Why a reporter became a Marine..

[Hohn]

Mightier Than the Pen

Why I gave up journalism to join the Marines.



BY MATT POTTINGER

Thursday, December 15, 2005 12:01 a. m. EST



<SCRIPT><!--D(["mb","When people ask why I recently left The Wall Street Journal\r\nto join the Marines, I usually have a short answer. It felt like the time had\r\ncome to stop reporting events and get more directly involved. But that\'s not\r\nthe whole answer, and how I got to this point wasn\'t a straight line.

\r\n\r\n

*</p\>\r\n\r\nIt\'s a cliché that you appreciate your own country more when\r\nyou live abroad, but it happens to be true. Living in China for the last seven years, I\'ve seen that\r\ncountry take a giant leap from a struggling Third World\r\ncountry into a true world power. For many people it still comes as a surprise\r\nto learn that China is\r\nchasing Japan\r\nas the second-largest economy on the globe and could soon own a trillion\r\ndollars of American debt.

\r\n\r\n*

\r\n\r\nBut living in China also shows you what a\r\nnondemocratic country can do to its citizens. I\'ve seen protesters tackled and\r\nbeaten by plainclothes police in Tiananmen Square,\r\nand I\'ve been videotaped by government agents while I was talking to a source. \r\nI\'ve been arrested and forced to flush my notes down a toilet to keep the\r\npolice from getting them, and I\'ve been punched in the face in a Beijing\r\nStarbucks by a government goon who was trying to keep me from investigating a\r\nChinese company\'s sale of nuclear fuel to other countries.

\r\n\r\n*

\r\n\r\nWhen you live abroad long enough, you come to understand\r\nthat governments that behave this way are not the exception, but the rule. They\r\nfeel alien to us, but from the viewpoint of the world\'s population, we are the\r\naliens, not them. That makes you think about protecting your country no matter\r\nwho you are or what you\'re doing. What impresses you most, when you don\'t have\r\nthem day to day, are the institutions that distinguish the ",1]);//--></SCRIPT>When people ask why I recently left The Wall Street Journal to join the Marines, I usually have a short answer. It felt like the time had come to stop reporting events and get more directly involved. But that's not the whole answer, and how I got to this point wasn't a straight line.



It's a cliché that you appreciate your own country more when you live abroad, but it happens to be true. Living in China for the last seven years, I've seen that country take a giant leap from a struggling Third World country into a true world power. For many people it still comes as a surprise to learn that China is chasing Japan as the second-largest economy on the globe and could soon own a trillion dollars of American debt.



But living in China also shows you what a nondemocratic country can do to its citizens. I've seen protesters tackled and beaten by plainclothes police in Tiananmen Square, and I've been videotaped by government agents while I was talking to a source. I've been arrested and forced to flush my notes down a toilet to keep the police from getting them, and I've been punched in the face in a Beijing Starbucks by a government goon who was trying to keep me from investigating a Chinese company's sale of nuclear fuel to other countries.



When you live abroad long enough, you come to understand that governments that behave this way are not the exception, but the rule. They feel alien to us, but from the viewpoint of the world's population, we are the aliens, not them. That makes you think about protecting your country no matter who you are or what you're doing. What impresses you most, when you don't have them day to day, are the institutions that distinguish the<SCRIPT><!--D(["mb","U. S. : the separation\r\nof powers, a free press, the right to vote, and a culture that values civic\r\nduty and service, to name but a few.

\r\n\r\n*</font\>

\r\n\r\nI\'m not an uncritical, rah-rah American. Living abroad has\r\nsharpened my view of what\'s wrong with my country, too. It\'s obvious that we\r\nneed to reinvent ourselves in various ways, but we should also be allowed to do\r\nit from within, not according to someone else\'s dictates.

\r\n\r\n*

\r\n\r\nBut why the Marines?

\r\n\r\n*

\r\n\r\nA year ago, I was at my sister\'s house using her husband\'s\r\nlaptop when I came across a video of an American in Iraq being beheaded by Abu Musab\r\nal-Zarqawi. The details are beyond description here; let\'s just say it was\r\nobscene. At first I admit I felt a touch of the terror they wanted me to feel,\r\nbut then I felt the anger they didn\'t. We often talk about how our policies are\r\nradicalizing young men in the Middle East to\r\nbecome our enemies, but rarely do we talk about how their actions are\r\nradicalizing us. In a brief moment of revulsion, sitting there in that living\r\nroom, I became their blowback.

\r\n\r\n*

\r\n\r\nOf course, a single emotional moment does not justify a\r\ncareer change, and that\'s not what happened to me. The next day I went to lunch\r\nat the Council on Foreign Relations where I happened to meet a Marine Corps\r\ncolonel who\'d just come back from ",1]);//--></SCRIPT> U. S. : the separation of powers, a free press, the right to vote, and a culture that values civic duty and service, to name but a few.



I'm not an uncritical, rah-rah American. Living abroad has sharpened my view of what's wrong with my country, too. It's obvious that we need to reinvent ourselves in various ways, but we should also be allowed to do it from within, not according to someone else's dictates.



But why the Marines?



A year ago, I was at my sister's house using her husband's laptop when I came across a video of an American in Iraq being beheaded by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. The details are beyond description here; let's just say it was obscene. At first I admit I felt a touch of the terror they wanted me to feel, but then I felt the anger they didn't. We often talk about how our policies are radicalizing young men in the Middle East to become our enemies, but rarely do we talk about how their actions are radicalizing us. In a brief moment of revulsion, sitting there in that living room, I became their blowback.



Of course, a single emotional moment does not justify a career change, and that's not what happened to me. The next day I went to lunch at the Council on Foreign Relations where I happened to meet a Marine Corps colonel who'd just come back from<SCRIPT><!--D(["mb","Iraq. He gave me a no-nonsense\r\nassessment of what was happening there, but what got to me most was his\r\ndescription of how the Marines behaved and how they looked after each other in\r\na hostile world. That struck me as a metaphor for how America should\r\nbe in the world at large, and it also appealed to me on a personal level. At\r\none point I said half-jokingly that, being 31 years old, it was a shame I was\r\ntoo old to serve. He sat back for a second and said, &quot;I think I\'ve still\r\ngotcha. &quot;

\r\n\r\n*

\r\n\r\n

The next morning I found myself roaming around the belly of\r\nthe USS Intrepid, a World War II aircraft carrier museum moored a few blocks\r\nfrom Times Square, looking for a Marine\r\nrecruiting station and thinking I\'d probably lost my marbles. The\r\nofficer-selection officer wasn\'t impressed with my age, my Chinese language\r\nabilities or the fact that I worked for one of the great newspapers of the\r\nworld. His only question was, &quot;How\'s your endurance?&quot;
\r\n\r\n*</p>
\r\n\r\nWell, I can sit at my desk for 12 hours straight. Fourteen\r\nif I have a bag of Reese\'s.

\r\n\r\n*

\r\n\r\nHe said if I wanted a shot at this I\'d have to ace the\r\nphysical fitness test, where a perfect score consisted of 20 pull-ups, 100\r\ncrunches in two minutes, and a three-mile run in 18 minutes. Essentially he was\r\ntelling me to pack it in and go home. After assuring him I didn\'t have a\r\ncriminal record or any tattoos, either of which would have required yet another\r\nwaiver (my age already required the first), I took an application and went back\r\nto ",1]);//--></SCRIPT> Iraq. He gave me a no-nonsense assessment of what was happening there, but what got to me most was his description of how the Marines behaved and how they looked after each other in a hostile world. That struck me as a metaphor for how America should be in the world at large, and it also appealed to me on a personal level. At one point I said half-jokingly that, being 31 years old, it was a shame I was too old to serve. He sat back for a second and said, "I think I've still gotcha. "



</FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT>

 

[Hohn]

The next morning I found myself roaming around the belly of the USS Intrepid, a World War II aircraft carrier museum moored a few blocks from Times Square, looking for a Marine recruiting station and thinking I'd probably lost my marbles. The officer-selection officer wasn't impressed with my age, my Chinese language abilities or the fact that I worked for one of the great newspapers of the world. His only question was, "How's your endurance?"



