A Letter I Sent to Commandant Dunford

Sgt Robert Hougher USMC Ret.
POB 1270
Fairfield, IA 52556
24July2018

Dear General Dunford

I am a Viet Nam era Marine. I was in Nam all of 1970. I enlisted at age 17. I had received a couple of meritorious promotions and was a Sergeant shortly before I turned 19. I was hit by friendly fire in late December 1970. There needs to be a different definition for friendly fire. It wasn’t friendly to me.

As young enlisted Marines we rarely had the skinny on what was going on. We would get on the choppers with no idea where we were going or what we could expect. I don’t know why it was that way. Maybe the word gets passed down the chain of command these days. It would surely improve performance of the mission.

Recently at age 66 I ran across the Commandant Reading List. It is a treasure that should be shared with the enlisted. Even as a Sgt, my only education for leadership was on the job training. If I had read some of the books on leadership it may have cut short the learning curve.

My main reason for writing is to inform you of my discovery of your Reading List. I have begun to read the list and my goal is to read them all.

I do have one story I’d like to share. A few years ago my wife and I were in London for a financial event and the a great trip through Scotland. While we were in London we went to the theatre to see “War Horse”. The story of a man and his dedicated horse in WWI. At intermission we were having a drink and this young Brit SAS soldier came up to me and asked if I had been a Marine. It caught me off guard. I responded in the positive. Here I am, a busted up man hobbling around and I asked how he could ever know I was a Marine. He said he had
worked with Marine Recon in Iraq and he could recognize the persona and attitude. I was amazed as was my wife. After the play he and his beautiful date took us on a buggy tour of London. We went to all the special spots of London and tried to drink all the liquor in the town. I paid for nothing. It was quite a night. I guess it is true “once a Marine always a Marine.” It has been true for me.

Semper Fi
Sgt Robert Hougher USMC Ret.
POB 1270
Fairfield, IA 52556
24July2018

Dear General Dunford

I am a Viet Nam era Marine. I was in Nam all of 1970. I enlisted at age 17. I had received a couple of meritorious promotions and was a Sergeant shortly before I turned 19. I was hit by friendly fire in late December 1970. There needs to be a different definition for friendly fire. It wasn’t friendly to me.

As young enlisted Marines we rarely had the skinny on what was going on. We would get on the choppers with no idea where we were going or what we could expect. I don’t know why it was that way. Maybe the word gets passed down the chain of command these days. It would surely improve performance of the mission.

Recently at age 66 I ran across the Commandant Reading List. It is a treasure that should be shared with the enlisted. Even as a Sgt, my only education for leadership was on the job training. If I had read some of the books on leadership it may have cut short the learning curve.

My main reason for writing is to inform you of my discovery of your Reading List. I have begun to read the list and my goal is to read them all.

I do have one story I’d like to share. A few years ago my wife and I were in London for a financial event and the a great trip through Scotland. While we were in London we went to the theatre to see “War Horse”. The story of a man and his dedicated horse in WWI. At intermission we were having a drink and this young Brit SAS soldier came up to me and asked if I had been a Marine. It caught me off guard. I responded in the positive. Here I am, a busted up man hobbling around and I asked how he could ever know I was a Marine. He said he had
worked with Marine Recon in Iraq and he could recognize the persona and attitude. I was amazed as was my wife. After the play he and his beautiful date took us on a buggy tour of London. We went to all the special spots of London and tried to drink all the liquor in the town. I paid for nothing. It was quite a night. I guess it is true “once a Marine always a Marine.” It has been true for me.

Semper Fi

Sgt Bob Hougher