Stand at Ease

There is a pantheon of men and women who have shaped the Marine Corps. Men like Chesty Puller, Al Grey, and Dan Daly – men of iron will and outstandig courageous forged in the furnace of battle. But, who were the men that shaped them into the Marines they were? In this show, Dr. Anne Cipriano Venzon, the daughter and mother-in-law of Marines and a renowned military historian, joins us to give us to discuss her book Leaders of Men: Ten Marines Who Changed the Corps, her list of the ten Marines who shaped the Corps into the force it is now.

Officers in the military are often the butt of jokes – especially those who don’t look upon their role as one of privilege as well as responsibility. This privilege to lead comes from the men and women they lead, who according to our guest, retired Colonel James Sims, can decide at a crucial moment that they just ain’ gonna follow this jack wagon. Colonel Sims was the type of officer, however, who knew this and felt held that trust deep in his heart. In the first of a series of interviews, James discusses his time in the Marines, starting as a reservist in the Platoon Leaders Course to his retirement close to 30 years later. Stand at ease and give it a listen!

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – there are stories everywhere, and often those stories go untold. Often, the warrior doesn’t think his or her story is that exciting or that important, and the stories hide inside in deep, dark caves to fester. Clayton Murwin is doing his best to help our warriors find their voice and tell their tales. Clayton is a graphic artist from Virgina who feels that it’s his personal mission to reach out and help our service members heal.

Mike Farrell—actor, activist, and Marine – an all around amazing individual joins us in this episode. After spending just shy of two years in the Corps, Mike went through a lot of the same experiences as many young veterans. As he tried to find his way in life that lead to his role as B. J. Hunnicut on M*A*S*H and being the voice for so many people who are often not heard he learned that sometimes, you just need to stop and ask for help.

Eddie Neas joined the Marines on his 17th birthday in 1966 and was in Vietnam shortly after his 18th birthday. A few months after he arrived, he was meritoriously promoted to Corporal for his leadership in the battle of Hue. Years later, he enlisted in the Marine Reserves, retiring as a Sergeant Major in 2000. Since that time, he has been active with his chapter of the Marine Corps League, the L/CPL Robert J Slattery Detachment #206 MCL, named for a Marine he was in boot camp with and fell in combat in Vietnam in 1967. With other Marines from his detachment, he makes monthly trips to Walter Reed to visit the young wounded warriors.