I thought long and hard about this post, but after doing my due diligence to get the full drift of your senseless, destructive, undeserving slander of our president, I cannot hold back. Just so you know, this is from a retired Marine colonel who spent nearly as much time in uniform as you. And considering my love of the Corps and my brothers and sisters, it does not bother me one bit to state without any equivocation you are a disgrace to our Marine uniform.
Who do you think you are to speak out in such a disgraceful manner against a sitting president? Do you believe your rank entitles you to talk such trash? By your recent actions and words, you’ve aligned yourself with the Hollywood trash who think anyone with half a brain would take anything they say with a grain of salt. You Mr. Mattis (I will not call you by your rank — you do not deserve it) are a disgrace to my Corps. I believe the only people who genuinely care about what you said are your fellow Marines who are disgusted with your pompous ass.
According to your own words you have over 7,000 books in your library. It’s now obvious to me you have not read any of them. You said, “We must not be distracted by a small number of lawbreakers.” WHAT? Are you kidding me? Where have you been lately, under a rock? Countless people killed and injured including many police officers, millions and millions of dollars’ worth of buildings destroyed and burned to the ground, many privately-owned stores and commercial establishments who had just opened after being closed because of the virus, all gone. Major stores looted; nothing left on the shelves. Yet you call that a small number of lawbreakers?
Then the biggest lie of all is when you state no president in your lifetime has been as divisive as President Trump. Where were you during the eight years of Obama? Oh, that’s right he fired your ass too. It seems the only arena in which you have been able to keep a job is in the military. Hmm, what does that tell me? Remember Mr. Mattis, I was there, well before you.
I always had my doubts about you especially after you fired a great Marine friend of mine whom I had a small hand in shaping his career. He told me things about you that caused me to believe you were nothing more than an egotistical liberal. I was, however, surprised when you took the job offered by President Trump to be our Sec Def. But then he too fired your ass. I have not researched it in detail, but I do believe you are the first general to ever be fired by two sitting presidents, the first a liberal racist and the other a conservative doer. How does that feel? How’s that for a legacy?
You Mr. Mattis are a despicable, egotistical, self-centered person of no value to my country.
Signed; Jim Bathurst, Col, USMC (Ret)
Originally posted 2020-06-05 10:50:12.
A lot of fine people turned down the SecDef position before Mr. Mattis came in on a waiver. His military accomplishments were highlighted despite some strong undercurrent by those who had crossed paths with him. Like many I have been repeatedly disappointed by the revolving door cabinet positions and am hopeful the president will have more enduring secretaries through his next term.
I’m with you Bill, but I doubt there are many “enduring secretaries” out there from which to choose.
Chuck Sarges USMC 1954-57 Colonel, Thank you for your “Open Letter to Mr. Mattis.” It was with a heavy heart that I forwarded your letter to all Marines on my e-mail list. I had pictures of Mr. Mattis taped along side our Grandson’s picture of his Alpha Co., 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion, who was in the initial invasion of Iraq in March, 2003. Those pictures of ‘The Monk’ no longer exist. When I first heard of Mr. Mattis, I thought the Corps had finally found another hero like Chesty Puller and other famous Marines who came out with some of the Corps greatest quotes. I should have extended my tour those many years ago and had the privilege of serving with you. I need to get your book, read it, and add it to my collection of Marine Corps history…Semper Fi., Colonel, and God Bless.
Thank you kind sir for the words.
If you wonder why the US has not won a single war since WW2, look no further than the Generals that now command our forces.
everyone needs to just calm down! It’s not as if he slandered the POTUS during a time of national crises and poured more fuel on the fire of the leftist commie anarchists. I’m sure he meant the best. Like when he called out Obama for locking up journalists and violating the constitution in the process. Or when he publicly denounced Hillary and Obama selling our uranium to Rosatom. Yep. He’s a gem. A real ”man of the people” – as long as the ‘people’ are leftist scum have who mean to tear down our Republic. He’s a fing traitor.
I agree %100 Mattis should have kept his ego mouth shut. If he does not agree with the President, his Boss, he should have QUIATLY resigned. What would he have done to a subordinate if he publicly disagreed with him? You can bet that guy would have ended up in Alaska someplace.
