then I suggest laser tattoo removal.
Posted on 05/05/2010 6:26:42 AM PDT by fishhound
A widely regarded Southern symbol of pride and states' rights is standing in the way of would-be Marines in their quest to serve their country – a Confederate battle flag. Straight out of high school, one 18-year-old Tennessee man was determined to serve his country as a Marine. His friend said he passed the pre-enlistment tests and physical exams and looked forward with excitement to the day he would ship out to boot camp. But there would be no shouting drill instructors, no rigorous physical training and no action-packed stories for the aspiring Marine to share with his family. Shortly before he was scheduled to leave Nashville for boot camp, the Marine Corps rejected him. Now, the young man, who wishes to remain unnamed and declined to be interviewed, has chosen to return to school and is no longer an aspiring Marine. "I think he just wants to let it go," said former Marine 1st Lt. Gene Andrews, a friend of the man and patriotic Southerner who served in Vietnam from 1968 through 1971. Andrews is a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, a group of male descendents of Confederate soldiers. He counseled the young man when he decided to become a Marine.
(Excerpt) Read more at wnd.com ...
Political Correctness gone mad...
I sure as Hell hope the "South shall rise again!". SOON!
If this guy went through bootcamp, the regulations could prevent him from getting the tatoo described. As a prospective recruit, the fact that he has this tat would prevent him from entering based on the regs.
My son is a LCpl and he was told over and over again not to even think of getting any tatoos until after bootcamp. I think this young man is whining.
Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!
From what I gathered from your link, it is mostly about “sleeve” tattoos. The recruiter asks about tattoos the minute you sit down and talk to them. The tattoo this young man had is on the back of his shoulder which would mean it would never be seen while in any kind of uniform.
Quite frankly while I agree that rules must be followed, it does seem to be that the military has become extremely PC, to the point of insanity.
For your information, the Marine Corps bans any tattoos that could be seen to express hate toward any ethnic group. The result would be the same if a black Marine got a tattoo showing affiliation with any gang or if a Hispanic Marine got an MS-13 tattoo. The Marine Corps is the most conservative of all the military branches (especially our Commandant) but we value our Marines of all backgrounds and would not want to negatively impact good order and discipline by allowing such tattoos into our beloved Corps.
Correct. This is not a matter of some moron having a Confederate Flag tattoo. He could have the US Flag, for all I care.
He is still a moron with a tattoo. And stupid should hurt.
Bah, it’s a band. They’re no more gang members then I was when I proudly proclaimed myself a member of the KISS Army when I was 15.
Man, the Corps really has changed in the last 40 years. I have seen Marines and members of other services with Mexican flag tattoos and various “african pride” flags and symbols. Are they going to boot all of them?
Tattoos and trailer trash ping.
Yes.
My son’s first choice was the Marines, he ended up in the Army.
He had done all of the prep and scored Alpha on his pre-screening. The wait to get in was over 10 months, he even tried to enlist in 7 different states but quota’s were already met.
The only way to fast track in was if you were black.
At MEPS my son told me many of the guys had wanted Marines first but didn’t want to wait so long so they switched to Army Infantry.
This was taken from the 11/3/06 issue of the “Okinawa Marine”, which is published by the Consolidated Public Affairs Office of Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler. It was written by Navy Lt. Cmdr. Joe D. Haines.
How the Confederate Stars and Bars Made its Way to Okinawa
Only the Normandy D-Day invasion surpassed Okinawa in its scope, preparation and forces employed. More than 548,000 Americans participated in the Okinawa invasion. American service members were surprised to find virtually no resistance as they stormed the beaches on Easter 1945. They soon discovered that the Japanese Imperial Army
and Navy had literally gone underground having spent a year forcing Okinawan slaves to dig their underground defenses. It required 83 days of combat to defeat the Japanese.
