I proudly did my duty for the corps and my country. How is this similar and different from, say, Hitler's perspective?

2016-07-11T02:44:34-04:00

"All I can say is that I proudly did my duty for the corps and my country." How is this similar and different from, say, Hitler's perspective?

Do we think beyond the facade of honor? that We served honorably because we have a document that verify it so. If one day we fall, and our ass are on trial by our enemy, I suppose this thinking could be handy.

Response by SN Greg Wright made Jul 11 at 2016 2:45 AM

2016-07-11T02:45:54-04:00

Erm...I really think you need to add more information.

Response by SSgt Khanh Pham made Jul 11 at 2016 3:16 AM

2016-07-11T03:16:52-04:00

"All I can say is that I proudly did my duty for the corps and my country." How is this similar and different from say Hitler's perspective?

There are many angles to read and answer this general question. It deal with the general concept of personal responsibility.

One of our fellow soldier wrote a book, and I supported him because he offered 3.99 pdf version. At the end, he did not want to say much about Vietnam war. Which is understandable, as he has to consider what is there to gain by stating anything else. As a soldier, priority 1 is following orders. Complexity in a society of laws and a volunteer force is that we must also understand many facets of order. Order from supervisor, commanders, policy, us codes/laws, may be even more complex than that.

As a soldier, who served in a war zone or not, kill or not kill another human; we are associated with everything that the military arm of our political system does. As a child, as a soldier in basic training, as a professional in any field, we are taught to take personal responsibility for our actions.

One of the famous common wisdom in the workplace is to leave work at work, and do not take it home. Does that absolve our associations with all the actions that was taken while in his professional position? Actions that we do not take but by inaction allows to be carried out?

“What we permit, we promote.”
“The standard you walk past is the standard you accept.”

Even Colin Powell sold the war on Iraq. All he had to say was that was a low point in his career. If I was to sell the killing of 1 individual, I am looking at jail time. How many lives did Colin Powell sold with the Iraq war? Ret General of UK also has something similar to say, it was a mistake but we cant hold anyone accountable. Hillary Clinton said it was a mistake to test and circumvent the security system of the US communication system in place. Have anyone thought the amount of people that knows Hillar Clinton was using a private server? and the one before that? Oh, did she drop the name of Secretary of State Colin Powell as well. The point being, do we think?

Do we think beyond the facade of honor? that We served honorably because we have a document that verify it so. If one day we fall, and our ass are on trial by our enemy, I suppose this thinking could be handy. As a victor we can rewrite what we do not like.

Response by Cpl Jeff N. made Jul 11 at 2016 6:49 AM

2016-07-11T06:49:08-04:00

You probably need to come up with a better question and a better explanation of it. Using Hitler as a comparison point to serving in the armed forces of the United States might be a little off the mark (like 180 degrees off).

You are morphing a number of concepts/questions. First, leaving work at work is all fine and well. That should not be construed to mean you can do something illegal, unethical or immoral at work and walk about at the end of the day. That is not what the saying means.

Making decisions to go to war are for a select few. We, as war fighters, are held to account for our actions on and off the battlefield. We don't get to sue the Nuremburg Defense to justify war crimes (if we commit them). There are rules of war that we try very hard to follow (harder than most).

Honor is not a façade. If one day we fall, as a nation, our individual trial by an enemy that conquered us will be of little concern. History may mostly be written by the victors but in more recent history we have done a better job trying to see things from other's perspective. Not to justify it or accept it but to understand the enemy better.

Response by SFC Richard Giles made Jul 11 at 2016 7:25 AM

2016-07-11T07:25:40-04:00

How is that question even remotely about Military History is my 1st question to you SSgt?
My second question to you is why are you comparing you service to Hitler's service?

Response by CPT Aaron Kletzing made Jul 11 at 2016 8:48 AM

2016-07-11T08:48:39-04:00

This headline makes my brain hurt lol

Response by PO1 John Miller made Jul 11 at 2016 9:36 AM

2016-07-11T09:36:15-04:00

You say "Corps" in the title yet you were in the Air Force? Also in one of your responses, you say "fellow Soldier." Very confusing.

Response by CPT Jack Durish made Jul 11 at 2016 11:24 AM

2016-07-11T11:24:10-04:00

This is a remarkable question. It may incite some but for me it serves to prove a point. History is our story. If you don't know it, you don't know who we are, who you are. Sadly, history is one of the most poorly taught subjects. I know much of it because I love stories and have never found any fiction that could match the excitement of reality. No epic hero from fiction could come close to matching the real heroes found in our story. Now, if you want the answer to your question, start reading our story. It's too long to tell in a comment on Rally Point. I can only promise you that it is truly fascinating as well as worthwhile.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 11 at 2016 12:20 PM

2016-07-11T12:20:19-04:00

For starters, while you were serving our country and supporting and defending our Constitution did you commit genocide?

