Submitted by Penguin Blog (USA) Visitor (not verified) on Thu, 08/28/2008 - 1:52am.
Mr. Wright,
I am a former Marine (1996-2000) and a law enforcement officer. I was admittedly reluctant to read the book or watch the mini-series because I believe that Hollywood and the media overwhelmingly portray the military and police officers in much the same way they collectively portray big business and wealthy people (that is to say negatively) except not as bright. Before I delve too much further, let me say that I was pleasantly surprised by the uncommon objectivity shown by Mr. Wright. While I was not there (with Recon, or in Iraq for that matter), I was a Marine infantryman and while the mission is usually different the same mix of attitudes and personalities exist in any unit probably throughout the Corps. Frankly, so does the tendency for spatterings of higher level incompetency. This is by no means a blanket charge because I had the pleasure of serving with and under some (in my opinion) strong leaders. The Marines in leadership positions who fail just seem to stick out more because they are in a position to make life and death decisions, even in peacetime.
While I believe the story was most likely presented as accurately as one can hope in the midst of a high-stress situation, and it's clear to me that Mr. Wright admires (if not the Corps as a whole) the men he was embedded with, I believe the title of the book (and miniseries) might present a false first impression. I was heartened, while reading the epilogue/afterword, to see that Mr. Wright chastised the apparent lack of support for the war effort even though Mr. Wright clearly had his doubts about the necessity of the war itself. Certainly, reasonable people can debate the overall war effort and the Iraq portion specifically, but my concern all along has been that the veterans would end up being treated the same way as Vietnam vets in the later stages of the war. While I was yet to be born, I am a (non-collegiate) student of history, and it hardly seems that the treatment Vietnam vets received was a contributing factor to many of their problems after coming home. As for the title of the book, I don't believe that the men (for the purpose of continuity of comparison) serving in the military today are really all that different from those who have served in the military throughout history. From different backgrounds, with different viewpoints, differing even between truly volunteering or having been drafted, but they've always been able to put all of that aside when rounds start coming down range...the Marine of today may be hopped up on Ripped Fuel, raised on Internet porn and cynical about authority, but he does what Marines have done before when called upon to do a terrible thing because his country asked him to. He serves with honor and tenacity, if for no greater cause then to keep the man to his left and his right alive.
Insofar as the American public ceased to support the war effort, at least quite so publicly, Mr. Wright needs to take an honest look at (not himself perhaps), but at the media onslaught from the beginning. The dust had barely settled from the fall of the twin towers when people were given space and time to suggest that we deserved it. I suppose I am nothing but a flag waving capitalist pig, but I disagree. There is such a visceral hatred for George W. Bush that it seems quite clear that many in the media would gladly cut off America's nose to spite him. Iraq was doomed in the NY Times before the first shot was fired. Today, it's gone so far that "mainstream" people have suggested that 9/11 was an inside job. I'm getting off on a tangent, so I'll get to the point. You can't blame people for ceasing to wear/fly flags as much as they were at the beginning of the effort when there has been such an unceasing echo of "Bush Lied People Died", "No Blood For Oil", and so on and so forth. The media and a particular political party has created an atmosphere when a person who supports the war effort can't help but feel alone in the world. We're the Humvee drivers in a Prius world.
The book was well written and well worth reading. I hope the Marines represented know that their sacrifices are not worth nothing.
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Comments and Concerns
Mr. Wright,
I am a former Marine (1996-2000) and a law enforcement officer. I was admittedly reluctant to read the book or watch the mini-series because I believe that Hollywood and the media overwhelmingly portray the military and police officers in much the same way they collectively portray big business and wealthy people (that is to say negatively) except not as bright. Before I delve too much further, let me say that I was pleasantly surprised by the uncommon objectivity shown by Mr. Wright. While I was not there (with Recon, or in Iraq for that matter), I was a Marine infantryman and while the mission is usually different the same mix of attitudes and personalities exist in any unit probably throughout the Corps. Frankly, so does the tendency for spatterings of higher level incompetency. This is by no means a blanket charge because I had the pleasure of serving with and under some (in my opinion) strong leaders. The Marines in leadership positions who fail just seem to stick out more because they are in a position to make life and death decisions, even in peacetime.
While I believe the story was most likely presented as accurately as one can hope in the midst of a high-stress situation, and it's clear to me that Mr. Wright admires (if not the Corps as a whole) the men he was embedded with, I believe the title of the book (and miniseries) might present a false first impression. I was heartened, while reading the epilogue/afterword, to see that Mr. Wright chastised the apparent lack of support for the war effort even though Mr. Wright clearly had his doubts about the necessity of the war itself. Certainly, reasonable people can debate the overall war effort and the Iraq portion specifically, but my concern all along has been that the veterans would end up being treated the same way as Vietnam vets in the later stages of the war. While I was yet to be born, I am a (non-collegiate) student of history, and it hardly seems that the treatment Vietnam vets received was a contributing factor to many of their problems after coming home. As for the title of the book, I don't believe that the men (for the purpose of continuity of comparison) serving in the military today are really all that different from those who have served in the military throughout history. From different backgrounds, with different viewpoints, differing even between truly volunteering or having been drafted, but they've always been able to put all of that aside when rounds start coming down range...the Marine of today may be hopped up on Ripped Fuel, raised on Internet porn and cynical about authority, but he does what Marines have done before when called upon to do a terrible thing because his country asked him to. He serves with honor and tenacity, if for no greater cause then to keep the man to his left and his right alive.
Insofar as the American public ceased to support the war effort, at least quite so publicly, Mr. Wright needs to take an honest look at (not himself perhaps), but at the media onslaught from the beginning. The dust had barely settled from the fall of the twin towers when people were given space and time to suggest that we deserved it. I suppose I am nothing but a flag waving capitalist pig, but I disagree. There is such a visceral hatred for George W. Bush that it seems quite clear that many in the media would gladly cut off America's nose to spite him. Iraq was doomed in the NY Times before the first shot was fired. Today, it's gone so far that "mainstream" people have suggested that 9/11 was an inside job. I'm getting off on a tangent, so I'll get to the point. You can't blame people for ceasing to wear/fly flags as much as they were at the beginning of the effort when there has been such an unceasing echo of "Bush Lied People Died", "No Blood For Oil", and so on and so forth. The media and a particular political party has created an atmosphere when a person who supports the war effort can't help but feel alone in the world. We're the Humvee drivers in a Prius world.
The book was well written and well worth reading. I hope the Marines represented know that their sacrifices are not worth nothing.
Semper Fi,
J. Page