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Dr. King: The Trumpet of Conscience
Michael Simmons Interview
Pan-African Student Youth Movement
Young, Black, and in the Military
Allen Nelson: Crossing National Boundaries for Peace
Aimee Allison: Interview with a Gulf War Resister
Wounded Soldier: What You Don't Know Can Hurt You
STAMP Out Racism!
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Wounded Soldier: What You Don't Know Can Hurt You
Kenn L. Dixon, USMC 1995-1997
The uniform, the name, and the proud nature that only a few are able to claim. These are the phrases, as well as the growing cost of college, that caused me to join the "World's 911 Service", the United States Marine Corps. Behind all of the hype of being a Marine, you will find a side that the recruiters will never tell you about. The side where you are forced to compromise and sell out" the teachings of your youth to be part of "THE FEW, THE PROUD, THE MARINES."
The Beginning
On December 7, 1994, I decided to give the Marine Corps recruiter a call to see what he could do for me in terms of money for college and advancement in the career that I decided to enter. After talking to him for four hours about beliefs, travel, and education, he still had to convince me that it was the right thing to do. I had questions about being a Seventh-day Adventist in the service, and he assured me that it would not compromise my religious beliefs. I would find out later that he was very wrong.
I enlisted in the DEP (Delayed Enlistment Program) on December 20, 1994, and ultimately shipped to boot camp on the 27th of February, 1995. I thought that it was one of the best days of my life, but I was about to embark on a trip of which I never would have guessed. It would take God to bring me back.
Learning the Trade
After spending three months in boot camp at Marine Corps Recruiting Depot-Parris Island, SC, it was time to further my training as a Marine. Bound for the School of Infantry in Camp Geiger, NC, I learned how to become a more proficient killer.
The word "kill" is one that is heard and said so many times that it becomes socially acceptable in the Marine Corps. This word never really sat well with me. Growing up in New Orleans, LA, where murder and senseless death are a daily occurrence, this word is used for survival. It is very different in the Marine Corps, here, it seems as though the word is used for style.
The Marines train people to do a job that can engulf your conscience and control the way you live your life. More training was required of me for Marine Security, guarding assets involving National Security. This training took me to the Marine Corps Security Forces Training Company in Virginia. The main curriculum taught was killing an enemy more effectively: "two shots to the chest and one well aimed shot to the head," and make sure that you "take no prisoner".
Facing the Truth
It can't be said enough: if you are thinking about joining the Armed Forces, do your homework, and find out what they are all about before giving them your life. As adults, it is our responsibility to youth to educate them in the pitfalls of life. Those falls come from many different places, so we must be educated as well. Organize and educate should be our mission as adults, and as parents.
It took me two years, a lot of prayers, and a faith larger than a mustard seed to overcome the trials of being a Conscientious Objector in a business of "Fighting Battles, and Winning Wars". It doesn't matter what branch of the service that you join, you are required to uphold the Constitution of the United States of America from foes foreign and domestic. This is an oath, that if you decide to join, you are obligated to obey. My life was put in danger many times, but I could not uphold some of the orders that were given to me. Now it is my job to inform young people and adults about the unspoken truth. You can survive the streets and overcome the obstacles that you will face as the struggle for success continues, but one of the most dangerous obstacles of all is the one that looks like an opportunity for success. So before you make any decisions that will shape the rest of your life, get the facts. Because, what you don't know can hurt you! |