Sgt. Stout distinguished himself during an attack by a North Vietnamese Army Sapper company on his unit's firing position at Khe Gio Bridge. Sgt. Stout was in a bunker with members of a searchlight crew when the position came under heavy enemy mortar fire and ground attack. When the intensity of the mortar attack subsided, an enemy grenade was thrown into the bunker. Displaying great courage, Sgt. Stout ran to the grenade, picked it up, and started out of the bunker. As he reached the door, the grenade exploded. By holding the grenade close to his body and shielding its blast, he protected his fellow soldiers in the bunker from further injury or death. Sgt. Stout's conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action, at the cost of his own life,…
But when we talk about a Sgt. of Marines, things are more different. As a Sgt. of Marines not only you are in charge of the mission. You are responsible for the life and safety of all your Marines. You are the one that will be making difficult decision that may put your Marines in danger and may cost their lives or yours to save them. World War II in the Pacific has often been described as a "Sergeant's war." Small unit leaders carried an immense amount of responsibility for the overall battle. On most Pacific islands, there was little space for wide, sweeping maneuvers, or operational-level tactics. Typically, infantry Marines would team-up with tanks, engineers, and other attachments to hammer against the enemy's lines. Example of such dedication to the mission and to save life’s of their fellow Marines on the worst situation and sometimes even costing their lives. NCO's such as Sgt. Smith were in the forefront of combat, leading their Marines and setting the example under the toughest battlefield conditions. Able needed heavy fire support. Sgt Smith determined to find it. He moved out on foot and located three Sherman tanks. Leading them forward, he pointed out Japanese defenses for the tanks to engage. Under his fire direction, the Sherman’s destroyed numerous enemy positions at point blank range. Sgt. Smith continued to lead by example. Seeing wounded Marines trapped in front of the enemy's positions, he made several trips across exposed terrain to rescue four wounded comrades. He also organized litter teams to rescue other trapped Marines. All the while, he continued to direct the tanks in knocking out Japanese automatic weapons that were pouring fire into Able's positions. Is amazing how NCO take ownership of their mission and the…
Yesterday Lieutenant Sniper Ben Kiwi received the medal of Valor. On June 14th in Dublin Ireland, Lieutenant Kiwi was responsible for killing the Free States Commander of snipers Gilbert Kiwi, along with an informer and a turret operator.…
Generally, the Marine Corps is known for Making Marines and Winning Battles . The key to these main objectives has been ongoing since its inception during the Revolutionary War; the institution of discipline is immediately incorporated into all day-to-day activities. This is initially accomplished, as Marine recruits are isolated from all civilian interaction during the lengthy thirteen-week boot camp infusing the idea they have entered into an elite and isolated society. The idea takes its roots from the Spartans, a dominant military powerhouse in ancient Greece. This isolation is thought to make the individual believe that he suffers more than his peers, creating a bond with the people suffering with them. This bond creates an immense amount of loyalty to not only each other, but also the overall organization. In addition, the grueling training is a constant reminder that you can quit at any moment, as this is voluntary. However those who are able to adapt and overcome these rigors come to find an intense desire to endure the worst, attempting to achieve the impossible, only to prove possible. A majority…
MANY TIMES IN OUR MARINE CORPS CAREER WE WILL BE ENTRUSTED TO COMPLETE A MISSION OR ASSIGNMENT WITHOUT THE HELP OR SUPERVISION OF OTHER MARINES. IT IS TIMES LIKE THIS WHERE WE MUST STAND UP AND BECOME THE MARINE WHO HAS THESE QUALITIES, AND POSSESS THE ABILITY TO USE THEM TO EXECUTE THE MISSION SUCCESSFULLY.…
Many military heroes are honored daily for the dedication and sacrifices they make for our country. Everyday people do not know what these brave men and women do to protect their country. Just like every other military hero, Chris Kyle is remembered for how well he fought to protect his men and our country, and he will continue to be known as “the most lethal sniper in military history” (American Sniper). All military service men and women are honored for what they do for us, but Chris Kyle will never be forgotten for putting his life on the line to keep everyone alive.…
Many characteristics that make a hero but one that all heroes have is courage. If you google what courage means it will say “the ability to do something that frightens one.” Ask Audie Murphy he will respond it is single handedly holding of hundreds of Nazi soldiers and a handful of tanks. That is exactly what he did on the cold January day in 1945. German troops were making a push for the key city of Holtzwihr, 102 of Murphy's 120 men are dead he orders the remaining…
