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CounterPunch
November
11, 2002
From Marine
to Anti-War Organizer
To Serve
or Not to Serve?
by SCOTT COSSETTE
Being an activist for social justice is not an
easy task. You seldom get paid and often lose partners, family,
friends or your job when it is discovered that you equate the
welfare of others with your own. This somehow makes you a pariah,
a target for derision.
So why do it you ask?
I believe that if you see injustice
and fail to act, then you are just as guilty as the perpetrators
of the injustice. I bring this up now because our nations 'volunteer'
armed services are being forced, not asked, to continue the perpetration
of injustice on the people of Iraq. An injustice all the more
because it has nothing to with liberation of people but liberation
of natural resources for exploitation. U.S. servicepersons are
forbidden to choose whether or not they will facilitate or actively
engage in this slaughter of innocent civilians for the interests
of the oil barons, I mean national security. They, mostly poor
African American, Latino and White enlisted men and women enticed
by the promises of education, medical benefits and 'job' training,
are bound by oath to obey the orders of their arbitrarily appointed
superiors and 'elected' officials even when those orders result
in the commission of war crimes which they and not there chain
of command or political masters can be charged with and convicted
of. Our refusal to join the world court ensured this. My recruiter
never revealed that information to me. To be fair I never asked
because I never thought that I could be in such a situation.
Having recently read "Up Against
the Brass", the story of Pvt. Andy Stapp, who founded the
American Servicemen's Union in 1967 to support GI's in opposition
to the war in Vietnam and to fight the hypocrisy of the Military
in general, I decided to try and carry on this endeavor in a
small way by relaying my own experiences and offering reasons
why our men and women in uniform and those pondering enlistment
should oppose this war and resist serving in it by all means
necessary.
In August of 1999 at the ripe 'old' age
of 29, I enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. Why? The
truth is, to this day I really do not know the answer to that
loaded question. Maybe I was deluded in to thinking that I was
championing the cause of freedom and democracy. Perhaps I felt
I was serving my fellow Americans by ensuring their safety. The
heroic deeds of General Smedley Butler and many other war 'heroes'
are methodically drilled into your head during Marine recruit
training. Their names and accomplishments are recited by boots
while waiting in the endless lines for hair cuts, toiletries,
forced vaccinations, urination and chow. This is done to ensure
that each and every Marine feels pressure to aspire to greatness
in battle and bring honor to their country and themselves.
Sadly, I came across General Butler's
enlightening 'War is Just A Racket' speech after being discharged
from the Corps. This, the most important of the General's accomplishments
is conveniently left out during 'indoctrination' even though
it was delivered in 1933!
Being the police protection for big business
in the third world is neither honorable nor just. If the rank
and file service members knew whom they really represented, I
have no doubt that they would refuse to do so. Boot camp is like
the first day at a new school with all the fear and anxiety of
being alone in a foreign place except in this school the teachers
control your every waking moment. You are admonished never to
call the drill instructor a drill 'sergeant', that's the nasty
Army terminology and Marines are superior to all other branches,
or look them in the eye for any reason. You do not speak unless
spoken to and in the case that you need to urinate, permission
must be requested in the proper military manner. I witnessed
more than one boot piss on himself at the position of attention
because he failed repeatedly to request permission in the proper
military manner. This is truly a proud moment in someone's life.
It doesn't pay to have a stammer or nervously mix up your words.
It also doesn't 'behoove' you to stand to close to a drill instructor.
It is made clear to you at the beginning of training that if
an instructor feels 'threatened' by a recruit he or she may respond
with extreme force and violence in 'self-defense'. Lets say that
some kids never heard this because I saw a few black eyes while
I was there.
The only words that make the loneliness,
the physical torture, the verbal abuse, the humiliation, the
gas chamber, the group punishment for individual mistakes, the
endless hours of make your bunk, unmake your bunk worthwhile
are, "It gets much better at your next duty station".
The School of Infantry, I assume from the word 'infantile', was
my next duty station.
It does not get any better. When in formation
you must stand at attention and keep your eyes straight. One
of our Sergeants used to take great pleasure in walking up to
a Marine and asking him, "Do you know what my favorite city
in Thailand is?" When the Marine, without moving, answered
no, the Sergeant would slap him in the genitals and exclaim,
"Bangkok!" After a few rounds of this we learned to
answer correctly while shielding our groins.
I still am not sure what this sort of
'training' was preparing us for. After 3 months of learning how
to kill 'Luke the gook', 'Jackie the Iraqi', and 'Joe rag head'
with all means available and reciting cadences like 'Napalm sticks
to kids' and 'We're gonna rape, kill, pillage and burn' while
we ran on the streets of the base, I began to really question
what the hell I was doing in the Marine Corps. Why were we de-humanizing
these people? Does racism make the job of killing them easier?
That certainly couldn't be what this was all about. Could it?
