Leatherneck
MAGAZINEOF THEMARINES
President/CEO, Marine Corps Association
MajGen Leslie M. Palm, USMC (Ret)
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Col Walter G. Ford, USMC (Ret)
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Nancy Lee White Hoffman
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MGySgt Renaldo R. Keene, USMC (Ret)
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MARINE CORPS
ASSOCIATION TM
Since 1913 ... Tradition and Service
Leatherneck (ISSN 0023-981X) is published monthly by the Marine
Corps Association, Bldg. #715, MCB, Quantico, VA 22134.
Copyright 2008 by the Marine Corps Association
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ment. Its image is worn on virtually any
article of clothing including underwear.
The reason for this, of course, is money,
as in making money at the expense of our
country’s vanishing traditions. Everything
is for sale.
And some active-duty individuals don’t
always set a good example. I remember a
welcome home ceremony for Navy fliers
stationed at Naval Air Station Whidbey
Island, Washington, and a pilot got out of
his plane wearing the flag as a scarf covering his head. I couldn’t believe what I
was seeing, but that’s the way it goes these
days.
My parents were traveling through California after 9/11, and they saw a motorcycle club that was flying its colors with
an American flag stitched to it. And people don’t often appreciate someone like
me trying to explain to them the proper
way to display an American flag. It’s their
flag, and they’ll damn well display it however they want. I personally don’t agree
with people having American flag pins,
decals or any other forms of the image of
our flag. I just believe in the flag, period.
Thanks for letting me vent.
Former Sgt Richard B. Ellenberger
Normandy Park, Wash.
Luh Joon or LaJern?
Readers All Say “LaJern!”
Bravo and merci beaucoup to Mr. P. T.
Brent on his splendid feature titled “
Lejeune, Lejern and How to Say It” in the
April issue. As an 11th generation citizen
of Pointe Coupee Parish, La.; author of
18 books on Louisiana history, culture
and genealogy; and distant cousin of the
late Lieutenant General John A. Lejeune,
I wholeheartedly congratulate Mr. Brent
on his noble efforts to increase awareness
of the general’s legacy as well as encouraging the public to correctly pronounce
the surname “Lejern.”
During the past two decades, I have devoted considerable time to the scholarly
research of the general’s ancestry, in the
course of which it has been determined
that this particular branch of the Lejeune
family were not Acadian or “Cajun” exiles as often misrepresented but, rather,
continental French from Switzerland, who
moved to New Orleans, thence north to
the Illinois country and ultimately south
again to Pointe Coupee Parish.
This autumn, in addition to publishing
an editorial series on the role of our community in World War I—during which several of our native sons courageously gave
their lives in the service of the American
Expeditionary Forces—I foresee the possibility of a memorial service honoring
LtGen Lejeune, ideally on Nov. 10, at the
Lejeune statue in New Roads, seat of
Pointe Coupee Parish. I, and the community, would greatly appreciate any suggestion as to how best we can accomplish
this vision in a manner befitting the honor
of “the greatest leatherneck of them all,”
our own John Archer Lejeune.
Brian J. Costello
9561 False River Dr.
New Roads, LA 70760
I can attest to Patrick Brent’s assertion
that in the 1960s and ’70s at least half the
Marines used the correct “Lejern” pronunciation. When I enlisted in 1958, I recall well more than half, if not most,
Marines used the correct pronunciation.
Patrick Brent’s article jolted me into realizing I, too, succumbed to evolution and,
now, how quickly I find myself thinking
“Lejern” when I read the name.
This serves as a reminder of how important history, traditions and customs
are to bonding our Corps from one generation to the next.
Maj John J. Flaherty, USMC (Ret)
Atherton, Calif.
I very much enjoyed Patrick Brent’s article on the correct pronunciation of LtGen
Lejeune. Having been brought up short by
my grandmother, who knew the Lejeune
family, when I mispronounced his name,
I would routinely wince when this famous
Marine’s name was incorrectly pronounced.
General Lejeune and his heritage deserve
that his legacy be remembered and that
his family’s proper name be articulated
correctly. Thank you for setting the record straight.
Stephen E. Petit
San Juan Capistrano, Calif.
Kudos to P. T. Brent for his article on
Gen LeJeune. Respect and proper recognition are long overdue for one of our
greatest leaders of Marines.
When I checked into “Hotel” Company,
2d Battalion, Second Marine Regiment
for a short tour prior to leaving for Vietnam in 1966, everybody pronounced the
general’s name as the general himself did:
“Luh Jern.” I’m not sure how or why the
pronunciation was allowed to change over
the years, but it is refreshing to see that
someone cares enough to properly research, bring it to the attention of the public and make it right. After all, we don’t
say Marine “Corpse,” do we?
Col John R. Bates, USMC (Ret)
Kailua, Hawaii
Great article by Mr. Brent. Being from
Louisiana, I’ve gone through my whole
career correcting Marines of all stripe
and device on the correct pronunciation
of LtGen LeJeune’s name.
