FACEBOOK
TWITTER
Dale Suiter: Politically Correct – Then and Now
By Dale R. Suiter STAFF WRITER
Burke Davis writing in “Marine,” a biography of Marine Lt. Gen. Lewis B. “Chesty Puller,” quotes the general as saying: “Our country won’t go on forever, if we stay soft as we are now. There won’t be any America because some foreign soldiery will invade us and take our women and breed a hardier race.” (General Puller was awarded five (5) Navy Crosses during his service to the United States of America.)
General Puller is quoted as saying too: “…in battle you can’t will the enemy to do anything” and “you can’t hurt em if you don’t hit em.” Mr. Davis’ biography of Gen. Puller is an excellent description of a Marine Officer from 2Lt. to flag rank. At the opposite end, Robert Leckie’s “Helmet for My Pillow” describes the Marine Rifleman at the squad level. General Puller believed in Officers being on the line with their men. Robert Leckie learned that the enemy must be killed, destroyed, not allowed to live. Our military still has men like Gen. Puller and Robert Leckie.
Readers take a (film) look into the life of the line grunt. The film Outpost Restrepo gives an excellent description of how the infantry lives and exists in an exposed position. Few Americans ever experience the life of the line grunt. Outpost Restrepo gives civlians and REMF’s the opportunity to view grunts from a safe, confortable location. The men of this infantry platoon have a few high tech pieces of equipement. They function in an exposed poistion like grunts always have – on the edge. The billions of dollars in our defense budget – in the end comes down to a few men with rifles and machine guns facing other men with rifles and machine guns. Men that conquer and control their fear. They are ordinary men. Everyday guys fight wars – not the hero types of Hollywood. They are not the politically correct types found in confortable and safe headquaters. They are riflemen – a breed apart.
As long as America has men like those deplicted in Outpost Restrepo we will survive and General Puller’s caution about a foreign soldiery will not come to pass. Unmanned aircraft, aircraft carriers, missles, high tech aircraft, speeches are part of an overall defense posture. Closing with and killing the enemy is – in the final anayalisis of military life and operations – all the really counts. Want to look into the life of the grunt without having to really experience it, read Marine by Burke and Helmet for My Pillow by Leckie. Fire in Streets by Hammel gives an excellent description of the grunts life in Vietnam during Tet 68. Of course, “We were Soldiers Once and Young” is a must read to for the civilian wanting a look into our life.
Had General Puller made his comment noted above today – well, imagine the political firestorm this distinguised Officer would be subjected to. Remember folks: “In battle you can’t will the enemy to do anything.” Check out Outpost Restrepo. It is an excellent production.
Semper Fi
Dale R. Suiter
Short URL: http://www.veteranstoday.com/?p=71559
Posted by Dale R. Suiter on Jan 7 2011, With 0 Reads, Filed under Living. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
COMMENTS
To post, we ask that you login using Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, or Hotmail in the box below.Don't have a social network account? Register and Login direct with VT and post.
Before you post, read our Comment Policy - Feedback
[...] the original article at Veterans Today [...]
Politically Correct. That’s a new term, grew out of the 1960s.
‘Politically Correct’ was used by civil rights workers and progressives as a term of self-deprecating humor. Seems folks took doing the right thing and not becoming co-opted seriously back in the day; gut checks and so forth. Humor was needed.
Seemed simpler though, because then we were simply derided as “Niggger lovers” and “Pinkos.” Guilty on both counts.
Now as then, war is glorified and used as a tool to justify whatever agenda or wedge issue works to keep neocons in power: Gays, terrorists, scary black people, Mexicans.
Different year, same shit.
Gen. Puller is quoted – words to the effect in “Marine” as saying “There will always be another war”. Brave Americans will fight the nations wars. I did not know the history of “Politically Correct” as you explain it. Thank you. People that faced the dangers present in our country furthering civil rights for African Americans had and have a courage that is so great that I can find no appropriate words to describe it. Dr. Kings position of non violence in the face of armed hatred is an outstanding lesson of history few people will match. War, as you write is glorified all the time. It is one of the most intense and horrible experiences any person can go through. There will always be a power base – and it will always find someone to go to war with. Unfortunately – there are those in the world that will harm us – no matter what ordinary Americans do in their day to day lives. Young men will then man positions like the one described above. The cycle will begin again and again and again. Thank you Sir, for your response.
