Child soldiers? They don't know Jack

Yielding to intense political pressure from presumably well-intended groups like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, the Marine Corps recently disseminated an order forbidding the deployment of 17-year old Marines into combat. This was hailed by an array of sophisticated sheeple as a major victory in their fight against "the victimization of child soldiers."

In California, there is a surprisingly robust 80-year old gentleman who might get a laugh out of that. "Child soldiers?" he might chuckle, "Like me, maybe?"

Rot Spots

There is in fact a serious, rapidly growing and terribly tragic "child soldier" situation festering in several rot-spots around the world. It has been created both by "sovereign states" and non-governmental entities like narco-terrorist organizations, criminal networks operating under religious banners and simple, but sizeable and vicious bandit gangs. Their abuse of children bears no sane resemblance to the service of our under- 18 Marines, but that doesn't seem to matter to those smugly congratulating themselves over this largely meaningless "triumph."

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In Myanmar--the malignant remains of the country formerly known as Burma--boys as young as 10 are routinely kidnapped and shanghaied into the army. Frequently they are forced at gunpoint to take part in the slaughter of innocents and brutal repression of the ethnic minority Karen tribe. This is intended to create the feeling among these kids they can't ever go home again--not after what they've seen and done.

In Colombia, Sudan, Yemen, Somalia and a dozen other places, little boys have been snatched off the streets of slums and out of dusty villages, then pressed into service as couriers and cannon-fodder; kidnappers, killers, drug-mules and diminutive human bombs. One widely-used "control technique" is to slash their faces and rub cocaine or other drugs into the open wounds, to create chemical dependency and at the same time forever mark the victims as "our property." Most real "child soldiers" do not survive to see their 17th birthdays.

Gotta Beat Up Someone ...

Doesn't sound much like our treatment of voluntarily-enlisted, educated, highly trained and motivated young Marines, does it? So, you might wonder why these "concerned humanitarians" would single out the Marine Corps for attention? It's simple. I've worked with some of them, and this is my take on it: Directly confronting the thugs and tinpot dictators who commit the real child-soldier abuses is dangerous, dirty and fruitless. It is safe and productive to attack and make demands of American institutions, because they are so sensitive to any hint of "inhumane" doings, and so willing to comply with any demand couched in humanitarian terms.

Confronting a big aggressive schoolyard bully can get you beaten. Instead, you confront the good boy who wants to do right. You get a concession, and you declare a victory. Then you go drink some wine and celebrate. It doesn't matter whether you really accomplished anything; only that you record a victory. This gives them wonderful feelings, and attracts more donations and memberships.

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The Marines' pledge didn't change operations much. At any one time, only a dozen or so young Marines would be affected. Few qualify to enlist at 17, and by the time they've graduated boot camp, undergone infantry training, a specialty school and pre-deployment prep, they have reached the age of 18. Still, I feel--and perhaps you agree--that to concede to even the least-impacting "demands" when they are based on false and even ludicrous premises, is manifestly improper, and each one sets the stage for greater interference. And I can't help but wonder how Jack Lucas's old comrades would have fared if he had not been a "child soldier."

Too Young To Be A Hero?

Born in 1928 in Plymouth, North Carolina, Jacklyn Harrell Lucas quickly grew into a big, tough boy. He captained his high school football team as a freshman, and also excelled in boxing, wrestling and shooting. At 14 he was 5'8" tall and a muscular 180 pounds. He could easily pass for 18, and he did: On August 6, 1942, he falsified his age and enlisted in the Marines. Jack's 15th birthday was still over six months away.

He wanted to get into the fighting fast, but more than two years passed before he found himself semi-permanently stationed in Pearl Harbor. The war was raging thousands of miles to the west, and Jack was stuck in balmy Hawaii.

On January 10, 1945, Jack told his buddies he was "going to join a combat outfit." He walked away and disappeared. Jack was listed as AWOL, then after a month, he was declared a deserter. He had stealthily stowed away aboard a troopship, the USS Deuel. It was steaming for a tiny volcanic island called Iwo Jima.

Jack "surrendered" to a Marine officer, who decided Jack's court martial could wait until after the coming battle--if he lived through it. Jack secretly celebrated his 17th birthday at sea, six days before hitting the beach.