/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/ The 88th Firebirds "Official" Newsletter Website: http://ftp.sarawak.com.my/org/firebirds/ Volume Six, 1 December 1997 Part A /~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/ PART A: Atten-HUT! Special Announcement Latest News and Updates Bulletin Board So You Want to be a Marine.... PART B: Interstellar Chat Radio >From the Quill Pen Musings of A Guylian-Eating Officer Pop Quiz, Hot Shots! (Answers) Addresses and Sites /~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/ <^><^><^><^><^> Atten-HUT! <^><^><^><^><^> How are the SPM-ers? Feeling the evil pinch of Lembaga Peperiksaan yet? Have a heart, Marines, it'll be over soon enough. Your embattled A-XO herself is contemplating the pros and cons of chucking her books into the South China Sea. Let's see, what have we here? At press time (7:30 pm) the latest Asian Airwing meeting report is still not in, so you will not have any AA news in this issue unless Sparhawk can finish it before I send off this newsletter. There's an exciting bit of news regarding our website, so do read "Latest News and Updates". You'll also find the URL for signing Joel de la Fuente's Christmas card in "Bulletin Board". In Part B, you'll find the answers to last fortnight's pop quiz, as well as Part 3 of "Operation White Wing - Fight for Hill 375". Also, we have another message from our honourary member. Enjoy your newsletter Marines, and in case you haven't heard: SEND FEEDBACK! "Flecti, non frangi." Captain Yasmin "Garuda" Masidi Communications and Acting Executive Officer <^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^> Special Announcement <^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^> Today, 1st December, is World Aids Day. Let us take a moment to commemorate this date by remembering the many who were infected by the HIV virus. To those who have left us, we shed a tear. And to those who are still with us, fighting against Death's scythe, we say "Semper fi!" and offer our prayers. "Honour is flashed off exploit, so we say; And those strokes once that gashed flesh or galled shield Should tongue that time now, trumpet now that field, And on the fighter, forge his glorious day. On God they do and on the martyr may; But be the war within, the brand we wield Unseen, the heroic breast not outward-steeled, Earth hears no hurtle then from fiercest fray..." --GM Hopkins, In Honour of St Alphonsus Rodriguez-- [Many thanks to Peregrine for the poem] <^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^> Latest News and Updates <^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^> FIREBIRDS NEWS Website: NEWS FLASH -- Our Nesting Site was featured on 'Cyberwave' on 23 November! The host, Vernon Adrian Emuang, commented on our Famine Relief efforts and "said to go and check out our page" (direct quote from Kingfisher). You can get the transcript of the show at: http://www.cyberwave.net.my The Nesting Site has also been updated. A brief transcript of the chat with Joel held on Saturday morning (29 November) is also available. Logo: Eagle's friend all the way from German has drawn up a sample logo for us. You can view it and the other sample logos (courtesy of Jaeger and Crow) at: http://ftp.sarawak.com.my/org/firebirds/logo.htm Please take a look and get back to Sparhawk for your comments, suggestions, or any particular preference. SPACE: ABOVE & BEYOND NEWS General: It's been heard semi-officially that "Space: Above and Beyond" is currently the top-rated show on the new Space: The Imagination Station channel in Canada. That would explain why.. a) There are now comercials for it, lots, and good ones too. and b) The Canadian web pages for SAAB are getting popular. ie, the 244ths page has passed 1 million hits!! Space is scheduled to start airing in January (Jan 11, 7:00pm EST) on the Sci-Fi Channel in the US! Space Above and Beyond is back on Australian TV. The foxtel channel FOX8 has started the series from the start due to popular demand. The Middle East saw S:AAB on Star Tv (Star Plus) a few months back and due to the demand Star TV re-aired the show right after the last episode. Cast and Crew: Joel de la Fuente's website now has a chatroom open at all times (and we have a standing invitation from him to chat in it at all times). You can also access it from IRC: connect to host chat.talkcity.com, port 6667. The channel name is #Joeldela. Peter Telep and Tucker Smallwood interviews are available at: http://www.angelfire.com/wa/charlottesometimes/page2.html