Regards
Dale R. Suiter
Too damn bad you cannot find respect for gays and lesbians as human beings.
Have you ever stood up with blacks, gays, lesbians, Latinos?
You do what the clowns tell you, and then glorify your blind obedience.
Near the end of your life, you may discover the value of thinking for your self.
The issue of respect for “… gays and lesbians as human beings …” is not part of the article. It describes military men, field grade officer and a private in the Marine Corp and readings that explain infantry life. Political correctness in my view has nothng to do with military expediency -it only hampers it. Regarding “… thinking for your self” needs amplification. I don’t know your military background. Military thinking requires thought processes that implement orders. Personal belief is secondary to mission accomplishment. Consider military values:
Marine Corp Values:
Honor – Courage – Commitment
Marines are held to the highest standards, ethically and morally
Army Values:
Loyalty – Duty – Respect – Selfless Service -
Honor – Integrity – Personal Courage
Concerning Selfless Service – (one) puts the welfare of the nation, the Army and subordinates before their own.
Military personnel can not succeed without being acomplished critical thinkers. Having served in the U.S. Marine Corp and the U.S. Army I witnessed many men comply with the two vaule systems. Up to and including giving their life in the service of the United States of America. Marines and Soliders defer to rank. They often set aside their own needs for the welfare of others. I do not know what “…clowns…” you refer to. The men I had the honor to serve under were – to a man – honorable and competent men. In Vietnam I had good, dependable NCO’s and Officers. I know this line of writing may not fit “convention” but it describes my experience. They were men that never let any situation overcome their comporsure or ability to function (including days of boredom).
Yes Sir, members of the military think – all the time – it is part of their duty. Thank you for your comments.
Best personal regards
Dale R. Suiter
USMC & USA
Michael Leon, the blacks, muslims,and mexicans I knew in the military liked women! Go peddle your gay agenda on another site. These people aren’t with you.
Wow, you can speak for entire ethnicities. Brilliant.
Gay agenda? Like equality and liberty, freedom to serve their country. Sounds like dangerous stuff to me.
Piss on bigotry; leave America and create your own white homeland.
[...] reading the words in these pages of those few without the moral courage to stand with the gays, the lesbians, the blacks, I want to [...]
Would you consider it takes moral courage to speak in oppositon to a congressional – politically correct movement knowing the attacks one will be subjected to as a result? Remember – viewpoints do not matter. Congress as passed the law, the Commander in Chief has issued orders. Debate is done. Orders must be obeyed. It is now as simple as that.
Regards
Dale R. Suiter
Please rewrite your comments. I do not understand your point of view.
Regards
Dale R. Suiter
Its still a bit hard to understand all the fuss about DADT being rescinded.
GAYS have been in the US Military for a LONG time, some are better at hiding their proclivities than others. Have known more than a handful in my 20 year Army/Guard career, including VN and Desert Storm. Keep things on the QT and relax. A bullet, an RPG round or an IED doesn’t care about your sexual preference.
Just so you homophobes understand, my wife thinks I’m wasting my time responding to this article.
You are correct! There should be no fuss at all. DADT has been repealed. Military policy is being written to implement the law of the land and the orders of the Commander in Chief. One my concerns is the number of good people that are being destroyed and will be destroyed as “examples”. I am not referring to sadistic abusive people. Hunts for those who do not think along the party line will be ferreted out and destroyed. What think you, Sir?
Thank you for your response.
Repectfully
Dale R. Suiter
Might be, Lem.
Myself, I just can’t seem to resist reading Suiter explain himself: A Marine so afraid of gays coming to get ‘em and weaken the U.S. military.
Suiter likely has imaginary friends with whom he often has tea parties.
Mr. Leon:
I don’t like tea. Never have, never will.
