In March of 1964 after completing a year with the 1st Bat. 2nd Marines I was transfered to 3/4 in Hawaii. Now Marines going out of CONUS in the Pacific went through Staging at Camp Pendelton CA. You are there for a week or two getting physicals, inoculations, briefings, and of course signing papers.
It is the Marine Corps Version of Magic Kingdom, or at that time Disneyland. Wait in line, go in do whatever, come out get in another line and on and on (know what I mean). Most of us had been in the Corps at least 18 months or more, however there were some boots going overseas having just reported in from Boot Leave.
It was a typical warm sunny day in Southern California and we were waiting in a particular line when someone pipes up "Man I've signed everything even my Masturbation Papers"! At this point one of the boots says "I didn't sign my Masturbation Papers"! Several of us looked at him and at each other (that look of we got this one on the hook) and told him that if he didn't get them signed he wasn't going overseas, and would have to wait for the next batch to come through, and would be listed as UA (AWOL) at his first duty station. When he asked for advice we convinced him that he had better go see the First Sergeant. He was very reluctant, but was eventually convinced.
Now the barracks, facilities and offices were the old white wooden frame structures built either before, or during WWII. You know the type, some are still in use today (NAS Jacksonville) still has several. As I mentioned it was warm and sunny and no humidity, so the windows were open with just screens on them. We walked the boot over to the HQ building and escort him inside. We waited until he asked the clerk to see the First Sergeant, then we went outside and waited. We were outside only a few minutes when this First Sergeant (who could have been heard all the way to MCAS El Toro CA), was screaming " you stupid ignorant, dumb ass, SOB, %#?+&%# what the hell is wrong with you"? "Get the hell out of my office you ignorant bla bla bla dumb, SOB". I think you get the picture. The next thing we see is this Marine boot come running out of the HQ building like his ass is on fire and we are standing there laughing so hard we had tears in our eyes.
TRUE STORY I SWEAR.
WHY I LIKE THE MARINES!
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SUMMARY: These comments were passed on to me from 3rd Bat 4th Mar Assn. from a young officer who is helping to mold the breed where the rubber meets the road. Thanks again, sir.
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From a speech by RADM J. Stark, USN made in Newport, RI on 10 November 1995.
The first reason I like Marines: they set high standards-for themselves and those around them-and will accept nothing less.
I like the way Marines march.
I like the way Marines do their basic training whether it's Quantico, Parris Island, or San Diego.
I like the idea [that] Marines stay in shape.
I like the fact that the Marines only have one boss-the Commandant. And I like the directness of the Commandant.
I like the fact that Marines are stubborn.
I like the way Marines obey orders.
I like the way the Marines make the most of the press.
I like the wholehearted professionalism of the Marines.
It occurred to me that the services could be characterized by different breeds of dogs... The Air Force reminds me of a French Poodle. The poodle always looks perfect...sometimes seems a bit pampered...always travels first class. But don't ever forget that the poodle was bred as a hunting dog and in a fight it's very dangerous. The Army is kind of like a St. Bernard. It's big and heavy and sometimes seems a bit clumsy. But it's very powerful and has lots of stamina. So you want it for the long haul. The Navy, God bless us, is like a Golden Retriever. They're good natured and great arround the house. The kids love 'em. Sometimes their hair is a bit long...they go wandering off for long periods of time, and they love water. Marines I see as two breeds, Rottweilers or Dobermans, because Marines come in two varieties, big and mean, or skinny and mean. They're aggressive on the attack and tenacious on the defense. They've got really short hair and they always go for the throat. That sounds like a Marine to me!
