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I think that this article still exemplifies the Marine Corps mindset. Do you?
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Belleau Wood | Marine Corps Association
Posted from mca-marines.org
Military History
WWI
Marines
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 10
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1stSgt (Join to see) - First; Although I'm not going to agree that it was "a brigade of Marines" that was SOLELY responsible for stopping "the advance of a replenished and powerful German Army" - simply because that wouldn't be true - I'm not going to take any exception to any claim that the troops in the USMC have a well deserved reputation for courage, individual initiative, and pig-headed stubbornness in combat.
That the Marines' leadership made some pretty gross errors the first time they fought a type of war that they had never fought before against a type of enemy that they had never faced before isn't in the least bit shocking - or even novel (especially when they were called upon to do it unexpectedly).
Cpl Dennis F. - Corporal; NO "peacetime soldier" has the same mind set as someone who is actually in combat. In fact you really don't know what sort of a mind set a person who is in combat is going to have until they are actually in combat.
I've seen great "peacetime leaders" become practically useless when exposed to the reality of facing people who were actively engaged in attempting to kill them and I've seen the most useless "peacetime leaders" step into responsibility and lead wisely and courageously. Whoda thunkit?
That the Marines' leadership made some pretty gross errors the first time they fought a type of war that they had never fought before against a type of enemy that they had never faced before isn't in the least bit shocking - or even novel (especially when they were called upon to do it unexpectedly).
Cpl Dennis F. - Corporal; NO "peacetime soldier" has the same mind set as someone who is actually in combat. In fact you really don't know what sort of a mind set a person who is in combat is going to have until they are actually in combat.
I've seen great "peacetime leaders" become practically useless when exposed to the reality of facing people who were actively engaged in attempting to kill them and I've seen the most useless "peacetime leaders" step into responsibility and lead wisely and courageously. Whoda thunkit?
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Capt Walter Miller
To say the Marine Brigade saved the war for the Allied Powers has got to be way over the top.
Walt
Walt
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Capt Walter Miller
This video -- we watched at OCS in 1981 - the second part is different but the first part I vividly recall. In fact I found it on youtube by searching 'Such as Regiments Hand Down Forever."
https://youtu.be/QM4Pobo9LAA
But not Army regiments.
Walt
https://youtu.be/QM4Pobo9LAA
But not Army regiments.
Walt
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COL Ted Mc
Capt Walter Miller - Captain; I agree that the USMC has (pretty much) preserved the "Regimental Pride" that the US Army long since abandoned as an impediment to efficient bean counting.
One of the problems with an effective system of "Regimental Pride" is that the good people always want to get into the regiments with good reputations (and stay there) so that means that promotions are slower (sometimes MUCH slower) - of course the good regiments also tend to get rid of those who got in but aren't up to the regimental standard so that means that the good regiments have a tendency to keep on getting better and the not so good ones have a tendency to keep on getting not so gooder. That, of course, means that the people at the top of the heap have a nasty tendency to come from a small percentage of the regiments and that simply isn't good for morale.
It's MUCH better for overall morale to have a whole army made up of mediocre regiments than it is to have some regiments that actually shine and make the rest look bad.
One of the problems with an effective system of "Regimental Pride" is that the good people always want to get into the regiments with good reputations (and stay there) so that means that promotions are slower (sometimes MUCH slower) - of course the good regiments also tend to get rid of those who got in but aren't up to the regimental standard so that means that the good regiments have a tendency to keep on getting better and the not so good ones have a tendency to keep on getting not so gooder. That, of course, means that the people at the top of the heap have a nasty tendency to come from a small percentage of the regiments and that simply isn't good for morale.
It's MUCH better for overall morale to have a whole army made up of mediocre regiments than it is to have some regiments that actually shine and make the rest look bad.
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Capt Walter Miller
That's why the USMC in WWII didn't like the idea of the Raider battalions. The president's son being in one of the raider Battalions kinda mitigated for them. But HQMC disbanded them as soon as it could. The Corps has always sorta kinda frowned on elites within elites.
We don't really have a regimental system like the Brits do, where you are a lieutenant, captain and major in the same outfit. Don't miss "Tunes of Glory", though.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nl_yraJydWQ
Walt
We don't really have a regimental system like the Brits do, where you are a lieutenant, captain and major in the same outfit. Don't miss "Tunes of Glory", though.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nl_yraJydWQ
Walt
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Nice read with a few details not previously known.
My statement stands. Although our esprit remains, I believe that it is constantly politically undermined.
I have some family mementoes from 1918 in the way of trench art tooled arty brass.
My statement stands. Although our esprit remains, I believe that it is constantly politically undermined.
I have some family mementoes from 1918 in the way of trench art tooled arty brass.
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Capt Walter Miller
Cpl. Fresch, my impression is that the Marine infantrymen of today are more the hyper-professional killers (of the right targets) than they have ever been.
Plus they get to go to the Marine Corps Ball with Mila Kunis and Samantha Fox.
Walt
Plus they get to go to the Marine Corps Ball with Mila Kunis and Samantha Fox.
Walt
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From the National Museum of the Marine Corps.
https://youtu.be/ZsgwHxboHFk
Pretty cool video. My dad was in France about this time or maybe a little later. He was one of the Marines that did stevedore work at Cherbourg, France. He didn't talk about it much.
Pretty cool video. My dad was in France about this time or maybe a little later. He was one of the Marines that did stevedore work at Cherbourg, France. He didn't talk about it much.
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Capt Walter Miller
This video is shown in one of the galleries at the National Museum of the Marine Corps.
Walt
Walt
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