Well, I can sit at my desk for 12 hours straight. Fourteen if I have a bag of Reese's.



He said if I wanted a shot at this I'd have to ace the physical fitness test, where a perfect score consisted of 20 pull-ups, 100 crunches in two minutes, and a three-mile run in 18 minutes. Essentially he was telling me to pack it in and go home. After assuring him I didn't have a criminal record or any tattoos, either of which would have required yet another waiver (my age already required the first), I took an application and went back to<SCRIPT><!--D(["mb","China.

\r\n\r\n*

\r\n\r\nThen came the Asian tsunami last December.

\r\n\r\n*

\r\n\r\nI was scrambled to Thailand, where thousands of people\r\nhad died in the wave. After days in the midst of the devastation, I pulled back\r\nto Thailand\'s Utapao Air\r\nForce Base, at one time a U. S. \r\nstaging area for bombing runs over Hanoi,\r\nto write a story on the U. S. -led relief efforts. The abandoned base was now\r\nbustling with air traffic and military personnel, and the man in charge was a\r\nMarine.

\r\n\r\n*

\r\n\r\nWarfare and relief efforts, as it turns out, involve many\r\nskills in common. In both cases, it\'s 80% preparation and logistics and only a\r\nsmall percent of actual battle. What these guys were doing was the same thing\r\nthey did in a war zone, except now the tip of the spear wasn\'t weapons, but\r\nfood, water and medicine. It was a major operation to save people\'s lives, and\r\nit was clear that no other country in the world could do what they were doing. \r\nOnce again, I was bumping into the U. S. Marines, and once again I was\r\nimpressed.

\r\n\r\n*

\r\n\r\nThe day before I left Thailand I decided to do my first\r\nphysical training and see what happened. I started running and was winded in\r\nfive minutes. The air quality in downtown Bangkok\r\ndidn\'t help, but the biggest problem was me. I ducked into ",1]);//--></SCRIPT> China.



Then came the Asian tsunami last December.



I was scrambled to Thailand, where thousands of people had died in the wave. After days in the midst of the devastation, I pulled back to Thailand's Utapao Air Force Base, at one time a U. S. staging area for bombing runs over Hanoi, to write a story on the U. S. -led relief efforts. The abandoned base was now bustling with air traffic and military personnel, and the man in charge was a Marine.



Warfare and relief efforts, as it turns out, involve many skills in common. In both cases, it's 80% preparation and logistics and only a small percent of actual battle. What these guys were doing was the same thing they did in a war zone, except now the tip of the spear wasn't weapons, but food, water and medicine. It was a major operation to save people's lives, and it was clear that no other country in the world could do what they were doing. Once again, I was bumping into the U. S. Marines, and once again I was impressed.



The day before I left Thailand I decided to do my first physical training and see what happened. I started running and was winded in five minutes. The air quality in downtown Bangkok didn't help, but the biggest problem was me. I ducked into<SCRIPT><!--D(["mb","Lumpini Park\r\nin the heart of the city where I was chased around by a three-foot monitor\r\nlizard that ran faster than I did. At one point I found a playground jungle gym\r\nand managed to do half a pull-up. That\'s all.

\r\n\r\n*

\r\n\r\nI got back to Beijing\r\nand started running several days a week. Along the way I met a Marine who was\r\nstudying in Beijing\r\non a fellowship and started training with him. Pretty soon I filled out the\r\napplication I\'d taken from New York,\r\ngot letters of recommendation from old professors and mentors, and received a\r\nletter from a senior Marine officer who took a leap of faith on my behalf.

\r\n\r\n*

\r\n\r\nI made a quick trip back to New York in April to take a preliminary\r\nphysical fitness test with the recruitment officer at the USS Intrepid. By then\r\nI could do 13 pull-ups, all my crunches, and a three-mile run along the West\r\nSide Highway in a little under 21 minutes, all in all a mediocre performance\r\nthat was barely passable. When I was done, the officer told me to wipe the foam\r\noff my mouth, but I did him one better and puked all over the tarmac. He liked\r\nthat a lot. That\'s when we both knew I was going for it.

