We're Not Soldiers!

[Baldie88]

Got this from one of my friends, a former Marine (but not the author). Even though I'm retired Air Force I thought I'd post this for all the Marines here at CAC.

Ron
"Baldie88"

There is a growing trend in the print, radio and television news media,
and we must put a stop to it! Very frequently, when I read an article
dealing with the military,listen to the news on the car radio, or watch
TV news, I hear Marines being referred to as "soldiers". The fact that
so many adult males of the past two generations have not served in the
military, and have no understanding of the differences in the service
branches may have a lot to do with it. However, in a recent article
published in last Sunday's "Parade", the magazine insert in many Sunday
papers, Clint Eastwood is quoted in an article about his movie, "Flags
of our
Fathers", calling the Marines who raised the flag, as "soldiers".
Labeling us with this misnomer has got to stop at once!

If you can, and if you are disposed to do so, please write, call,
e-mail, or contact in some way, those in the media whom make this error.
If enough of us do this, and do it often enough, this trend should stop
- or at least slow down.

Many of us, including Marine leaders of high rank, have contributed to
this mis-identification. We didn't have the personnel to continue with
ship's detachments, so after more than 200 years of sea-going history,
we abandoned that post. We didn't have the personnel to have Marine
detachments and Marine Barracks at naval installations, so we abandoned
that tradition as well. The Navy has port security detachments, and
other units previously reserved for the Marines. The necessity of
"Jointness" has also been a contributing factor.

The History and Traditions of the United States Marine Corps is at
stake. I am not saying the other service branches are not equally as
courageous in battle, or have less of a glorious hsitory and tradition
to boast of. But that is theirs, and our Name and history are Ours!

For 231 years, we have been the point of the spear. The first to fight;
The only force that had, in their mission statement, the mandate to
serve on land,
at sea, or any other duty that the President, at his discretion, may
direct. That phrase was stamped into my SRB after every physical,
testifying that I was so qualified to serve in those capacities.

We are unique warriors. If we can be called soldiers, it must be the
complete, definitive description; "Soldiers of the Sea".

The four corners of the earth, and the seven seas, are resting places
for those brave men who gallantly made the supreme sacrifice as MARINES
- not
"soldiers". They served in the Naval Service, not the Army.

We are the Few and the Proud - MARINES, not the few and the proud -
soldiers.
Please make this difference understood by the misguided idiots whom are
given the control over American media sources.

And remember the phrase; "the Marines have landed, and the situation is
well in hand", denotes the bold, brave, decisive combat
power of the unique warriors known as the Corps of Marines. Will
tomorrow's paper tout the phrase: "Some soldiers have landed,
and the situation is well in hand"?

From the Halls of Montezuma, to the Shores of Tripoli................we
are proud to bear the title of United States Marine.

Respectfully submitted,
D.J.Flynn - SgtMaj retired

[Pseudomind]

Sounds like more PC crap to me. In the broadest sense and depending on the context, soldiers is aptly used. If however one is speaking of a specific group then use Marine, Sailor, Army, Air Force, Coast Guard, etc.

I when I hear a news report which states for example 10 soldiers were killed today... That is all I need to hear, not a PC breakdown of six Army, three Marines, and one Seal.

10 soldiers sadly suffices. There is to much PC being used any more to keep everything categorized into gray areas and not into black or white. More time is spent analyzing a problem then just fixing it. Right versus wrong and be done with it.

[Culprit]

Pseudomind, you are very wrong. This is not an issue of political correctness, it is an issue of right and wrong. If the media is indeed talking about a mixed group comprised of members of more than one branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, then the correct terminology is Service Members.

I am not, and never was a Soldier, but I am, and always will be a United States Marine!

Semper Fidelis,
Culprit

[Bioscache2]

Thats fine that the SgtMaj request to be called by his appropriate title but I wish he didn't make it sound like such an insult to be called a soldier. Having the unique perspective of serving in both the Air Force and the Army it always upsets me when one service starts assuming things about the other. I usually ask what experience they have serving in that service and when the response comes back none, thats usually the end of the conversation.
By all means be proud of who and what you are....you've earned it, but do not begin to assume that servicemember X knows anything what its like to be servicemember Y and no, having served with them doesn't count. I'd count that closely with the percent you've served with. So if you've served with 2% of the total population of that service then thats how much credit your opinion is worth.

PS this rant is not directed at any of our members here just a response triggered by the article

[Pseudomind]

Bioscache2 you hit the nail on the head of what I was attempting to answer. If this Sergeant Major wants to jump up and down all day long about being a Marine, more power to his PC connotations. But, from my experience of the past few years, all of the conflicts we have been involved in typically involved all branches and not just one branch, and when I hear 200 soldiers died today, I do not go, ‘oh gee, let’s break this down, three marines, six sailors, 87 Army members, 89 marine members, etc.’ 200 soldiers suffices for me.

