Posted on 02/01/2014 3:47:53 AM PST by Timber Rattler
Nope. I did not forget. I just don’t care. In my experience over 25 years, the USMC was at the bottom of the heap for honesty.
I’ve worked around every brand of US Serviceman except Coast Guard. I’ve even worked around a whole lot of foreign military.
I’ve found that overall, our service members are decent and honorable. Of course there are dirt bags in every profession; but in the US Armed forces they are the exception, not the rule.
As I wrote in post 35: “And frankly, the vast majority of military officers were more open and honest than what I’ve encountered in the civilian world.”
People like Mr Rogers who served a full career in a service and then spend the days of their retirement running down another service based on an isolated incident or two tend to have other issues at work. Generally, people who are satisfied with their own service don't waste their time or embarrass themselves running down other good people. Maybe they knew that they didn't put everything they had into it and calumny is their way of deflecting attention away from their history.
All I know is that the Marine Corps was, imperfections and all, the finest, bravest bunch of men I had ever known and I would return to combat anytime with them if I was called.
As I wrote in post 35: “And frankly, the vast majority of military officers were more open and honest than what I’ve encountered in the civilian world.”
...except for Marines. That’s pretty much the jist of what you’ve said.
As for me, I’ve never met a Devil Dog I haven’t liked.
Just a short true story:
Back on 1997, I was working for the Sec of the Air Force in the Pentagon. One day, on the anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima, a bunch of protestors gathered in front of the entrance I used when coming from North Parking.
In front of me was a Marine. A true pre-politically-correct poster boy for the Marines—tall, fit, walking with a purpose. A no nonsense presence.
We approached the protestors that stood in our way and the Marine, all the while not breaking his stride, quickly reached out with one hand and grabbed by the hair the lone protestor standing smack-dab in our way and YANKED the guy, physically throwing the (by now) screaming protestor aside.
The Marine never missed a step and kept on walking. The rest of the protestors were stunned into awed silence and parted like the Red Sea.
It was wonderful.
I had a lot of assignments with the other services during my time in the Corps and I enjoyed working with them. The different cultures were interesting and sometimes pretty funny - I had one female Air Force NCO break into tears when she saw that I was an officer and had to salute ("I just can't get used to your uniform!" she cried).
Fun stuff.
And the dishonest ones who lack integrity keep their jobs and get promoted. Thus the honest ones want to be able to move forward as well.
I suppose the mentality is "if everyone cheats, then no one is cheating." It doesn't stand the moral test, but it's quite common nonetheless.
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