|
Not many in the military will find Mattis to be other than truthful, observant, learned and introspective. He was inside the administration, on the ground.
In 2014, a story appeared: “General Mattis Crosses Potomac With 100,000 Troops; President, Senate Flee City.” It ran in Duffel Blog—which is basically The Onion for people in the military. Here’s some of the good stuff:
“I come in peace, by myself, in order to hand-deliver a Memorandum of Concern to the Commander in Chief and the Senate,” said Mattis in a press conference. “I am moving on foot at a leisurely pace, with no ill will. If these American citizens choose to take a stroll with me, then who am I to turn down their companionship?”
I mention this by way of trying to explain that while Jim Mattis is a figure of some prominence to civilians, in the military he’s a legend. A man whose body of lore is so large that there is even a body of intentionally fictional myths about him.
Because of how Mattis is viewed within the military, the timing and forcefulness of his criticism of Trump are gargantuan. Mattis had dropped hints, but lulled us all into believing that he might never speak out directly against Trump. Among rank-and-file service members who support Trump, Mattis’s silence was seen as an implicit endorsement of this administration’s actions.
So Mattis’s comments came as a shock. For the past two days on social media, veterans (and a few active duty personnel) who are normally die-hard Trump supporters expressed confusion about which leader to follow.
Mattis’s more significant impact, though, will likely never be seen. The officer corps—from company-grade officers to four-star generals—take their cues from Mattis and others like him.
In recent days, several former four-star generals and admirals—previously silent on Trump and the danger he poses—have spoken out against this administration’s actions. The DoD’s decision to withdraw the 82nd Airborne Division from Washington might have been driven in part by the pushback of Mattis, retired Admiral Mike Mullen, retired General Martin Dempsey,retired Marine General John Allen, and others.
Mattis’s words will continue to resonate with the force, leading service members at every echelon to push back against a president who once boasted that the military would do whatever he told them, even if his orders were illegal.
Trump has, predictably, tried to trash Mattis.
But there’s reason to think that within the service, Mattis’s intervention has only burnished his legacy.
On Thursday, Duffel Blog reposted the 2014 folk tale of Mattis crossing the Potomac and saving the republic. This time, the publication added an update: “It’s happening!”
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device
|