Many decades ago the singing group The Platters had a hit, "The Great Pretender." The song begins with the lyrics, "Oh-oh, yes I'm the great pretender. Pretending that I'm doing well." Another line says, "Too real is the feeling of make believe."

Marines have long had a reputation for being always blunt and often colorful truth tellers. If you do not want the unvarnished truth, do not ask Marines. Marines tell it like it is and let the chips fall where they may. And it is not just junior Marines who could be relied on for truthfulness. While the senior admirals and generals from other services testifying in front of Congress would speak diplomatically in careful bureaucratic words, Marine leaders could be counted on to pull no punches and tell the frank truth.

During the Vietnam War only one general officer boldly sat down with President Johnson and told him frankly that the war was not going well and Johnson's approach was a mistake. The officer willing to the tell the truth was Marine LtGen Victor "Brute" Krulak. President Johnson never forgot and never forgave the Brute's blunt truthfulness.

Has the Marine Corps lost this blunt truthfulness? Is the Marine Corps losing itself in make believe? Reporter Jeff Schogol writing in Task and Purpose has revealed that, "From August to December 2024, Marine recruits in San Diego had dress blue coats and covers photoshopped onto their yearbook pictures."