Customer Reviews

First to Fight: An Inside View of the U.S. Marine Corps (Bluejacket Books)

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I must admit that this book was a big surprise to me. Picking up what most books on the Marines Corps leave out. Not only did General Krulack give me a new perspective on the Corps's battles, tactics & it's inventiveness. But on it's vary existence as an elite fighting force.

Many times over the Corps had proved it's worth to her county on battlefields across the globe. But as the General points out (form first hand experience) - unknown to most are the political battles fought behind closed doors that saved the Marine Corps from becoming nothing more than a token force, or worst it's complete elimination. Even more surprising are some of "Great Americans" who (for various reasons) fought so hard to emasculate and/or eliminate the Corps outright. Americans like: Truman, Eisenhower, and Bradley to but name a few. While I'll always have great admiration for these individuals and their accomplishments - As a Marine alumni (77/81) I can't help but feel somewhat betrayed by these people and others like them.

First in Fight makes for engaging reading - as it covers Krulack's own experiences within the battle over the unification of the armed services. Moreover - this book explains how & why the U.S. Military chain of command (Executive office - down to the lowly Private) is set-up the way it is today.

Most people think that the erecting of the U.S. Flag on Mt. Suribachi's peak was the defining moment that guaranteed the existence of the Marine Corps. While I'd never take anything away from that historical event - thanks to this book I now realize that the Corps survival to date is partly in thanks to a few dedicated Marine senior officers, a Pro-Marine Congress and a supportive people.

On a personal note: I would make this mandatory reading for any Marine, as it gives new insight into our timeless inter-service rivalry with the other service branches. Semper Fi!

This is a not a battle memoir. Unlike many "We did this, then we did this," battle recollections, this work is a keen analysis of the US Marine Corps, its history, and America's reasons for having her.
The book starts from the premise "The U.S. doesn't need a Marine Corps," "Brute" Krulak articulates why America chooses to have one anyway. Not least among the gems of history in this book is the role Brute Krulak and others in the Chowder Society played in keeping the Marine Corps alive the last time the Executive Branch and Department of the Army conspired to kill her.

Lt.Gen Victor Krulak (father of the current Commandant of the Marine Corps) has written a book that every former Marine who has not been able to rid himself of the 'Once a Marine.....'syndrom, should read right away. This book exemplifies the mystical 'Band of Brothers' of Henry V more than any book I have read on the Corps, and I have read many. Krulak gives a detailed account of the evolution of the amphibious doctrine including the famous Higgin's boats and armored LVTs, but the book is far more than that. For myself I had a less than steller career as an enlisted infantryman but Krulak brings up an amazing amount of things to make me feel a true kinship to 'We few, we happy few.' He writes of Gallipoli where my grandfather was wounded in the landing as an ANZAC. Opperation Starlite where two of my buddies were wounded, His deployment of a platoon to Tiger Tooth Mt.in 1964 of whom I knew every single guy. Gen. Puller who I had a confrontation with and a dozen other intimate entries. I am sure every Marine will find a similar bunch of identifiable inclusions to make them feel that The Corps is truly a special outfit and they were lucky to have served under him. Way under him, in my case. I only wish the book was longer.

I love this book. When it first came out, I passed it by in the book stores, thinking it was just another compilation of sea stories, but man as I ever wrong.

I had the pleasure of serving under Capt. Charles Krulak, who eventually became Commandant, for a brief period of time and I used to work with a man who was "Brute" Krulak's personal chef, so the name was not entirely new to me.

After having served four years in the Corps, including an abbreviated tour in Vietnam, I knew how the Corps was, but I had no idea how it really came to be the institution that it is, except of course, for the tales of glory I heard in Boot Camp.

Anyone who has ever served in the Corps should read this book. Anyone who is thinking of joining the Corps should read this book. In fact, anyone who has any connection at all with anyone who has any connection at all with anyone who is in any way connected to the Marine Corps should read this book.

Excellent book that narrates about what is rarely narrated about: How the Marine Corps had to fight government bureaucracy to survive. A very different perspective on the USMC's history. A true underdog/dark horse -type story. Very little about the wars fought, but about the intra-government conspiracies and maneuverings to neuter, eradicate, and destroy the USMC. It shows how the USMC had to do more with less and still excel. This one has a happy ending and a fortunate one for us all in the USA.

As a former Marine who served under General Krulak, I can personally attest to the general's remarkable leadership. Aside from his accomplishments as general of the Marine Corps, many may not know that as a key member of the Chowder Society, a small group of influential military and civilians, he was instrumental in keeping the Marine Corps from being disbanded.

On a personal level, when General Krulak was scheduled to inspect the troops, because of the general's short stature, the word would go out to not look down at the general unless you wanted to commit suicide. I was lucky when he approached me. We were about the same height -- and I think he appreciated seeing a short Marine.

The Krulak story cannot end without mention of his son, Charles Krulak who became the 31st Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps. His leadership rebuilt the Marine Corps after the devastating experience in Vietnam. It was there as a lieutenant, he learned the hard and tragic lessons of war and vowed to change the Corps. He succeeded. The Krulaks shall be important touchstones of Marine Corps history.

Frank Lee
USMC Combat Correspondent
(RVN '67).

I recently read General Krulak's "First To Fight"... again! I was privileged to have met and served under the General when he was CG FMF Pac. His forthright leadership style has served as a great model for Marine Corps officers.

Of particular note was the General's assessment of the Sergeant Mc Keon incident. The General is correct. The Marine Corps has a unique way of correcting a portion of the system which has gone astray. The Corps owned up to a problem! A fitting end-result of the Corps' efforts to fix the recruit training system at MCRD PISC was the implementation of a new physical fitness program for the whole Marine Corps. It has sustained us.

Conversely, as I read the current Commandant's 233'rd Birthday message referencing the death of the 244 Marines and corpsmen in Beirut, Lebanon in October 1983, I cannot find the rationale for moving the Marines comfortably ashore when they were obviously capable of strategic or tactical deployment from the security of the Mobile Seabase Concept which General Krulak had worked hard to assure.

Semper Fi!
BRUCE M. MAC LAREN
Col. USMC (Ret)

This book was a view into the reality of the Marine Corps. The things we do to make ends meet can be really felt from this book.

My mother married a Marine QMSgt. and had never been away from home in Lousiana. The first transfer they made was to the
Virgin Islands. St Croix to be explicit and that was where I was born.
That was the beginning of a rather unique life. So I was born and raised in the Marine Corps. Where my Dad went we went with him and I heard hints of so much that General Krulak wrote about and added to a lot that I had heard. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, laughed in parts of it and understood other parts better.
This book might not interest people who have never lived in the Service
We lived in South Carolina, LA, Haiti, Hawaii and Calif. We were in Hawaii when Pearl Harbor was attacked
I wouldn't trade lives with anyone. This book was a joy to read.
Thank you Amazon!!

I would recommend this book to anyone seeking to learn about the US Marine Corps. It is a good overview of the history behind the USMC, and illustrates the mentality of Marines. It is good background for anyone who is a fan of military history and wants to better understand the differences in the way the Marine Corps fights (expeditionary) versus the Army (occupation). Or at least understanding where the line used to be. I further recommend the book for anyone in the Army trying to understand some of the growing pains as we seek to shift to more of an expeditionary force.
Krulak does a masterful job of blending his own personal journey and experiences in with the Marine Corps' history. I intended to read this book slowly over the course of several weeks, but found that I was hesitant to put the book down at the end of each chapter and finished much sooner than I had planned.