MCA Scuttlebutt

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. This week, Nancy and Vic have the pleasure of spending some time with famed, and recently retired, television journalist and author of the book, Battle Scars, Chip Reid. Chip was embedded with 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines in 2003 as they made their push to Baghdad during the invasion. Battle Scars not only chronicles his time with this storied battalion, but follows up with the Marines – and their families – twenty years later to tell their stories of their lives since the invasion, their heroism, loss, and  the new appreciation for life that results from post-traumatic growth. Chip discusses the impetus behind the book, what it was like being an embedded journalist, and his experiences putting these stories together.  Enjoy! You can find Battle Scars here. And if you’re in the Northern VA/DC area, Chip will be doing a book signing at MCB Quantico on Wed, Feb 21st. Here is the link for more details. https://quantico.usmc-mccs.org/activity/02280669-bb04-470b-bd0e-371142b52a07 <p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 122: Battle Scars with Chip Reid first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. Our last movie review was so much fun, we decided to create a new segment called, “Semper Cinema.” This week, we review the Academy Award winning short documentary, With the Marines at Tarawa. If you haven’t seen it, you need to check it out. Released in 1944, this gritty film came out during the height of the island-hopping campaign and it’s graphic depictions of the horrors of combat, particularly in the Pacific, were so controversial that it required approval from President Roosevelt to be released. Vic, William, and Nancy discuss the merits of the film and what reasons the Marine Corps may have had in wanting to release the film during a time when America was sending so many of it’s citizens off to fight. Enjoy! <p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 121: Semper Cinema review of With the Marines at Tarawa first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. This week we welcome the former Virginia Secretary of Education and veteran Marine, Atif Qarni to the show. Atif was kind enough to take time out of his busy schedule to be with us and we are so glad that he did. Atif is currently campaigning to be the next Virginia 10th District congressional representative so it really means a lot that he was willing to sit with us and talk about his life. And what a fascinating life it has been. He shares with us his experiences immigrating from Pakistan to Baltimore as a child, his appreciation for the discipline and direction the Marine Corps has given him, the value of education and the challenges in trying to educate our kids, and the need to bring your A-game with mom. Atif was so engaging and his passion for education is infectious. Hope you find his story as compelling as we did. Enjoy! <p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 120: Atif Qarni first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. In this installment of World of Wargaming, William discusses the history of Marine Corps wargaming with returning guest Ian Brown accompanied by Sebastian Bae: a former Marine, research analyst for the Center for Naval Analyses, and adjunct assistant professor at the Center for Security Studies at Georgetown University. In recounting the history of wargaming in the Marine Corps, they also addressed ways in which to ensure that wargaming remains a prominent tool for professional military education. For more information, check out their article, “Promise Unfulfilled: A Brief History of Educational Wargaming in the Marine Corps.” published in the Vol 12, No. 2 edition of the Journal of Advanced Military Studies. Enjoy! <p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 119: World of Wargaming with Sebastian Bae and Ian Brown first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. This week we welcome LtCol David Kelly back to the show to talk about his new book, First Fights in Fallujah: Marines During Operation Vigilant Resolve, in Iraq, April 2004. Like David’s first book, Hell in the Streets of Husaybah, First Fights in Fallujah, his book chronicles the firsthand accounts of the Marines who fought in Operation Vigilant Resolve, also known as the first battle of Fallujah. But unlike his first book, First Fights includes accounts from more than just the infantry Marines kicking down doors. Amtrac’ers, tankers, helo crews, all of the various Marines that make up the Marine Air-Ground Task Force – of whom were so critical to the tactical and operational success of this first fight in Fallujah – are all featured in this book. David’s use of the actual words of the Marines really gives a visceral quality to his narrative. David gives us his thoughts on the uniqueness of this kind of retelling of history and shares with us his experiences conducting all of these interviews, in country, just on the heels of the end of the operation.   Enjoy! https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-kelly-4781a7132/ Get the book here <p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 118: First Fights in Fallujah with LtCol David Kelly (Ret) first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Happy 2024 everyone! We’re back! We hope that you had a fun and safe New Year’s Eve and that your 2024 is off to a great start. Speaking of great starts, we are going to kick off 2024 right! By bringing in two Amtrackers to talk about Amtracker stuff. Wait, where are you going? Seriously, stick around because we talk about a really fascinating topic: how a monument gets made. I think we all take for granted that when we see a statue, obelisk, or rendering, that all it took was a great idea, a righteous cause, a ton of money and then BOOM! You’ve got a monument right? Actually there is a ton of imagination, planning, preparation, art, creativity, hard work, and diligence (and butt loads of money) to create something that commemorates legacy. No one knows this more than  the Amphibious Tractor Association and Memorial. John and Marc help lead the charge on the creation of a Amphibious Tractor Memorial to be placed at the National Museum of the Marine Corps Memorial Walk. We step behind the curtain and let John and Marc walk us through the process how a monument comes to be, from impetus to ribbon cutting.  