The invasion of Okinawa was by the newly organized American 10th Army. The 10th, commanded by Lt. Gen. Simon Bolivar Buckner, was composed of the XXIV Corps, made up of veteran Army units including the 7th, 27th, 77th, and 96th Infantry divisions, and the III Amphibious Corps, with three battle-hardened Marine divisions, the 1st, 2nd, and
6th.
One of the most significant milestones in the Okinawan campaign was the taking of Shuri Castle, the underground headquarters of the Japanese Imperial Army. After two months of fighting the Japanese, the 6th Marines and
the Army’s 7th Division were moving south, nearing Shuri Castle. The 6th Marines were commanded by Maj. Gen. Pedro del Valle. Following a hard fight at Dakeshi Town, del Valle’s Marines engaged in a bloody battle at Wana Draw.
Wana Draw stretched 800 yards and was covered by Japanese guns from its 400-yard entrance to its narrow exit. The exit provided the key to Shuri Castle. The Japanese were holed up in caves the entire length of the gully, and had to be eradicated in man-to-man combat.
While the Marines battled through the mud and blood up the draw, the Army’s 77th Division was approaching Shuri from the east. To the west, the 6th Marines were pushing into the capital city of Naha. Faced with this overwhelming force, Japanese Gen. Ushijima’s army retreated to the south. On May 29, 1945, A Company, Red Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, commanded by Capt. Julius Dusenberg, approached to within 800 yards of Shuri Castle. The castle lay within the zone of the 77th Infantry Division, known as the Statue of Liberty Boys. However, Gen. Ushijima’s rear guard had stalled the 77th’s advance.
Impatient, Maj. Gen. del Valle ordered Capt. Dusenberg to “take that damned place if you can. I’ll make the explanations.”
Dusenberg radioed back, “Will do!”
Dusenberg’s Marines stormed the stone fortress, quickly dispatching a detachment of Japanese soldiers who had remained behind. Once the castle had been taken, Dusenberg took off his helmet and removed a flag he had been carrying for just such a special occasion. He raised the flag at the highest point of the castle and let loose with a rebel yell. The flag waving overhead was not the Stars and Stripes, but the Confederate Stars and Bars. Most of the Marines joined in the yell, but a disapproving New Englander supposedly remarked, “What does he want now? Should we sing ‘Dixie’?”
Maj. Gen. Andrew Bruce, the commanding general of the 77th Division, protested to the 10th Army that the Marines had stolen his prize. But Lt. Gen. Buckner only mildly chided Gen. del Valle, saying, “How can I be sore at him? My father fought under that flag!” Gen. Buckner’s father was the Confederate Gen. Buckner who had surrendered Fort Donelson to Gen. Ulysses S. Grant in 1862. The flag flew only two days over Shuri Castle when it was formally raised on May 31, 1945. Dusenberg’s flag was first lowered and presented to Gen. Buckner as a souvenir. Gen. Buckner remarked, “OK! Now, let’s get on with the war!” Tragically, just days before Okinawa fell, Gen. Buckner was killed by an enemy shell on June 18, 1945, on Mezido Ridge while observing a Marine attack.
Williams has said it on several occasions. The real questions is how much is true and in context, and the answer is not much.
Having said that, if this kid wants to be a Marine and defend his country with a rebel flag tattoo then I don't have a problem letting him do it. I think the recruiter badly overreacted.
I didn’t say they were a gang.
My family is proud of our Irish heritage, but my son, currently serving with the Marines, has told me that a Celtic cross tattoo will result in his separation from the service. Lots of heritage symbols have been declared hateful.
For completeness, that needs to have “small engine repair, tax preparation, and taxidermy” added.
“...my son, currently serving with the Marines, has told me that a Celtic cross tattoo will result in his separation from the service. Lots of heritage symbols have been declared hateful.”
May I take the liberty of rephrasing your thought with the info I am gleaning from this post. “All WASP heritage symbols have been declared hateful”?
That’s about the most succint - and yet one of the more penetrating - comments I’ve seen in a while. Nicely done.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.