MCA Scuttlebutt

Hello everyone. Recently we welcomed to the studio Amy Rupertus Peacock and Don Brown, authors of “Old Breed General: How Marine Corps General William H. Rupertus Broke the Back of the Japanese in World War II from Guadalcanal to Peleliu” for an awesome and informative conversation. Among many things, General William H. Rupertus is the author of the Rifleman’s Creed, and we got to chat about his accomplishments beyond this, from his two tours serving in China before World War II to his leadership at Tulagi, Guadalcanal, Cape Gloucester, and Peleliu. As you probably deduced by the name, Amy is Gen Rupertus’ granddaughter, so it was a lot of fun to unpack Rupertus’ journey through war in the Pacific with one of his actual family members, and it was fascinating to see how the events of the Pacific during WWII parallel the modern landscape. Hope you enjoy! Amy’s Author Website: https://amyrupertuspeacock.com Videos of General Rupertus: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXvhD3oL2D_j_wADFG_Iylg/  Pick up Old Breed General Here: https://lnkd.in/eSPmCvfG Check Out Don Brown’s other works: https://lnkd.in/e497AAYf The views and opinions expressed on Scuttlebutt are those of the individuals and do not reflect the official position of the Marine Corps Association. Produced by Nick Wilson, Vic Ruble, William Treuting, and Nancy Lichtman. <p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 54: Old Breed General first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

National Museum of the Marine Corps Aviation Curator Dr. Larry Burke joined us on Scuttlebutt this week to talk about Marine Corps Aviation. Dive into the very birth of aviation from the invention of the airplane, through the birth of armed forces aviation, then World War I and into the Caribbean and Central America as we chart the path that led Marines into the sky and beyond. Of course, by beyond, we are talking space, the museum is working hard to chronicle Marine involvement in the space race, not just the astronauts, but capsule recovery and more. Check out Dr. Burke’s book book, “At the Dawn of Airpower” Here: https://www.usni.org/press/books/dawn-airpower After recording, Dr. Burke provided a correction: At the museum there is FG-1 Corsair, not an AU-1 as stated in the episode. The views and opinions expressed on Scuttlebutt are those of the individuals and do not reflect the official position of the Marine Corps Association. Produced by Nick Wilson, Vic Ruble, William Treuting, and Nancy Lichtman. <p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 53: At Dawn of Airpower with Dr. Larry Burke first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

This week on Scuttlebutt Vic and Nancy lift the veil on the American Legion with Elizabeth Hartman, formerly a Cryptologic Linguist in the Corps, and now the Commander AL Post 539. Elizabeth’s journey began became a Marine to break out of New Cairo, Ohio, and has led to her current job as a financial advisor and commander of the American Legion Post 539 in New Bern, North Carolina. Learn about how the American Legion is working to appeal to younger veterans, how last year’s pull-out of Kabul affected the community, and how to get involved this week on Scuttlebutt! Read about The American Legion from the recent Leatherneck Article Here: Connect with Elizabeth on LinkedIn here: The views and opinions expressed on Scuttlebutt are those of the individuals and do not reflect the official position of the Marine Corps Association. Produced by Nick Wilson, Vic Ruble, William Treuting, and Nancy Lichtman. <p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 52: Elizabeth Hartman, The American Legion, and Best Friends first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

