The free negroes who have served faithfully in the army … may be re-enlisted therein, but no others
For me personally, as I said, I want to serve my country. I've done it once, and I'm still in the army, I feel as though I should get the opportunity to do it again.
Nicknamed 'Mad-Dog Mattis' by his men, he was a command warrior in the old George Patton mode. He wasn't an armchair general by any definition of that much-maligned term. If a Marine re-upped at a location where he was present, he would personally go to that Marine and thank him or her for rejoining.
In 1916 I was discharged from military service, or rather, given a sort of leave of absence on the understanding that I might be recalled within a few months. And so I was a free man, at least for a while.
When I was commissioned in the Air Force, I was committed to the institution for a career.
I was stationed at a marine recruit depot in San Diego from 1965 to 1967.
I did not want to avoid service. I did realize reservists could be called up, and that it was something that I wanted to do.
After I left the Marines in '46, I wanted to stay in the Marines; I was very happy - I loved that life.
