Gen Van Riper Is Mad

Compass Points has been contacted by a reader with a reply to a recent article in, War on the Rocks. Compass Points thanks the reader and all our readers who continue, despite all hecklers, to speak out and advocate for a global Marine Corps that is strong today and even stronger tomorrow. Many thanks!

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Nearly 50 years ago I learned a valuable lesson that began when I opened Chapter 1 of John Keegan’s The Face of Battle and read: “I have not been in a battle; not near one, nor heard one from afar,” yet he was going to inform the reader about battles. At that point I nearly closed the book and moved on, believing no one could tell me about battles who had not been in one, as I had been numerous times. However, I continued reading only to again come close to the decision to walk away from the book when Keegan revealed he had never worn the uniform of a soldier. Fortunately, I pressed on and found my knowledge of battles enhanced by Keegan’s research and the insights he offered. Obviously, this changed my mind about learning from those who have not had military experience. And in the years since I have been well-schooled by those who have not seen war nor wore a military uniform.

Yes, over the years I have learned much from others, especially historians, about engagements, battles, campaigns, and national defense generally, and it has complemented my own years of experience. However, I have also learned when an author is misinformed about things military and offers only thin, bitter gruel. Such was the case when I read a recent article in War on the Rocks by Ryan Evans titled, “The Marine Corps Americans Want Can’t Be Derailed by a Fake Crisis.” There are too many mischaracterizations, errors, and outright falsehoods to address all in a Compass Points comment, so let me describe a few.

Evans writes, “The crisis exists in the minds of a largely retired coterie of Marine leaders. . . .” implying there are only a handful of critics. There are 112 retired Marine Corps Generals who have identified with Chowder Society II; I have the list. Many others have called or emailed me to express their support. The site that carries many of the articles questioning Force Design 2030 has well over 100,000 views per month and most readers, based on comments, are critics of that fatally flawed plan. I monitor email chains that have as many as 1,300 members and again nearly all the messages are in opposition to the plan. So, Evans' allegation that ours is a small “coterie” of retired leaders is patently false, and he has offered no evidence otherwise.