My experience is that men that have to prove their courage seldom have any. The macho – I can beat any body down types often prove to be pathetic cowards. Fear however is an important issue in the military. Belly churning, vomiting, gut twisting fear is an issue that men most cope with. It is very common among combat troops. They know what it is to be afraid and how to conquer and control it. Not always easy to do. May I recommend reading “The Old Breed” by E.B. Sledge. It is another excellent work by a combat infantry type. Gives good insight into individual experiences in battle.
It is rewarding that to know you can not resist reading my articles and expalnations. You may gain insight into the tremendous sacrifice made by members of the military and the huge obstacles they face on returning to civilian life.
Dale R. Suiter
Dale, that’s the whole problem. Congress is no longer looking out for the troops on this one. To them it’s just a game. This social experiment will more than likely alienate gays than bring acceptance. This is just another one of congresse’s ill advised schemes that will blow up in their face.
Congress (and the Executive Branch) are engaged in social engineering. The troops will pay for it too. I agree with you. For example, Pass Ports will now include “Parent #1″ and “Parent #2″ to provide gender neutral description of parents for children. O.K. Politics. Mom and Dad have been kicked to the curb in the name of liberal inclusiveness. The issue is silly. The recent action of Congress and the President mandating open inclusion of homosexuals in the military is not silly. It is and will continue to have a negative effect on military operations. The troops did not want this issue – it has been forced upon them by people that view them as something of less vaule than them as they live in protected enclaves. Is does not however matter. The military must implement the law as passed by Congress and signed into law by the President. Many good men in the military are going to go the way of Captain Honor, U.S. Navy and be scacrificed on the altar of the political correct. This in turn will have a negative impact on morale. The liberal left know nothing of the behavior of men in battle or their relationship with each other. Sure, there are exceptions. There is always an exception. Hang on John – it is going to get worse – a lot worse before it gets any better.
With respect
Dale R. Suiter
Must be rough being distracted by all those gays coming to get you.
A “negative effect on military operations.” You know, you sound like a military clown.
Thank you for your comment. I do not understand “… all those gays comeing to get you.” I know of no “gays” coming to get anyone. Line troops have a culture all their own. It is an enviornment that requires very close cooperation. The men I have served with “on the line” will not welcome homosexuals. They will tolerate it because they have to like they tolerate any political decision that detracts from their day to day existence. Line troops in war zones have many needs and issues to cope with. One of the their most important needs is seeing the sunrise each day they are on the line. Recent Congressional action has a negative impact on them. Homosexuals are not wanted in the military. Are they there, sure. Always have been. They are not accepted and not wanted. These beliefs are now imaterial. Members of the military implement unpopular orders all the time. People that believe that repeal of DADT is a popular event in the military are wrong. Congress could have waited until after January 1, 2011 for the issue to be voted on by the 112th Congress. It would not have passed. Again, what should have been done is inmaterial. The law is the law and must be obeyed. I am concerned about how many people will be scacrificed on the altar of political correctness.
Best personal regards and thanks for your opinion.
Dale R. Suiter
Correction:
Regarding the liberal left and military service: I completed some research. Many of the liberal left types of extensvie military experience. Many are decorated combat Vets. Senator Ed Kennedy – “The Lion of the Senate” served in the military. My statement: “…the liberal left know nothing …” is wrong. I am sorry for the mistake.
D.R. Suiter
From personal experience, I have to admit I am not particularly fond of gays in the military. The three homosexuals I knew were one in basic training, one in AIT, and a drill sergeant during AIT. The two trainees were fairly aggressive and somewhat disruptive, but the drill sergeant kept his preferences to himself, and for that I respected him greatly. During combat I was aware of no homosexuals, but that may be due to the fact that we all had more important things to worry about. Long story short, if anyone is willing to serve this nation in time of war, they get the benefit of the doubt. But when its all said and done, I think its sad that we have been reduced to getting into pissing contests over this subject when 18 veterans a day are killing themselves and the VA is laughing all the way to the bank.