Tucker Smallwood's ep of Millennium, titled "Goodbye, Charlie", will air December 12 in the US. Morgan and Wong continue with their inside-joke character names... Tuck plays Dr. Steven Kiley. John Wilkie (Chig #3) has been working on several projects: -He and Kris Sorensen are both in the feature film "Armageddon" (starring Bruce Willis)... -He did an ep of Solidier of Fortune, Inc., playing a drunken mercenary... -And he's again in space-alien costume as a "really gruesome lizard-man" called Hirogen on a Star Trek: Voyager. John says the head and face prosthetics took over two hours to apply... it was even tougher than playing a Chig and working in its armour. (But he did get to sit in the captain's chair.) COMMONWEALTH DEFENSE FORCES NEWS There are 3 squadrons in CDF at the moment, the 29th Doodlebugs, the 88th Firebirds and the Angry Anzacs. The naval order of battle will be based on current British Royal Navy structure, but adding Commonwealth-orientated ship names. The Army is going to be based on currect Commonwealth Special Forces, eg the Australian SAS, Canadian Airborne, Greys Scouts etc... <^><^><^><^><^><^> Bulletin Board <^><^><^><^><^><^> CHRISTMAS CARD FOR JOEL! >From Sparhawk: Sign JDLF's Christmas Card at http://ftp.sarawak.com.my/org/firebirds/sign.htm Closing Date: Dec 20 __________________________________________________________ VOTE KRISTEN! >From Goshawk: This is the weekly VoteKristen letter. It is sent every week to remind the Firebirds to VOTE for Kristen Cloke, the lady star of Space: Above and Beyond. Cast your vote and let the world know how great Cloke is! Just go to: http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Set/3048 Visit the (frequently updated) 88th Firebirds Nesting Site http://ftp.sarawak.com.my/org/firebirds/ "The Spirit Lives On!" Questions? email Goshawk at huilin@tm.net.my Ask anything! Really! <^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^> So You Want to be a Marine.... <^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^> Top 219 Reasons Why Marines are So Cool posted by Albatross 1) Best haircut. Hands down. You can't have a bad hair day with a high and tight. And you spend less on shampoo. 2) Dress blues. They're the coolest uniforms in any military worldwide. 3) Bloused trousers. Another distinctive Marine look that sets the proudest service members apart. 4) The rest of the Marine sea bag. From the Alphas to the camouflage utilities, uniforms just look better on a Marine than any other service member. 5) Marines don't wear dungarees. 6) Most respect part 1. When the Marines pulled out of Haiti and Somalia, the media reported the U.S. military was pulling out -- as if tens of thousands of Armytroops weren't still in the country. Now that's respect. 7) Most respect part 2. When the Corps came back to Haiti after 60 years, an old man on the Cap-Haitien beach said ``Welcome back!'' 8) Toughest mascot. The Marine Corps' is a bull dog. The Navy's: a goat. 9) Esprit de Corps. Even if you can't spell it or pronounce it, the Marine Corps has it in spades. One example: When sailors get tattoos, they do it toexpress their individuality, and their choices range from Betty Boop and Mickey Mouse to raging sea serpents. When Marines get tattoos, they do it to express their solidarity, and choose bull dogs, ``death before dishonor,'' and ``USMC.'' 10) Best war monument: Iwo Jima 11) The Marines invade, then go home. The Army has to do the occupying. 12) The silent drill platoon. Just watching them ply their trade makes you want to wear dress blues. 13) Status. Sailors live and work on ships. Marines go for cruises, then hit the shore. 14) Best fast attack vehicles: LAVs. 15) Best fighting knife: Ka-Bar. 16) Best duty assignments: Okinawa, Kaneohe Bay, Camp Pendleton, Diego Garcia, Moscow, North Carolina. Plus any ship at sea. 17) Worst duty assignments: Okinawa, Kaneohe Bay, Camp Pendleton, Diego Garcia, Moscow, North Carolina. Plus any ship at sea. 18) Most exotic duty assignments: Kuala Lumpur, The White House. 19) Best phone number. Call 1-800-MARINES and you've got the Corps. And if you're a civilian with the mettle to be a Marine, a recruiter there will be happy to sign you up. 20) Toughest DIs. They're so tough that when the Navy wants to train its officers, who do they call? 1-800-MARINES. 21) Toughest boot camp. When San Diego was still training Navy recruits, legend has it that recruits occasionally would jump the fence and accidentally land in Marine boot camp. The Marines would keep them a couple of days, and when the recruits were sent back, they were ready to be sailors! 