Marine Corps Stories: This Country’s Soul

“You do realize the irony of all of the training we got in Boot’ was that it was not necessarily communistic, but collectivistic?”

“How’s that?”

“When a drill instructor yells questions like 'So, we want to be individuals do we?' Well that just screams collectivism." A political expression of that statement could fall under communism. The subtraction of singular and other pronouns and, ‘this recruit,’ all fall under collectivism.”

Staff Sergeant Rhoda Carra was talking about the evils of collectivism. She had chocolate brown skin, honey-brown eyes, and regulation manicured nails. Staff Sergeant Larkin Sowell, who jabbed at her with questions, had lighter brown skin that shone under the lights. The two female Marines then had found time to take a break from a crushing workout in the gym, and were vaping in a smoke pit.

“So you’re saying the Corps is wrong?”

“No. The Corps follows the trends of the society at large. People of color, women, gays and lesbians, and transgenders have made great strides in the past few decades. If individuals in society begin to view altruism as evil, and selfishness as a virtue, then we’ll be able to see egoism spread freely throughout the Corps.” Rhoda drew in the vapor and exhaled. “It’s like a sickness, the altruism and collectivism of our age.”

“You talk like you’re in school. Are you taking those night courses?” Larkin said.

“I’m serious, Lark’. All the evils we’re supposed to be fighting are within our ranks. There’s mysticism; that plagues the country and Corps; collectivism is probably the strongest force in this country and armed forces by default; and altruism as I’ve alluded to, is the killer of the human spirit. But it’s sneaky. It nestles in with benevolent traits like camaraderie and cooperation and makes them something evil.”

Larkin drew on her vaporizer. It was a long draw, contemplative. “Those are some hundred dollar words you just used. I know what they mean, but only because I’ve been around you for so long.”

Rhoda grinned, shook her head and took another draw from her vaporizer.

Larkin asked, “so, what are the solutions? Do we infiltrate society at large once we get our DD-214’s and express the viciousness of the world?”

“We could. Our opportunity to go to school now is a way of cracking the myths. The myth that the Corps is all about selflessness, and sacrifice. We can show it’s about selfishness, regard for values, and respect for fellow compatriots.”

“If you want to die on that….”

“Don’t say the rest. I hate that terrible saying. Too many actual people wearing a uniform like ours really died on a hill. No, I would not die for those ideals. I could die for you, for my values, for everything I hold dear, but not for ideas. I would live and stand by them, protecting them.”

Captain Mara Grace and Lieutenant Colonel Spencer Boll walked by the pair. The female Marines remained at rest with their vaporizers so they didn’t stand to salute. But they did speak in unison.

“Good afternoon ma’am, sir,” Rhoda and Larkin said.

“Good afternoon, ladies.”

After the officers had passed, Larkin added, “Can’t we just get the officers to change the rules in the Marine Corps Handbook?”

Rhoda shook her head no. “They come from academies and war colleges that preach all of that trash. It’s to those institutions that we should set our sights. What we need to do is address the universities. It is with the professors that this country’s soul will be saved or fester.”

“Let’s hope for the former rather than the latter,” Larkin said.

“I’ve already got designs to be a teacher of philosophy.”

“So you’re going to be a modern day Socrates?”

“I’m closer to Aristotle but yes, something like that.”

The two Marines put away their vaping gear and headed back to shower and change and then work supplying their team with equipment.

“One day,” Larkin said. “You’re going to look up and all the things you just said would happen will.”

“I’ll make sure of it,” Rhoda said.