U.S. Marines boot recruits with Confederate tattoos
You won't believe what military thinks of historic Southern symbol
A widely regarded Southern symbol of pride and states' rights is standing in the way of would-be Marines in their quest to serve their country – a Confederate battle flag.
Straight out of high school, one 18-year-old Tennessee man was determined to serve his country as a Marine. His friend said he passed the pre-enlistment tests and physical exams and looked forward with excitement to the day he would ship out to boot camp.
But there would be no shouting drill instructors, no rigorous physical training and no action-packed stories for the aspiring Marine to share with his family.
Shortly before he was scheduled to leave Nashville for boot camp, the Marine Corps rejected him.
Now, the young man, who wishes to remain unnamed and declined to be interviewed, has chosen to return to school and is no longer an aspiring Marine.
"I think he just wants to let it go," said former Marine 1st Lt. Gene Andrews, a friend of the man and patriotic Southerner who served in Vietnam from 1968 through 1971. Andrews is a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, a group of male descendents of Confederate soldiers. He counseled the young man when he decided to become a Marine.
"He had been talking to me, and he was all fired up about joining," he told WND. "He asked my opinion of it, and I just tried to tell him the truth, good points and bad points."
When the young recruit didn't go to boot camp, Andrews learned of his rejection based on his tattoo of the Confederate battle flag on his shoulder.
You won't believe what military thinks of historic Southern symbol
A widely regarded Southern symbol of pride and states' rights is standing in the way of would-be Marines in their quest to serve their country – a Confederate battle flag.
Straight out of high school, one 18-year-old Tennessee man was determined to serve his country as a Marine. His friend said he passed the pre-enlistment tests and physical exams and looked forward with excitement to the day he would ship out to boot camp.
But there would be no shouting drill instructors, no rigorous physical training and no action-packed stories for the aspiring Marine to share with his family.
Shortly before he was scheduled to leave Nashville for boot camp, the Marine Corps rejected him.
Now, the young man, who wishes to remain unnamed and declined to be interviewed, has chosen to return to school and is no longer an aspiring Marine.
"I think he just wants to let it go," said former Marine 1st Lt. Gene Andrews, a friend of the man and patriotic Southerner who served in Vietnam from 1968 through 1971. Andrews is a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, a group of male descendents of Confederate soldiers. He counseled the young man when he decided to become a Marine.
"He had been talking to me, and he was all fired up about joining," he told WND. "He asked my opinion of it, and I just tried to tell him the truth, good points and bad points."
When the young recruit didn't go to boot camp, Andrews learned of his rejection based on his tattoo of the Confederate battle flag on his shoulder.
GR4U - I've spent most of my life studying Marine Corps history, and it is a fact that Southerners have always comprised a disproportionate percentage of combat Marines. But I guess in these politically correct times, that no longer matters. This truly sickens and disgusts me. The thought has crossed my mind to go get a Confederate Flag tattooed over my Marine Corps Emblem tattoo.
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4 comments:
Leave the Corps tat. But put the confederate flag ABOVE the Corps tat. I agree with you on this. The Battle flag of the Confederacy has been misconstrued into something ugly. The same way they are trying to show the Constitution as bunk now. They can twist the histories all they want but there will always be a group that knows the truth.
The Marines are/were a great outfit and even with getting the short end of the stick with supplies and equipment, could always be counted on to 'git-r-done'.(I was in 88-92 and we were still using radios left over from 'Nam.) That is something to be proud of DESPITE the PC mob that wants to 'change the world'.
I'm in a somewhat unique position, raised in the north but my school mascot was a Rebel. We displayed a Rebel flag at events and games and had REBELS on all our uniforms.
No one looks at a symbol, flag or tatt and asks what it means anymore. They just jump to conclusions. Anyone displaying a symbol is doing so because of what it means to them, not what it may or may not mean to someone else.
Sad. Politically Correct > 1st Amendment. Really sad.
How recruiting standards ebb and flow is interesting. Not that long ago the Army was taking criminals without GED's. Now that at least the violence of our combat operations is slowing down and the economy sucks it is easier to keep/ get people so standards slip back up.
I don't see this as a "standards" issue Ryan. I see it rather as pure, unadulterated, PC bullshit!
These racists hacks that lead white liberals and ignorant blacks around by the nose, won't be happy until all trace of The South is eradicated from history and memory!
And shame on HQMC for being a bunch of pussies and allowing themselves to be manipulated.
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