Bozo Was a Marine! (and Lee Trevino, and…)
September 2nd, 2010 - 5:19 pm
Every now and then I drop by the Naval Institute web page for enlightenment; when you’ve got Marines in the family you’ve got to pretend to be smart, after all. I found this very cool article about guys-you-didn’t-know-were-marines.
It turns out we’re surrounded.
And not for the first time. One day, in Reagan’s White House, i looked around and realized: i share an office with Col North, a Marine. The National Security Adviser is Col McFarlane, Marine. SecState is Shultz, Chief of Staff is Baker, both Marines…
Remember: in our country today, the military is the best institution, and the Marines are the best of the best.
Other Marines have distinguished themselves, as well. Zell Miller comes to mind, as well as Chuck Colson after he did his time for Watergate.
Once a Marine, always a Marine. Right Michael?
The USMC deserves a place of honour in the collection of the distinguished.
Amen. Drew Carey looks dauntless.
How very interesting to see you print that the military is the best option in these times. I could not agree more and am proud of giving a workmates kid a ride on my Ducati in lieu of getting him to a recruiter. It worked and tho not a Marine he is signed up and presently doing boot camp (is that what they call it anymore?) in TX. I sincerely hope a lot more kids sign up in the “Best Institution”.
Many years ago I arrived at my new unit at Camp LeJeune, a second lieutenant in service dress A’s. As I stood behind my new platoon at evening formation, a somewhat shabby bunch scratching and talking, I thought to myself “*This is the Marine Corps? We’re going to fight the Russians with *this*?” I told my brother this and he assured me somewhere there was a Russian lieutenant with the same misgivings. Of course I doubt they were any more impressed with me, and probably with better reason. They turned out to be a pretty good bunch. Certainly compared to the Army- don’t get me started on the Army. But what is youth for if not to misspend a bit of it in such a way?
I think former US military personnel of all ranks returning from the Middle East are going to be the grown-ups in an America still looking for its footing in a 21st century full of perils. Individuals who have survived hardship in general and combat in particular have learned the basics of leadership the hard way, something which is not going to be taught by your run-of-the-mill college anytime soon.
Exceptional circumstances always reveal the existence of exceptional people, and God knows we need them! It’s about time the self-important “intellectual” elite finds some serious challenge for their ill-gotten positions of influence. As a matter of fact, the average level of formal education in our military also surpasses that of the rest of us, so watch out, authentic change is on the way!
you are right professor, and more and more vets are running for office.
Will Kurdistan get a Marine Corps base, or not? With a base in Kurdistan, Marines could still train for amphibious assault at Pendelton and for desert ops at 29 Palms, but then train for mountain combat in Kurdistan.
A Marine mountain base in Kurdistan pins Syria, Iraq, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey and Iran, all at once. Best of all, the Kurds fervently want it.
I posted some of these in the link, but the actor who played Mr. Greenjeans was also a Marine, as were Aaron Chwat (Red Buttons), Tim Matheson (Otter in Animal House), Harvey Keitel, Harvey Lembeck, and Donald James Yarmy (enlisted at 16, seriously wounded on Guadalcanal, and better known as secret agent 86, Don Adams).
Michael: our son Kim was a Marine who served in the first Gulf War. He was in Kuwait during the oil fires and was one of those guys that would get photographed with their masks on. Unfortunately, he couldn’t keep it on all the time and he suffers today from that forgotten environmental disaster caused by a madman.
What strikes us as a family is that despite his service (including the operation against Noriega and action in the Philippines, one of the ones we never “hear” about) is how shabby he has been treated by the VA. It seems the VA mostly employs what we have come to call “professional deniers” who do everything to keep vets from getting their benefits.
Just recently, his medication that he has been taking for the last five years due to conditions developed as a result of breathing that junk, was denied to him by a VA rep because it was “too early” to renew the prescription. Our son pointed out to her that if he was not given his meds, he would be without it for five days. Tough you-know-what was the response.
Suffice it to say, he spent the weekend in early August at the local emergency room having withdrawal seizures. The hospital staff have subsequently filed a complaint against this VA employee and have told our son never to let it happen again, but to come to them for his medication if the VA denies it because of poor accounting.
My point is he is just one of many veterans we know (our Air Force friends have received similar treatment) that is absolutely criminal when these people have not only given their lives in many instances, but their futures to live as normal people as opposed to disabled.
Our nation should be ashamed of this and we need not only veterans to serve in our Congress, but one in the White House!
Then, perhaps, this injustice will not only be ended but our nation’s enemies will think twice about their terror activities knowing someone is in charge who fought for our country and doesn’t ride a girl’s bike with a sissy helmet on their head.
In honor of our son’s service, semper fi!
bless your fine son and thank him for his service. and keep publicizing the shabby treatment he’s getting. write your local newspaper, your elected reps, and the VA. and i will always give you space here.
Thanks, Michael and may God bless all those who serve!
FYI, many complaints were made to a former member of the Veteran Affairs committee and who was a senator for the state of Colorado, where our son lives. Interestingly, his staff always seemed to lose paperwork or not be available or the senator wasn’t personally able to help or blah blah blah. That man? His name is Ken Salazar.
Did you also know that (in)famous Don Imus of “Imus in the Morning” served as a Marine from 1957 to 1960 as a bugler?