Quotes
About Marines
"Marines
are about the most peculiar breed of human beings
I have ever witnessed. They treat their service as if it was some
kind of cult, plastering their emblem on almost everything they
own, making themselves up to look like insane fanatics with haircuts
to ungentlemanly lengths, worshipping their Commandant almost
as if he was a god, and making weird animal noises like a band
of savages. They'll fight like rabid dogs at the drop of a hat
just for the sake of a little action, and are the cockiest SOB's
I have ever known. Most have the foulest mouths and drink well
beyond man's normal limits, but their high spirits and sense of
brotherhood set them apart and , generally speaking, of the United
States Marines I've come in contact with, are the most professional
soldiers and the finest men I have had the pleasure to meet."
- An Anonymous Canadian Citizen
"When
the new recruit is standing in front of
his D.I., he knows what he had to do, what his D.I. wants him
to do, his Mama, his Daddy, his leader says to do. But what our
whole recruit training program is heading towards is that Marine
doing what he has been trained for when his leader, or any other
"senior" is not there looking over him. Those moments
when he is alone in combat, and he has to rely on one person,
himself!" Chesty Puller's Rules of Success!
"When
in doubt, empty the magazine." ---???
"To
ERR is human, to FORGIVE divine. HOWEVER,
neither is Marine Corps Policy." --???
"Marines
never die! They just go to hell and regroup."
--???
"It
seemed from the conversation that this fellow,
despite his appearance, had flunked his physical examination and
the officer was giving him the bad news. The blonde guy pleaded
for an exception that would allow him to become a Marine. The
captain listened quietly, staring straight ahead, thought for
a moment, then said, "An exception could be made only if
you have some special skills or training that the Corps needs.
In that case, we might consider a waiver in order to take advantage
of those skills." "Tell me, young man, what is your
profession?" "Teach history, Sir." The captain
stared into the blonde man's eyes, spoke slowly and deliberately.
"Son, we don't teach history, we make it!" --Stories
From the Pacific
"Marines
about to go into battle. Some were standing
watch, some readied equipment, some slept or rested, but all were
quiet. No nervous jabbering, no false bravado, no whining, no
melodramatics... they were professionals." --2nd Lieutenant
"Vic" Taylor, on "the Magnificent Bastards"
"Being
ready is not what matters. What matters
is winning after you get there." --Lieutenant General V.H.
Krulak, USMC: To a Marine unit leaving for Vietnam, April 1965
"Private
First Class Melvin E. Newlin was manning
a key machine gun post with four other Marines in July 1967 when
a savage enemy attack nearly overran their position. Critically
wounded, his comrades
killed, Private Newlin propped himself against
his machine gun and twice repelled the enemy attempts to overrun
his position. During a third assault, he was knocked unconscious
by a grenade, and the enemy, believing him dead, bypassed him
and continued their attack on the main force. When he regained
consciousness, he crawled back to his weapon and brought it to
bear on the enemy rear, inflicting heavy casualties and causing
the enemy to stop their assault on the main positions and again
attack his machine gun post. Repelling two more enemy assaults,
Private Newlin was awarded the Medal of Honor for his courageous
refusal to surrender his position or to cease fighting because
of his wounds." --Guidebook for Marines
"There
to the North of us they're to the South
of us, they're to the East and West of us... They can't get away
from us now!" General Lewis B. "CHESTY" Puller
1950
"The
Marines have never shone more brightly than
this morning." General Douglas MacArthur 1950
"No-one
can say that the Marines have ever failed
to do their work in handsome fashion." Major General Johnson
Hagood, U.S. Army
