"Stable Able"/1/7 - U.S. Marine Corps Newsletter

and had a 2,000-volume library of books on military history.

Survivors include his wife of 61 years, Mary Helen Brosius Nihart of Springfield; two daughters, Mary Catherine Nihart of Milford, Conn., and Virginia Brooke Nihart of Colorado Springs; a brother; and twin grandsons.

By Matt Schudel
Washington Post Staff Writer

We all should remember this as we used to have to have a Page 11 entry made in our SRBs (Service Record Books) annually that we have been advised of this important article. I know I sure do as being a former Adjutant and responsible for the administration of all our Marines records in my care.
Semper Fi! Shifty

WORDS OF WISDOM
"Esprit de corps: It's the spirit of comradeship, enthusiasm and devotion to a common cause among the members of a group."

Marines - Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But, Marines don't have that problem!

Ronald Reagan, President of the USA 1985

"There are only two kinds of people that understand Marines: Marines and the enemy. Everyone else has a second-hand opinion."
-- Gen. William Thornson, U.S. Army

"War is the remedy our enemies have chosen. And I say let us give them all

they want." -- William Tecumseh Sherman, 1864.

DISCIPLINE
The discipline, which makes the soldier of a free country reliable in battle, is not to be gained by harsh or tyrannical treatment. On the contrary, such treatment is far more' likely to destroy than to make an army. It is possible to impart instruction and give commands in such manner and in such tone of voice as to inspire in the soldier no feeling but an intense desire to obey, while the opposite manner and tone of voice can not fail to excite strong resentment and a desire to disobey

VETERANS SALUTING
Of late, a number of my retired friends and I have talked about veterans saluting instead of placing their hand over their heart when the national anthem is played, the pledge of allegiance is recited, the national colors pass in review or are posted, honors are rendered, or when Taps is played while salutes are fired at military funerals. The hand over the heart has simply been a custom. For military folks, saluting uncovered or indoors seems a bit unnatural, but somehow the hand over the heart never felt comfortable. For us, it was more natural to salute, plus we felt we had earned the right to salute if we wanted.

Now we are in yet another shooting war, adding new veterans every day. If the hand-over-the-heart custom is to ever be changed for us, now would be as good a time as any. We feel that thousands of veterans saluting at NFL, MLB, and/or NBA games while the national anthem is being played would send a patriotic message to the crowd and perhaps the

TV audience. It would be visual evidence of how many have served, all still patriots if they are saluting - a fact otherwise unknown.

Recently a poll was conducted in the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) monthly magazine, prompted by an Army friend of mine, Major General Vernon B. Lewis, USA (Ret.). General Lewis wanted to see if other veterans agreed that the hand salute was a more appropriate way for veterans to honor the flag, fallen comrades and our country. His e-mail address was included in the poll.

Several hundred veterans responded electronically to the MOAA poll, with over 80% favoring the salute over the hand-on-the-heart method of showing respect. General Lewis received over 100 e-mails that reflected an even greater percentage of salute approvals. So it seems apparent that the vast majority of veterans feel more comfortable with the salute. I know I do. Those who oppose the idea could certainly continue the former method. It is a matter of the heart, pride, and personal choice. MOAA, of course, is an officers' association, but I find it difficult to believe the enlisted veterans would feel any differently. Veterans are by and large a proud and patriotic group of Americans. Most want to share their love of flag and country with others. So the sponsors have decided to encourage other veterans to salute if they are comfortable doing so, and to spread the word through unit organizations, associations, and veterans' publications. We believe this movement will pick up momentum and proliferate and very soon have a life of its own.