22) Best motivational cry: Ooh-rah! 23) Best emblem: Eagle, globe and anchor. 24) Best campaign covers: The Smokey Bear hat. 25) Separate heads for enlisted and officers. Everywhere else, officers and enlisted use the same pot. 26) The only official, congressionally sanctioned hymn for any of the services: "The Marines' Hymn." From the Halls of Montezuma, to the Shores of Tripoli; We fight our country's battles, in the air, on land and sea; First to fight for right and freedom, and to keep our honor clean; We are proud to claim the title of United States Marine. Our flag's unfurled to every breeze, from dawn to setting sun; We have fought in every clime and place, where we could take a gun; In the snow of far off northern lands, and in sunny tropic scenes; You will find us always on the job, United States Marines. Here's health to you and to our Corps, which we are proud to serve; In many a strife we've fought for life, and never lost our nerve; If the Army and the Navy, ever look on Heaven's scenes; They will find the streets are guarded by United States Marines!!! OOOHrah.!!! 27) Best slogan part 1. "Once a Marine, always a Marine" 28) Best slogan part 2. "Tell that to the Marines" 29) Best slogan part 3. "Send in the Marines." 30) Best nicknames part 1. Jarhead 31) Best nicknames part 2. Leatherneck 32) Best nicknames part 3. Devil Dog. 33) Most remarkable airplane: The Harrier. No other service's jets can take off and land on a dime. 34) Most dangerous airplane: The Harrier. Not a simple science, but luckily more of a danger to the enemy than to Marine fliers. 35) You're a Marine. Not a soldier or a troop. 36) That's Marines, with a capital M. 37) Tradition! The Corps is older than the republic itself! 38) Marines symbolize: Discipline, courage, honor, commitment, valor, patriotism, military virtue. 39) Best recruiting gimmick part 1. Those darn Knights-in-Shining-Armor commercials. 40) Best recruiting gimmick part 2. "We're looking for a few good men." 41) Best recruiting gimmick part 3. "If you have the mettle to be a Marine." 42) The Commandant's House. It's the oldest occupied residence in Washington, D.C. 43) Chesty Puller. You gotta love a service that has heroes with names like that. 44) Former Commandant and Mud Marine Al Gray (Anecdote 1): His official portrait, in cammies. 45) Former Commandant and Mud Marine Al Gray (Anecdote 2): He drank from a four-star canteen cup. 46) Former Commandant and Mud Marine Al Gray (Anecdote 3): Business leaders are so impressed with his ethic and style, they're using his Fleet Marine Force Manual 1, "Warfighting", to hone their skills for boardroom battles. 47) Unity. Every Marine is a rifleman. 48) The Marine Air-Ground Task Force. Marines attack by land, by air and from sea, simultaneously. 49) The "docs" Marines' corpsmen-in-arms. They're sailors, but they're as tough as Marines. 50) Mud. You wanna see pure joy? Look at a group of Marines after a mud fight. 51) Starch. Clean 'em up, put 'em in starched cammies, and they look sharp. 52) Poetry in motion. They're weapons, not g-u-n-s. And if you don't know the pithy verse that explains that, don't ask us. We blush to tell. 53) Point of the spear, out in front, kicking down the door. What the Marines do best. 54) Marine spouses. God love 'em. They have it then worst of any of the service spouses. They endure six-month deployments and one- and two-year unaccompanied tours. The ones who survive a career are as tough as the Marines they married. 55) Marine kids. God loves them more. They know the meaning of duty, honor and country at too young an age. 56) The Air Force. Aren't you glad you're not an airman? They're pampered, yet they still find time to whine. 57) The Army. They get all the best equipment first and Marines still do it better. 58) The Navy. Give them credit. They have it almost as tough as Marines. But who wants to be a limo service? 59) The Coast Guard. Tell the truth: If you couldn't be a Marine, would you be a Coastie? In those powder blue uniforms? Not on your life! 60) CH-46. Say a Hail Mary and climb aboard. Nobody makes 'em anymore, but Marine ingenuity keeps 'em flying. And with a safety record that's nothing short of a miracle. 61) The Close Combat Manual. 62) Leadership part 1. In the Corps, E-3s and E-4s get to do more than most E-6s in other branches. 