STAIN - UPON STARS AND BUTTONS AND BADGES AND MEDALS AND EMBLEM

STAIN - UPON STARS AND BUTTONS AND BADGES AND MEDALS AND EMBLEM
by Andy Weddington
Monday, 24 February 2014

HONOR. COURAGE. COMMITMENT.

U. S. Marine Corps Core Values

 

 

Shiny stars and buttons and badges and medals do not a Marine general make.

Nor does shiny metal make any Marine.

From The Merriam-Webster Dictionary...

stain vb 1: DISCOLOR, SOIL 2: TAINT, CORRUPT 3: DISGRACE

stain n 1: a small soiled or discolored area 2: a taint of guilt : STIGMA

By tradition, Marines polish with Brasso to restore discolored and soiled areas on metal - on stars and buttons and badges and medals and emblem.

But Brasso cannot polish taint, corruption, disgrace, and the stigma thereof upon a Marine's character.

Some Marines, to prevent discoloring and soiling, wear anodized metal.

But nor can anodizing mask taint, corruption, disgrace, and the stigma thereof upon a Marine's character.


This morning there's news (not surprising but disturbing), emails so reveal, the Commandant of the Marine Corps was engaged with the shenanigans to smother the Marine Corps Times (because of troubling, unflattering reporting regarding his actions in the snipers urinating on enemy corpses case).

Alas, the commandant has (further) compromised himself. And who knows on what else.

The commandant has stained (his) stars and buttons and badges and medals and our emblem - eagle, globe, and anchor.

The commandant has shamed (our) Corps.

Brasso is useless.

So is anodizing useless.

Core Values, our motto - Semper Fidelis, and commandants past now in play; they duly direct.

That is, shiny metal and more so 'shiny mettle' required.

Well, generals, Marines you are (not politicians) - wearing one to four - our Corps is in crisis and for need of a commandant. Now what...

Follow cowardly - akin with stain, with tarnish?

Lead courageously - shine illustriously?

Yes, Marines,

your fellow Marines - of yesteryear and today - are watching, closely.

Post Script

Marine Corps Times article about emails

http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/article/20140223/NEWS/302230016/

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http://acoloneloftruth.blogspot.com/2014/02/u-s-marines-trust-truth-team.html
http://acoloneloftruth.blogspot.com/2014/02/another-public-letter-to-commandant-of.html