Mustang: A Combat Marine

A mustang, in naval parlance, is an officer commissioned from the enlisted ranks. As Averill points out, the mustang's chances of promotion are infinitely less than those of a direct-commission officer, and ""he may not be socially acceptable'' to his colleagues. Averill is justly proud of his nearly 25-year career as a hard-charging mustang who served in World War II campaigns, was a battalion and regimental operations officer in Korea, saw duty with an expeditionary force in Thailand, and at the time of retirement in 1965 had attained the rank of lieutenant colonel. Aside from anecdotes about his combat experiences, Averill compares the boot camp training he endured in preWorld War II days with the later program he helped oversee as a training officer in 1962. He also describes his stint as commanding officer at the Marine Corps Cold Weather Training Center in Northern California. This is a book so specialized that it will be of interest almost exclusively to Marines and former Marines. (April)