Posted on 05/14/2005 6:27:08 AM PDT by kellynla
Soldier and scholar, the sword and the book. Despite some remarkable individuals distinguished in both fields--Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, hero of Gettysburg and a professor who ended the war as one of Grant's favorite generals, or Gen. John Galvin, Supreme Allied Commander Europe in the 1980s and a noted historian of the American Revolution--the academy and barracks often look askance at one another. While the United States is in the midst of a war that obliterated part of their city, the university senate at Columbia University recently voted overwhelmingly to ban the Reserve Officer Training Corps from returning to the campus.
This contemptible vote will, if the government has the nerve and realizes what is at stake, bring down on the university the weight of the Solomon Amendment. That legislation allows the federal government to cut off public money to schools (other than established pacifist institutions) that prohibit or prevent the establishment of ROTC units. Perhaps the prospect of lost research grants will achieve what the call of service cannot, but it will be a sad day when a slash to a university's budget has to take the place of an appeal to its patriotism.
Not all of the country's leading institutions of higher learning are that way, of course: My own Johns Hopkins University, for example, proudly claims one of the oldest ROTC programs in the country. At Harvard University, President Larry Summers lends his presence and eloquence to the commissioning of Harvard students who still attend the program across the city at MIT, which has a large and vigorous program. The churlishness of Columbia's decision, however, reflects not so much animus as disdain; and unfortunately, that is a sentiment reciprocated too often by those in uniform.
(Excerpt) Read more at aei.org ...
-- Sir William Francis Butler
Especially laughable are the media and Hollyweird "intellectuals". Morons like Tim Robbins and Alec Baldwin are so far below the average West Point or Annapolis grad in education and intelligence that my mind boggles.
Anyone who dismisses the Marines as musclebound uneducated warmongers is quite an obvious fool.
"I always laugh at these supposed intellectuals who denigrate the military. I've met some really sharp officers and EM.... many of them much more intelligent and better educated than many of the mindless idiots of academia"
Well after hearing the likes of "geniuses" like Ward Churchill, you have to thank your lucky stars "educated" fools like him are not in the Marine Corps! LMAO
Semper Fi,
Kelly
I think the average American would be taken aback at the intelect, knowledge and understanding of current events and critical thinking skills of not only the average military officer, but NCO as well. We have some extremely bright and courageous people wearing the uniform.
I just read that quote in "A Table in the Presence" by Lt. Carey H. Cash, Chaplain, USMC who went through the invasion with a combat unit(1/5). He was describing one very tough, very smart Marine.
Intellect...
"1/5"
The most decorated infantry unit the the Corps...
And it just so happens to have been my unit in Nam.
Semper Fi,
Kelly
I have had the privilege to meet and speak to many of the Marines returning from Iraq, some with two and three tours and two or more PH's.
And I can tell you unequivocally that the Corps is producing some of the finest young Marines I have ever met!
You can be very proud!
Semper Fi,
Kelly
bookmark
i read that book too... it was amazing..
to know a Marine is an honor... and they never change. i know Marines in their 80's and you can always tell.. there is no such thing as a ex-Marine is there?
speaking of.... my son's best friend comes home today after being in the very middle of the Battle of Fallujah - for months. he's in the 1/3rd USMC..... and we sure do love and honor him.. and i just can't wait to see him..
God Bless the Marines.
I would like Columbia to run a small research project: list all Columbia alumni who ever served in the Armed Forces of the United States.
Then go to the history books and their own recruiting literature and ask that all mention of their attending Columbia be removed because Columbia doesn’t want to be associated with the military.
If they want to see the impact I suggest that they look at the alumni from the 10th graduating class of Columbia Law School, most of them were later associated with the 1st Volunteer US Calvary during the Spanish American War. The MSM of the era called that unit the “Rough Riders”.
Would Columbia Law School be willing to remove a President of the United States from its list of distinguished alumni?
P.S. My great grandfather was a member of that class (still have the invitation to attend) and served under Col Roosevelt. He later went on to be a Master Mason, an inventor of children’s toys, and Pardon Attorney of the US. ( I list his accomplishments in the order which he had them listed in his obituary).
"The nation that will insist upon drawing a broad line of demarcation between the fighting man and the thinking man is liable to find its fighting done by fools and its thinking by cowards."
-- Sir William Francis Butler
IIRC, Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain was banned from his college from entering the Civil War, and he had to basically lie to them to make it in.
Agreed and take a wild guess who will be the very first ones to p*ss themselves a cry like babies for these Marines to save their sorry asses.
My Grandfather was a WW1 Gunny. @ 1980 he stopped at the gate to Paris Island and showed a copy of his discharge to the 19 yo on duty. The highest ranking officer on base dropped everything and came down to meet him. He was treated like a king the whole day.
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