The most sobering experience, even for
the hard-core would-be killers in my class, was Urban Combat
training. When it was learned that a 30% casualty rate was expected
in house to house fighting more than a few of them regretted
signing the 'contract'! Imagine that, at least 3 out 10 GIs will
DIE when they invade Iraqi towns and cities. Haven't were learned
from Viet Nam that people will fight furiously to defend their
homes? Wouldn't you?
Another duty station and nothing changed.
This time I was enrolled in electronics school at 29 Palms. My
career in Infantry had thankfully been scrapped after an injury
during Reconnaissance training and due to much pleading on my
own behalf to be out of the combat 'arts'. Who knows, I might
have gone on to protect former Unocal Oil spokesman and now President
of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai, from his own brethren. More than
likely, I would still be in the brig for refusing to crash wedding
parties.
Marine Corps Base 29 Palms is just about
the most desolate and bizarre piece of real estate in the country.
Located in the high desert outside Palm Springs, it is hard to
believe you are not on Mars. Morale here is said to be the lowest
of any duty station in the Corps. If my new superiors were any
indication, the reason is clear. Every morning before class the
platoon would get into formation for inspection. They look at
your uniform, your haircut and most importantly, your shave.
One of the young Corporals in charge of our class liked to pace
up and down the ranks and indiscriminately swat an unsuspecting
Marine in the crotch. Non commissioned officers seem to have
an affinity for this in the Marine Corps. Was this the secret
to defeating your enemy? Why do they fight so hard to exclude
homosexuals from military service? I think they have a lot more
respect for fellow soldiers than this.
One particular morning stands out in
my memory. A few Marines had been found to have, in the class
Sergeants opinion, unsatisfactory shaves. Protests and verbal
abuse, including threats of bodily harm and death, over the situation
caught the attention of our instructors, two Staff Sergeants.
One of them produced a pink lady bic shaver and handed it to
Corporal 'slaps your nuts'. Brimming with satisfaction he ordered
the offending parties to dry shave right there on the spot. I
was pissed. After a few moments one of the instructors ordered
them into the head so as not to attract attention. Death threats
and sharing a lady's razor because of poor hygiene? I could see
that the only battles we were being trained for were among ourselves.
When one human being believes they are above another then they
become their own enemy. Needless to say, I vowed then and there
to get out any way I could.
I was losing weight. I was unable to
eat without severe stomach cramps and diarrhea. I missed almost
all of my physical training sessions due to weakness and the
frequent visits to the hospital for dehydration. More than once
I needed I.V. fluids. Their solution to 'my' problem was not
the discharge that I sought but the idea that I buck up and get
with the program. They even suggested putting me on anti-depressants!
I told them under no circumstances was I going to medicate myself
in order to put up with this shitty existence. And I certainly
wasn't going to engage in the universal military pastime of drunkenness
in order to deal with it.
After seeing a shrink on base it was
determined that I was suffering from a 'personality disorder'
and should be let go. It was the best news I had heard in a long
time.
My Master Sergeant, however, was not
going to let me go. "My wife has been bi-polar for 22 years.
We are all depressed. Get over it." he shouted. I wasn't
quite sure how his unhappiness with his wife or her illness had
anything to do with me.
My memory flashed back to Recon training.
I had witnessed three Marines attempt suicide because they felt
they had no other way out. They requested discharges and were
denied and given orders to fleet combat units. This had so devastated
their moral that they traveled to Mexico and bought a large amount
of Valium in their desperation. Lucky for them Valium is a poor
choice for poisoning. The dose one would have to take is almost
impossible to swallow. They were groggy as hell for the first
few days and spent at least a week in the psych ward for observation.
I won't forget having overheard one of their instructor's remark
that they should have died because they were pussies. Semper
Fidelis!
I can only imagine what the parents of
these young men must have gone through. I was just glad that
they had survived and would be on there way home in a few short
weeks.
In truth I was jealous. I could not bring
myself to even think about taking my life. After all, I had so
much to live for. But I knew I had to get away from this demoralizing
machine.
I decided, after a letter I wrote to
my commanding officer failed to get the ball rolling, to go U.A.
That's the Marine Corps version of AWOL.
After five days, in which my mother was
pressured and frightened to divulge my whereabouts, I contacted
legal counsel and turned myself in.
There are some good people in the Marine
Corps. One of them spoke up on my behalf at my adjudication proceeding.
My Master Sergeant, on the other hand, advised punishment to
the fullest extent allowed. My commanding officer agreed. I received
45 days restriction to barracks and 30 days extra duty to run
concurrent. I was also fined half a months pay for two months.
More importantly, and as I greatly desired, they were processing
me for discharge.
During this period I came into contact
with all the 'mal-contents' that were in various stages of separation
or legal limbo. I found most of them on the whole to be decent,
hard working individuals and we all had one thing in common;
we were not going to be broken and used to propagate the degradation
and cruelty of militarism.
Some take to military life very well.
