No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy

2/10/2019 James Mattis: No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy | National Review
NATIONAL SECURITY & DEFENSE
James Mattis: No Better Friend,

No Worse Enemy
By JIM PROSER
August 15, 2017 8:00 AM
(Reuters/Eric Thayer)
The highly popular secretary of defense

brings a unique mix of compassion, ferocity,
and discipline to the job. Plenty of book
learning, too.
https://www.nationalreview.com/2017/08/james-mattis-no-better-friend-no-worse-enemy/ 1/20
J im Mattis, retired Marine four-star general,

was the first person President Trump
nominated to his cabinet. Mattis received nearly
unanimous (99 to 1) bipartisan support for his
nomination. He then received an extremely rare
waiver of the guidelines that exclude recently
active military leaders from the position of
secretary of defense. It has been more than 60
years since the last such waiver. What could
create such unprecedented unity, even
enthusiasm, amid the hyper-partisan political
rancor of 2017?
This overwhelming support goes beyond

enthusiasm for his record of military competence.
His sometimes shocking public statements and
quiet triumphs point to both an extraordinary
level of compassion and the capacity for ferocious
lethality. So who is this guy, really, who
commands this unique place of respect in modern
America?
Mattis chose a path in life that has brought him

repeatedly into mortal combat with the most
barbaric evil of our time, Islamist terrorism. Yet
he continues to defeat it with insight, humor,
fighting courage, and fierce compassion not only
for his fellow Marines who volunteer to follow him
through hell’s front door but also for the innocent
victims of war. He encouraged his beloved
Marines in Iraq with this advice: “Be polite. Be
professional. But have a plan to kill everyone you
meet.” He spoke plainly, from his heart, warning
civilian tribal leaders of the Sunni Awakening in
Iraq’s Anbar province: “I’m going to plead with
you, do not cross us. Because if you do, the
survivors will write about what we do here for the
next 10,000 years.”
Mattis has long been a living legend in the Marine

Corps, earning the odd nickname of “the Warrior
Monk.” Robert H. Scales, a retired United States
Army major general, described him as “one of the
most urbane and polished men I have known.”
Mattis’s personal library of more than 7,000

books — including many obscure, scholarly titles
— is as famous as his habit of carrying a personal
copy of the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius with
him into battle.
He is a fearsome warrior to a mostly admiring but

often misunderstanding public that has stuck him
with the nickname Mattis himself dislikes: “Mad
Dog,” a moniker implying that he loses control.
People perhaps mistake his ferocious aggression
for a lack of discipline. Anyone who has served
with him will tell you just the opposite: As a field
commander, he maintains strict discipline, even
sleep discipline, continually striving for “brilliance
in the basics.”
In his meticulous preparations for the untested

“maneuver warfare” that was about to be used in
the second Iraq War, Operation Iraqi Freedom, he
created a scale model of the battlefield from the
border of Kuwait to the objective, Baghdad. It was
the size of half a football field. A week before the

invasion began, he dressed representatives from
the dozens of coalition military units in color-
coded football jerseys and had them walk through
the battle plan as he narrated the maneuvers over
loudspeakers to the assembled field commanders.
He encouraged his beloved Marines in Iraq with

this advice: ‘Be polite. Be professional. But have a
plan to kill everyone you meet.’
At the end of this rehearsal, Mattis answered

questions and then dismissed the group. Mike
Murdoch, one of the British company
commanders, leaned over to U.S. Marine Captain
Stephen Coerr and asked, “Mate, are all your
generals that good?”
His competence and level-headedness are so

trusted that the president of the United States has
given him essentially a free hand to fight
America’s wars as he sees fit. Characteristically, in
announcing the change of policy toward ISIS from
one of “attrition” to “annihilation,” Mattis

credited his boss with the decision. One might call
this political discipline. As of this writing, after
only seven months, the barbaric Islamists of ISIS
are on the brink of annihilation in their own
capital city of Raqqa.
THE ‘WARRIOR MONK’
The legend of the Warrior Monk started 45 years

ago when 18-year-old Jim Mattis signed up for the
Marine’s Platoon Leaders Course (PLC). He had
often admired the challenge to excel offered by the
Marine Corps. With typical humility, he now
downplays the decision to join up:
I don’t think I had the intention of making it a

career at that point. I wasn’t closed-minded
about it, but it was to go in, look around, and do
my time. In those days we had the draft, so there
was little choice. And then look around and see
what else was out there.
But the decision was not as casual as he implies.