So what I really like about Marines is that 'first to fight' isn't just a motto, it's a way of life. From the day they were formed at Tun's Tavern 221 years ago, Marines have distinguished themselves on battlefields around the world. From the fighting tops of the Bonhomme Richard, to the sands of the Barbary coast, from the swamps of New Orleans to the Halls of Montezuma, from Belleau Wood, to the Argonne Forest, to Guadalcanal, and Iwo Jima, and Okinawa and Inchon, and Chosin Reservoir and Hue City and Quang Tri and Dong Ha, and Beirut, and Grenada, and Panama, and Somalia and Bosnia and a thousand unnamed battlefields in godforsaken corners of the globe, Marines have distinguished themselves by their bravery, and stubbornness and aggressive spirit, and sacrifices, and love of country, and loyalty to one another.
They've done it for you and me, and this Country we all love so dearly. And they asked for nothing more than the honor of being a United States Marine. And that's why I like Marines!
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REMARKS AT JSCOPE 2000
JANUARY 27, 2000
By General Charles C. Krulak
WE STUDY AND WE DISCUSS ETHICAL PRINCIPLES BECAUSE IT
SERVES TO
STRENGTHEN AND VALIDATE OUR OWN INNER VALUE SYSTEM ... IT
GIVES
DIRECTION TO WHAT I CALL OUR MORAL COMPASS. IT IS THE
UNDERSTANDING OF
ETHICS THAT BECOMES THE FOUNDATION UPON WHICH WE CAN
DELIBERATELY COMMIT
TO INVIOLATE PRINCIPLES.
IT BECOMES THE BASIS OF WHAT WE ARE ... OF WHAT WE
INCLUDE IN OUR
CHARACTER.
BASED ON IT, WE COMMIT TO DOING WHAT IS RIGHT. WE EXPECT
SUCH COMMITMENT
FROM OUR LEADERS. BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE MUST DEMAND IT
OF OURSELVES.
SOUND MORALS AND ETHICAL BEHAVIOR CANNOT BE ESTABLISHED
OR CREATED IN A
DAY A SEMESTER ... OR A YEAR. THEY MUST BE
INSTITUTIONALIZED WITHIN OUR
CHARACTER OVER TIME ... THEY MUST BECOME A WAY OF LIFE.
THEY GO BEYOND
OUR INDIVIDUAL SERVICES AND BEYOND OUR RANKS OR
POSITIONS; THEY CUT TO
THE HEART AND TO THE SOUL OF WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE ARE
AND WHAT WE MUST
BE ...MEN AND WOMEN OF CHARACTER. THEY ARM US FOR THE
CHALLENGES TO COME
AND THEY IMPART TO US A SENSE OF WHOLENESS. THEY UNITE US
IN THE CALLING
WE NOW KNOW AS THE PROFESSION OF ARMS.
OF ALL THE MORAL AND ETHICAL GUIDEPOSTS THAT WE HAVE BEEN
BROUGHT UP TO
RECOGNIZE, THE ONE THAT, FOR ME, STANDS ABOVE THE REST
... THE ONE THAT
I HAVE KEPT IN THE FOREFRONT OF MY MIND ... IS INTEGRITY.
IT IS MY
ETHICAL AND PERSONAL TOUCHSTONE.
INTEGRITY AS WE KNOW IT TODAY, STANDS FOR SOUNDNESS OF
MORAL PRINCIPLE
AND CHARACTER - UPRIGHTNESS - HONESTY. YET THERE IS MORE.
INTEGRITY IS
ALSO AN IDEAL ... A GOAL TO STRIVE FOR ... AND FOR A MAN
OR WOMAN TO
"WALK IN THEIR INTEGRITY" IS TO REQUIRE
CONSTANT DISCIPLINE AND USAGE.
THE WORD INTEGRITY ITSELF IS A MARTIAL WORD THAT COMES TO
US FROM AN
ANCIENT ROMAN ARMY TRADITION.