A true hero is hard to come by. If you asked to name every hero you know, there’d probably be more “uhhhs” and “hmmms” than actual heroes. To really answer this question we need make the definition of a hero, clear. A true hero is one who self sacrifices and the first to lend a helping hand and the last to take it away, if even then. You keep thinking; Maybe MLK or Batman comes to mind but no one for sure really stands out in your mind. After reading All Quiet on The Western Front, two people instantly jump to mind. Of the few heroes in All Quiet on the Western Front, Paul and Kat are the most notable because of their leadership and responsibility.…
When reading this book, I truley learned the history and truth behind the United States Marine Corps. As a whole, the Marine Corps had a very long journey in the beginning. We have overcame so many obstacles and struggles along the way, and it has only made us stronger as a whole "team". As we began to learn to work together as a team, we started to prove ourselves. General Krulak shared secret behind-the-scenes information on new assult vehicles that were needed to attack on enemy beaches. These vehicles provided new technology for our Marine Corps. General Krulak convinced an admiral to board one of the demonstration vehicles. Krulak ended up attacking a coral reef and knocking the vehicle off track. The admiral was already enraged by taking up time to try and give this demonstration veicle a chance to prove his thoughts wrong. Admiral ended up jumping into the knee deep water and was sent back out to his ship shortly after. Later after reading, I came to find out the obstacles we had to overcome with making and carrying out actions with our bombs in specific weather conditions. The Marine Corps are not always given many materials to make "weapons" with. We were taught and coached on how to make do with what was given to us. We learned to innovate and try new things. We had to learn and abide by the term of being "frugal" with our belongings. We had to experiment and never give up. We had to never lose hope or give in. After a while of learning to use our stock wisely, we were able to invent new weapons. Towards the end of my reading, I started to relate to the book, thinking of my actions in my everyday lifestyle. It talks about the Marine Corps relationship with the public and how people kind of "percieve" the Marine Corps. As a Marine, I know that we uphold one of the highest images and are always know to be ready for anything, and because we have been molded and shaped into that type of team, it has withheld that image for the…
I believe that the mission of the author, Victor H. Krulak, Lieutenant General, USMC (Ret.), in writing this book was to describe how vital the United States Marine Corps is to our nation and that through the extensive preparation and training we receive, we have become the leading fighting force on and off the battle field. The purpose of this book was to inspire readers about the Marine Corps and to explain stories about how different equipment came into the Corps and how we perfected them. The author’s goal was the educate readers based on his personal experiences and opinions about the Marine Corps livelihood, duty and history.…
When it comes to the Vietnam war one needs to remember, the important battles fought, the medals earned, and how men lived in order to fully understand how hard war was. The battle at Chu Lai was one of the first wins for the US Marines against the Viet Cong and will be remembered as a turning point in the war. Gregg Frikken was a veteran that fought in this battle. Frikken remembered, “On April 12th... we landed on the beach at Chu Lai, South Vietnam.…
Addressing a group of serving and former Royal Marines raising funds for the Commando 999 charity, Mr Cameron said the Royal Marines had "one of the proudest histories of any in the world".…
All people make an impact in their life, however small it may be. Some certain indivuals stand out. They leave a lasting mark on the world and will be remembered long after they have passed away. Cesar Chavez and Harriet Tubman have both left an imprint on this world. They fought for equality, human rights, inspired other to resist maltreatment, and put themselves in danger to protect others.…
An example of heroic deeds that honored warriors is " my lord noble lord, I pray you, give me leave, For our companions, the men we held so dear, must not be left abandoned now in death. I want to go and seek out every one, carry them here, and place them at your feet." This was after the battle had ended and all the warriors were…
Talking about an unsung hero. In my opinion my unsung hero is a dustman who has known to be a very kind and diligent man working in the neighborhood of my house complex. I know his activity from my house-maid who is also the dustman's wife, and she has been serving for 3 years in my house.…