I have been going through the history of the Marine Corps and as I began thinking about a name for this article, I was initially stumped. Then suddenly, I typed the question. My question was answered by the first link I pulled up from Team Leader Cassy – the story of Jason Lee Dunham. I read the opening paragraphs with tears in my eyes, and anger in my heart:

Buffalo, NY - On this week when we honor all Veterans and their sacrifice and commitment to duty, a ceremony for a new Navy warship will take place Saturday in Florida. It provides a unique honor for a heroic fallen Marine from Western New York.

The U.S.S. Jason Dunham is named after 22 year old Marine Corporal Jason Dunham from Scio, Allegany County. Dunham was killed in 2004 during Operation Iraqi Freedom. To shield his fellow Marines from an insurgent's grenade, Dunham used his helmet and body to block the attack. He died a week later.

Corporal Dunham was 22 years old. A corporal at 22 years old! At 22 years old, my biggest decision was which outfit to select so that I could strut down the street. He showed why he was selected to lead. He led with his body and saved the lives of those under his command, ultimately sacrificing his life.  How many of us, at whatever age, would have done such a heroic deed? The “few, the proud, the Marines.”

Ever since 9/11, I have reacted to events, including 9/11, with this mix of rage and sadness. On the morning of 9/11, I wanted to go hunt down the planners myself, not because I am any type of warrior specimen, but because I hate cowards who kill others. I feel the same way about the users of IEDs. The users and makers are cowards who know that they could never hope to take on our Marines, or any other troops of our branches of service. They are systematically robbing us of our brightest and best.  However, there is a rainbow in this. Our Marines and other troops who sacrifice will be remembered long after the cowards have gone on to their just reward.

Here are our Marines in action - in pictures , courtesy of Weasel Zippers blogger. How many of us would give up life in the US to travel to some foreign land where a common form of greeting is having you or your buddies blown to bits, or with limbs rendered useless? I won’t ask for a show of hands, because I would have to be honest and place my hands high in the air. I make no bones over the fact that I am a physical coward and mechanically disinclined. OK, make that mechanically challenged, as in not knowing one end of a weapon from the other. So, since we are not such stellar shots as the men in Weasel Zippers, pictorial, we can donate to Project Valour-IT.

Our Marine Corps history lesson for the day, takes us from the 1980s when the cowardly terrorists began their assault on US embassies, through Operation Desert Storm:

The 1980s brought an increasing number of terrorist attacks on U.S. embassies around the world. Marine Security Guards, under the direction of the State Department, continued to serve with distinction in the face of this challenge. In August 1982, Marine units landed at Beirut, Lebanon, as part of the multi-national peace-keeping force. For the next 19 months these units faced the hazards of their mission with courage and professionalism. In October 1983, Marines took part in the highly successful, short-notice intervention in Grenada. As the decade of the 1980s came to a close, Marines were summoned to respond to instability in Central America. Operation Just Cause was launched in Panama in December 1989 to protect American lives and restore the democratic process in that nation.

Less than a year later, in August 1990, the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait set in motion events that would lead to the largest movement of Marine Corps forces since World War II. Between August 1990 and January 1991, some 24 infantry battalions, 40 squadrons, and more than 92,000 Marines deployed to the Persian Gulf as part of Operation Desert Shield. Operation Desert Storm was launched 16 January 1991, the day the air campaign began. The main attack came overland beginning 24 February when the 1st and 2d Marine Divisions breached the Iraqi defense lines and stormed into occupied Kuwait. By the morning of February 28, 100 hours after the ground war began, almost the entire Iraqi Army in the Kuwaiti theater of operations had been encircled with 4,000 tanks destroyed and 42 divisions destroyed or rendered ineffective.

“4,000 tanks destroyed and 42 divisions destroyed or rendered ineffective”? I love a job well done!