This week on Scuttlebutt Vic and William sit down with best selling author Nick Reynolds, writer of the sterling “Need to Know” which covers the rise of American Intelligence during World War II. From his experience in 1975 when he was told “You don’t want to be in Intel,” through his USMC and CIA career, Nick is an expert on 20th century Intelligence. Join us as we explore why America wasn’t truly prepared for WWII, and how allied and axis armed forces evolved intelligence throughout the war. We also tap into his experience to get a gauge on the current state of intelligence and finding the “Intelligence Goldilocks Zone.” Nicholas Reynolds has worked in the fields of modern military history and intelligence off and on for forty years, with some unusual detours. Freshly minted PhD from Oxford University in hand, he joined the United States Marine Corps in the 1970s, serving as an infantry officer and then as a historian. As a colonel in the reserves, he eventually became officer in charge of field history, deploying historians around the world to capture history as it was being made. When not on duty with the USMC, he served as a CIA officer at home and abroad, immersing himself in the very human business of espionage. Most recently, he was the historian for the CIA Museum, responsible for developing its strategic plan and helping to turn remarkable artifacts into compelling stories.  The views and opinions expressed on Scuttlebutt are those of the individuals and do not reflect the official position of the Marine Corps Association. Produced by Nick Wilson, Vic Ruble, William Treuting, and Nancy Lichtman. <p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 51: “Need to Know” Author Nick Reynolds first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Sara Bock joins us for a special 50th episode of Scuttlebutt! From her interview with Charles Bolden at the Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia, to her stories about John Warner, to her story about Randy Norfleet, a survivor of the Oklahoma City Bombing, to her work cover PTSD and more, Sara’s Leatherneck articles represent a “Greatest Hits” of of magazine writing over the past 8 years. Sara shares some of her fondest memories before she sets off for bigger and better things outside of the offices of Leatherneck Magazine. The views and opinions expressed on Scuttlebutt are those of the individuals and do not reflect the official position of the Marine Corps Association. Produced by Nick Wilson, Vic Ruble, William Treuting, and Nancy Lichtman. <p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 50: Telling Marines’ Stories with Sara Bock Leatherneck Staff Writer first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Learn about Marine Corps Mustangs and their national association this week with William and Vic as they chat with Ronald Cookson, a retired CWO-5 who serves as the national secretary of the Marine Corps Mustangs Association. Beyond chatting about what Mustangs are, and how enlisted Marines become Chief Warrant Officers or 2nd Lieutenants, they dive into some USMC history, as Cookson was serving in Saudi Arabia at the US Embassy as the Iranian Hostage Crisis was running its course. Learn more about The Marine Corps Mustang Associatioin: https://www.marinecorpsmustang.org/ The views and opinions expressed on Scuttlebutt are those of the individuals and do not reflect the official position of the Marine Corps Association. Produced by Nick Wilson, Vic Ruble, William Treuting, and Nancy Lichtman. <p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 49: Marine Corps Mustangs with CW0-5 Ronald Cookson USMC, (Ret) first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

In light of the recent trip to Taiwan by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and the subsequent saber-rattling by China, now seems as good of a time as any to start keeping regular tabs on the Taiwan Strait. Dr. Hunzeker, who has studied the military, political, social, economic, and historical factors that have created one of the most potent tinderboxes on the planet. We also check in on SgtMajs LeHew and Kinser as the walk across the country on Highway 20 and take a peak into the September edition of Leatherneck Magazine. Support The Long Road on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/698444134910085 The views and opinions expressed on Scuttlebutt are those of the individuals and do not reflect the official position of the Marine Corps Association. Produced by Nick Wilson, Vic Ruble, William Treuting, and Nancy Lichtman. <p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 48: “Strait Talk” with Dr. Michael Hunzeker first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Friend of the show Maj Tom Schueman and his Afghan interpreter, friend, and brother Zainullah “Zak” Zaki have written “Always Faithful”, which describes their parallel lives, converging paths, and unbreakable bond in the face of overwhelming danger, culminating in Zak and his family’s harrowing escape from Kabul.  After getting our hands on an early copy of the book and getting engrossed in it, we had to bring Schueman back onto Scuttlebutt to tell everyone about it. You can buy “Always Faithful” at Amazon or Barnes & Noble Support Maj Schuman’s Patrol Base Abbate initiative here: https://www.pbabbate.org/ The views and opinions expressed on Scuttlebutt are those of the individuals and do not reflect the official position of the Marine Corps Association. Produced by Nick Wilson, Vic Ruble, William Treuting, and Nancy Lichtman. <p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 47: “Always Faithful” with Maj Tom Schueman first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Miles Vining returns to Scuttlebutt to chat with us about the immediate fallout after the US pullout in Afghanistan. He and some of his fellow Free Burma Rangers spent time in the mountainous regions on the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border, helping refugees where and how they could. Its an eye-opening discussion about a region of the world known by so little of us in the West. To help support Afghanis still trying to escape the clutches of the Taliban, check out No One Left Behind at https://www.nooneleft.org The views and opinions expressed on Scuttlebutt are those of the individuals and do not reflect the official position of the Marine Corps Association. Produced by Nick Wilson, Vic Ruble, William Treuting, and Nancy Lichtman. <p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 46: Miles Vining talks Afghanistan Aftermath first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

General Langley is the first Black four-star general in Marine Corps history and we celebrate the occasion by chatting a little bit about the history of USMC generals and the challenges General Langley will face in his new job leading American Forces in Africa. We also dive into the recent ACV rollover in Camp Pendleton and chat about Retired LtGen Van Riper’s, and many others’, arguments against Force Design 2030. Thanks to Service Credit Union for supporting us, check them out! https://servicecu.org/ The views and opinions expressed on Scuttlebutt are those of the individuals and do not reflect the official position of the Marine Corps Association. Produced by Nick Wilson, Vic Ruble, William Treuting, and Nancy Lichtman. <p>The post Scuttlebutt Ep 45: General Langley, ACV Rollover, and arguments against FD2030 first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>