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By Beth Crumley

A few weeks ago, I got a call from a friend who asked me if I had any knowledge of the use of motorized transportation during World War I. This may seem rather an odd question, but while employed at the National Museum of the Marine Corps, a large part of my work was devoted to the wheeled and tracked vehicle collection. I had done a substantial amount of work on just that subject, and it is a fascinating one! My question, however, was “ In what aspect of motor transportation in World War I are you interested?”

SOB

January 26, 2012
By Steven Pressfield

By Callie Oettinger | Published: January 9, 2012

S+O+B=Three letters that appear in almost every war story, in the same order, but with dozens of different meanings.

SOB=Love and Respect

From, Clare Boothe Luce’s foreword to GEN Victor H. Krulak’s First to Fight:

By Michael Grice

Well, my terminal leave continues and it is time to revisit my unbiased comparison of the Disney and U. S.

The Siege of Khe Sanh Begins

January 24, 2012
By Beth Crumley

This Friday I took a few minutes out of my day to wish my friend Glenn Prentice a very happy birthday. Now I will be the very first to admit that I am TERRIBLE at remembering birthdays, but his always sticks in my mind….On 20 January 1968, he was serving with the India Company,  3d Battalion, 26th Marines on Hill 881S. He celebrated his 19th birthday while on a reconnaissance-in-force up Hill 881N. Said Prentice,  “44 years ago we went up Hill 881N engaged the NVA---what a day! The start of Tet---I turned 19--thought I would never see my 20th Birthday---it was that bad…”

The Haditha Shootings

January 18, 2012
By Andrew Lubin

On Sunday an IED blast in Ramadi killed 10, and their deaths made front page news. That’s quite a change from 2005, when some 12,000 Iraqi’s were killed, along with 942 Americans – that was 1,100 deaths monthly, or 37 every day of the year. Also in Sunday’s news was that SSGT Frank Wuterich’s trial had finally started, for allegedly shooting civilians in Haditha.

By Beth Crumley


1st Battalion, 4th Marines insignia

Several months ago, I was sitting at my desk when I received a call from the new commanding officer of the 1st Battalion, 4th Marines. Lieutenant Colonel Kevin Norton had assumed command of the battalion on 19 May, 2011, and was interested in making his Marines more aware of their history. Could I help?

Homecoming is in the Air!

January 18, 2012
By Bianca Strzalkowski

So Close to Home….

By Andrew Lubin

 For good or bad, the Marine Corps is downsizing, along with the rest of the Armed Forces. The Marines will be cut from 202K down to 185K and current rumors are swirling of additional cuts down to 175K. 

By Michael Grice

First Published October 21, 2011

One of the best parts of transition is taking terminal leave.  It is that unique time in your career when you get paid for leaving your job, which is a pretty nice perk.  Being paid your salary and receiving your benefits as you use up your remaining balance of leave (the vacation days that you have earned while serving on active duty) while having absolutely nothing required of you in return is pretty sweet.  The only expectation, I suppose, is to stay out of jail.  So far, so good…

By Beth Crumley

One of the things I enjoy most about my job is the opportunity to interact with Marine Corps veterans. Several years ago, while working as a research historian on the National Museum of the Marine Corps project, I was tasked with learning everything I could about the siege of Hill 881S, one of the hill outposts near Khe Sanh Combat Base. In the course of that work, I was fortunate to meet many of the veterans and to develop close friendships with several. One of these was former Corporal Robert J. Arrotta, who passed away in 2009.