Marine General Recalls His Whitman Roots

The 1968 graduate of couldn't make it back to his hometown last fall for his induction into the South Huntington Hall of Fame.

But that's because Maj. Gen. Richard P. Mills was a little busy with his duties as commander of all U.S. Marine ground forces in Afghanistan. 

On Saturday, he will turn over those duties to his successor and return to his home in California before taking up his next assignment with the Marine Corps.
 
He has long been away from Huntington and his relatives on Long Island are in Southampton. But he retains memories of his days at the school.

The man with room to boast of his achievements and experiences in such far-flung plaes as Japan, Iraq, London and Kosovo is, in fact, an approachable individual, a somewhat gruff-voiced Marine with a sense of humor and a friendly manner who was willing to talk with Huntington Patch about the state of education, his Marines and young people in general.

The video he sent in his place for the Hall of Fame ceremony features him talking about the youth of the Marine Corps, mentioning that 70 percent of the Corps is under 25.

In the interview he said, "The Marine Corps is the youngest of all services. Most are pretty fresh, right out of high school, 18, 19, 20 years old.

"I have never been prouder than of the Marines I see now," he said. "Anybody who thinks our youngest generation is weak, or not courageous, needs to get to know a serviceman.

"They are set to a really hard task and have overcome significant hardships," he said. "Every day they amaze me, they really awe me with their performance. They're smart, technologically savvy and mature. The quality is just amazing."

Mills said that the Marines are exposed to a culture very different from their own in Afghanistan but quickly recognize the similarities, as well.

When Marines return home, "they bring back an appreciation that people are the same the world over, that the vast majority are not terrorists and what they want is the same thing everybody wants, a chance to enjoy life and raise their families."

In the United States, he said, "we''re very focused inward but when you come here you appreciate what the world is and realize that your sacrifice is not in vain."

"They are certain to bring back an appreciation of what it means to be born and raised in the United States and recognize that they've got a chance at a wonderful education, the ability to practice their religion and enjoy their life and their liberty,and that much of the rest of the world doesn't have that opportunity."

Told about the Huntington community response to a Marine who returned home to an unofficial parade and cheering supporters after he was seriously wounded in Afghanistan,  Mills said, "The largest threat is the IED (improvised explosive device). It's a cruel and ruthless device. That young man is an American hero.  And that's true gratitude for that young officer. In the past, fellows had to sneak home. The outpouring goes a tremendous way to helping him adjust, but to all the marines it reinforces that support.

"I would say this: The support we get from citizens is outstanding. We are swamped with cards, letters, packages, all of which contain tremendous amounts of goodwill. We know people are behind us, regardless of their feeling about the war, and that people appreciate us."

Mills said he had enjoyed his tour in Afghanistan because of its successes.

"We are in Helmand Province and I can tell you that we've made steady and continuous progress in an area that has rejected the Taliban. There's more freedom of movement, more normalcy.

"For example, there are 100,000 students in a province that wasn't allowed to have any schools. And 20,000 of those are girls, a huge step.

"It's not unusual to see a third-grade class and see 18 or 19 year olds learning how to read and write."

The province, scene of significant fighting in the last year as the Marine-led campaign pushed out insurgents, Mills said the effort had been successful, citing, among other things, a concert two nights earlier that had featured a female singer attended by thousands of fans in a stadium once used by the Taliban to conduct punishments.

"In Marjah, we had local elections, with 15,000 people registered to vote and 11,000 showed up, no security issues at all. We are seeing a return to what people want, a return to decent living. This is a wealthy area in terms of farm production and we've had very good success in turning it back and away from the heroin crop the Taliban created."

Asked if the military is a good career choice, Mills laughed and replied, "It worked out okay for me!"

And then said that the service gives a young person "a chance to mature, to grow, to discover a lot about yourself. The military will challenge, in peace or war, in training or a fight. People will be challenged mentally, morally and have a chance to grow and ultimately become a better citizen."

He said Marines who had served one enlistment and then returned to civilian life occasionally write to say that the service had instilled self-discipline and the ability to work as part of a team.

"I would encourage people to consider it," he said. "It's not for everybody, but if it's right for you it makes you a better person."

And he is a believer in education.  "I don't believe we have trouble in the education system," he said. "The students that are coming out" indicate otherwise, he said.
He is, after all, a product of the public education system. "Though I moved away
almost 40 years ago, i certainly appreciate what Whitman did for me. I had an awful lot of teachers that took pity on a young guy."

He said he hopes to visit New York sometime in April.