In Vietnam, the Tet Offensive had just killed
4,000 and wounded 6,000 American soldiers and
Marines, so the American military was
aggressively seeking new recruits to refill the
ranks. Joining the Marine Corps at the time, even
with a temporary deferment as a full-time
student, was a socially ostracizing and potentially
fatal decision. After six weeks of training — as Jim
Mattis was hearing around his college campus of
Central Washington College — they put a rifle in
your hands and sent you to the front of the line,
walking the point, on patrol looking for a gunfight
in the booby-trapped jungles of Vietnam. And
socially, he could forget about the free love,
campus hippie chicks that occupied much of his
brain space at the time.
In spite of the social cost and potential danger, his

commitment to the Marine Corps led him to get a
master’s degree in history from the Marine Corps
Command and Staff College. Particularly useful
for a career in the Marine Corps was his study of

The Art of War, a recently translated treatise
dating from the fifth century . ., by Sun-Tzu, a
legendary Chinese general. The emphasis on
duality in Sun-Tzu’s philosophy, the yin and yang
of war, coincided with Mattis’s deep appreciation
for the ebb and flow of the natural world and
human interaction. Sun-Tzu’s concept of “winning
hearts and minds” was a natural fit for Mattis and
would serve him well in the wars to come in the
East.
On July 20, 1978, Captain James Mattis took

command of Kilo Company of the Third Marine
Battalion of the Third Marine Division (3/3)
under the command of Colonel Ken Jordan, a
Vietnam veteran. His life was now out of
classrooms and onto the rolling decks of warships.
In September, he deployed as part of the 31st
Marine Amphibious Unit on a “float” to the
Philippines, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Okinawa,
and Korea. On this first deployment, the Marines
rescued hundreds of “boat people” — war refugees

in overloaded, uncovered fishing boats often
floating aimlessly and out of fuel in the open sea.
This human aftermath of the American military

retreat from Vietnam and resulting political
instability crowded every available inch of deck
space around Mattis. Refugees filled the sweaty
hold of the ship, clutching their children and
meager possessions and often shaking with fear
and trauma. This was Mattis’s first real-world
experience of war as a Marine. As the Navy’s
ground troops — the first in and often the last out
of smaller, Third World conflicts — Marines
frequently end up with the responsibility for
evacuation of war victims. Compassion is a
necessary part of an officer’s training, and Mattis’s
was put to the test as he shared overheated
sleeping spaces, food, and few toilets, often for
days on end, with successive swarms of desperate,
frequently ill people who didn’t speak English.
Compassion is a necessary part of an officer’s

training, and Mattis’s was put to the test as he
shared overheated sleeping spaces, food, and few
toilets, often for days on end, with successive
swarms of desperate, frequently ill people who
didn’t speak English.
Back in Kaneohe, Hawaii, home base of the 3/3, a

place literally crawling with lonely Marines,
Mattis found an attractive and unattached young
lady we will call Alice. (Alice’s real name is being
withheld as requested by friends of the Mattis
family.) The relationship began slowly and
remained unknown to most of his closest
colleagues. Alice seemed to share a studious,
reverential view of the world and had a deep
appreciation for the sacrifices endured by
Marines. Quietly, the two kindled a romance.
Now, as a young captain, comfortable in the
simple, Spartan lifestyle of a Marine officer,
Mattis turned to sweet, brown-haired Alice to lead
him in matters of the heart.
On August 4, 1980, Mattis assumed command of

the relatively new configuration of a weapons
company for the 3/3. Lieutenant David Pittelkow
commanded a Dragon anti-armor squad under
Mattis. While reviewing Pittelkow’s performance,
Mattis noticed the young lieutenant giving orders
to his men correctly but not pitching in quite as
much with the physical work of setting up the
heavy and dangerous equipment. He pulled his
lieutenant aside and counseled him like a kind
uncle on the shared work ethic of the Marine
Corps: “Y’know, Dave, the privilege of command
is command. You don’t get a bigger tent.”
Mattis earned the following fitness report from