63) Leadership part 2. Every Marine above the rank of corporal can tell you what it takes to be a leader. It's spelled out clearly and drilled in relentlessly. And it pays off under fire. 64) Leadership part 3. Corporate America could -- and does -- learn from the Corps' leadership curriculum. All Marines who enter the private sector take those lessons with them. 65) Combat correspondents. They're journalists in the Navy, but in the Corps, the job is combat correspondent, thank you very much. 66) Marines do more with less, and they like it that way. 67) Amphibians one and all. Like the Army, Marines have tanks and armored vehicles. But theirs not only fight, they swim. 68) Air power. When the grunts look to the sky for support, they see Marine pilots, not zoomies. 69) Style. Nothing beats the canopy of sabres during a full dress Marine wedding. 70) Wetting-down parties. No one celebrates promotions with more flair and admiration. 71) Mess etiquette. Enter covered and drinks are on you. 72) Mess night part 1. Those who make the most pay the most. 73) Mess night part 2. "1775 Rum Punch"; four parts dark rum, two parts lime juice, one part pure maple syrup. Grenadine to taste. 74) Non-Comms rate their own ceremonial sword! 75) Fighting style part 1. When the U.S. went into Haiti, Army soldiers sought cover behind their rucksacks. Marines DUG IN! 76) Fighting style part 2. When the Air Force deploys, they carry their Samsonite bags on luggage carriers and stay in hotels. When Marines deploy, it's two seabags and your weapons. And a tent in the bush. 77) Fighting style part 3. Marines know how to use their bayonets. Army bayonets may as well be paper weights. 78) No smiling in official portraits. All business. 79) Terminology. In the Corps it's a "fighting" hole not a "fox" hole. Fox holes are for people who want to hide. Fighting holes are for people who want to fight. 80) The "people's own" Marine Corps Marathon. 81) When asked by the press, an overseas Marine doesn't say "I don't know what my mission is", "I don't know why I'm here" and "I don't like it here." He knows. It's his calling. 82) The "Stumps". The combat center at Twentynine Palms, Calif., is a huge sandbox in California's desert. It's where Marines go to play warrior any time of the year. 83) Best environmental motto: "We're looking out for a few good species". They may be charging the beach, but Marines are taking care not to step on endangered critters. 84) Image. Marines get real network coverage, not the kind you need a gridiron and an academy to get. 85) AH-1W SuperCobra gunships. They are lean, mean fighting machines. 86) The ONLY combined arms force. You want jointness? The Marine Corps has been joint for decades, with its own air force, groundpounders and Navy in one. 87) When the President cares enough to order in the very best, who's he gonna call? Not ghostbusters, but Marines. 88) First in, first out. Marines bust in first so the Army can do its job. 89) When it absolutely, positively has to be destroyed overnight, the number may as well be 9-1-1. Send in the Marines! 90) Boss' night. Every so often, the NCOs or staff NCOs buy the drinks for their charges attheir club. Can't beat that! 91) Physical fitness. You've seen portly chiefs, but there are no fat Marines. 92) Everyone's a Marine , officer and grunt 93) Actor who should have been a Marine: John Wayne. 94) Former Marine who shouldn't be an actor: John Wayne Bobbitt. 95) .50 caliber sniper rifles! OOOHRAH. 96) Most stickers spotted on America's highways on car bumpers and windows. 97) The summer evening parade. 98) "The President's Own", the Marine Corps Band. John Philip Sousa, the world famous band master, was the first leader of the band. 99) Value for your tax dollar. The Corps does it all for less; just 6 cents of every dollar spent on defense goes to the Marines. 100) Best motto, Semper Fidelis, always faithful. That's Latin, by the way. 101) Best twist on the best motto. Semper Gumby, always flexible. Yeah, he was green, too. 102) Best slogan part 1. "Nobody ever drowned in sweat." 103) Best slogan part 2. "Marines go where others fear to tread." 104) Best self description. Gungy 105) First in orbit. No, that's not another gunny losing his temper. John Glenn, that clean Marine, was the first human to orbit Earth. Now he's a senator. 106) Marines are first on foot and right of the line. Marines form at the place of honor in any naval formation. Secretary of the Navy bestowed that honor in 1876. 107) When the President climbs into a helicopter, he flies Marine One. 108) Most prestigious helo squadron. HMX-1, the president's fleet. 