paddy Posted December 31, 2008 Share Posted December 31, 2008 Genuinely gutted to hear about your loss General. Really puts tonight's win into perspective. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Designer1 Posted December 31, 2008 VT Supporter Share Posted December 31, 2008 Deepest condolences General. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GaztonVilla Posted December 31, 2008 Share Posted December 31, 2008 Victor "Brute" Krulak (January 7, 1913 – December 29, 2008) Semper Fidelis. Holteender in the Sky. I can hear a lone trumpet in my mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
runetune Posted December 31, 2008 Share Posted December 31, 2008 Condolences General. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LancsVillan Posted December 31, 2008 Moderator Share Posted December 31, 2008 Sincerest condolences to you and your family General. Legend is a word used far too often but having read a little about yourself and your father I stand by my reasoning and agree with the piece below. A legend recently passed away and boy he earned that 'Brute' name. Taken from the LA Times Victor H. Krulak dies at 95; retired Marine lieutenant general Nicknamed 'Brute,' Krulak was a decorated World War II hero and the author of a history of the Marines titled 'First to Fight.' By Tony Perry, December 31, 2008 Retired Marine Lt. Gen. Victor H. "Brute" Krulak, celebrated for his leadership in World War II, Korea and Vietnam and for his authoritative book on the Marines, "First to Fight," died Monday at Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla. He was 95 and had been in declining health for several years. In a career that spanned three decades Krulak displayed bravery during combat and brilliance as a tactician and organizer of troops. "Brute was very forgiving of young Marines who made mistakes," said retired Col. G.I. Wilson, a combat veteran. "But he was hell on senior officers who preferred careerism and bureaucracy over decisive action. He detested those who lost sight of looking after their enlisted Marines and young officers." Born in Denver on Jan. 7, 1913, Krulak was a 1934 graduate of the Naval Academy -- where he picked up his nickname, a jest on the fact he was 5 foot 4. As a junior officer he served in Marine actions in Central America, where his views on counterinsurgency were formed. In World War II, as a lieutenant colonel, he led a battalion in a weeklong battle as a diversionary raid to cover the invasion of Bougainville. Although wounded, he refused to be evacuated. For his bravery he was awarded the Navy Cross. Under heavy fire from the Japanese, the Navy sent patrol boats to evacuate wounded Marines. Krulak befriended one of the young commanders, John F. Kennedy. Decades later the two shared a drink of whiskey in the Oval Office after Kennedy was elected president. After World War II, Krulak held several key jobs, including commander of the 5th Marine Regiment and later chief of staff for the 1st Marine Division during the war in Korea. Later he served as commander of the Marine boot camp in San Diego and, from 1962 to 1964, as special assistant for counterinsurgency to the Joint Chiefs of Staff. As commanding general of Fleet Marine Force Pacific he made 54 trips to Vietnam. His ideas about mining Haiphong Harbor and relying on small unit actions in South Vietnam to win the support of the populace clashed with the strategy of Army Gen. William C. Westmoreland, commander of all U.S. troops from 1964 to 1968. He opposed Westmoreland's decision to establish an outpost at Khe Sanh, which resulted in one of the bloodiest sieges of the war. Krulak had hoped to become Marine Corps commandant, but President Johnson in 1968 nominated Gen. Leonard Chapman Jr. Krulak retired and began a second career as an executive for Copley newspapers and as a columnist. He retired as an executive in 1977 but continued to write. In 1984, his book "First to Fight: An Inside View of the U.S. Marine Corps" was published, examining the history and culture of the Marine Corps. It remains on the official reading list for Marines and has been said to carry the DNA of the organization that prides itself on being the worst enemy that a foe of the United States can imagine. "The Marines are an assemblage of warriors, nothing more," Krulak wrote. He called on Marines to maintain a "religious dedication" to being ready to "go and win -- and then come back alive." He disdained Pentagon bureaucracy and, even as he celebrated the Corps' history, he called for Marines to "remain on the cutting edge of the technology that will keep its specialty effective." Bing West, former assistant secretary of defense in the Reagan administration and author of books on Marines in Vietnam and Iraq, said Krulak "was legendary for the depth of his intelligence." In a 2007 speech to the Marine Corps Assn., Defense Secretary Robert Gates praised Krulak for "overcoming conventional wisdom and bureaucratic obstacles thrown in one's path." Among other things, Krulak advocated that the Marines form a special forces unit when other Marine leaders opposed the idea. All three of Krulak's sons served in Vietnam: Charles and William as Marine infantry officers, Victor Jr. as a Navy chaplain. After retiring from the Marines, William followed his brother into the Episcopal clergy. Charles, as a general, served as Marine commandant from 1995 to 1999, and followed in his father's footsteps as an innovator and champion of the enlisted man. Along with his sons, Krulak is survived by four grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. Krulak's wife, Amy, died in 2001. Funeral services are set for 2 p.m. Jan. 8 at the chapel at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leviramsey Posted December 31, 2008 VT Supporter Share Posted December 31, 2008 The only soundtrack for this thread today Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markavfc40 Posted December 31, 2008 Share Posted December 31, 2008 General my sincere condolonces to you and your family. As someone who has suffered the same loss I know what a difficult time this is. RIP 'Brute' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianrobo1 Posted December 31, 2008 Share Posted December 31, 2008 just to add to what has already been said General, my condolonces to your family and you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billy_loes Posted December 31, 2008 Share Posted December 31, 2008 Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family at this sad time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeeed1977 Posted December 31, 2008 Share Posted December 31, 2008 My sincerest condolences to you and your family General. The thoughts and support of all of your Villa family are with you at this sad time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaIoW Posted December 31, 2008 Share Posted December 31, 2008 Thoughts are with you and your family ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sellyoakvilla Posted December 31, 2008 Share Posted December 31, 2008 Really sorry to hear of your loss General. Mine, and all of our thoughts are with you at this tough time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avfc89 Posted December 31, 2008 Share Posted December 31, 2008 my condolonces to your family and you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevenjos Posted December 31, 2008 Share Posted December 31, 2008 General, as im sure your aware from all the messages you have every holteender sending their condolences! Im very sad to hear about your loss and it puts this funny little sport called football in place when concerning family and loss. All the best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pablopicasso Posted December 31, 2008 Share Posted December 31, 2008 sorry to hear of your loss... our thoughts are with you and your family... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnGoodman Posted December 31, 2008 Share Posted December 31, 2008 Sincere condolences General. May you and your family find peace and strength during this testing time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nevillain Posted December 31, 2008 Share Posted December 31, 2008 My sincere condolences General Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OutByEaster? Posted December 31, 2008 Moderator Share Posted December 31, 2008 So sorry to hear this news General. Our thoughts are with you today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DreadPirateRoberts Posted December 31, 2008 Share Posted December 31, 2008 Condolences General. Our thoughts are with you and your family. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DANNY_DYER Posted December 31, 2008 Share Posted December 31, 2008 Sorry for your loss General. Thoughts are with you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts