Reading through some material here in Fallujah, I ran across a memorial card for a service that was conducted for some Marines sadly who were killed in action during their tour in Iraq. What caused me to pause and take note were the words on the back of the pamphlet. I had read them before and knew immediately where they came from. Somehow sitting here in Iraq, knowing the choice I made to come here, and my personal reasons for that choice made the words jump off the page at me. It caused me to pause and reflect on what I had just read as if for the first time. The attitude and meaning of the words go straight to the heart, I think the quote sums up what a lot of the Marines feel about being here in Iraq.
“Whoever does not have the stomach for this fight, let him depart. Give him his money to speed his departure since we wish not to die in this man’s company. Whoever lives past today and comes home safely will rouse himself every year on this day, show his neighbor his scars, and tell him embellished stories of all their great feats of battle. These stories he will teach his son and from this day until the end of the world we shall be remembered. We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; for whoever has shed his blood with me shall be my brother. And those men afraid to go will think themselves lesser men as they hear how we fought and died together.”
King Henry V
William Shakespeare
Nothing more needs to be said.
About Me
- Mike Sears
- I enlisted in the USMC in Dec of 1982 and served on active duty with various Marine Corps squadrons until Jan of 1990 when I left active duty. I joined the USMC Reserves in Nov of 1990 and have been serving ever since. I am currently a CWO4 and serving in the billet of Field Historian for the USMC and will be deployed to Iraq for the summer of 2007. I work as a DoD civilian when not on active duty working for the F/A-18 Program Office of the Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River Md.
3 comments:
Mike, You guys never cease to amaze me. FA18 program officer and marine historian. I had enough problems switching from weapon systems programs to developer of openhistoryproject.org. You juggle these lives concurrently!
This speech, naturally, is available at YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAvmLDkAgAM
Overacted a bit, but avert your eyes, listen, and imagine.
Just found your blog. I didn't know there were official historians. i love the concept, though. i read the guy and gals blogs "over there", to get the feelings of the people on the ground. I've caught up on your blog,now, and like what I'm reading. keep up the good work, and keep us up to date. Be sure to tell everyone you can how many people there are that appreciate the sacrifices they and their families are making for us. I read their words, listen and read the mainland media, and just have to send another FRB filled with jerky and "toiletries", to do just a little bit to try to counteract what they might be hearing from media sites.
Gunner,
What does a MSC historian do all day? Can you share a glimpse of your dawn to dusk? Where does all the history you absorb go? Are there official MSC documents and who are they for? Give us a peek inside the kimono.
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