109) When the Navy needed someone to guard its ships, sailors and nuclear devices, they called on Marines. 110) Best personalized license plate part 1. "1775". It's on the commandant's car. 111) Best personalized license plate part 2. "SM OF MC", Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Harold Overstreet's four-wheel drive Chevy Blazer truck. 112) The Chief of Naval Operations rides in a Lincoln Town Car. Commandant Gen. Carl E. Mundy Jr. rides in a sporty Chrysler LHS sedan. 113) When the nation goes to war, the press covers the Marine Corps. During the Gulf War, there were more than 90,000 Marines in the region of a total force of 650,000. But the Corps outpaced the Army, 293 to 271, on articles about the ground war in four major newspapers. As journalist and author John Fialka put it: "If the PR rivalry between the two services had been a basketball game, the score would have been Marines 149, Army 10." 114) Best Heroes part 1. Smedley D. Butler. With a name like Smedley, he had to be tough, in self-defense. The Army rejected him, but by lying about his age, he got a commission from the Marine Corps in 1898, at age 16. From the Philippines to Haiti, he was an expert in suppressing revolution. His blunt style was pure Marine, and probably cost him a job as Philadelphia's public safety director after his first retirement and a bid for the Senate after his second. 115) Best Heroes part 2. Chesty Puller. It's more than the name. He started in the Corps with a reserve commission and was released in the drawdown after World War I. He then enlisted as a corporal, served in Haiti and received his second commission in 1924. He retired in 1955 a lieutenant general, the most decorated Marine in history, and probably the most colorful as well. 116) Best Heroes part 3. Lewis Puller Jr., Chesty's son. He joined to follow in his father's footsteps, lost both legs in battle, and went on to become a Pulitzer Prizewinning author. He ended his own life this year, and he's sorely missed. 117) Best Heroes part 4. "Manila John" Basilone. A true gunfighter from the word go. The first enlisted Marine in World War II to be awarded the Medal of Honor. Won it for his heroic efforts on Guadalcanal. Later killed on Iwo Jima, and posthumously awarded the Navy Cross. 118) All the Marines who won the Congressional Medals of Honor. There are 293 in all. 119) Best greeting. Semper Fi, Mac! 120) Best show of pride. After the 1982 Beirut Bombing, Marine Corps Commandant P.X. Kelly visited a wounded Marine in the hospital to present his Purple Heart. Covered by tubes and unable to speak, the Marine simply asked for pad and pen. On it he wrote: "Semper Fi." 121) Best recruiting station: Tun Tavern, Philadelphia, 1775. It's a bar, no less. 122) Only armed force with a beer named in its honor: Tun Tavern Beer. 123) Best description: Soldiers of the Sea. 124) Best slang for a Navy ship: LHA -- Luxury Hotel Afloat. 125) Best Marine quote from the Gulf War: "I sure hope the Iraqis are good lovers, because they sure can't fight." 126) Best acronyms I: The MEU (SOC). Say it out loud and it says what it means. Sock it to 'em. 127) Best acronyms II: SPIE rigging. It stands for Special Insertion, Extraction. It's what they do when they're saving the day. 128) Hollywood loves Marines. A few examples: 129) "Islands of Iwo Jima." 130) "The Wind and the Lion." 131) "Heartbreak Ridge." 132) "The Flying Leathernecks." 133) "The D.I." 134) "Death Before Dishonor" 135) And television loves Marines: 136) "Baa Baa Black Sheep" 137) "Gomer Pyle, USMC" 138) "Major Dad" 139) Heroes. The 40,000 Marines who gave their lives on the fields of battle since the Revolutionary War. 140) Scarlet stripe on NCO and officer trousers. They're not just sharp, they serve a point: The stripes represent blood shed in battle. 141) The Book of Remembrance. Stored at the post chapel at Quantico, it lists the name, rank and date of death of all Marines and sailors who served with Marines and who gave their life in Vietnam. 142) Famous proverb. A young recruit asked the D.I., "Sergeant, who carries the flag in battle?" The reply: "Son, every Marine carries the flag in battle." 143) The highest-ranking active-duty woman in the services wears two stars. She's Lt. Gen Carol A. Mutter, USMC. 144) Notable quotable part 1. "A ship without Marines is like a coat without buttons." -- Adm. David G. Farragut. 145) Notable quotable part 2. "When the Marines found themselves surrounded by Chinese troops near the ``Frozen Chosin'' during the Korean War, a Marine officer summed it up for his men. ``Good. Now I can shoot in all directions." 