I know one Marine who is a buddy of mine. His name is Rick. I asked him to give me his story to use in this article. He e-mailed the following:

I enlisted at the ripe old age of 17, Mom had to sign off on it and did...I was a "Hollywood Marine", getting my basic training in San Diego and Infantry Training at Camp Pendleton.  For some reason the Corps thought I was a mechanic and sent me to Camp Del Mar, Calif. for Tracked Vehicle Repairman training. I cross trained as a Tank Crewman.

After training, I mounted out for the 1st Marine Division, 1st Tank Battalion in Okinawa and we made preparations for deployment to Viet Nam. In Early '66 we moved the entire Battalion to Chu Lai, Viet Nam...a pleasant place with more sand than the law allows, the beach goes in from the South China Sea for miles...I was transferred to the Flame Tank Platoon of Charlie Company, 1st Tanks as a gunner. 

After my 13 months overseas...I was transferred back to the States...as there were no longer any Tanks on the Pacific side, I was sent to Barstow, California.  They had no idea what to do with me...life terrible...So I volunteered to go back to Viet Nam...once again to 1st Tank Battalion as a Tank Mechanic and Tank Retriever crewman. The 1st Mar Div had moved up north to Da Nang during my brief stateside duties.  Spent my entire 13 month deployment with them and choose not to come home and extended my overseas tour 6 months.

Was active in many little things and when Tet '68 showed its ugly head, we were right in the middle of things.  Came home in November of '68 and only had 100 days left on my enlistment.  The Corps was giving "early outs" for those who had short time left on their enlistments and I opted for the early out.  Was discharged at 29 Palms and came home to all the wonderful fun and frivolity of the 60's.  Was treated like hammered dog do do by the protesters at the airports...lost friends and got into a few fights...

I then took up the only career I was suited for (not many tanks in Texas), I became a Texas Peace Officer (Cop) and except for a couple years as a Nuclear Services Tech on the decommissioning of the NS Savannah, I spent the rest of my life either in public service or working the private security sector.  My last position was a 17 year stint as Director of Security for a major Nevada Casino and I now own my own business.

Good Luck

Rick

Rick epitomizes, not only the Marine “spirit,” but the American spirit that we do not want to lose, and quite frankly are in danger of losing, because of the spirit of political correctness that is like a fungus over the land. He is plainspoken. He loves this country. I get the sense that if my life were in danger and he was around, he would do what was “necessary” to save my life.

His story also reminded me of the time when too many Americans took out their frustrations with the Vietnam War, on our troops. Our troops won that war, even if some of the politicians and political appointees screwed that up. In my lifetime, I had better never, ever see anyone spitting on one of “my” Marines, or any other troops for that matter.

And now, a little pomp and circumstance – our Marines at the 2008 Rose Bowl Parade. Synchronicity and synergy, and those uniforms!  Ok, the heart has stopped racing and the typing can continue. What is left to say, except to answer my own question. Who are our Marines? For the most part, they are ordinary citizens, oftentimes doing extraordinary deeds, in circumstances that can be routine, or  out of the ordinary. They routinely perform at a level of expertise and excellence that the rest of us mere mortals can only read about.

Whoa, another one of those “coincidences,” that is not so coincidental!  As I am typing, I began hearing about Corporal Jason Dunham on the Dennis Miller show, with author Dwight Zimmerman of  “Uncommon Valor.”  I am going to need a medical doctor, specifically a Marine to check this “racing of the heart syndrome” every time one of “my” Marines is mentioned! The following are all of the Medal of Honor winners, profiled in the book. They were men who gave their lives so that their comrades could live:

Final Roll Call:

“Sergeant First Class Paul Ray Smith.”
Silence.
“Corporal Jason Dunham.”
Silence.
“Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy.”
Silence.
“Petty Officer Second Class Michael Anthony Monsoor.”
Silence.
“U.S. Army Specialist Ross A. McGinnis.”
Silence.
“U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Jared C. Monti.”

 America, we are not worthy, but we are blessed. Please give to Project Valour-IT.  I consider it an honor, undeserved, to be blogging about real heroes. I will continue to help as long as God gives me the strength. They fight and sacrifice so that I can blog in liberty. God bless our heroes.