Response by MSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 11 at 2016 12:33 PM

2016-07-11T12:33:09-04:00

You need to rephrase your question. First in your profile I don't see you served in the Corps commonly known to us that proudly served in the Marine Corps as the 'Corps'. Your question in a sense disrespects the Men and Women of the Marine Corps. Also reading some of your response to a few of the questions is also very confusing. There is a difference between Marine, Soldier, Airmen and Sailor as a reference in describing a individual. And your response is all over the board in reference to your comparison to service in the U. S. Military to the thoughts of Hitler and his reasoning for his actions. So to answer you question as is, there are no similarities or comparison to the raise of Hitler. We as service members follow the orders of our leaders and serve at the pleasure of our country. Our patriotic spirit to protect our country is unwavering. We are the shepherds of the flock. We do not seek fortune, fame or recognition.

Hitler had the destruction of the human race as we know it on his mind. A mind of brutality with no compassion. He wasn't interested in serving or protecting the people of his country. He was only interested in his perverted idea of what the human race should look like in his mind.

Response by Capt Walter Miller made Jul 11 at 2016 4:57 PM

2016-07-11T16:57:34-04:00

Hitler wasn't in the Marine Corps.

Response by Cpl Justin Goolsby made Jul 12 at 2016 9:40 AM

2016-07-12T09:40:46-04:00

There really are no differences. Each serves his Country in his own way. The only differences would possibly be A.) Which one History remembers as Evil and which one as Good and B.) Hitler was an expansionist and for the lack of a better word a conqueror. When was the last time we added a Star to our Flag...

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 12 at 2016 2:20 PM

2016-07-12T14:20:28-04:00

What?

Response by SCPO Rs Berry made Jul 12 at 2016 10:33 PM

2016-07-12T22:33:09-04:00

With all due respect SSGT, I think there are better candidates to compare Yourself with than Adolph Hitler.

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Jul 13 at 2016 2:20 AM

2016-07-13T02:20:04-04:00

I understand your question, however, here is my thought, such as it is: That German "thing" was an aberrant, amoral monster, utterly in a different class from virtually every single other dictator before or after in recorded history. He was a totally looney tunes utterly freaked out maniac, who basically turned Europe into a charnel house, and very nearly trashed the rest of human civilization. Someone else on here had asked about a similar aspect of history, comparing, as I recall, that German monster with Stalin, as a case in point. I mentioned there that FDR, Churchill, and Truman all cooperated with Stalin yet knew very well who he was, and what he was. They cooperated with him against that German monster for the simple historical reason, "Better the devil you know," not because they trusted Stalin, they all loathed him, especially Churchill, who knew precisely what Stalin was. However, not even Stalin could even remotely compare with that German monstrosity. Neither that "thing", nor those under that "it", which descriptives I use as " it", in my view, simply wasn't even human, had one whit of honor, zero, zip, nada, goose egg. That "thing", as John Toland described " it", was, as he very eloquently phrased in a brilliant 2-vol bio I urge you to read, "...a warped archangel, a hybrid of Prometheus and Lucifer". My uncle my dad's sister's husband, was one of Eisenhower's radio operators, as I've mentioned on here, many times. He was at the little red schoolhouse in Rheims, Germany, when the Germans surrendered, he saw it, he helped send out the surrender telex, which my family , his kids, my cousins, still have a copy of, that my uncle swiped as a souvenir. My wife's dad helped lead a minefield charge across the Moselle river for which he got a Bronze Star, under Patton. He took many photos my mother in-law still has of where the Beer Hall Putsch happened, and the overlook of the Berghof, the house of that "thing" in the Bavarian Alps shown in the Band of Brothers HBO series, he was there, he saw all that. I understand, as I said, why you ask what you ask, however, please do trust me when I tell you there is absolutely zero comparison to be made of that type, non sequitur, does not compute, honest. That "thing" corrupted an entire nation, and helped drive it, and all who lived there, totally and completely psychotic, that's why Count Klaus von Stauffenberg, and the others depicted in the film Valkyrie tried so hard to get rid of that monster in the July 20 plot in the Wolf's Den, that's why they were heroes, as all Germany now acknowledges, for the simple reason they realized, albeit too late, that they had followed, unfortunately, a total freaking lunatic who turned them and their country, as well as virtually everything and everyone else over there, pretty much to ashes and rubble. Honor? Not one whit, promise, the very furthest thing from it, even the Japanese, horrible as they were in China, especially in Nanking, especially also with Unit 731 depicted in the film The Last Emperor, and the Bataan Death March, weren't as bad as that monstrosity. That "thing" poisoned virtually the entire planet with an odious stench, that still lingers decades after its noxiousness was, thankfully, finally, destroyed. I just thought I'm ought to explain my thoughts about what you'd asked, as I'd said, however, please do trust me, honor from that German monster? Not a particle, promise, I hope that was of use and or interest, I'd be eager for any views, many thanks.