\r\n\r\n*

\r\n\r\nFriends ask if I worry about going from a life of\r\nindependent thought and action to a life of hierarchy and teamwork. At the\r\nmoment, I find that appealing because it means being part of something bigger\r\nthan I am. As for how different it\'s going to be, that, too, has its appeal\r\nbecause it\'s the opposite of what I\'ve been doing up to now. Why should I do\r\nsomething that\'s a &quot;natural fit&quot; with what I already do? Why\r\nshouldn\'t I try to expand myself?",1]);//--></SCRIPT> Lumpini Park in the heart of the city where I was chased around by a three-foot monitor lizard that ran faster than I did. At one point I found a playground jungle gym and managed to do half a pull-up. That's all.



I got back to Beijing and started running several days a week. Along the way I met a Marine who was studying in Beijing on a fellowship and started training with him. Pretty soon I filled out the application I'd taken from New York, got letters of recommendation from old professors and mentors, and received a letter from a senior Marine officer who took a leap of faith on my behalf.



I made a quick trip back to New York in April to take a preliminary physical fitness test with the recruitment officer at the USS Intrepid. By then I could do 13 pull-ups, all my crunches, and a three-mile run along the West Side Highway in a little under 21 minutes, all in all a mediocre performance that was barely passable. When I was done, the officer told me to wipe the foam off my mouth, but I did him one better and puked all over the tarmac. He liked that a lot. That's when we both knew I was going for it.



Friends ask if I worry about going from a life of independent thought and action to a life of hierarchy and teamwork. At the moment, I find that appealing because it means being part of something bigger than I am. As for how different it's going to be, that, too, has its appeal because it's the opposite of what I've been doing up to now. Why should I do something that's a "natural fit" with what I already do? Why shouldn't I try to expand myself?<SCRIPT><!--D(["mb","

\r\n\r\n*

\r\n\r\nIn a way, I see the Marines as a microcosm of America at its\r\nbest. Their focus isn\'t on weapons and tactics, but on leadership. That\'s the\r\nwhole point of the Marines. They care about each other in good times and bad,\r\nthey\'ve always had to fight for their existence--even Harry Truman saw them as\r\nnothing more than the &quot;Navy\'s police force&quot;--and they have the\r\nstrength of their traditions. Their future, like the country\'s, is worth\r\nfighting for. I hope to be part of the effort.

\r\n\r\n*

\r\n\r\nMr. Pottinger, until recently a Journal correspondent in China, is\r\nscheduled to be commissioned a second lieutenant tomorrow. He spent the last\r\nthree months at Officer Candidates School\r\nin Quantico, Va. As of early December, his three-mile run\r\nwas down to 18 minutes and 15 seconds.

\r\n\r\n*

\r\n\r\n*☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺

\r\n\r\nLloyd Hohn

\r\n\r\nTechnical Services

\r\n\r\nThe Bismarck Tribune

\r\n\r\n701. 355. 8800

\r\n\r\n701. 226. 8675

\r\n\r\n",1]);//--></SCRIPT>



In a way, I see the Marines as a microcosm of America at its best. Their focus isn't on weapons and tactics, but on leadership. That's the whole point of the Marines. They care about each other in good times and bad, they've always had to fight for their existence--even Harry Truman saw them as nothing more than the "Navy's police force"--and they have the strength of their traditions. Their future, like the country's, is worth fighting for. I hope to be part of the effort.


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[nps]

Good story - but as a retired Marine I'm partial. :-laf

 

[moparguy]

Idealism, I believe that is one of the things that make this country great. That and people willing to not just talk a good story, but live it.



I'd be proud to salute 2nd. Lt. Pottinger.



As an aside, his dad, Stan Pottinger was the Assistant Attorney General under Nixon and Ford who kept the secret of "who was Deep Throat" for 30 years. (http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=19811).