Marinestan

Posted by guest blogger Nick

Some excerpts from an article in the Patriot Post by Victor Davis Hanson:

Since WWII, the Marines have turned up almost anywhere that America finds itself in a jam against supposedly unconquerable enemies -- in bloody places like Inchon and the Chosin Reservoir in Korea, at Hue and Khe Sanh during the Vietnam War, at the two bloody sieges of Fallujah in Iraq, and now in Afghanistan.

Over the last two centuries, two truths have emerged about the Marine Corps. One, they defeat the toughest of America's adversaries under the worst of conditions. And two, periodically their way of doing things -- and their eccentric culture of self-regard -- so bothers our military planners that some higher-ups try either to curb their independence or end the Corps altogether.

Read the entire article.  I do not want you to miss this…

The U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, retired three-star Army General Karl W. Eikenberry, reportedly made a comment about there being 41 nations serving in Afghanistan -- and a 42nd composed of the Marine Corps. One unnamed Obama administration official was quoted by the Washington Post as saying, "We have better operational coherence with virtually all of our NATO allies than we have with the U.S. Marine Corps."

Some officials call the new Marine enclave in Nimruz Province "Marinestan" -- as if, out of a Kipling or Conrad novel, the Marines have gone rogue to set up their own independent province of operations.

Marinestan.  hehe.

… from the Marines' initial mission against the Barbary Pirates to the battles in Fallujah, Americans have wanted a maverick Marine Corps -- a sort of insurance policy that kept them safe, just in case.

To quote Grim over at Blackfive who tipped me off to this….

”It is right and proper to love the Marine Corps”.

Good night Chesty, wherever you are......

Comments

[Locutisprime]

Semper Fi

[chuck aka xtnyoda]

Ol' Chesty P. would indeed be delighted at the H/T...

... as well this ol' dog.

Semper Fi!

[doug]

It is hard to be humble - when you're the finest.

[tim aka The Godless Heathen]

“Marinestan”

Great concept. Wonder if we could do this here, say out in Arizona? I’d move in a heartbeat.