Special: Back to Basics

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ensures r> ^<an,s the meaning of discipline—the attitude the footpt obedience to orders and, in the absence 'dpline i_{s a} ^mt,at'^on of appropriate action. He learns that W a- °f Hfc, and that his own life may depend

7‘^c'^r Way dou f ' "^l Regiments of Marines were fighting ,^r‘^dge made F'^Z- ^^{orea s} Chosin Reservoir, a blown-out ^{Ud ,0} be crtn'^n<i . ⁿ baSX 'mpassable. The yawning chasm Z'frostbutcZ ^ those 7,000 Marines —many wounded engineers air-1 ^{Were to} continue down to safety. The Marine own, brin„i_n ^r°?R^ed bridging and tile infantrymen came 'ⁿ°ral discipip ! Z ^{dead and} wounded. They did it with the ^spmr. When * ' u«'s the Marines’ antidote to fear and de­Quit!” their h'ⁿ^ ^muscles and bursting lungs screamed ^nd do it ti,^U.^ar,s and their guts shouted back “Do it!”

n they did-

>gs/

^r°^c<*di_n

Cor ^a" . ur8 ^once wrote, “When a nation goes down, found °^C!^ety P^er‘^shes, one condition may always be is not about t ^ f^or8^et where they came from.” Our nation We have lost ^{down and} we’re not about to perish, but ^c°untry what ^'^{1            some} °f ^,be things that helped make this

necessar\ if ^,v today. Certain basic characteristics are is on this hn ■ ^naf‘^on ‘^s to be great and is to remain great. It ^UniWe impoZLT tL^U'r^S' ^Marine Corps assumes its 'nilitary irainiZ ^^S‘^de from providing the world’s finest

ZZT^ancf’°^^the

the r ^CorP^s lies in fact that i, _{is one Qf}

ol/f \^Str0n8holds of the^fn^Shl°^{ned virtues} in

Pverv'y^{11 S}'^ates today.

Un,- ^^ar,ne must

"CCi "«■ /»,/„.

and shear off! hair. Z\^{ff heir} ‘hen, l^e he_{m making} are nZ Z^{annes wh}o of th_e Z '° ^be citizens in the ^^rea!^est country

^w' *°£

r»””«

SSESfi,-*-.

of hours ^CanTf ^tems °f hours n^Jrac,i°ns 'earns fJ'l ^recruit

time n/T '^he A™

ra'ity is n^PS’ ^{that mo}~ to m_ake T ^Some'hing

rurn°r tltl °^{f: that}’ each meal ^COntrary’ Cod is not dead—grace is said before

sta,\ding reail '^earns the meaning of professionalism: ^d°ing so cool! !° ^meet °^Ur country’s needs at any time, and ^a,e, nor /_v /,' Und capably. The recruit is trained neither to ^Ure not danve ^wb‘PP^{ed U}P” emotionally for battle. Marines ,/ a tim_e whp°^US '° ^an7^one< except to the enemy they face.

istns” t/_lu! JJJf ^seems that we are suffocating from all the ^Seif with onlvt'^a modern society, a Marine concerns him- ^ fach Marine /° P^alrioUsm and professionalism

of order.

ais, ’ ^uPon u

'heir w'Z ^{5,h and} 7th

a fighting team.

^N«^vember 1983

Back to Basics

A Marine learns other things, too. He learns that a man's word is his bond. He learns that success is not how much you can get away with—that you don’t cheat, steal, and lie. But that you’re a Marine, and proud of it.

Intellectuals and “jet-setters” may consider us to be hope­lessly archaic (if they're even aware of our existence). Actu­ally, we’re remarkably uncomplicated people. We believe in things and tend to be a bit sentimental and rather simple— the type for whom morning and evening colors are important rituals. We are the type who snap to attention at the opening notes of the ' ‘Star-Spangled Banner. ’ ’ As long as live, we will stand when they play “The Marines’ Hymn.” We re­member ‘ ‘things endured and things achieved such as regi­ments hand down forever."

The next time someone looks at me and says, “Oh. you're a Marine,” I’ll thank him. Yes, I’m a Marine. Our men don’t have to go looking for employment. There are always jobs for men of their caliber. But the price they pay for the privilege of serving tlieir country’ can be high. There are American graves all over the face of the Earth, and our Ma­rines fill their share of those graves. They never asked what their country could do for them, and now they never will.

Yes, I’m a Marine—and proud of it!

—Captain G. E. Rector, U. S. Marine Corps

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