Evening star., 1944-07-11
Writer Calls Marines
Worlds Best Fighters
Suf4ests Interservice Delicacy Il
Carried to Extremes
By David Laurence

BY David Laurence
Time was when, II it became neces-
sary for an armed service Of the United
States to land on . foreign shore, the
laconic dispatch came over the wires
repeatedly: "The marines have landed
and have the situation well in hand"
But today the marines land in one Of
the most difYicult operations In Amer
lean history and against the most VIZ
ciouS foe we have ever faced and there
Is strange silence. Then, after the
successful landings by the marines and
when the Army units supplemented the
attack, the announcement gives the
impression the forces were equal when,
as q matter Of fact, As the casualties
are revealed. 1t becomes apparent that
the marines supplied the bulk Of the
forces.
The capture Of Saipan was, of course,
entirely . naval operation in the sense
that feet units chased the enemy away
and permitted the marines to land. But
the public did not know that the ma
rines bore the brunt of the landing
attack and the subsequent operations
which have now enveloped the whole
island of saipsn.
Silly JealouSies.
1t may be that silly jealousies between
the armed services, which it was
thought had been erased in this war,
are back again and that, in order to
keep the scales Of publicity even, ar
rangements made were to give equal
treatment to each Of the armed services.
In an ordinary operation Of 4 mill
.tary nature, this is incidental, but with
the peculiar training that the marines
have had for amphibious campaigns
and with the record they have made
in Guadalcanal, the Gilberts and the
Marshalls, 1t would have given the
American people thrill Of pride to
be told just what the marines did when
they first landed at Saipan.
The marines are probably the tough
est fighting outfit in the world. Others
among our Allies concede it. This is
not because the boys in the Marine
Corps are at the start Of their training
any different from the boys who 60
into the Army. They are made Of the
same stun. But it is because the rigor-
Gus training of the marines over a long
period Of time Is utterly unlike that
which can be given to q large army
that has to be trained and expanded
quickly.
The marines have been an amphibious
arm OF the American Navy for genera
tions. This war has put an emphasis on
the word "amphibious," but it Is nothing
new to the marines. They know what
it Is to land on . shore In the face OF
enemy artillery and enemy machine
guns. They know what it is, after they
get ashore, to storm the enemy's strong
holds. As man-to-man fighters the
marines are unexcelled. This has been
particularly important in the present
war where the japanese tight to the
last man.
Self Contained Army.
Our marines have fought on many
battledeldS in the last century, but
they have never encountered an enemy
like the Japanese. The amphibious
operations in Europe have been very
severe. and 1t Is no disparagement Of
the brave and gallant work done by
those who have landed in the Mediter.
ranean area or in France to say that
the fighting against the japanese il
something wholly different and calls
Tor 4 rugged physique and endurance
In the junsles which is unquestionably
more demanding than any other type
OF lighting
1t Is regrettable that our armed sery.
Ices did not provide for more American
marines FOR use in the landings OF
Europe, but on the other hand, the
Marine Corps has progressed because
1t has been q relatively small orxani.
zation with its own artillery, It's own
communications and its own aviation.
Naturally this special organization, be-
ing limited In size, has been reserved
Tor the Pacific war. Few people realize
that the Marine Corps Is q self-con-
tanned army and that is why its work
Is so smoothly and successfully carried
out.
There is no jealousy between the
marines and the Navy. They work to-
gether. They have been trained to
work together. They understand each
others methods and supplement each
others efforts. In past years the coun.
try has heard 4 good deal about the
marines and has heard their praises
sung, but it is beginning to look now
as if interservice delicacy or tact or
diplomacy has been carried to an ex-
treme, or else that the marines have
suddenly Grovn u,odest