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If these men, like the Pendleton 8 before them, become sacrificial lambs, it will be Taps for the US Marine Corps, having turned it's back on that which it depends for it's existence; 16 of it's riflemen who answered their country's call and survived, only to be devoured by the very legal system they fought to protect. Facing charges of murder: Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich Sgt. Sanick P. De La Cruz Lance Cpl. Stephen B. Tatum Lance Cpl. Justin L. Sharrat Facing charges of failing to report/investigate: Lt. Col. Jeffrey R. Chessani Cpt. Lucas M. Mc Connell Cpt. Randy W....

Sean Barrett has seen a lot in his four years at Harvard. He’s consistently been among the top Crimson finishers at various regional meets since his freshman year. He’s seen coaches come and go. He’s competed with and against formidable tracksters across New England and beyond. Now he’s getting ready to embark on a journey that will show him more about himself and his world than he could ever imagine. Barrett has joined the U.S. Marine Corps and has committed, initially, to serving four years. It’s a decision that seems almost incongruous for a bright athlete from the Ivy League....

A family's fight Amanda Gillooly Staff writer Thursday, December 07, 2006 CANONSBURG -- At the first mention of his son, Darryl Sharratt immediately reaches for a big, blue scrapbook that chronicles the young man's career in, and love for, the military. Justin Sharratt's mother, Theresa Sharratt, said he dreamed of being a military man ever since he was a small child. She thumbed through the pages, finally finding what she was looking for: A picture capturing a smiling 3-year-old Justin clad in camouflage. Above the picture is an assignment dating to his nursery school days. The questioned posed was, "What...

Congressman Charles Rangel said most enlisted soldiers join the military because they do not have the "option of having a decent career." Speaking with Fox News reporter Chris Wallace on Sunday, Representative Rangel voiced his belief that soldiers in America's armed forces join only for lack of a better choice. He said, "I want to make it abundantly clear: if there’s anyone who believes that these youngsters want to fight, as the Pentagon and some generals have said, you can just forget about it. No young, bright individual wants to fight just because of a bonus and just because of...

My youngest son, 18 next month, is on the verge of enlisting in the Marines. I support him if he makes the decision to join. I'd be very proud to be a Marine's mother. He's graduating from high school in May and would actually enter the Marines in June. We are not a military family. I'd appreciate hearing from anyone who has knowledge of the enlistment process, any words of wisdom for my son, any information that might be of help before enlistment or after enlistment. [The recruiter sounds like a used-car salesman--anxious to make the sale.]

[There an extra subject at the end of this. It has nothing to do with the main subject, but needed to be mentioned this week.] Before Thursday, I had never attended any ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. On that day, we went to Arlington for the inurnment of the ashes of a great friend, colleague, and teacher, Robert Carleson. I’ve written about Bob before, and any reader can find several find obituaries on him from months ago, when he died. Suffice to say, Bob did more for the long-term well-being of the United States than many who have served as...

Gesture to Marines sparks chain reaction FAN CLUB: Angels owner and Vietnam veteran Arte Moreno, right, shakes the hand of Marine Cpl. John Walker. Cpl. Sean Webster, rear, was part of the visiting group. Roy Hoyt wasn't asking for anything when he decided to treat wounded Marines to a limo ride, Angels game and lunch. The Orange resident, a Marine veteran, just wanted to give back, but everyone he approached about the idea wanted to contribute, too. When he went to buy tickets, team employees handed them over at no charge. The team threw in the Diamond Club lunch....

Earlier this year, Erik Duane was living in California with his wife and daughter and working in Cerritos College’s information technology department. Now, he is Gunnery Sgt. Erik Duane, a Civil Affairs Group Marine in Al Asad, Iraq. Duane’s list of his team’s projects is a microcosm of what the U.S. is doing throughout Iraq: “We have water and sewage treatment projects planned, as well as numerous repairs to the local schools and residences. We are also working closely with the local leaders to establish a strong governance in this aea.” His troops call him “Gunny,” and Shu’aib Barzan Hamreen...

Walkie-Talkie - A True Story Nancy Beggs - Idyllwild, California First hand account from her father-in-law: Last week I was in Atlanta, Georgia attending a conference. While I was in the airport, returning home, I heard several people behind me beginning to clap and cheer. I immediately turned around and witnessed one of the greatest act's of patriotism I have ever seen. Moving thru the terminal was a group of soldiers in their camo's, as they began heading to their gate everyone (well almost everyone) was abruptly to their feet with their hands waving and cheering. When I saw the...

Marine Cpl. Ian Kutner always will carry the shrapnel that hit him when his best friend, Lance Cpl. Aaron W. Simons of Modesto, was killed in a rocket attack in northern Iraq. And every day he strives to carry out the pledge the Marines made the day before Simons died to save a dying Iraqi girl. "I'll adopt her if they will let me," said Kutner, of Milwaukee. He was talking by telephone from his base in Al Qa'im in northern Iraq near the Syrian border. The girl is 12-year-old Hamade Hadael... She is suffering from kidney failure, a condition...