DURING THE TIME OF THE 12 CAESARS, THE ROMAN ARMY WOULD
CONDUCT MORNING
INSPECTIONS. AS THE INSPECTING CENTURION WOULD COME IN
FRONT OF EACH
LEGIONNAIRE, THE SOLDIER WOULD STRIKE WITH HIS RIGHT FIST
THE ARMOR
BREASTPLATE THAT COVERED HIS HEART. THE ARMOR HAD TO BE
STRONGEST THERE
IN ORDER TO PROTECT THE HEART FROM THE SWORD THRUSTS AND
FROM ARROW
STRIKES.
AS THE SOLDIER STRUCK HIS ARMOR, HE WOULD SHOUT "INTEGRITAS",
(IN-TEG-RI-TAS) WHICH IN LATIN MEANS MATERIAL WHOLENESS,
COMPLETENESS,
AND ENTIRETY. THE INSPECTING CENTURION WOULD LISTEN
CLOSELY FOR THIS
AFFIRMATION AND ALSO FOR THE RING THAT WELL KEPT ARMOR
WOULD GIVE OFF.
SATISFIED THAT THE ARMOR WAS SOUND AND THAT THE SOLDIER
BENEATH IT WAS
PROTECTED, HE WOULD THEN MOVE ON TO THE NEXT MAN.
AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME, THE PRAETORIANS OR IMPERIAL
BODYGUARD WERE
ASCENDING INTO POWER AND INFLUENCE. DRAWN FROM THE BEST
"POLITICALLY
CORRECT" SOLDIERS OF THE LEGIONS, THEY RECEIVED THE
FINEST EQUIPMENT AND
ARMOR. THEY NO LONGER HAD TO SHOUT "INTEGRITAS"
(IN-TEG-RI-TAS) TO
SIGNIFY THAT THEIR ARMOR WAS SOUND. INSTEAD, AS THEY
STRUCK THEIR
BREASTPLATE, THEY WOULD SHOUT"HAIL CAESAR", TO
SIGNIFY THAT THEIR HEART
BELONGED TO THE IMPERIAL PERSONAGE- NOT TO THEIR UNIT -
NOT TO AN
INSTITUTION - NOT TO A CODE OF IDEALS. THEY ARMORED
THEMSELVES TO SERVE
THE CAUSE OF A SINGLE MAN.
A CENTURY PASSED AND THE RIFT BETWEEN THE LEGION AND THE
IMPERIAL
BODYGUARD AND ITS EXCESSES GREW LARGER. TO SIGNIFY THE
DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN THE TWO ORGANIZATIONS, THE LEGIONNAIRE, UPON
STRIKING HIS ARMOR
WOULD NO LONGER SHOUT "INTEGRITAS", (IN-TEG-RI-TAS)
BUT INSTEAD WOULD
SHOUT "INTEGER" (IN-TE-GER).
INTEGER (IN-TE-GER) MEANS UNDIMINISHED - COMPLETE -
PERFECT. IT NOT ONLY
INDICATED THAT THE ARMOR WAS SOUND, IT ALSO INDICATED
THAT THE SOLDIER
WEARING THE ARMOR WAS SOUND OF CHARACTER. HE WAS COMPLETE
IN HIS
INTEGRITY ... HIS HEART WAS IN THE RIGHT PLACE ... HIS
STANDARDS AND
MORALS WERE HIGH.
HE WAS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH THE IMMORAL CONDUCT THAT WAS
RAPIDLY BECOMING
THE SIGNATURE OF THE PRAETORIAN GUARDS.
THE ARMOR OF INTEGRITY CONTINUED TO SERVE THE LEGION WELL.
FOR OVER FOUR
CENTURIES THEY HELD THE LINE AGAINST THE MARAUDING GOTHS
AND VANDALS BUT
BY 383 AD, THE SOCIAL DECLINE THAT INFECTED THE REPUBLIC
AND THE
PRAETORIAN GUARD HAD ITS EFFECTS UPON THE LEGION. AS A 4TH
CENTURY ROMAN
GENERAL WROTE, "WHEN, BECAUSE OF NEGLIGENCE AND
LAZINESS, PARADE GROUND
DRILLS WERE ABANDONED, THE CUSTOMARY ARMOR BEGAN TO FEEL
HEAVY SINCE THE
SOLDIERS RARELY, IF EVER, WORE IT.
