David H. MarlinCoursetitle OUSSA.doc-1914-2014: One Hundred Years of War in LiteratureJeremy Hughes

MY MILITARY

SERVICE

1

INTRODUCTION

I am an 86-year old

American male who

served twice in the

U.S. Navy on active

duty for more than 2

four-and-one-half

years, from 1945-46

immediately after World

War II and from 1950-

1954 during the Korean

War. I was not

assigned to combat.3

I first enlisted when I

was 17-years old.

After discharge in

1946, I attended

college, graduating

from the University of 4

Michigan in 1950, just

a few weeks before

President Harry Truman,

with the support of the

Congress, took action

to defend South Korea

from the invasion of 5

North Korea. I was

called back to active

duty and enlisted in

the Navy for four

years.

6

That is my military

history, which provides

some insight for me

into the issues this

course will explore.

Perhaps more relevant

has been my study of 7

political science and

international law, the

books both fictional

and non-fiction that

I’ve read over the

years focused on human

conflicts and my 8

interest in Middle East

peace-making. The

latter results from my

Jewish heritage, the

searing memories of the

Holocaust, which

exterminated my 9

ancestors and my

efforts to promote

peace between Israel

and its Arab neighbors,

which include, of

course, Palestinians.

10

DISCUSSION

Karl Marlantes’

assigned book deals

chiefly with combat,

its thrills and its

tragedies: how to kill 11

and how to deal with

that unnatural act.

But he also describes

the dilemma he

experienced at Oxford

with a friend, i.e.,

whether to avoid 12

serving in the armed

forces. The friend

fled, accepting the

loss of his right ever

to return home;

Marlantes’ conscience

and identification with13

Americans serving their

country would not

permit him to desert.

He served in combat and

survived even if many

he knew did not.

14

Marlantes’ book has

caused me to think of

the fear of

participating in war

coupled with moral

objections to war many

people feel versus the 15

patriotism war evokes

for its countrymen

which causes the

fervent desire to serve

your country. These

contrasts were

reflected in Great 16

Britain and the United

States in their entry

into World War II.

England entered the war

before it was attacked

in order to thwart 17

Hitler’s scheme to

conquer Europe and

beyond. There were

treaties to obey, a

collective sense of the

need to confront

Germany and an 18

acknowledgement that

the diplomatic efforts

to persuade Hitler to

stop his aggression

were unsuccessful. Did

this decision have

public support? That 19

political question is

one I expect to have

answered at Oxford.

In America, by

contrast, the

overwhelming sense in 20

the 1930s was to avoid

entering this foreign

war. World War I had

concluded only twenty-

some year earlier, a

savage war with

significant American 21

casualties. Our island

insularity of thousand

of miles made peace-at-

all costs a national

objective. Yet, the

United States, once the

surprise attack by the 22

Japanese at Pearl

Harbor had occurred,

became a nation driven

to join England to

repulse the Axis.

23

I was born on December

16, 1927, so was 14

years old when Pearl

Harbor was attacked.

My father, born in

1897, had served in the

Navy in World War I, 24

and was too old to be

conscripted. I was too

young but was

surrounded by war

fever, observed my

friends and family

entering the military 25

and yearned to be

eligible to enlist. An

only son, my family was

protective and even

enrolled me in a

military school when I

was 16 to delay my 26

passion to enlist on my

17th birthday. True,

they would have had to

consent to an

enlistment before the

age of 18 but they

hoped the war would end27

before my 18th birthday.

It did and they then

consented to my

enlistment. I went to

recruit training,

termed “boot camp,”

served only in the U.S.28

and was discharged in

1946 during the general

demobilization.

Four years later, my

perspective was far

different. I was 22, 29

college-educated, eager

to start a career and

regarded the Korean

War, so soon after the

end of hostilities, as

a dubious if necessary

undertaking. The four-30

year enlistment was a

gamble, based on the

choice of re-entering

the Navy as opposed to

the Army, and premised

on the good chance to

become an officer and 31

shorten the commitment.

When a commanding

officer objected to my

opposition to racial

discrimination aboard

my ship, however, the

opportunity of a 32

commission ended and I

served as an enlisted

man on an APA (attack

troop ship) for nearly

two years, then a year

at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba

and a year at a 33

submarine base in

Connecticut.

The Navy provided a

time for maturity; then

it was time to catch up

on civilian life. I 34

went to law school and

the rest is my history.

CONCLUSION

Although this course

begins with WWI, the 35

American Civil War

struggle (1861-65)

provides insights into

the savagery and

individual tragedies

brought through war.

Much of the fighting 36

was hand-to-hand by

bayonet, knife, muskets

and cannon fire

directly into ground

troops.

37

The following song was

widely sung by Union

troops, probably

Confederate too, before

battle and I offer it

as another example of

the cruelty of combat 38

(if my wife Jackie can

be provided a guitar,

she would play and we

could sing):

JUST BEFORE THE BATTLE,

MOTHER39

Just before the battle,

Mother,

I am thinking most of

you.

While upon the field

we’re watching40

With the enemy in view,

Comrades brave are

‘round me lying,

Filled with thoughts of

home and God

For well they know that

on the morrow,41

Some will sleep beneath

the sod.

CHORUS:

Farewell, Mother, you

may never42

Press me to your heart

again,

But, oh, you’ll not

forget me, Mother

If I’m numbered with

the slain.

43

Oh, I long to see you,

Mother,

And the loving ones at

home,

But I’ll never leave

our banner,

44

Till in honor I can

come.

Tell the traitors all

around you

That their cruel words

we know,

45

In every battle kill

our soldiers

By the help they give

the foe.

CHORUS:

46

Farewell, Mother, you

may never

Press me to your heart

again,

But, oh, you’ll not

forget me Mother

47

If I’m numbered with

the slain.

Hark! I hear the bugles

sounding,

‘Tis the signal for the

fight,48

Now, may God protect

us, Mother,

As He ever does the

right.

Hear the “Battle Cry of

Freedom,”

49

How it swells upon the

air,

Oh, yes, we’ll rally

‘round the standard,

Or we’ll perish nobly

there.

50

CHORUS:

Farewell, Mother, you

may never

Press me to your heart

again,

51

But, oh, you’ll not

forget me, Mother,

If I’m numbered with

the slain.

52

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