Just got done reading the book “Hard Corps,” a copy of which was kindly provided to me by Jed Donahue of the Crown Publishing Group. It’s a muddy-boots story of Marco Martinez, a young man from Albuquerque who went from being a gang banger to a recipient of the Navy Cross as a Marine corporal – our second highest military honor.
And “honor” seems the appropriate word. As a troubled young man, Martinez seemed most of all motivated by the need to feel respect, to be a part of something larger than himself. In the “vida loca“, he found the environment he was looking for, but when a friend was sent to prison for felonious assault, he re-examined his life. And ended up a grunt infantryman.
It’s a page turner written in a frank – even raw – confessional tone. Martinez is persuaded that the only thing that saved his life was risking it in the honorable company of rough men in combat.
He earned his Navy Cross in the Battle of Al Tarmiya, assaulting a series of defended houses containing Saddam’s Fedayeen – the tyrants own myrmidons – including a solitary attack using captured weapons on a stoutly defended compound in order to protect two wounded squad members.
Give it a look if you want to know who these people are that stand guard for us on the outer rim, what they think, how they are molded and what motivates them. Give it a pass if you wish to believe that every front line infantryman was recruited from the Vienna boy’s choir, street language offends you, you think that the media has told the story of the combat overseas in a fair and balanced way or you remain persuaded, like John Forbes Kerry, that only those who didn’t study or work hard in school are left holding the bag on service to their country on the firing line.
Anthony Swofford, a Marine sniper who almost shot an Iraqi soldier once in 1991, wrote a popular book that was made into a popular movie by our popular media. Mainly because he peddled the popular wisdom that “war is hell,” and the Marine Corps institutionally incomprehensible and perhaps even diabolic. Consider Martinez, a man who assaulted into an ambush to save the life of his brothers in the defense of his country the anti-Swofford, and his tale the “anti- Jarhead.”
But you’ll have to read the book, I think, if you want to know the tale. Hollywood won’t touch it.
It’s insufficiently ironic.
Citation: For extraordinary heroism while serving as 1st Fire Team Leader, 2nd Squad, 1st Platoon, Company G, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM on 12 April 2003. Responding to a call to reinforce his Platoon that was ambushed, Corporal Martinez effectively deployed his team under fire in supporting positions for a squad assault. After his squad leader was wounded, he took control and led the assault through a tree line where the ambush originated. As his squad advanced to secure successive enemy positions, it received sustained small arms fire from a nearby building. Enduring intense enemy fire and without regard for his own personal safety, Corporal Martinez launched a captured enemy rocket propelled grenade into the building temporarily silencing the enemy and allowing a wounded Marine to be evacuated and receive medical treatment. After receiving additional fire, he single-handedly assaulted the building and killed four enemy soldiers with a grenade and his rifle. By his outstanding display of decisive leadership, unlimited courage in the face of heavy enemy fire, and utmost devotion to duty, Corporal Martinez reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.
My daughter, who can’t understand why we are fighting “over there”, tried to get me to read “Jarhead”. I got about 5 pages into it, and politely handed the book back to her. She couldn’t seem to understand why I felt it belonged in the garbage can. I told her I’d much rather read the Sunday comics, thank you, and then refused to see the movie. God bless REAL Marines like Corporal Martinez, and I thank him for his service to our nation.
So ,Bryon, will you give her a copy of this book to read?
I told my wife that I thought that the Jarhead story would have been a lot more interesting told from the point of view of the SSgt.
Also, I just finished “With the Old Breed” by E.B. Sledge. It’s his story, as a young man he deliberately flunked out and joined the Marines, fighting through the Peleliu and Okinawa campaigns. Here’s a review. It’s first person, personal, and hard to read due to the graphic depictions of his experiences. Just the introduction and foreword are worth the cover price.
http://ww2db.com/read.php?read_id=21
There have been men like this in the Corps in every generation. I am privileged to have been allowed to wear the same uniform.
Semper Fidelis
I am thankful that we have men like this.
And to think he came from the mean streets of America, not from our ‘middle class’ or ‘upper class’.
There is still hope for this great nation.
Decisive Leadership.
Unlimited Courage.
Utmost Devotion.
Every young Latino on the streets has this potential, has this choice to make:
either the easier wrong of the dead-end, ‘deathstyle’ of the gangs, or;
the harder right of service before self.
CPL Martinez made the right choice to his everlasting credit, and to the credit of all who trained him and believed in him.
“Hermanos en brazos, hijos del valor”
Cap’n,
Tried to read Jarhead when a good Marine friend said it gives a good perspective on GW1. I politely returned the book after reading 10 pages.
I guess I’ll have to put Hard Corps on my Must Read list (after I finish Theodore Rex)
It’s pleasant to see the deserving rewarded. We haven’t always had men like Sledgehammer. Post Vietnam to Reagan were VERY dry years. The men we have today as a group are exceptional, and as good or better than we’ve ever sent to war.
Web Reconnaissance for 10/15/2007…
A short recon of whats out there that might draw your attention, updated throughout the day…so check back often….
I read about this book last week, and particularly liked what Martinez had to say about his 5 reasons to stay in Iraq:
Good stuff there. Sounds like this will be a good book for me to take on my upcoming vacation. A reminder of those who “…stand guard for us on the outer rim…”
I too have read his articles in sundry places — and was impressed with his composure and attitude.
It’s a wonderful story, and typically American, to have a rough beginning and take the wrong path, then to realize that it really is the wrong path and find the correct path for himself. And to thrive and shine in the effort.
I hadn’t realized he’d written a book, but it sounds like it’s worth the read. I hope he continues to thrive and shine.
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