They’re on a upward glide slope, but there is still a lot work to be done. If you would like to contribute to this endeavor or show your support, please go to www.amphibioustractormemorial.com and check out the artistic renderings of the monument and share in preserving the legacy of this particularly unique Marine Corps capability. Enjoy! <p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 117: Making of a Monument with Col John Atkinson and SgtMaj Marc Chabot first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for listening and your continued support. I wanted to take this opportunity to let you all know that Scuttlebutt will be taking a break over the holidays but will be back in Jan. We are excited for all of the new content and offerings coming up in 2024 with some exciting new segments and guests. Maybe even some return visits from some of our friends to see what their up to. Please feel free to hit us up at scuttlebutt@mca-marines.org and let us know what you think. Please share any ideas you have on what you would like to see on the podcast and we’ll make it happen. As we embark on our holiday leave block, no good Marine message is complete without an obligatory safety brief: Let this season be a time that you and your loved ones make cherished memories. Not a season that is forever tarnished because you were being stupid. On behalf of everyone at the Marine Corps Association we want to wish you all a fun and safe holiday season. Semper Fidelis <p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 116: Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. This week Nancy and Vic welcome Adam Lazarus to the show. Adam is the author of the book, The Wingmen the story of the unlikely, unusual, unbreakable friendship between John Glenn and Ted Williams. Adam has also authored multiple books that focus on sports history such as Hail to the Redskins, Best of Rivals, Super Bowl Monday, and Chasing Greatness. Adam talks to us about his decision to write this book, being that it takes a step away from the specifics of sports history and looks at the shared history of these two American icons. Within the public consciousness, this is a fairly unknown story of these two giants. It is one of friendship and dynamics of a decades long relationship, sometimes contentious, between the men that existed behind the mythology. You can find more about Adam and his wonderful collection of books at: www.adamlazarusbooks.com on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @lazarusa57  LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-lazarus-b0117011 Enjoy! <p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 115: The Wingmen with Adam Lazarus first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. This week we have another edition of World of Wargaming. William and Vic were able to spend some time with the founder and CEO of Victura studios, Peter Tamte. Peter talks to us about his newest project, Six Days in Fallujah, a first-person tactical military shooter that recreates true stories of Marines, soldiers, and Iraqi civilians during Operations Vigilant Resolve and Phantom Fury. This game is so nuanced. It’s not your standard first-person shooter that is generally placed in a semi-historical setting based on a conflict that is far removed from history. He walks us through the highs and lows of developing a video game, the change in the standard lone wolf, run-and-gun-style gameplay, and the challenges of making a game that accurately recreates a battle that many people playing it have actually participated in. As you can imagine, there was a lot of criticism when the project was first announced, but interestingly, most of it came from those who never served. Peter treats this project with the passion and sensitivity of someone who wants to do this right and have it be something that is authentic to those who were there. When we talk about wargaming providing the reps and sets that will help future servicemembers in future wars, Six Days in Fallujah is definitely shooting on target. And now, here’s our conversation with Peter Tamte. Check out their website at www.sixdays.com and get all the latest updates, news, and videos. And check out these trailers. Be prepared to have your mind blown! Enjoy! <p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 114: Six Days in Fallujah with Peter Tamte. first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. This week we welcome Andrew Biggio back to the show to discuss his most recent book: The Rifle 2. When Andrew returned home from tours in Iraq and Afghanistan he had huge questions about the price of war. He decided to ask those who he knew would understand – veterans of War War II. William and Nancy talk to Andrew about his book and how it delves into the suffering and complexity of war that World War II veterans experienced. Andrew reveals the darker side of the greatest generation while illuminating the struggles they endured to create a better world. In recounting the stories of these veterans, Andrew takes the greatest generation off its pedestal to demonstrate that we may have more in common with them than previously thought, wrestling with their share of weaknesses and flaws while answering the call of duty. Enjoy! <p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 113: The Rifle 2 with Andrew Biggio first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>