals appear to have been intellectual midgets without a spine, charisma, presence, or persuasive verbal skills. They appear be average to below average men by every measure. When the time to stand up and be counted came, they opted to pass. This made it even harder for those willing to do the right things, the right way, for the right reasons.
We know who has a high propensity to enlist and we don’t want them. Instead, we chase after the misanthropes, the gender confused, the lost souls, and those we know are poorly suited to the battlefield. We encourage those to join the Corps whose interests are totally self-serving, to then change the Corps.
The Corps must reassess the culture it has abandoned if it expects the endorsement and support from those who have retired. I cannot, at this juncture, encourage an 18 year old to join the Corps. I say that with a very heavy heart.”
I must admit that with a very heavy heart, I have already convinced one 18-year-old to forego his lifelong desire to become a Marine and go on to college in hopes that—just maybe with God’s help—the Corps will be back on track.
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Another highly respected Marine known to me wrote:
Sometime back, I opined that the success of Berger’s “Great Leap Forward,” his “re-imagining” of our beloved Corps to make it more “representative of our country,” would be reflected in the retention rates of serving Marines and the recruiting of new ones. The following is from a Brother Marine regarding the missive recently sent to all retired Marine generals by the CG, USMC Recruiting Command requesting their support of “Operation Semper Fi:”
“My response: I will watch… but if they think they can muster Marine Veteran support if they continue the march to “woke land” …and all that implies including fostering Marxist ideology masquerading as modern liberalism they are sadly mistaken. Veterans will support traditional Marine values not forced ideas that are counter to common sense and successful traditional values. The thinking of those forcing the “new order” is being brought to us by the same people or their progeny that abandoned us in Vietnam and tried their best to turn the entire country against us—they failed but as a result they are now working from the inside of government (civilian and military) to have their way.”
Please stand by Marines, and others. There is much more to come in the ensuing days regarding this disgusting issue. It will end with my open letter to General Berger!
Lets go Brandon and all the rest of the leftist Marxists. Jim, I’d pay money to watch you speak your open letter face to face….
LOL
Today is a day of Thanksgiving. I am thankful, not just today, but every day for my wife and companion, for my health, and one of two reasonably normal children. But I am also thankful that I joined the Marines and decided to stay for an entire career. I’m grateful for the World War II and Korean War veterans who taught me how to become a good Marine — and how to remain one. I am thankful for working with and for the giants of our Corps, for the opportunity and good fortune of serving my country in its finest armed force. And so, as I look at what has happened to our Corps — the grievances spelled out above — I experience anger and disappointment. We no longer have leaders in the Corps, such as Julian Smith, Ray Davis, William Barber, Oliver Smith, John Ripley, R. M. Tompkins, Mike Ryan, Al Gray, Lou Metzger, Walt Boomer.
No, what we have now is a gaggle of managers, administrators, and low-life politicians. When just any douchebag can join our Corps and make it through the first fifteen minutes of boot camp, when our purchasing priorities go toward the procurement of small refrigerators to keep makeup from melting in the hot desert sun, and when PFC Bob thinks more about becoming PFC Bobbie than he does about becoming a better Marine, then gentlemen, we no longer have a Corps of Marines. They’re something else. It’s enough to break an old Marine’s heart, and I won’t be trying to recruit any woke silly-vilians to join our ranks. [Insert expletive here].
Well said Mustang
Not Fonda this woke Commidant.
My last platoon leader was a USNA grad, not much older than me. After taking the SAT, he informed me my score would get me in a “state school.” It was a back handed compliment from a cocky, but in retrospect, squared away lieutenant. Fast forward, 35+ years later…For the past two decades, one of my assignments has been covering the Army/Navy game. This year, my son will be attending his first game. He is top of his class, an athlete and was interested. Between the two-punch combination of wokeness and mandating inoculations … It saddens me greatly of what could have been…
I have not been a fan of the last three, if not more, CMC’s. Your son sounds like the exact type of person the academies desperately need but seemingly don’t want in this woke era. I certainly understand your disappointment and change of plan. Tragic for him, the nation and the future.
While I have only four years in the Corp, I to have dissuaded two young potential Marines from joining at this time.
One for sure is heading to higher education the other seems like a lost soul, so he may join a different branch—-I will keep working on him.
Having them read your posts Jim may just help!!
GOOD!!!!
LGBFJB! And all the Woke general and flag officers who work with him.
LOL, sorry Scott, you will have to interpret for this out of touch old man as to the meaning of those initials. Please elaborate for me and maybe some others who aren’t up to speed.
LGBFJM??????
Share you opinion of Mattis, but this is directed at Joe Biden. Let’s Go Brandon, Foul Joe Biden.
My grandson just turned 17 and is in his junior year of high school. His dream for a while has to become one of us and join our beloved Corps. That’s what makes it so painful, when we talk about it and I try to explain that the Corps of today, and for the foreseeable future, ain’t the Corps that he’s heard me talk about since he was born. I have been telling him that if he insists on going through with it, get some training that he can use in the outside world. That way, if 4 years is all he can take, then he won’t be like me and come out with skills that were unusable. Like adjusting 81s and telling the fast movers where to drop their ordnance. Thanks for sharing, Semper Fi.
I know it is tough Mike. This 18 year old was my super star in the Young Marine unit I started in IL. He got the Marine goal orientation from me, I even gave him some of my old uniforms,. But things went to hell and I just had to level with him, He is now enrolled in his fist semesters in a four year college. I am happy for him. he would never have made it in today’s Corps, he’s hard core!!
Wonderful! This is the unvarnished truth.