SCREENING, SELECTING, TRAINING MARINE FIGHTERS

SCREENING, SELECTING, TRAINING MARINE FIGHTERS

By Andy Weddington

Sunday, 07 September 2025

 

How many legs does a dog have if you call the tail a leg? Four. Calling a tail a leg doesn't make it a leg.  - Abraham Lincoln

Thursday morning in a small independent book store about 30 minutes from home my wife showed me a hefty book that caught her eye. 

THE RAIDER by Stephan R. Platt published this year. 

In short, biography of Evans Carlson - Marine.

Bought book. Now reading.  

During early months of World War II Carlson was tasked to form an elite Marine fighting outfit; eventually taking on the name Raiders. 

Carlson and James Roosevelt (yes, FDR's son), second in command, interviewed some 6,000 Marines. [Note: Women not screened.]

Six hundred deemed potentially capable.

Training tough.  

Missions tougher - physically demanding combat. 

That outfit, including Carlson and Roosevelt, made camp in a remote training area, lived in tents, and trained seven days (and nights) a week. And cross-trained - each Marine capable of doing practically everything from weapons to demolitions to hand-to-hand killing to first aid. 

These Marines, these rough men, were honed into the most lethal force on Earth; experts at fighting, killing, and surviving. 

That was barely more than 80 years ago. 

Two days ago President Trump announced a Cabinet name change. 

Department of War (replacing Department of Defense). 

I watched short videos on X - of the President announcing the change and the Secretary's office door being updated: Pete Hegseth - Secretary of War. 

As timing goes, last evening shortly before Taps arrived text from a four decades plus longtime retired Marine friend - infantryman.  

This photo ...

Posted to social media - presumably after President Trump's announcement and the Secretary of War office door change.

Why?

Coincidental poor timing?

Seems air of defiance. 

Questions the late Evans Carlson would certainly be asking the Commandant of the Marine Corps and Secretary of War ...

This is how the Marine Corps is recruiting fighters?  

To possibly face off against the Chinese?

What rough man, or boy aspiring to be, will be enticed?

What happened to images of warriors with pitches like, 'The Marine Corps Builds Men'?

Etc. 

In closing ...

These past few years, high school athletics time and again confirm girls get obliterated competing against boys. And, depending on sport, girls face risk of serious injury even death.  

So these youth, the pool from which fighters come, and the target is girls?