Book Review First To Fight by Victor H. Krulak - 644 Words

Book Review: First To Fight by Victor H. Krulak The United States Marine Corps is a frequently misunderstood, occasionally maligned but more frequently mythologized division of the U.S. Armed Forces. Sometimes its role is perceived as overlapping the roles and responsibilities of its military counterparts such as the U.S. Army, the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Air Force. However, as the exhaustive text by Victor Krulak shows, it is far more often seen as enhancing, focusing and insuring the roles and responsibilities. As the original pressing of Krulaks text was completed in 1984, a great many of the sentiments that permeate First in Fight: An Inside View of the U.S. Marine Corps carry pointedly Cold War-related messages and imperatives. However, an open-minded consideration of the text demonstrates a particular relevance for the servicemen and women of todays U.S. Marine Corps. Krulaks telling of the Corps history is among the sections which retains its relevance. At all points, Krulaks h istorical reporting is clear, straightforward and in the cases of World War II, Korea and Vietnam, strengthened by the authors firsthand and experience-driven accounts. Certainly, Krulaks experience is among the texts most important virtues. Indeed, this also informs the sense of protectiveness and resentment that sometimes emerges in the text as a product of what Krulak characterizes as a sort of relegation and isolation within the broader American defense scheme. In a sequence