Friday, April 15, 2005

From the Halls of Montezuma

Fire of Liberty

Martin Morse Wooster has a great article over at Tech Central Station on the "Devil Dog" Marines' boot camp in Parris Island, South Carolina. It's good to read such a great piece on the warriors who are the tip of our armed forces spear. Here's a sneak peek:
Another section of The Crucible teaches Corps values. The recruits perform various tasks, after being told a story about a Marine who earned the Medal of Honor. One station tells about Corporal James Mackie, who was blown up in a gunboat steaming up the James River during the siege of Richmond in 1862. A second describes the heroism of Sgt. Louis Cukela, who single-handedly charged and captured a nest of German machine-gunners in the Forest Du Prez in 1918. A third honors Sgt. Alfredo Gonzalez, who died on the fifth day of the battle for Hue in 1968 after he had carried two Marines to safety. Sgt. Gonzalez saved the second Marine's life after he was severely wounded by North Vietnamese fragmentation grenades.

The lessons these stories teach are simple, but important: These Marines started out as men like you. They sacrificed themselves to save their friends. They served their country with honor.

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