What do you think?
Rate this book
Mustang: A Combat Marine
299 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1987
10 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 16, 2016
I previously enjoyed an autobiography by the author’s father, who was an avid outdoorsman and Maine game warden, and I was hoping this Marine Corps memoir by Gerald P. Averill might also be worthy.
Averill was a Mustang, a term for an enlisted Marine who with grit, knowledge and perfection rises in rank to become an officer. His story starts out rather slow on a flat line, but takes off when the fighting begins.
Following boot camp at Parris Island in the fall of 1941 his first major engagement took place on the British Solomon Choiseul Island in the South Pacific from late October 1943 to early November 1943. He would serve as a 2nd lt. platoon commander under the umbrella of the First Marine Parachute Regiment, Second Parachute Battalion. The tropical island climate and atmosphere was much different from the late fall in his home state of Maine. One rather humorous engagement came while Averill and his Marines were drying out their camouflage outfits. With time a necessity they grabbed their rifles, helmets and cartridge belts and headed off wearing just their briefs or less.
When the island was secure, the Commanding Officer, 2nd Parachute Battalion colonel received official recognition in a memo from the Commanding General. Averill had a brief one on one meeting with the colonel and at roughly 5’6” Averill looked straight ahead eye to eye with the commanding officer, who was no taller. They exchanged complements during a moment in history. I figured who the colonel might be and a few sentences later my thoughts were confirmed as he was in fact Colonel Victor H. Krulak, who received the Navy Cross and Purple Heart for his action. Krulak’s superior who issued the notice was General Alexander A. Vandergrift the future 18th Commandant of the Corps. The two legendary Marines had a reputation for representing the Corps in true fashion by standing their ground and firmly articulating their opinion when push came to shove. Vandergrift’s pinnacle moment came in the aftermath of WWII as CMC during his bended knee speech before the U.S. Congress. Krulak’s moment came during the height of the Vietnam War when he met with President Johnson in the White House to articulate his opinion and clear the air, receiving the “full Johnson” as he departed.
With combat experience behind him Averill headed on to Iwo Jima as a 1st lt. and second in command of H Company 3/26 in the 5th Division. Needless to say he was in the thick of the battle from D-Day until being evacuated for wounds received in the latter stages. His resume was now stellar and I looked forward to the second half of the autobiography.
Throughout Averill’s career he always chose to be placed in the middle of the action on the front lines rather than have a desk job. During his service in Korea he served as a captain and rifle company commander in 2/5 noting “I was assigned to the 5th Marines. No complaints from me. A good regiment with an outstanding war record in the Great War and in World War II.”
In the early 60’s Lt. Colonel Averill was assigned to Task Force 79 to set up a command post in northern Thailand called HIGH HEELS. He mentioned the historical moment when the U.S. Seventh Fleet delivered the first Marines, the 3rd Battalion, 9th Marines off Bangkok. On side note my good high school friend and our future senior prom queen had a brother, who as a member of 3/9 was KIA (Silver Star) in Vietnam during our junior year of 1969.
Averill had a full career and made many contributions to the Corps. Unfortunately his lack of formal education kept him from advancement to full colonel. His autobiography is a good one. An index would have enhanced the book.
Averill was a Mustang, a term for an enlisted Marine who with grit, knowledge and perfection rises in rank to become an officer. His story starts out rather slow on a flat line, but takes off when the fighting begins.
Following boot camp at Parris Island in the fall of 1941 his first major engagement took place on the British Solomon Choiseul Island in the South Pacific from late October 1943 to early November 1943. He would serve as a 2nd lt. platoon commander under the umbrella of the First Marine Parachute Regiment, Second Parachute Battalion. The tropical island climate and atmosphere was much different from the late fall in his home state of Maine. One rather humorous engagement came while Averill and his Marines were drying out their camouflage outfits. With time a necessity they grabbed their rifles, helmets and cartridge belts and headed off wearing just their briefs or less.
When the island was secure, the Commanding Officer, 2nd Parachute Battalion colonel received official recognition in a memo from the Commanding General. Averill had a brief one on one meeting with the colonel and at roughly 5’6” Averill looked straight ahead eye to eye with the commanding officer, who was no taller. They exchanged complements during a moment in history. I figured who the colonel might be and a few sentences later my thoughts were confirmed as he was in fact Colonel Victor H. Krulak, who received the Navy Cross and Purple Heart for his action. Krulak’s superior who issued the notice was General Alexander A. Vandergrift the future 18th Commandant of the Corps. The two legendary Marines had a reputation for representing the Corps in true fashion by standing their ground and firmly articulating their opinion when push came to shove. Vandergrift’s pinnacle moment came in the aftermath of WWII as CMC during his bended knee speech before the U.S. Congress. Krulak’s moment came during the height of the Vietnam War when he met with President Johnson in the White House to articulate his opinion and clear the air, receiving the “full Johnson” as he departed.
