Putting ink stick to shit paper...other Jarhead thoughts

Why did Swofford choose to put the Ezra Pound, Canto LXXII quote in the beginning?

I think its interesting he admits to not remembering dates, locations, battles, deployments, weapon capabilities, etc. and has looked a lot of information up, some using federal sights and resources. I wonder if he had kept an accurate journal during the war if any of his info would have contradicted with government publications 8 years later?

Double standards aren't breaking news obviously, but all these guys talk about is the unfaithfulness of their wives/girlfriends, yet their own unfaithfulness is simply treated as a given right or not even seen as unfaithfulness, but just what Marines do.

For as macho as these guys are they are very comfortable with pretending to screw each other.

One of the most interesting scenes is with the German girls on the way to visit Charlie Manson's house...I'm not sure what to think of it, but the girls' comments are obviously disturbing, we start to get some more reflective viewpoints on war from Swofford, and is the only reason he doesn't beat the Germans up because he's not plastered at a bar for once?

Do you think Fergus was arrested for murder after the publication of this book? Also very interesting why Swofford tells the stories about him.

For some reason I love the scene of Yumiko getting picked up by the cook and boyfriend at the Military barracks at 6am, not sure why...

I wonder how much of the knowledge and resentment of Dick Cheney, Saudi Oil Princes, the Pre-fab base he actually had during the war and how much is him processing his thoughts in the 8 years post war and working that into his character.

Can anyone really drink as much as he says they drink? Anyway, they're always drunk...always. Does this affect the accuracy of any of his recollections?

It's amazing that he considers an extra $120 a month for combat pay a waste of taxpayer money, when no one has died yet.

I like the idea that to be a good Marine you have to love and hate the Marines. I think this idea partially explains why he goes back and forth between wanting to be a Marine and not, wanting to excel/move up in rank and not really caring, though I definitely still feel unsure about his overall motivations and what he truly cares about, maybe some actual combat will help...BS