anyone read the book? Anyone have any idea of the context of the passage?

I don’t. Do you?

Yes, I have read all of James Webb’s books, some of them like “A Sense of Honor” 3X’s, “Something to Die For” 3X’s and “Fields of Fire” 2X’s. I have also read the book “The Nightengale’s Song” once.

I strongly recommend reading “The Nightengale’s Song”. This book is a biography of 4 USNA grads; Jimmy Carter, John McCain, James Webb and Oliver North. Jimmy Carter is portrayed as basically a dufus. He did his 5 years after the Academy and then re-upped and accepted a slot in the Navy’s brand new nuke school. Shortly after starting nuke school his father died and Jimmy got out of the Navy to go back home to run the peanut farm. John McCain was a bad boy at the Academy, scored 2 “Black N’s” and ended up in a bamboo box for 5 years in Vietnam.James Webb was the most decorated Marine in the Vietnam conflict and went on to hold important gov’t jobs. Oliver North is described as pretty much of a weasel during his Academy years and, we all know what went on with him (Iran-Contra and FOX News).

Yes, Mr. Webb’s writing is being taken out of context. In each instance, other than the Morphine Mary passage, Mr. Webb is trying to drive home the degradation of Southeast Asian and African societies. Foley (I can run all day, I can run all night) is crucified in “A Sense of Honor” for his brutal tactics at the Academy in order to get a Plebe to understand just what awaits and the grit this young man will need to employ when he is shipped to Southeast Asia after graduation to put his life on the line. “Are you bigger than yourself Plebe? Are you willing to risk your very life to defend our nation?”
In this same book Rafferty, a Marine Lt., that was horribly wounded in Vietnam recounts his months in and out of a morphine haze while recovering at Bethesda Naval Hospital. His wife has divorced him and taken their child in order to marry a liberal lawyer of the P.C. variety. He is clearly tortured by his time in Vietnam, his wounds and his wife’s abandonment. The “Morphine Mary” character says more about Rafferty’s struggle than it does about women.

Foley reappears in “Something to Die For” as a mid ranking Marine officer on a boat off the coast of Western Africa. He senses early on that the politicians are playing a political game that will eventually be paid for with the blood of the men he leads. This is where the “banana scene” comes in. Webb uses Foley’s trip to an Asian strip joint to emphasize the moral filth he sees all around him. He ends up dying on the beach in Eritrea while directing his Marines in a fight they were bound to lose while the Navy ship immediately off the coast refuses to support with supressive fire due to political decisions in Washington (Somalia anyone?)
The main character in “Fields of Fire” is a disaffected college student that joins the Marines because he thinks he can play in their band, something the recruiter does not disabuse him of… He ends up a low level officer (I think) in Vietnam and really the book is about the horror this young man experiences having been torn from his upper middle class American shell that he thought was world reality. He also dies in battle.

Lost Soldiers deals with the same topic (in case I haven’t made myself clear) the degradation of societies that we, as sheltered Americans, know little about and, the scars made as someone is thrust into a brutal reality completely alien to our American way of life. Only Mr. Webb knows whether or not he actually saw anything like the upside down boy/penis scene that we all think is completely repugnant… Having read all of Mr. Webb’s books, I wouldn’t put it past him.

OK, having defended Mr. Webb’s writing, I will now say that I would never vote for him and, that I am quite surprised that he would run for a senate seat. Nor, would I ever vote for McCain. They both have at least one screw loose in part due to their time in Vietnam. Sen. McCain suffered for years at the hands of the enemy and, I am sure, Mr. Webb saw way more horror than 100 other civilian Americans combined. For their service to our country, I am extremely grateful. This does not mean however, that I would wish that either one of them direct the future of this nation.

You might wonder why I know so much about Mr. Webb’s writing… My oldest son Tim graduated from USNA last spring. On the first day of Plebe summer (way back when) all the Plebes in my son’s company were handed the book “A Sense of Honor” and instructed to read it. Being the book junkie that I am, I went on to read all his books. They are quite thought provoking and very moving.

Babs on October 27, 2006 at 11:05 AM

Thought provoking to the point that I’d wonder what real values he holds near.

It is clear to me that the man holds values of American decency very near and, to that end, points out the filth of other societies. Your ire about his writing is misplaced. Don’t vote for the guy or anyone like him. Fine. But, do not put the man’s writing down unless you want to keep your head firmly under the covers. Hell, Thailand sells its female children into sexual slavery. If you don’t want to think about that, be my guest. Just keep your moral indignation to yourself unless you can speak on a topic from a position of information.

What do you see when you close your eyes?

What I see is my first born son having to possibly deal with societies like those described in Mr. Webb’s writings.

it smacks of child porn.

Are you aware of the epic center of child porn in the world? It is southeast Asia. If you don’t want to consider this topic that is fine. If you have a child in the American military, you might want to know about these things. Your choice but, please, save me your purity.

Babs on October 27, 2006 at 11:36 AM