In Defense of the Marines
BY Herschel Smith
17 years, 3 months ago
The world over, the word Marine defines something more than a soldier. It arouses the image of a warrior on the boundlessness of the oceans, coming from the mystique of the sea onto the land – an amphibian, a soldier of the sea. The aura is of one who is different and of whom more is expected … This is The Corps, the strongest brotherhood in the world (The Marines).
Michael Yon is a clearheaded reporter and diligent – even relentless – embedded blogger. Every article he writes is worth reading, and then reading again. But permit us a spirited response to one of his statements in The Ghosts of Anbar, Part II of IV (actually, Michael is quoting others at this point).
Arrowhead Ripper was merely the latest experience that underlines the Army’s rapidly-growing expertise. Yet the Marines have adapted faster and seem poised to win the war in their battle space. In fact, it’s been Army officers who have told me repeatedly over the past several years that nobody is successfully morphing to meet this war faster than the Marines. Of course, Army officers who compliment Marines always say, “But that didn’t come from me.
On August 30, 2007 at 10:19 am, fumento said:
I cannot stand inter-service rivalries. (Competition is fine; rivalry is destructive.) Though an Army airborne vet, I have been in combat with Marines, GIs, and sailors (SEALs and Corpsmen). All of them impressed me with their courage, dedication, and professionalism. That said, I would like to point out that if you could go to one originator of the plan to win over Sunni tribes it may well be Capt. Travis Patriquin, Ranger and hero of Operation Anaconda, whom I met a few weeks before his unfortunate demise in Ramadi.
Patriquin began such work in Tal Afar long before it started in al Anbar (http://usacac.leavenworth.army.mil/CAC/milreview/English/JanFeb07/Patriquin.pdf). He talked to me at length about how it was proceeding in Ramadi. Finally, who out there is not familiar with his famous PP presentation, “How to Win in al Anbar?) Here it is:
http://www.indcjournal.com/archives/002878.php
On August 30, 2007 at 10:45 pm, Breakerjump said:
Rivalry does a body good. It’s the truth I promise.