The List Of Sicilian Messenger

Jeff Cooper Talks With A Gunnery Sergeant, Circa 1994

In a recent conversation with an active-duty Marine, we encountered a tale which astonishes almost as much as it discourages. This Marine is a gunnery sergeant of distinguished record, and quite young for his rank. (As is common knowledge, the rank of gunnery sergeant Marine Corps is probably the highest honor that can be bestowed upon a man - certainly better than Senator, Judge or President - and even higher than Commandant, US Marine Corps.)

It turns out that this gunny had married happily (he thought) and became the proud father of two children, whereupon his wife left him - on the grounds that as a sniper he had become "a killer." We have not heard the girl's story - perhaps something else was involved - but it is impossible to believe that any woman would not understand that a Marine is essentially a killing machine, and he was a Marine when she married him. Apparently this girl was so completely ignorant that she had never heard of Joshua or David or Julius Caesar or Hannibal or King Arthur - to say nothing of George Washington, Mad Anthony Wayne, Sam Houston, Stonewall Jackson, Theodore Roosevelt, Douglas MacArthur or George Patton. She had no conception of what an honor it was to be the wife of a hero. If she is truly that ignorant, it is just as well that she left him. He is better off without her.

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