Same thing goes when I hear a navy ship was sunk today and 653 sailors perished, I do not go umm, was there maybe an Army or Air Force person on board, any Marines, etc. I just envision it as a tragedy which affected 653 service members.

Roman soldiers were actually legionnaires, but in the vernacular even they were called soldiers. So say po-tat-o or po-tot-o, it’s still PC as far as I am concerned, unless something happens to only one specific group, as in the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing.

I will not endorse any platitudes of one branch over the other.

[Yoda]

This thread reminds me that we are individuals and have "Opinions" and thank you all for them.

A Marine is a Marine for LIFE... there are NO exMarines. It's a pride thing, and it's something I guess only a Marine understands... except for maybe special forces..

I read my VFW magazine each month and see the breakdown of KIA ....each Service Branch has it's own section, they are not all Solders... one size does not fit all. Solders ~ Grunts/Dogs/Ground Pounders ect... above it all THEY are all Hero's :pat

Bud

[SPANISHVETTS]

This thread reminds me that we are individuals and have "Opinions" and thank you all for them.

A Marine is a Marine for LIFE... there are NO exMarines. It's a pride thing, and it's something I guess only a Marine understands... except for maybe special forces..

I read my VFW magazine each month and see the breakdown of KIA ....each Service Branch has it's own section, they are not all Solders... one size does not fit all. Solders ~ Grunts/Dogs/Ground Pounders ect... above it all THEY are all Hero's :pat

Bud


I have been both a Soldier and a Marine.

The life of one my Marine’s was saved by an Airman who died while doing so and the man in my Sig, an AirForce officer, was one of the most influential people in my life. Adding to that all the years of ¨Defense Contracts¨ and ¨Security Consulting¨ work I developed a deep respect for most Military personal, both ours and theirs.
(One of my dearest friends was the Commanding General of the Polish AirForce. He lost a son in Afghanistan back when it was a Russian problem.)

Now with that background info the Marines among us will understand this:

The last words written about me on this earth will not say Soldier, Defense Contractor or Security Officer. The flat white slab will simply read:

Major, Unites States Marine Corps
1948 – 20xx
:pat

[Baldie88]

Hey guys,

If I thought this would have started any serious discussion I would have put it over on the Edge. I think the majority of both current and former members are proud of their individual service. That's why we joined one over another anyway.

At one time I worked in a group of desks (typical government arrangement) where there was one AF, one Navy, one Army and one Marine guy. Boy talk about some discussions. We all developed thick skin but also learned to appreciate both the good and bad of each individual service. I also learned that the Navy guy did one year off the coast of Viet Nam on a carrier, the Army guy was wounded twice in Viet Nam and the Marine was the only one out of his company to survive a fire fight in Viet Nam. All the while I stayed in the States while in the Air Force. And they made sure to remind me of this everyday! I'm proud to know each one of these guys and they are my heroes even though I rarely pass up a chance to give them a hard time about their service.

Ron
"Baldie88"

[Bioscache2]

I completely understand and support having pride in one's service, and I would agree that the Marines show it best as a whole( I say as a whole because, like stated above, once you get into select groups like rangers, special forces, etc; their pride is pretty high too) but there is a big difference between having pride and bad mouthing, whether intentional or otherwise, another service. And just to be clear, I don't mean the good nature ribbing we give one another, thats within the family. I mean when a service memeber is talking to a civilian who won't understand and says something, or is talking with malicious intent. In my opinion, as inexperienced as it may be for now, theres just no excuse for that. The most humble people I've met in the military have been special forces and genuine bad asses and I think that says volumes.

PS Spanishvettes did you see the thread I started for you on Col Boyd and the award? Some over due recognition from his home service.

[Bonnell]

Sounds like more PC crap to me. In the broadest sense and depending on the context, soldiers is aptly used. If however one is speaking of a specific group then use Marine, Sailor, Army, Air Force, Coast Guard, etc.

I when I hear a news report which states for example 10 soldiers were killed today... That is all I need to hear, not a PC breakdown of six Army, three Marines, and one Seal.

10 soldiers sadly suffices. There is to much PC being used any more to keep everything categorized into gray areas and not into black or white. More time is spent analyzing a problem then just fixing it. Right versus wrong and be done with it.

There is no gray area-a Marine is a Marine-not a soldier. Period.

[Bonnell]

I have been both a Soldier and a Marine.

The life of one my Marine’s was saved by an Airman who died while doing so and the man in my Sig, an AirForce officer, was one of the most influential people in my life. Adding to that all the years of ¨Defense Contracts¨ and ¨Security Consulting¨ work I developed a deep respect for most Military personal, both ours and theirs.
(One of my dearest friends was the Commanding General of the Polish AirForce. He lost a son in Afghanistan back when it was a Russian problem.)