146) Notable quotable part 3. "Uncommon valor was a common virtue.'' --Adm. Chester Nimitz, leader of Pacific forces in World War II. 147) Notable quotable part 4. "Retreat? Hell! We just got here." --Col. Wendell "Whispering Buck" Neville, fighting in France during World War I. 148) Notable quotable part 5. "Come on, you sons of bitches! Do you want to live forever?" -- Sgt. Dan Daly, World War I. 149) Notable quotable part 6. "The raising of the flag on Mount Surabachi means a Marine Corps for the next 500 years." -- James Forrestal, who was then secretary of the Navy. 150) Fleet submission part 1. "My 10-year-old is proud when he's teased about his mother wearing combat boots" -- anonymous Marine mother. 151) Fleet submission part 2. "Marine Corps spirit and purpose define American resolve and intent." -- Carrol Childers, a civilian employee at Quantico's Amphibious Warfare School. 152) Fleet submission part 3. "Those hardcharging NCOs that have done so much with so little for so long." -- Capt. James Lopez, Quantico, Va. 153) Fleet submission part 4. "The smell of gunpowder in the morning on the rifle range." -- Cpl. Bradley Cameron, Quantico. 154) Fleet submission part 5. "It's my life." -- GS-8 Diane Pierce. 155) Fleet submission part 6. "The feeling of belonging. Whenever you go, there will always be someone you know, someone with something in common and someone willing to lend a hand" -- anonymous Marine. 156) Fleet submission part 7. "The Corps is the world's biggest fraternity. All our present and past members are, and always be, members of the Semper Fi fraternity. And unlike other fraternities, ours is open to women." -- CWO Mark Roulette. 157) Fleet submission part 8. "Knowing when you're in need, a Marine will be there." -- SSgt. Cheryl Oban, Quantico. 158) Leadership. The Corps trains its leaders young and expects a lot out of them. And, gosh darn it, they get what they ask for. 159) Hollywood loves Marines. (Part II: Marines who went to Hollywood). 160) Don Adams. 161) Charlton Heston. 162) Bob Keeshan (Capt. Kangaroo). 163) Lee Marvin. 164) Steve McQueen. 165) Burt Reynolds. 166) George C. Scott. 167) Gene Hackman. 168) Tax advantages part 1. VHA & BAQ, your housing allowances are tax-free. 169) Tax advantages part 2. You don't pay tax at the exchange either. 170) Marine wives. They put up with a lot but they have their limits. 171) Fleet submission part 9. "It is a family." -- anonymous Marine. 172) Fleet submission part 10. "It teaches us to be strong people both mentally and physically." -- Cpl. Maria Retan, Quantico, Va. 173) Fleet submission part 11. "I love the Marine Corps for those intangible possessions that cannot be issued: Pride, honor, integrity and being able to carry on the traditions for generations of warriors past. After I have done what I can for the Corps, I can say that I was a Marine" -- Cpl. Jeff Sornij. 174) Fleet submission part 12. "The pride of going home on leave, putting on the dress blues and everyone knowing you're a member of the world's finest fighting force." -- Sgt. Chase Gilbert, Laurel Bay, S.C. 175) Up-to-date fashions at overseas Exchanges. 176) Congress loves the Corps. The congressional "mafia" of former Marines now in positions of power or influence over the defense budget includes: 177) Rep. Ronald Dellums (D-Calif.). The chairman of the House Armed Services Committee is sometimes lampooned as a dovish cutter of defense budgets. But he's a former Marine, too. And once a Marine, always a Marine, as the saying goes. 178) Sen. John Glenn (D-Ohio), chairman of the Senate Armed Services subcommittee on military readiness and defense infrastructure. 179) Sen. Chuck Robb (D-Va.) All right, he may not be reelected Nov. 8. but if he loses, look who'll take his place: Republican nominee and retired Marine, Oliver North. 180) Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., chairman of the House defense appropriations subcommittee. 181) Sen. John Warner, R-Va., ranking Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee and armed service committee member who is a former Navy secretary. He served in the Navy in 1944-46, became a civilian, and then went back to do it right: He joined the Marine Corps and served from 1950-52. 