As a retired Army 1SG, Mattis must think that he is above still be subject to a UCMJ action by expressing political views he is not entitled to express public. I guess he feels embolden with along with his other former DOD officials to take such a stand against his Commander-in-Chief. I wonder would he have sustained such insubordination as he displayed toward the POTUS from any of the Enlisted Corps in his Command??????????????? i THINK NOT, AND SHOULD NOT!!
Of course he wouldn’t heck, he fired an an exceptional Marine Colonel who I knew when he was a captain and had much to do with his leadership style.
Unlike you fools that would follow, Oh,I can’t go to Vietnam my heals hurt. And has the nerve to call an enemy combatant a wimp before he got died in combat, and dismiss anything that resembles the UCMJ. Claims to know more than military leaders. I wouldn’t fo this self serving idiot to cub scout camp.😲
LOL, What the heck are you blabbing on about Richard? Do you speak and write English?
Richie boy – Unless you have served and are a Vietnam veteran, you need to STFU and go back to your paper dolls and teddy bears.
GET OUT OF YOUR TANK AND LOOK AT THE WORLD. IT CHANGES AND SO DO SOME PEOPLE! S/F
I am another “lowly” Army Captain. General Mattis made the mistake of joining the President in uniform for what was considered a political move. Yes, that was a mistake based on the military’s role if one considers it only a political move on the part of President Trump. I saw it as a way to try to calm the country … which is in the military’s best interest. Even assuming it were a political move — General Mattis should have not followed up with any comment, which undermines his commander-in-chief. His second mistake was much worse than his first.
I spent a little over 25 years enlisted in the USN before retiring in 2014. One of the ships I served on was the USS Nashville LPD-13 and we embarked the 24th MEU and th 26th MEU. I got to know a lot of Marines. This flag officers (I won’t use his rank either) showed him to be not only a fool but also a moral coward. He can go play in traffic.
I too am thoroughly discussed with the behavior of this ex-leader of our Marines. I retired after 22 years in the Army as a gun pilot and was subsequently recalled for four years for Desert Storm, NO regrets, and retired with 26 years total.
CW4 (Gunner) John Scott Hill
I was appalled when I read Mattis’ comments about our president. As a senior military officer who, even though “retired”, still is in the military service, he should not go public with his disagreement with the president. As a leader, he is to lead. This was not leadership. This was divisive and destructive. His pride and ego have become tripping hazards.
– Craig James, Major (retired), US Army (from private to major, and Vietnam vet).
I am a but a former lowly Army captain who whole heartedly agrees.
I want to point out how Mattis is corrupt and his judgement is clearly lacking.
With Theranos, Mattis lacked all common sense and thought Elizabeth Holmes, a young Stanford dropout, was more talented and smarter than the myriad science labs, research centers, and organizations both private and public, where he pushed for the Pentagon to spend $100 million for a magic blood analysis box. Upon retirement, he took a seat on the Board of directors for Theranos for a six figure income to, I guess, to give his recommendation on how to optimize profitability and minimize losses by analyzing quarterly reports.?. ? I don’t think so.
To make matters worse, Theranos is now defunct and Elizabeth Holmes is in a lot of trouble for fraud.
When Mattis was interviewed, he said he made a miatake and left it at that.
https://www.taskandpurpose.com/.amp/code-red-news/mattis-theranos-questions
Mickey LOL, a lowly Captain? Surely you jest. Captain was my best officer rank, sergeant the best enlisted.
Never heard of this organization, must google it, thank you brother.
Not a Marine, Air Force Veteran: 1984-1992.
Thank you for writing this letter. I have been privately appalled at our Military leaders, especially General James Mattis, whom I previously admired. Thank you for making public my personal frustration and anger at our Military leadership who should be protecting our Military institutions and acting in defense of our Constitution we all swore to defend with our lives.
Shame! Generals. For shame!
The General’s nick name fits him well ‘Mad Dog”.
You see when people don’t get their way as was the case when he disagreed with the President then the Mad Dog comes out in him.