Ken Jordan, his commanding officer:
Recommended for the Leftwich Award for

outstanding leadership, Mattis exceeds all
expectations for tactical knowledge, leadership
ability and operational skill. A dedicated, hard-
working, dependable of cer, he was
instrumental in assisting this BLT [Battalion
Landing Team] to attain a score of 97 on the

recent CRE [Combat Readiness Evaluation], the
highest score in the brigade. His company
consistently excels in quanti able areas, and he
sets the example for this men. He is intelligent,
and expresses himself well verbally and in
writing.
’ALICE’
At this point, Mattis is engaged to marry Alice.

The ceremony is set for late June to coincide with
his return from scheduled extensive exercises of
the 3/3 in the East. It is to be a quiet, private
ceremony with close family and few friends. A few
days before departure, Alice suddenly realizes that
as a Marine’s wife, she will move frequently to
different parts of the world and will face the
constant threat of having officers knocking on her
door one day in full dress uniform to deliver the
worst possible news. As much as she respects the
sacrifices that Marines make, she is not prepared
to do the same. She insists that Mattis resign, that
he choose her or the Corps — he cannot have

both.
Mattis frets over the decision but ultimately

follows his heart. He agrees to resign his
commission and begins the process. The
upcoming float will be his last. Alarmed at the loss
of such a rising star and well-liked leader, Mattis’s
Marines launch a love offensive. They send their
wives and fiancées to call and visit Alice, some
meeting her for the first time, some with their
men in tow to vouch for the realities of life with a
Marine. The avalanche of support is
overwhelming. Alice has deep misgivings but is
reassured by the extended Marine family that
surrounds her, pledging their love to her and her
Jim, and to their family that may come. She
finally relents, with only hours left before the 3/3
ships out. The wedding is back on. Mattis trashes
his resignation forms and, riding the roller coaster
of his emotions, packs his seabag for a long
deployment.
Nothing stays private very long during months at

sea in close quarters, so when they make landfall
at various ports, Mattis is repeatedly subjected to
hair-raising bachelor parties. They are at sea this
time for more than four months.
Back in Hawaii, preparations for the wedding

proceed with the customary frenzy. As relatives
from the mainland begin to arrive and caterers
prepare, word comes to Mattis that all is again not
well with his bride. His rise in fortune within the
Marine Corps is not reflected outside of it. Alice
has reconsidered. She simply can’t imagine their
married life being anything other than an
unhappy waiting game for her and so a burden to
him and his career.
This time, only a few truly close friends rush to

the couple’s support. They beg Alice to reconsider,
to be patient, to understand that Jim Mattis is
worth the wait. The men tell her, truthfully, that
he hasn’t looked at another woman since their
engagement. Finally, Mattis and Alice have the

talk. She is not swayed. Their engagement is off,
the wedding is cancelled.
On July 28, 1981, Mattis relinquishes command of

3/3 weapons company Kilo. He is promoted to the
rank of major and leaves Hawaii to return home
to the Pacific Northwest. He takes command of a
quiet Marine recruiting office in Portland, Ore.,
near the banks of the beloved Columbia River of
his childhood. Like the first Marines who
remained unmarried while in the Corps, he
returns to the simple, monkish life of reading and
fishing that he knew before Alice and the 3/3,
even before the Marine Corps. He will never
marry. Instead, he will devote himself to his
adopted family of Marines.
CHRISTMAS DAY
The legend of Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis is

chock-full of tales of heroism and victories on the
battlefield, but the story that most reveals the

man underneath the general’s stars takes place on
a Christmas Day after 40 years of leading young
men and women into battle, always from the front
lines.
General Charles Krulak, commandant of the