182) Other former Marines in Congress include: Rep. Lane Evans, D-Ill.; Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Montana; Rep. Gerald Soloman, R-N.Y.; Rep. Paul McHale, D-Pa.; Sen. John Chafee, R-R.I., a former Navy secretary; Rep. Arthur Ravenel, RS.C., a House Armed Services Committee member who is retiring; Sen. Jim Sasser, DTenn.; Rep. Frank Tejeda, D-Texas; Sen. Howell Heflin, D-Ala.; Sen. Dale Bumpers, D-Ark.; Rep. Matthew Martinez, D-Calif.; Rep. Al McCandless, R-Calif.; Rep. David Skaggs, DColo.; Rep. Dan Schaefer, R-Colo.; Rep. Andy Jacobs, D-Ind.; Rep. Pat Roberts, R-Kan.; Rep. Wayne Gilchrest, R-Md.; Rep. Thomas J. Manton, D-N.Y.; Rep. Amo Houghton, R-N.Y.; Rep. Austin J. Murphy, D-Pa. (who is retiring); and Rep. Craig Thomas, R-Wyo., a House Government Operations Committee member. 183) And finally, pulling strings for Marines behind the scenes on Capitol Hill are two Marine-friendly power brokers: Marine Corps Reserve Brig. Gen. Arnold Punaro, staff director for the Senate Armed Services Committee, and retired Lt. Col. P.T. Henry, the staff director for the Senate Armed Services subcommittee on force requirements and personnel. 184) Global presence, global reach. As the Hymn notes, so spread out are Marines around the globe that some can watch the sun set while others are watching it rise. 185) Despite their service to U.S. presidents, no Marine has ever been a president. Now that's smart! 186) Respect. The State Department chose Marines, not soldiers, to protect our embassies. 187) Good taste in gifts. Wanna know how much a Marine missed his family during a deployment? Check out the china and toys in his seabag on the return trip, and then look at his credit card bill. 188) The 1st and 15th of each month. Gotta pay for those good gifts. 189) Marines are winners. Consider, for example: 190) Tarawa. 191) Saipan. 192) Guadalcanal. 193) Tripoli. 194) Belleau Wood. 195) Chosin. 196) Hue City. 197) Peleliu. 198) Leyte Gulf. 199) Guam. 200) Tinian. 201) Iwo Jima. 202) Okinawa. 203) The Officer's Sam Browne Belt. 204) Top Guns part 1. The Marine Corps Rifle Team. After a record-setting performance at the interservice rifle championships in July, the Marine team blew away the 1,200 civilian and military rivals at the U.S. Nationals in August. No doubt about it, Marines are the best riflemen in the country. 205) Top Guns part 2. MSgt. Donnie L. Heuman. After 17 years of competitive rifle shooting, he took top individual honors at this year's Interservice Rifle Championships, shooting a record-breaking 995 out of a possible 1,000 points with 50 bull's-eyes. His nearest competitor was nine points and 10 bull's-eyes behind. 206) Top Guns part 3. The Marine Corps Pistol Team. They won the U.S. National trophy six years running, establishing themselves as the champion to be beat. They were second this year, but don't expect the trophy to stay in anyone else's hands for long. 207) Top Guns part 4. Marine snipers. Oneshot, one kill, one thousand yards. 208) The 174,158 men and women in Marine Corps uniforms as of Oct. 1, 1994. 209) Top Guns part 5. Marine Corps wrestlers and boxers. They don't use weapons, and they don't need them, they are regular medalists at the Olympic Games. 210) Navy chow. It's better on the ship than in the field. 211) Navy chaplains. You gotta love a man of the cloth when the cloth is camouflaged. One example: Lt. Cmdr. Dennis Rocheford, wounded twice in Vietnam as a Marine infantryman, is now a Navy chaplain aboard the USS Wasp. 212) MREs. You hate to love 'em, but when you're hot and sweaty and in the field, nothing satisfies like the beef frankfurters and beans. 213) The Marines take care of their own. On the battlefield, nobody's left behind -- dead or alive -- and the homefront is always secure. 214) Commitment and devotion. "You gotta love it", says Col. Richard D. Stearns, commanding officer, Marine Corps Air Station, Beaufort, S.C. "Just liking it won't get you through the day." 215) Image. "I'm inspired by the integrity of Marines: uplifted by the pride, focus, discipline, flexibility and motivation to do the right thing in thebest way. I'm honored that, by service to the country, they are serving citizens like me. All this, and they are fun colleagues and co-workers." -- Jean Forrest, civilian instructional systems specialist, Marine Corps Institute. 216) The Birthday Ball part 1. The cake. 217) The Birthday Ball part 2. Remembering all those Marines who gave their life for their service and their country. 218) The Birthday Ball part 3. Seeing who's the oldest and youngest Marine in your unit. 219) Ooh-rah! /~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/ CONTINUES IN PART B