There is a lot more to this great story: Shortly after this disappointing start, Jefferson launched the very first expeditionary mission, brilliantly executed by the very first US Marines, operating against extraordinary odds. They came out victorious out of audacity and courage, not manpower in the accounting sense of the word, as sheer numbers were plainly against them. This first success is the reason for the name of Tripoli in the Marines’s hymn. I don’t have all the details from the top of my head, but those of you who really know history can fill in, as I am sure will soon happen. Today’s Marines are certainly doing justice to their predecessors, as well as applying justice to the crocodiles in Iraq and elsewhere at the same time.
Semper Fi!
