by Michael F. McNamara | Feb 26, 2018 | Combat, History, Leadership, US Marine Corps, Vietnam
(L) 2dLt Marshall Croy & SSgt Jim Bathurst having just come off Operation Mississippi November 1966
(R) SSgt Bathurst
Col Jim “Sgt B” Bathurst, USMC (ret) has one of the most unique Marine Corps careers I have ever heard of, rising from Private to GySgt and then 2ndLt to Colonel after he received as commission during the Vietnam War.
Our interview was supposed to last an hour and it stretch into three hours and twenty minutes because of the unique career of this leader of Marines turned author and mentor (The Young Marine Program).
In Part 2 you’ll hear about Jim’s experiences as a infantry squad leader and rifle platoon commander in Vietnam, how he was commissioned as a 2ndLt while serving at Marine Barracks 8th & I and then chosen as one of forty-five (from a group of approximately 4,500 SNCO’s who had been commissioned) .
You can buy the book “We’ll All Die as Marines” here and you can check out Jim’s blog — here.
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by Michael F. McNamara | Feb 26, 2018 | Combat, History, Leadership, US Marine Corps, Vietnam
LCpl Bathurst
Col Jim “Sgt B” Bathurst, USMC (ret) has one of the most unique Marine Corps careers I have ever heard of, rising from Private to GySgt and then 2ndLt to Colonel after he received as commission during the Vietnam War.
Our interview was supposed to last an hour and it stretch into three hours and twenty minutes because of the unique career of this leader of Marines turned author and mentor (The Young Marine Program).
In Part 1 you’ll hear the story of Jim’s youth along Chesapeake Bay, how he and his Dad fed his Mother muskrat for years without her knowledge, how he found his way into the Marine Corps after dropping out of high school, becoming a “comm Marine,” his time at Marine Barracks Yokosuka Japan, his tour as a Drill Instructor and his story of moving from the comm field to the infantry field prior to deploying to Vietnam.
You can buy the book “We’ll All Die as Marines” here and you can check out Jim’s blog — here.
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by Michael F. McNamara | Feb 23, 2018 | Current Events, Hazing, Leadership, US Marine Corps
MajGen Eric M. Smith
Commanding General
1st Marine Division
Marine Corps Times reported today that MajGen Eric Smith, the CG of the 1st Marine Division, “was rebuked by a military appeals court for his “personal interest” and bias in overseeing a hazing court-martial” —- GOOD FOR HIM! Hazing is a significant problem that endures in the Marine Corps and the Corps needs STRONG leaders to take HARD stances. Most senior officers shrink from strong stances, not extending themselves because that effort might risk a promotion to a higher rank.
The POLITICALLY CORRECT general officers of today need to be more blunt.
In the case in question, there was no mention of the actions that the Marine in question took… hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, but MajGen Smith’s attempt to eliminate hazing from the Division is out of bound! GARBAGE. The purpose of the UCMJ is “to promote good or and discipline” — is that a thing of the past?
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by Michael F. McNamara | Feb 22, 2018 | Current Events, Leadership
Monique Lamoureux-Morando
Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson
2018 Olympic Gold Medal Winners
US Women’s Olympic Hockey Team
Monique & Jocelyne Lamoureux helped power the US Women’s Olympic Hockey Team to a Gold Medal last night, we had a chance to visit with them just before they departed for Pyeongchang.
CONGRATULATION to them and the entire US Women’s Olympic Hockey Team on a historic win!
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by Michael F. McNamara | Jan 25, 2018 | Combat, Education, Leadership, Maneuver Warfare, Vietnam
Col Tony Zinni, USMC
The Basic School, 1989
Quantico VA
Click HERE for Part 1 of the PME
Click HERE for Part 2 of the PME
Click HERE for Part 3 of the PME
Click HERE for Part 4 of the PME
Click HERE for the entire 3.5 hour PME in one segment
THE SINGLE BEST professional military education experience I ever had happened in July of 1989 while teaching “Tactics” at The Basic School in Quantico, VA. Col Tony Zinni, USMC (who had just finished being the CO of 9th Marine Regiment on Okinawa) gave his “Combat Concepts” pitch at an event that the Marine Corps University sponsored at The Basic School.
Major John Kelly (Head of the Infantry Officers Course at the time, destined to be a General Officer and currently the Secretary of the Dept of Homeland Security) told me I should attend… so I went. I had never heard of Col Zinni at that point in my life. That night Col Zinni was funny, insightful and had a ton of experiences in his career — he was for me a great example of what a professional warrior/scholar ought to be.
This PME changed my life and how I approached my profession.