Marine Corps, every year, starting about a week
before Christmas, baked hundreds of Christmas
cookies with his wife. They packaged them in
small bundles, and on Christmas Day, at about 4
. . Krulak drove himself to every Marine guard
post in the Washington-Annapolis-Baltimore area
to deliver the cookies to the Marines pulling guard
duty that day.
This year at Quantico he arrived at the command

center and gave a package to the lance corporal on
duty.
He asked, “Who’s the officer of the day?”
The lance corporal said, “Sir, it’s Brigadier

General Mattis.”
And Krulak said, “No, no, no. I know who General

Mattis is. I mean, who’s the officer of the day
today, Christmas Day?”
The lance corporal, feeling a little anxious, said,

“Sir, it is Brigadier General Mattis.”
About that time, Krulak spots in the back room a

cot, or a daybed. He said, “No, Lance Corporal.
Who slept in that bed last night?”
The lance corporal answers, “Sir, it was Brigadier

General Mattis.”
Just then, Mattis came in, in a duty uniform with

a sword, and Krulak said, “Jim, what are you
doing here on Christmas Day? Why do you have
duty?”
Mattis told Krulak that the young officer who was

scheduled to have duty on Christmas Day had a
family, and he had decided it was better for the
young officer to spend Christmas Day with his
family. So he chose to have duty on Christmas Day
in his place.
READ MORE:
In Defense of Trump’s Generals
Trump and His Generals
On Defense Readiness, Mattis Steps Up
— Jim Proser is the author of No Better Friend,

No Worse Enemy, a biography of General James
Mattis, to be released by HarperCollins this fall.
JIM PROSER
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2/10/2019 James Mattis: No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy | National Review

NATIONAL SECURITY & DEFENSE

James Mattis: No Better Friend,

The highly popular secretary of defense

J im Mattis, retired Marine four-star general,

This overwhelming support goes beyond

Mattis chose a path in life that has brought him

Mattis has long been a living legend in the Marine

Mattis’s personal library of more than 7,000

He is a fearsome warrior to a mostly admiring but

In his meticulous preparations for the untested

the size of half a football field. A week before the

He encouraged his beloved Marines in Iraq with

At the end of this rehearsal, Mattis answered

His competence and level-headedness are so

one of “attrition” to “annihilation,” Mattis

THE ‘WARRIOR MONK’

The legend of the Warrior Monk started 45 years

I don’t think I had the intention of making it a

But the decision was not as casual as he implies.

In spite of the social cost and potential danger, his

for a career in the Marine Corps was his study of

On July 20, 1978, Captain James Mattis took

rescued hundreds of “boat people” — war refugees

This human aftermath of the American military

Compassion is a necessary part of an officer’s

Back in Kaneohe, Hawaii, home base of the 3/3, a

On August 4, 1980, Mattis assumed command of

Mattis earned the following fitness report from

Recommended for the Leftwich Award for

Landing Team] to attain a score of 97 on the

At this point, Mattis is engaged to marry Alice.

he choose her or the Corps — he cannot have

Mattis frets over the decision but ultimately

Nothing stays private very long during months at

Back in Hawaii, preparations for the wedding

This time, only a few truly close friends rush to

engagement. Finally, Mattis and Alice have the

On July 28, 1981, Mattis relinquishes command of

The legend of Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis is

battlefield, but the story that most reveals the

General Charles Krulak, commandant of the

This year at Quantico he arrived at the command

He asked, “Who’s the officer of the day?”

The lance corporal said, “Sir, it’s Brigadier

And Krulak said, “No, no, no. I know who General

The lance corporal, feeling a little anxious, said,

About that time, Krulak spots in the back room a

The lance corporal answers, “Sir, it was Brigadier

Just then, Mattis came in, in a duty uniform with

Mattis told Krulak that the young officer who was

In Defense of Trump’s Generals

Trump and His Generals

On Defense Readiness, Mattis Steps Up

— Jim Proser is the author of No Better Friend,

SPONSORED CONTENT Recommended by

Woman's Response To Horrifying African Superintendent Who Shocking Numbers:

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