On Thursday Aug. 21, the townspeople gathered at Fort Sewall in Marblehead to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the U.S. Marines. In addition to impressive performances by the Quantico Marine Band, the U.S. Marines were represented by
Col. J.J. Wilson, commanding officer of Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force-250, members of the Corps, a drill exhibition from the legendary Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon, and a flyover of Marine F/A-18E/F Super Hornets.
Recognition resolutions were presented on behalf of the Massachusetts Senate and House of Representatives. A thoughtful speech by former Marine and current Select Board Member Moses Grader outlined Marblehead’s contributions to the nation and Marine Corps starting with the Revolutionary War, the building of the first ship commissioned by Gen. George Washington, the schooner Hannah; the beginning of Marine aviation in August 1912 when Marine Lt. Alfred Cunningham took off from Marblehead in a Burgess Model H seaplane and the service of Marblehead residents as Marines throughout the storied history of our nation.
And then our Congressman Seth Moulton, the keynote speaker, shared his experience as a U.S. Marine, service universally respected by the large and enthusiastic crowd in attendance. He explained how he was inspired by a boyhood encounter with a Marine Cobra pilot who responded to young Moulton’s statement that the pilot was lucky by saying that he, the pilot, wasn’t lucky; he was good. The congressman explained that he learned then and later saw firsthand the importance of doing one’s job “good” and being good to those you serve. Nothing less is acceptable.
Unfortunately, the congressman followed up that inspirational story with partisan politics, sharing a possibly true encounter with a young person considering enlistment in the Marines but concerned about serving under “this commander-in-chief.” He explained that he advised the potential recruit that the service was to the country and to advance the values enshrined in the Constitution and that this is the most important time to have “leaders in our armed services with smart minds and moral courage who may even have to disobey an unlawful order.”
Perhaps the congressman was hoping for a partisan cheer, but there was none — even from an overwhelmingly Democrat local electorate. The remark was disrespectful to the president of the United States, elected by the people pursuant to the very Constitution that the congressman swore to uphold — including the subordination of the military to the elected civil government.
It was a crass political cheap shot across the bow of the ship of state. It ignored that this president has shown great support for our military and respect for and concern for the well-being for the men and women in uniform in sharp contrast to the prior commander-in-chief whose incompetence cost the lives of U.S. servicemen in the inept and disgraceful retreat and evacuation from Afghanistan and the indifference of the prior commander-in-chief’s then secretary of state to the loss of American lives in Benghazi due to the failure to station a Marine security detachment there.
Had the congressman stayed the course of honoring the Marine Corps and Marblehead’s significant role in our nation’s history, he would have represented our district with honor. He chose otherwise.
The afternoon was rounded out and uplifted by a musket salute from the Glover’s Regiment, a present reminder of the continuing history of Marblehead in defense of shared values.
Retired attorney Carl D. Goodman is a longtime Marblehead resident, a former member of the Select Board and former chairman of the Board of Health.