Thank you for a well written response. The repeal of DADT – as I have written is a done deal. Debate is non productive. I am concerned about implementation policy of the repeal. As a Vet how many foolish “this is how you are to think” lectures did you sit through? Bet there will be many more such lectures – and those who do not fall into line, well they will be flayed upon the altar of the politically correct.
Thank you for your service.
Dale R. Suiter
Update:
I know the importance of Veterans and self-destructive behavior. Eighteen Vet a day “… killing themselves …”? Would you please give me the source for the data. I know it is an important issue but I did not know it was that severe.
Regards
Dale R. Suiter
Although there have been noble warriors in all wars includ Vietnam and the current ones, they are usually an exception and will disobey an order from their squad leader all the way up to the President if after full examination they come to the conclusion that the order is not for the betterment of mankind. If a soldier does not have this skill and knowledge, lost it, or is too afraid of implementing it, he or she is not a true warrior but a fearful obedient soldier who may very well be always faithful to the group at the cost of their heart. One can always become enlightened in the battle field which may endanger ones life from ones own soldiers. If you are in Vietnam or Iraq or what ever war and you get it about having been endoctrinated by people who dont ever question and/or disobey an immoral, unethical, or illegal order, what the hell are you going to do? Always be faithful? To what? To whom? Especially when seeing men you care about being killed through the random selection of the schrapnel or bullet no matter what their training. In other words, as the previous comment says, the soldier thinks for himself and is starting to differentiate between a soldier and a warrior. This awareness may happen during a battle. What usually happens at least in my experience as a grunt is that the vast majority of soldiers get frosty and get on with the next order after the fire-fight and get better at fighting with little deep process about it all. The corrupt political leaders from this and many other countries count on this to provide them with a fighting force for what ever peice of land, gold, oil, power, etc. that they have convinced the majority of their populace is for the greater good. Let us all make damn sure we only call on the wolf if we really need the food. I am reminded of “Never Cry Wolf” We have not chosen our fights with this in mind in my 63 years here.
A fact of warfare is the military must fight the war with resources provided by the nation. The military can not create funding. Its troop levels, equipment purchases, strategic mission and even operations plans are often set by civilians. The military must implement missions and orders.
Regarding immoral o unethcial orders – as long as the order is not illegal – I don’t know – may have to obey it. Intresting point, Sir. Illegal orders must, in accordance with military law be disobeyed. Memebers of military have an obligation to disobey illegal orders and may face court matrial if they do not disobey illegal orders.
Thank you for your response.
Dale R. Suiter
Special Ops in Afganistan in 2001-2002 were understandable. After that there was a political/pentagon/media propaganda blitz to make a more conventional invasion and occupation of Iraq and Afganistan politically correct. They succeeded using the good welcoming home heroes events as a means to feed this. How could one criticize these wars while bringing home these heroes (only to send them back 2 or 3 times) and still be politically correct. Everyone was so sensitive to what happened to some of us comeing home from Vietnam and getting blamed and judged that they have over-compensated and are afraid to say anything real about the decisions to go and what to do now in these current wars. I had a good friend one time in my earlier years who had a drinking and fighting problem. I finally told him that if he drank too much when I was with him in a bar and he started an argument or a fight and he didnt back off when I told him to, that I would leave him on his own. That was the contract. I was faithful to him up to a point where he abused that faith and trust. The same thing can happen to anyone in any contract, in any organization. There is however a cost. I eventually lost him as a friend. In the military when you do something like I did, you can be shot, courtmartialed, given a medal, a rear job, busted, art. 15, humiliated, harrassed, put on meds. discharged, jailed, called personality disorder and have benefits witheld after discharge and other not so pretty things. A warrior takes his chances to not be politically or militarily correct. So be it.
It would not matter to me as long as it said US in front of the branch name I’m on there side no compation with them in combat did like the Marines though they never where worryed about being rong in a fire fight becuse they had a good chain of comand that saported there destion’s as to the bar if you go with your buddy your in for the long hall thats what I was told besides thats what soldiers like to do drink and fight. Also we alwaysw had eachothers backs thats just how it is I mean for me.
Well said DRS. You take care.
Best regards
The Jarhead