Survival And Prosperity

U.S. Marines Disarmed During Presidential Inauguration Parade?

It seems to me some active/retired elements of the United States armed forces aren’t too hot about the anti-war/anti-military component of the Democratic Party (or just Democrats in general).

And vice versa.

But recently, the word is out that Marines from Marine Barracks Washington, D.C., who participated in the 57th Presidential Inauguration Parade on January 21 were seen marching with the bolts removed from their M1 Garand rifles, rendering the iconic firearms inoperable. David Codrea, Gun Rights Examiner on Examiner.com, confirmed this was indeed the case and reported on the site Monday:

Wondering if this may be an inauguration policy of long standing that transcends administrations, Gun Rights Examiner made a cursory search and found something even more curious. In the 2009 Inaugural Parade, the United States Navy marched with rifles that had not been so disabled…

Unlike in 2009, in the 2013 inaugural parade, someone in authority made the decision to change that and order the Marines to march with visibly disabled guns.

(Editor’s note: Italics added for emphasis)

“Marines Support the 57th Presidential Inauguration Parade”
YouTube Video

Last March, Marines were also disarmed when U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta visited Afghanistan. Elisabeth Bumiller reported in The New York Times on March 14, 2012:

In a sign of the nervousness surrounding the trip, a sergeant major abruptly told the Marines gathered to hear Mr. Panetta in a tent at Camp Leatherneck to get up, place their M-16 and M-4 automatic rifles and 9-millimeter pistols outside, and return unarmed. The sergeant major, Brandon Hall, told reporters that he was acting on orders.

“All I know is I was told to get the weapons out,” he said. Asked why, he replied:

“Somebody got itchy — that’s all I’ve got to say. Somebody got itchy. We just adjust.”

Normally, American forces in Afghanistan keep their weapons when the defense secretary visits and speaks to them.

Bumiller added that reporters were later informed by Major General Mark Gurganus, the top U.S. military official in the Afghan province, that he wanted a consistent policy for everyone in the tent, as our Afghan allies in attendance were unarmed.

Disarming our own soldiers in the presence of high-level civilian government officials?

On one hand, I’m guessing somebody in Washington actually paid attention in history class and hopes to avoid a repeat of what happened to Anwar Sadat. On the other, if there’s serious concern about something like this taking place here, what does that tell us about the state of things in America that would lead to such an act.

All I can say is, these sure are interesting times we live in.

By Christopher E. Hill, Editor
Survival And Prosperity (www.survivalandprosperity.com)

Sources:

Codera, David. “Disabled Marine rifles at inauguration signal shift in administration policy (Photos).” Examiner.com. 11 Feb. 2013. (http://www.examiner.com/article/disabled-marine-rifles-at-inauguration-signal-shift-administration-policy). 14 Feb. 2013.

Bumiller, Elisabeth. “Panetta Is Safe After Breach Near His Plane at Afghan Base.” The New York Times. 14 Mar. 2012. (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/15/world/asia/panetta-visits-afghanistan-following-massacre.html?_r=4&ref=elisabethbumiller&). 14 Feb. 2013.

Tags: 56th Presdential Inauguration Parade, 57th Presidential Inauguration Parade, Afghanistan, Anwar Sadat, Barack Obama, Brandon Hall, Camp Leatherneck, Democrats, Leon Panetta, Mark Gurganus, U.S. Marines, U.S. Navy, Washington D.C.