THE U.S. MARINE CORPS IN CRISIS:
Ribbon Creek and Recruit Training
Keith Fleming
NEW copy, hardcover with dust jacket.
(University of South Carolina Press, 1991). Photographs, 150 pages.
From Publishers Weekly: "During a disciplinary march in
1956, six recruits drowned in the tidal waters of Ribbon Creek
at the Marine base on Parris Island, S.C. The tragedy set off a
public furor and highlighted Parris Island's reputation for
maltreatment. Fleming, staff member of the Marine Corps
Historical Center in Washington, D.C., traces the development of
Marine boot-camp training since its inception on Parris Island
in 1915, explaining why physical abuse of recruits became
excessive in the post-Korean War era and revealing the changes
put into effect after Ribbon Creek. Also included are accounts
of the court-martial of Parris Island drill instructor S/Sgt.
Matthew McKeon (although found guilty of negligence and drinking
on duty, his sentence was reduced by the Secretary of the Navy)
and the skillful public-relations campaign waged by the Marine
Corps in reaction to a critical press. Fleming's apologia
probes as well the rationale behind the `shock treatment' to
which Marine recruits still are subjected."
$30.00
|
|
|