With combat experience behind him Averill headed on to Iwo Jima as a 1st lt. and second in command of H Company 3/26 in the 5th Division. Needless to say he was in the thick of the battle from D-Day until being evacuated for wounds received in the latter stages. His resume was now stellar and I looked forward to the second half of the autobiography.
Throughout Averill’s career he always chose to be placed in the middle of the action on the front lines rather than have a desk job. During his service in Korea he served as a captain and rifle company commander in 2/5 noting “I was assigned to the 5th Marines. No complaints from me. A good regiment with an outstanding war record in the Great War and in World War II.”
In the early 60’s Lt. Colonel Averill was assigned to Task Force 79 to set up a command post in northern Thailand called HIGH HEELS. He mentioned the historical moment when the U.S. Seventh Fleet delivered the first Marines, the 3rd Battalion, 9th Marines off Bangkok. On side note my good high school friend and our future senior prom queen had a brother, who as a member of 3/9 was KIA (Silver Star) in Vietnam during our junior year of 1969.
Averill had a full career and made many contributions to the Corps. Unfortunately his lack of formal education kept him from advancement to full colonel. His autobiography is a good one. An index would have enhanced the book.
June 10, 2024
3.49. A true memoir — from the author’s enlistment in 1941 to his retirement in the early 1960s — pretty unpolished but plenty interesting and convincing authentic. The author says what he has to say without worrying about the reader to a great degree. Lots of information presented that isn’t explained to the extent it might be if the book had been conventionally edited.
Averill is pretty modest about his Iwo Jima and Korea combat exploits (he describes them in detail but doesn't brag about his role or his Silver Star) but he doesn't hesitate to document his skill in building esprit de corps through high expectations and tough discipline. Also doesn't mind calling attention to the difference between combat Marines (he's one) and "political" officers. Today's "woke" military probably has him proverbially turning over in his grave.
Averill is pretty modest about his Iwo Jima and Korea combat exploits (he describes them in detail but doesn't brag about his role or his Silver Star) but he doesn't hesitate to document his skill in building esprit de corps through high expectations and tough discipline. Also doesn't mind calling attention to the difference between combat Marines (he's one) and "political" officers. Today's "woke" military probably has him proverbially turning over in his grave.
January 21, 2019
A good read. Averill tells how the Marine Corps has changed from the early 1940's to the 1960's. From WWII to Vietnam. He was on the cutting edge of many of the new factors in the Corps. The advent of the amphibious assault to the air-ground concept in later wars. An interesting view of the officer's life and problems in the field.
A good book in spite of the age of the book.
A good book in spite of the age of the book.
December 31, 2015
A memoir of service to America via the Marine Corps.
A quote that stood out to me where the author explains why in every commend he always instituted group PT.
"Why the preoccupation with physical drill and running? The stock question thrown at me over the years by my contemporaries and seniors is still being echoed - "What are you trying to prove?" I wasn't trying to prove anything, just trying to be sure that my units could move from point A to point B in good order, at a good speed, and arrive in condition to fight, and to win. And there was an additional bonus to be gained by all the humping and sweating-a bonus quite important to me if not to others. It has been proved beyond a reasonable doubt that one's powers of recovery from serious injuries relate directly to one's physical condition, survivability itself linked to it. Would any good commander deny that additional insurance to his troops? I think not."
This is a time out the author indulges in as the vast majority of the book is him telling his life story but this resonated a bit with me. The complaints leveled against the author for group PT continue to be leveled by military members to this day. And the reasons for PT to continue to be a cornerstone of military service remain just as simple and important today as they were in his time.
A quote that stood out to me where the author explains why in every commend he always instituted group PT.
"Why the preoccupation with physical drill and running? The stock question thrown at me over the years by my contemporaries and seniors is still being echoed - "What are you trying to prove?" I wasn't trying to prove anything, just trying to be sure that my units could move from point A to point B in good order, at a good speed, and arrive in condition to fight, and to win. And there was an additional bonus to be gained by all the humping and sweating-a bonus quite important to me if not to others. It has been proved beyond a reasonable doubt that one's powers of recovery from serious injuries relate directly to one's physical condition, survivability itself linked to it. Would any good commander deny that additional insurance to his troops? I think not."
This is a time out the author indulges in as the vast majority of the book is him telling his life story but this resonated a bit with me. The complaints leveled against the author for group PT continue to be leveled by military members to this day. And the reasons for PT to continue to be a cornerstone of military service remain just as simple and important today as they were in his time.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews