Anthony Gale. The only Commandant to be fired.

Special thanks to Eric at ELP Blog for sending me this link!  It would take an Air Force guy to point out something about the Corps that I didn't know.

Some names are never to be spoken of in the Marine Corps.

Peter Pace was the first chairman of the Joint Chiefs but you don't hear him talked about as one of the greats.  You do hear about Krulak, Mundy, Gray, and others.  Quite honestly I think Amos will fade from history and the only thing you'll hear about him are how the Marines needed a leader, but got a petulant child instead.

Another of those Commandant's that you don't hear about is Anthony Gale.  via Wikipedia.

The charges against Gale were dated September 11, 1820. The first was that Gale was publicly intoxicated in the city of Washington on six specified dates during August, including August 31, two days after his arrest.[29] The second charge was of conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman. There were three specifications: first, that Gale had visited a house of prostitution near the Marine Barracks "in open and disgraceful manner" on that same August 31; second, that he had on September 1 - a date on which he was in custody - called Lieutenant Richard M. Desha, the Corps' Paymaster and son of Congressman Joseph Desha of Kentucky [22] - who had earlier charged Gale with misappropriation [29] - "a damned rascal, liar and coward" and threatening him with personal chastisement unless he would immediately challenge and fight him;[30] and, finally, that he had declared in front of the Marine Barracks "that he did not care a damn for the President, Jesus Christ or God Almighty!" The third charge was that Gale had signed a false certificate that said he had not used a Marine for personal services when in fact he had had a man assigned as waiter and coachman from October 17, 1819, until June 3, 1820. The fourth and final charge was that Gale had broken arrest "at sundry times" between September 1 and 8 while he was confined to quarters.[31]


Gale’s court-martial was marked by further irregularities. Major Miller, one of Gale’s rivals for the post of Commandant, despite having written the charges against Gale, was nonetheless appointed the prosecutor.[32] Furthermore, Lieutenant Desha, a witness against Gale on the second charge, was appointed a supernumerary (or extra member) of the court, and was called to sit on the court in judgment of Gale when regular court members failed to appear. Desha objected to serving on the court under the circumstances, but the court overruled his objection on the grounds that Desha, not Gale, had objected.[33] The court found Gale guilty, President James Monroe approving the verdict, and Gale was removed from office and dismissed from the Marine Corps on October 18, 1820.[34]

Read more here.

Long story short.

We can fire the Commandant.  We can charge him under the UCMJ for unlawful command influence.

The only question is whether Hagel has the balls to do the right thing.