"The raising of that flag on Suribachi means a MARINE CORPS for the next 500 years."
James Forrestal, Secretary Of The Navy
Well, we're left with a salient definition of male only combat MOS' as well as separate recruit training...for starters... ~grin~
BTW:...WMs rock!
-Semper Fi Bump-
My uncle Sam Zigtema was injured on Iwo Jima. I have his 5th Division Marine Corp Book and in it is a catalog for wheel chairs. I can't imagine selecting your wheel chair at age 20. He stayed active in that wheel chair, playing basketball, fishing, hunting and working until he died from complications finally in 1967. His local VFW honored him by burying him next to the soldiers that actually died in WWII.
He had a gun shop in his basement and as a kid I remember big blocks of wood that he shot into. Some went through and really tore the heck out of the block walls. My Aunt didn't like it but of course let him get away with it. She was a saint, his nurse in the hospital and then married him.
My uncle Sam Zigtema was injured on Iwo Jima. I have his 5th Division Marine Corp Book and in it is a catalog for wheel chairs. I can't imagine selecting your wheel chair at age 20. He stayed active in that wheel chair, playing basketball, fishing, hunting and working until he died from complications finally in 1967. His local VFW honored him by burying him next to the soldiers that actually died in WWII.
He had a gun shop in his basement and as a kid I remember big blocks of wood that he shot into. Some went through and really tore the heck out of the block walls. My Aunt didn't like it but of course let him get away with it. She was a saint, his nurse in the hospital and then married him.
Good article, but it leaves out a few things:
1. In both the Iraq and Afghanistan theaters, the USMC has relied extensively on the US Army and US Air Force logistics pipeline. When you talk about "packing your trash", remember who's providing it. The Army has, since WWII, been postured for the long fight (while maybe not the quickest draw) and the logistics channels are geared towards that. After nearly two years in Iraq and even longer in Afghanistan, the use of the term "expeditionary" needs to be tightened up, a bit.
2. "Expeditionary", apparently, means relying on other services heavier elements for support. Namely, the reliance on 3rd ID artillery (M109A5 SP, not towed like USMC M198 guns) in the primary preparatory fires for the USMC assault into Iraq and the use of Bradley CFVs to initiate the Fallujah assault. While both weapons systems aren't necessarily geared towards the "expeditionary" role, it amazing how often they were called upon.
Watched Parris Island training on tv other day. Awful lot of little girls are now Marines. A whole lot.
Oooorahhhh...Semper Fi!