Now with that background info the Marines among us will understand this:

The last words written about me on this earth will not say Soldier, Defense Contractor or Security Officer. The flat white slab will simply read:

Major, Unites States Marine Corps
1948 – 20xx
:pat


:pat Thank you. Semper Fi.

[Low drag - High speed]

Okay, let's put aside all the Ooo-Rah, Hoo-ah, scrambled eggs, farts and darts and all the PC demands and be objective for just a moment.

First of all, don't waste your time trying to tell the media how to do anything. They're more than happy to get it wrong as long as they get the story first and only one in ten has any clue about the Armed forces anyway. They will screw it up every time, so just suck it up and move on.

Second, there are two words that are generic for anyone who fights for their country/tribe/cause/homeland, whatever ... Soldiers and Warriors. No matter how eliteist and specialized you want to be, writers and reporters for all time have used these two words to describe anyone with a weapon who fights on a team of like-minded killers, good or bad, right or wrong.

It's fine to be a proud Marine and Ranger and Sailor and Airman and all the rest. That kind of esprit is hard won and well-deserved. But save your bullets for a bigger fight than somebody calling you by a name you don't accept. Didn't you risk your life for their right to free speech? Get a clue, the world doesn't revolve around any one of us and most people are far different. They are the flock of sheep we fought so hard to protect. Let them bleat in peace.

[Sharondippity]

Okay, let's put aside all the Ooo-Rah, Hoo-ah, scrambled eggs, farts and darts and all the PC demands and be objective for just a moment.

First of all, don't waste your time trying to tell the media how to do anything. They're more than happy to get it wrong as long as they get the story first and only one in ten has any clue about the Armed forces anyway. They will screw it up every time, so just suck it up and move on.

Second, there are two words that are generic for anyone who fights for their country/tribe/cause/homeland, whatever ... Soldiers and Warriors. No matter how eliteist and specialized you want to be, writers and reporters for all time have used these two words to describe anyone with a weapon who fights on a team of like-minded killers, good or bad, right or wrong.

It's fine to be a proud Marine and Ranger and Sailor and Airman and all the rest. That kind of esprit is hard won and well-deserved. But save your bullets for a bigger fight than somebody calling you by a name you don't accept. Didn't you risk your life for their right to free speech? Get a clue, the world doesn't revolve around any one of us and most people are far different. They are the flock of sheep we fought so hard to protect. Let them bleat in peace.

Amen.


Signed,

an American.

[Bonnell]

Okay, let's put aside all the Ooo-Rah, Hoo-ah, scrambled eggs, farts and darts and all the PC demands and be objective for just a moment.

First of all, don't waste your time trying to tell the media how to do anything. They're more than happy to get it wrong as long as they get the story first and only one in ten has any clue about the Armed forces anyway. They will screw it up every time, so just suck it up and move on.

Second, there are two words that are generic for anyone who fights for their country/tribe/cause/homeland, whatever ... Soldiers and Warriors. No matter how eliteist and specialized you want to be, writers and reporters for all time have used these two words to describe anyone with a weapon who fights on a team of like-minded killers, good or bad, right or wrong.

It's fine to be a proud Marine and Ranger and Sailor and Airman and all the rest. That kind of esprit is hard won and well-deserved. But save your bullets for a bigger fight than somebody calling you by a name you don't accept. Didn't you risk your life for their right to free speech? Get a clue, the world doesn't revolve around any one of us and most people are far different. They are the flock of sheep we fought so hard to protect. Let them bleat in peace.


I have a clue and regardless of what you and others want to say about all of us are really the same - soldiers - in fact we are not. As far as the common label, the media usually do not refer to sailors as 'soldiers'. And don't try to tell me that sailors don't fit into you definition of killers from above since sailors are certainly warrior too. I'm a Marine - not a soldier - and nothing you or others can say will change that. Its not elitist-it the way it is.

[Pseudomind]

Okay, let's put aside all the Ooo-Rah, Hoo-ah, scrambled eggs, farts and darts and all the PC demands and be objective for just a moment.

First of all, don't waste your time trying to tell the media how to do anything. They're more than happy to get it wrong as long as they get the story first and only one in ten has any clue about the Armed forces anyway. They will screw it up every time, so just suck it up and move on.

Second, there are two words that are generic for anyone who fights for their country/tribe/cause/homeland, whatever ... Soldiers and Warriors. No matter how eliteist and specialized you want to be, writers and reporters for all time have used these two words to describe anyone with a weapon who fights on a team of like-minded killers, good or bad, right or wrong.

It's fine to be a proud Marine and Ranger and Sailor and Airman and all the rest. That kind of esprit is hard won and well-deserved. But save your bullets for a bigger fight than somebody calling you by a name you don't accept. Didn't you risk your life for their right to free speech? Get a clue, the world doesn't revolve around any one of us and most people are far different. They are the flock of sheep we fought so hard to protect. Let them bleat in peace.

Very well put!