American Cobra Pilot: A Marine Remembers a Dog and Pony Show

Think the Marine Corps is a war-fighting organization? Think again. A Marine Cobra helicopter pilot finds himself off the coast of Korea taking part in a political exercise known as Ssang Young. The goal is to conduct a Marine amphibious landing. However Captain Groom soon learns amphibious assault in practice is a dog-and-pony-show parade the likes of which even the Westminster dog show would envy. The following tale covers one Marine pilot’s journey through the lead-up execution and aftermath of this epic tale in the pivot uh I mean shift to the Pacific. Pivot means we turn our backs. It was replaced with shift.