Proud to Be a Marine: Stories of Strength and Courage from the Few and the Proud

by C. Brian Kelly, Ingrid Smyer (With)

Overview

Celebrate the Legacy of the Marines

Behind one of the most celebrated military branches in America are the often little-known actions of its brave warriors. Proud to be a Marine amplifies the human voices amidst the cannon blasts and gun fire — from the American Revolution to modern day — and provides fresh insight that will inspire and excite those interested in the proud legacy of the Marines...

This one of a kind collection includes:

• Union Corporal John Mackie's historic rallying cry as he earned the first ever Medal of Honor for a Marine
• The daring actions of Captain Bill Hawkins, the first Marine to step foot on Guadalcanal
• ROTC Cadet Vernice Armour's inspiring rise from police officer to first African-American female combat pilot in the history of the United States Marines

From the shores of Tripoli to the careful action against deadly IEDs in the Middle East, the anecdotal back stories of these upstanding Marines are proof they have always been ready, and always the "First to Fight."

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781492636588
Publisher:	Sourcebooks
Publication date:	05/02/2017
Series:	Proud to Be
Pages:	416
Sales rank:	1,054,033
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

C. BRIAN KELLY, a prize-winning journalist, is cofounder of Montpelier Publishing and a former editor for Military History magazine. He is also a lecturer in newswriting at the University of Virginia. Kelly's articles have appeared in Reader's Digest, Friends, Yankee, Rod Serling's Twilight Zone, and other magazines. He is the author of several books on American history and resides in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Table of Contents

Introduction xi

Part I Early Wars 1

First Battles, First Heroes 3

"Fright" for England 7

To the Shores… 13

Select Personality: Presley Neville O'Bannon 17

Men Mutinous, Boat Leaky, Natives Hostile 20

This Old House O' Mine 24

Those Misleading Lyrics 27

Barriers to Overcome 32

First Under the Door 36

Marines Versus Marines 41

Cornerstone for a Boot Camp 45

Select Personality: John Philip Sousa 50

A Shaky Starr for Marine Aviation 54

View from Tartar Wall 57

Part II World Wars 67

Bridge to Four Conflicts 69

Select Personality: Henry Lewis Hulbert 74

Opening the Door to Women 79

Recruit with a Future 84

A Truck Named "Elizaberth" 88

Aviators without Airplanes 92

Wartime Reunion 96

One Last River Crossing 98

Select Unit Histories: First Marine Division 101

Select Personality: Dan Daly 104

Aviation Record-Holder 108

Pearl Harbor Prediction 113

Marine Corps Women in World War II 117

Select Unit Histories: Fourth ("China") Marines 126

Still Able to Sting 131

First to Land 138

Guadalcanal Logbook 144

Future Bishop Battle Tested 149

JFK to the Rescue 154

Select Unit Histories: Seventh Marines 159

A "Classic" Football Game 162

Marines Out of Uniform 167

Marines with Bodyguatds 174

Select Personality: Victor H. Krulak 177

The Unheralded People 184

Birthing an "Alligator" 187

Iwo Photo Revisited 192

Sculpture for the Ages 196

Black Marines Finally Welcome 198

"How Those Marine Girls Could Dance!" 203

Part III War Upon War 207

Select Unit Histories: Medium Transport Helicopter Squadron 161 209

First Captive 218

Prelude to Marine Landing 222

Masterstroke Achieved 226

Select Personality: Clayton C. Jerome 229

Bridge Drop Urgent 232

Shepherd to the Press 237

Mass Breakout 244

Showbiz Folks 250

The Fighting "Music" 254

Marine "Army" in Vietnam 257

Select Unit Histories: Ninth Engineers 260

Hazardous Duty Pacifying 265

Select Personality: Captain Bill Dabney 270

POW in Blink of an Eye 278

Last Man Out 282

MIA for a Time 288

Vietnam Postscript 291

The "Mistake" of Khe Sanh 293

Marine with a Secret 299

Rescue Mission Aborted 302

Part IV Twenty-First-Century Wars 309

Congrats, the War Is Over 311

In Pursuit of Dreams 314

Select Unit Histories: "Fighting Fifth" Marines 317

From Marine to Warlord 320

No Winners Here 324

No Longer Desk Bound 329

Not-So-Lucky Lima Company 332

The "True War" 334

Obituary: Frank E. Petersen Jr. 339

Select Personality: Lance Corporal Sarah Rudder 342

The President Tells a Story 345

Women in Combat Authorized 349

"Marines Good!" 352

Boot Camp Centennial 357

And Never to be Forgotten… 361

Select Bibliography 383

Index 390

Editorial Reviews

"Inspirational anthology, highly recommended for public library collections and personal reading lists." — Midwest Book Review

"Kelly—a former editor of Military History magazine who teaches newswriting at the University of Virginia, and his wife Smyer, a free-lance journalist—are superior storytellers. Their writing is further enhanced by their dogged, in-depth research and their attention to detail. They also are the authors of the Best Little Stories series of history-based books... Proud to be a Marine is an easy, enjoyable, and educational read for Old Salts and non-Marines alike." — Vietnam Veterans of America

"If you want to add yet another sterling volume to a library shelf at home already groaning with Semper Fi lore, buy this one." — The Military Advisor

"Lives up to its title with true tales of men and women of courage, honor, and sacrifice who served in the Marine Corps...highly recommended for public library collections and personal reading lists." — Hill School Alumni Magazine

From the Publisher