A Whitefish man was sentenced Thursday to spend 50 hours wearing a sandwich board with the words, “I am a liar. I am not a Marine. I have never served my country.” Chief U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy in Missoula also sentenced William Horvath to four months of house arrest for making a false statement. Horvath, 36, was convicted of making a false statement — a felony. According to court documents, in 2001 he told a probation officer that he served time in the U.S. Marine Corps. The probation officer was gathering information on Horvath on a prior charge of...

   Who’s The Enemy? June 22, 2006 And I thought only Mike Nifong was dumb enough to rely on the testimony of a loony.  After “an Iraqi journalism student gave an Iraqi human rights group a video he had taken in Haditha the day after the incident” all hell started breaking loose and twelve US Marines came under investigation.    Once again, those in command are too eager to believe that the grunt on the ground is the enemy.  It’s understandable when this kind of crap rolls from the mouths of Amnesty International, the MSM and even some of those weenie...

Got to hand it to the new Iraqi prime minister, Nuri Kamal al-Maliki. Here's a guy who, less than two months on the job, has discovered the real enemy of his country. It's not, of course, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi — he's dead. It's not other mass murderers of jihad who blow up markets and shoot up schools, who kidnap and maim and chop off heads. It's neither Baathist party holdouts nor "sectarian" violence. It doesn't come from Al Qaeda, and it doesn't come from Iran. The enemy of Iraq comes from Haditha. Haditha, of course, is the Iraqi town where...

When a shabbily dressed man ran out of a Westfield Annapolis jewelry store followed by an employee screaming for help, Erik McInnis didn't think twice. "Anybody sprinting out of a store like that is guilty until proven innocent," the 39-year-old Marine major said. He immediately left his two children, ages 9 and 2, in the mall's play area and chased Timothy A. Laboard, 40, of Baltimore, through the back corridors of the mall. Jonathan Neff, another father in the play area, said Maj. McInnis "hurdled the row of seats and hit the ground at an all out sprint behind the...

CAMP PENDLETON – About 300 teenagers from as far away as Las Vegas got a taste of Marine Corps life this weekend, and many came away impressed by the service and what they accomplished. Called the Crucible Challenge, the annual event offers four-member teams the chance to compete for bragging rights through a series of physically demanding events. It is loosely based on the basic-training Crucible, a grueling 54-hour event that recruits must pass to become Marines. The main purpose of the Crucible Challenge is to humanize the Marine Corps in the hopes that one of these teenagers – or...

A MARINE AS SEEN BY . . . Himself:A handsome, buff, highly trained professional killer and female idol who carries a finely honed K-Bar, wears a crisp 8-point cammie cover and is always on time due to the absolute reliability of his Seiko digital watch. His Wife:A stinking, gross, foul mouthed lovable bum who arrives back at home every few months with a seabag full of dirty utilities, a huge Seiko watch, an oversized knife, a filthy hat and hornier then hell. Headquarters Marine Corps:A drunken, brawling, HMMWV-stealing, woman-corrupting "cumshaw artist" who wears a Seiko watch, an unauthorized K-Bar and...

Japan offers U.S. a loan to pay for troop moves Posted: February 23, 2006 The idea of getting US Marines off Okinawa sooner rather than later has reportedly triggered a Japanese offer to front the costs, but on a loan basis. An agreement last Fall called for 7,000 Marines to relocate from the island to Guam, but the $8 billion price tag has caused Japanese lawmakers to blanche. Now, reports circulating through the Japanese capitol suggest the central government will offer to loan the United States the money necessary to make the moves happen quickly. The United States has steadfastly...

CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq (Dec. 27, 2005) -- A little more than one year ago, the Iraqi people faced a fierce insurgency in Fallujah, and the Marines were called in to correct it. The battle which caused its population to be displaced also caused damage to the city’s infrastructure. Now, Marines and coalition forces assist in rebuilding the city.

When people ask why I left The Wall Street Journal to join the Marines, I have a short answer...the time had come to stop reporting events and get more directly involved. But that's not the whole answer... It's a cliché that you appreciate your own country more when you live abroad, but it happens to be true. Living in China...I've seen that country take a giant leap into a true world power... But living in China also shows you what a nondemocratic country can do to its citizens. I've seen protesters beaten by police in Tiananmen Square, I've been arrested...

Christmas greetings Freepers. Yesterday, I and my family received a set of Christmas cards and letters. They are from a group of United States Marines stationed in Iraq. I thought I would share them with folks on Free Republic who would appreciate them as I know we all appreciate what these young folks are doing for us. Last month, my family found out about a website called AnySoldier.com. It is a place where troops stationed overseas can place small bios and snippets of what they are doing, where they are stationed and what materials would be appreciated from home. We...