The nation that will insist upon drawing a broad line of distinction between the fighting man and the thinking man is liable to find its fighting done by fools and its thinking by cowards.
-- Sir William Francis Butler
When General John A. Lejeune conceived the idea of the Marine Corps Association in 1913, and became its first active head, he set forth the purposes for which MCA was founded: - to disseminate knowledge of the military art and science among members; - to provide for the professional advancement of its members; - to foster the spirit and preserve the traditions of the United States Marine Corps; - to increase the efficiency of the Marine Corps and to further the interest of the military and naval services in all ways not inconsistent with the good of the general government. These purposes have remained unchanged over the years and provide guidelines for the MCA Heritage Library series, of which "The Reminiscences of a Marine" is a part. ~from back cover