Especially senior NCOs and officers. The enlisted however live
in constant anxiety. The pay is low, racism and sexual harassment
are rampant and domestic violence is a harsh reality. Fort Bragg
has recently come to everyone's attention because of the number
of murder suicides that have taken place there. Vaccinations
that are FDA approved for experimentation only are routinely
given to U.S. soldiers with the threat of court martial for refusal.
Ground troops are in constant danger from 'friendly fire' by
USAF pilots. These pilots are given amphetamines to increase
their stamina for longer missions and downers when they land
to allow them to sleep. Could the Canadian unit in Afghanistan
have been bombed as a result of this criminally negligent policy?
Times have changed little. Soldiers in
Vietnam were given speed to increase there killing efficiency.
This gives a new meaning to the 'War' on drugs. Not only do troops
have to be wary of there own forces but now civilian contractors
almost outnumber them on the battlefield. According to a recent
report, the Army does not have any idea how many contractors
they employ! Many new combat systems are totally dependant on
civilian maintenance. What's more, they are upset because in
their words, "You can shoot a soldier when he fails to show
up, but you can't shoot a civilian contractor".
A soldier is expendable. Remember that.
167,000 veterans of the last war in Iraq are being denied benefits
because the government refuses to acknowledge Gulf War Syndrome.
They also deny that Depleted Uranium is hazardous. Many U.S.
and allied soldiers still pass uranium in there urine! Still
others deliver hideously deformed children or watch as seemingly
normal ones die of rare cancers. Be all that you can be: Do Not
Go To Iraq.
I guess the reason why I joined the Marine
Corps was so that I could speak to others on this subject and
have them listen. My work, as an activists with A.N.S.W.E.R.,
Act Now to Stop War and End Racism, and the International Action
Center, afforded me the opportunity to be in Washington D.C.
on October 26th with the rest of the over 200,000 civilians and
veterans of previous wars who came to show their opposition to
this unjust military aggression.
Helping to organize this important event
will always be one of the greatest achievements of my life. I
spoke with veterans from Korea, Vietnam and the first Gulf War.
They all had the same thing to say, "No War On Iraq".
To those who are currently enlisted and those thinking about
it I say this, Iraq is not a threat to this country. There is
no proof that Iraq sponsors terrorism or has any connections
to those that do. They are barely able to feed themselves or
treat their sick. Why would they provoke even more devastation
than has already been visited upon them?
The U.S. government used Saddam while
he was capable of 'punishing' Iran. Donald Rumsfeld was present
in Iraq when the Kurds were being gassed with technology that
the U.S. government provided and said nothing! Our ambassador
to Iraq told Saddam we would not interfere in Iraq's conflict
with Kuwait. A conflict that was about territorial integrity
and the illegal pumping of oil from Iraqi fields.
We LIED!
The first Gulf War reduced Iraq from
the most industrialized, educated and progressively secular nation
in the Middle East to beggar status. Sanctions and daily bombing
for nearly 11 years have killed over a million innocent people
without one loss of an American life. Now that Saudi Arabia is
becoming more and more non-cooperative with the U.S., the oil
companies need to gain access somewhere else. Iraq just happens
to possess the second largest oil reserves in the world and by
coincidence is a militarily weak and ostracized country.
If they could defend themselves effectively,
say like China, then would the U.S. be so bold? The U.S. corporate
media thoroughly demonizes Iraq and grossly mis-reports the demonstrations
against this war that are taking place in this country and around
the world on a daily basis. George Bush is using fear and patriotism
to justify the restriction of civil liberties, racial profiling
and Imperial aggression on behalf of corporations. Save yourselves.
Don't become thugs for big business.
Instead use your talents to help alleviate the conditions that
breed terrorism in the first place. Stand up and be counted among
the majority that say, "Money for Jobs, Education, Health
care and Housing, not for War!"
Scott Cossette
can be reached at: Scottmj01@aol.com
Yesterday's
Features
Ali Abunimah
Sharon's
Appendix
M. Shahid Alam
Political Geography
Zionist Theses and Anti-Theses
Michael Neumann
Demonstrating a Genteel Reticence
Rosemary & Walter
Brasch
Personal Possession:
War and Iraq, a Recollection
Ralph Nader
The Mid-term Elections
Mark J. Palmer
Bring Back the Grizzly
Robert Fisk
Bush's "Clean Shot"
Dave Marsh
And the Beat(ing) Goes On
Adam Engel
No Blood for Marijuana in Iraq
Josh Frank
Sleater-Kinney
Rocks
Our Protest Songs Are Here
Clifford Lyle Marshall
Give the Trinity Back to the Salmon
Zeynep Toufe
Turn These Children into Stone
Philip Farruggio
In Name Only
Charles Sullivan
Mountain Party Rising!
Bernard, Krieger, Alam
Poets'Basement
New
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- Ashcroft's Gays: the War on Free Speech;
- Saddam's Amnesty: Could It Happen Here?
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- Green and Grounded: Profiled at the Gate.
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