Ryan Evans
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.
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