533: Vietnam '68-War, Life, Leadership, and Loss w Marine NCO Jack W. Jaunal

Jocko Willink· Host0:00

This is Jocko Podcast number 533 with Echo Charles and me, Jocko Willink. Good evening, Echo.

Echo Charles· Co-host0:04

Good evening.

Jocko Willink· Host0:05

"The place is Staging Battalion, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. Most of them are in their teens, privates, privates first class, and lance corporals. Among them are the corporals and sergeants, not much older, breaking into their 20s. They come in all shapes and sizes, all hours of the day. Most of them are young, the new breed of Marines on their way to Vietnam. Sprinkled among this group are the old salts, Marines with many years of service on their record books. Many are veterans of our last war, Korea. For them, this will be their second war. For a few, like me, it's war number three. My thoughts rolled back over the years, 24 years of soldiering. 25 if I counted that part-time bit in the State Guard. It all began during World War II. 1944 was the year, and a new recruit was paid $50 a month. I was 17 years old, five foot five, and 145 pounds of enthusiasm. The Marine Corps turned me down. Dejected, I tried them all and received the same reply, 'Sorry.' Poor eyesight and a history of tuberculosis as a kid just did not help a