THEREFORE, THEY FIRST ASKED THE EMPEROR TO SET ASIDE THE
BREASTPLATES
AND MAIL AND THEN THE HELMETS. SO OUR SOLDIERS FOUGHT THE
GOTHS WITHOUT
ANY PROTECTION FOR THE HEART AND HEAD AND WERE OFTEN
BEATEN BY ARCHERS.
ALTHOUGH THERE WERE MANY DISASTERS, WHICH LEAD TO THE
LOSS OF GREAT
CITIES, NO ONE TRIED TO RESTORE THE ARMOR TO THE INFANTRY.
THEY TOOK
THEIR ARMOR OFF, AND WHEN THE ARMOR CAME OFF - SO TOO
CAME THEIR
INTEGRITY"
IT WAS ONLY A MATTER OF A FEW YEARS UNTIL THE LEGION
ROTTED FROM WITHIN
AND WAS UNABLE TO HOLD THE FRONTIERS ...THE BARBARIANS
WERE AT THE
GATES.
INTEGRITY ... IT IS A COMBINATION OF THE WORDS, "INTEGRITAS"
(IN-TEG-RI-TAS) AND "INTEGER" (IN-TE-GER). IT
REFERS TO THE PUTTING ON
OF ARMOR, OF BUILDING A COMPLETENESS ... A WHOLENESS ...
A WHOLENESS IN
CHARACTER. HOW APPROPRIATE THAT THE WORD INTEGRITY IS A
DERIVATIVE OF
TWO WORDS DESCRIBING THE CHARACTER OF A MEMBER OF THE
PROFESSION OF
ARMS.
THE MILITARY HAS A TRADITION OF PRODUCING GREAT LEADERS
THAT POSSESS THE
HIGHEST ETHICAL STANDARDS AND INTEGRITY. IT PRODUCES MEN
AND WOMEN OF
CHARACTER ... CHARACTER THAT ALLOWS THEM TO DEAL
ETHICALLY WITH THE
CHALLENGES OF TODAY AND TO MAKE CONSCIOUS DECISIONS ABOUT
HOW THEY WILL
APPROACH TOMORROW.
HOWEVER, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, THIS IS NOT DONE
INSTANTLY. IT REQUIRES
THAT INTEGRITY BECOMES A WAY OF LIFE ... IT MUST BE WOVEN
INTO THE VERY
FABRIC OF OUR SOUL. JUST AS WAS TRUE IN THE DAYS OF
IMPERIAL ROME, YOU
EITHER WALK IN YOUR INTEGRITY DAILY, OR YOU TAKE OFF THE
ARMOR OF THE
"INTEGER" (IN-TE-GER) AND LEAVE YOUR HEART AND
SOUL EXPOSED ... OPEN TO
ATTACK.
MY CHALLENGE TO YOU IS SIMPLE BUT OFTEN VERY DIFFICULT
... WEAR YOUR
ARMOR OF INTEGRITY ... TAKE FULL MEASURE OF ITS WEIGHT
... FIND COMFORT
IN ITS PROTECTION ... DO NOT BECOME LAX. AND ALWAYS,
ALWAYS, REMEMBER
THAT NO ONE CAN TAKE YOUR INTEGRITY FROM YOU ... YOU AND
ONLY YOU CAN
GIVE IT AWAY!
THE BIBLICAL BOOK OF PRACTICAL ETHICS - BETTER KNOWN AS
THE BOOK OF
PROVERBS - SUMS IT UP VERY NICELY: "THE INTEGRITY OF
THE UPRIGHT SHALL
GUIDE HEM: BUT THE PERVERSENESS OF TRANSGRESSORS SHALL
DESTROY THEM".
(PR 11:3)
THANK YOU.