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GREAT AMERICA

How Mattis Betrayed His Fellow

Marines at the Behest of the
Deep State
How the Pentagon’s top-brass generals burned the careers
of subordinates but then pivoted to lucrative careers all
while losing the wars they were supposed to be winning.

By Fred Galvin July 15, 2022

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y new book, A Few Bad Men, details the mendacity and mad dishonesty
of retired Marine General James “Mad Dog” Mattis. The fact

M that it was written by a Marine once under his command,

whom he betrayed for the sake of politics and getting to slap
on another star, says volumes about this once-lionized figure.

It all goes back to an incident in Afghanistan in 2007, and the Court of

Inquiry trial of innocent Marines that followed, which Mattis himself
instigated.

Lt. Colonel Steve Morgan, USMC (retired) and jury member of the 2008
Marine Special Operations Command’s Court of Inquiry says in the
foreword to A Few Bad Men, “This is a case of a perfect storm of toxic
leadership.” 

The most legendary Marine of all time, Lieutenant General John A.

Lejeune, the 13th commandant of the Marine Corps, laid out clearly
how to effectively nurture and lead Marines: “Make every effort by
means of historical, educational, and patriotic addresses to cultivate in
their hearts a deep abiding love of the Corps and Country” and “the key
to combat effectiveness is unity and esprit that characterizes itself in
complete irrevocable mutual trust.” 

If only General Mattis had taken this to heart.

On February 3, 2005, when Lieutenant General Mattis was attending the

Armed Forces Communications and Electronic Associations forum in
San Diego, he said: “You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap
women around for five years because they didn’t wear a veil. You know,
guys like that ain’t got no manhood left anyway. So it’s a hell of a lot of
fun to shoot them. It’s fun to shoot some people. I’ll be right up there
with you. I like brawling.” 

He also likes hearing the sound of his own voice.

During this same time, Mattis partnered with General David Petraeus to
develop the joint counterinsurgency doctrine of winning hearts and

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minds. Mattis hijacked the phrase from the Hippocratic oath for his
Marines to follow, “First do no harm.” This sounded good to the media
and politicians in Washington, but Marines are not physicians and
Afghanistan was no sterile operating room. It was a hellscape in which
Marines constantly faced threats and the possibility of betrayal from 360
degrees. Mattis’ Marine Hippocratic oath sent mixed signals for his
Marines, who had it on his good authority that “It’s a hell of a lot of fun
to shoot . . . some people.”  

Just over two years later, I led the First Marine Special Operations Task
Force. We landed in Afghanistan on February 12, 2007. Before long the
First was involved in a complex ambush near the Afghanistan-Pakistan
border, on March 4, 2007. We were attacked by a suicide car-bomb,
waves of Taliban fighters on both sides of the road, a sniper, and a mob
that placed an obstacle to trap us in an ambush kill box. We 
successfully counterattacked, killed the Taliban terrorists, avoided
civilian casualties, and returned to base within 20 minutes, where we
learned of the Taliban’s swift information operations campaign that was
already underway, accusing us of mass-murdering Afghan civilians. The
Taliban’s version of events went out within 20 minutes through the BBC
followed by countless others. Ultimately, the president of Afghanistan,
Hamid Karzai, condemned our actions and the Army generals kicked us
out of Afghanistan within five days. Crushing the Taliban in battle
morphed into a PR victory for the extremists in the media and a
weakening of the allied forces in country. Due process went right out
the window.

Ironically, Mattis was assigned as the convening authority by the

commandant of the Marine Corps in August 2007, to be responsible for
the investigation and a Court of Inquiry into our March 4 battle. Mattis
received the results of my polygraph test and the sworn testimony of all
the Marines involved in the firefight, confirming that on that morning
no Marines said they killed any civilians or saw any civilians killed. 

Unlike Lejeune’s comments of “cultivating a deep abiding love of

Country and Corps in the hearts of your Marines and that the key to

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combat effectiveness is unity and esprit that characterizes itself in

complete irrevocable mutual trust,” Mattis unleashed an unprecedented
45 criminal investigators and four prosecuting attorneys against the
seven Marines falsely accused by the Taliban of mass murder. It would
become the longest war crimes trial in Marine Corps history. 

Mattis placed a “protective order” (a.k.a. gag order) prohibiting the two
Marine officers who he named as codefendants from making any
statements to the press or face punishment. Our attorneys would face
disbarment. The already unlevel playing field was tilted hard against the
Marines who had won a battlefield victory under fire.

Additionally, Mattis’ prosecution team found perceived vulnerabilities

in the Marine commandos and commenced “ethnic targeting” of two
Hispanic Marines. Mad Dog’s prosecutors continuously interrogated one
of them, and the government manufactured a statement from him that
our fire was out of control during the March 4 ambush. 

The prosecution then threatened to deport the Marine’s mother back to

Mexico unless he signed the statement. That Marine testified he was
coerced into signing the prosecution’s false statement. Another
Hispanic Marine also testified he was repeatedly threatened by the
prosecution to take a polygraph, which was not a legal order, but the
prosecution ordered him to anyway. None of the other Marines were
subjected to these strongarm Gestapo tactics.

Mattis turned the prosecution over to his successor in the fall of 2007 as
he received his promotion with a fourth star. The following year, the
trial acquitted all of us. No thanks to Mad Dog Mattis. He got his star. A
few bad prosecutors under his watch cost the Marines a few good men,
and diminished America’s position in Afghanistan at a time when that
war might still have been won.

Mattis went on to serve as the commander of all U.S. Forces in the

Middle East at U.S. Central Command in Tampa, Florida. As I detail in A
Few Bad Men, there he came under the influence of Elizabeth Holmes,

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founder and CEO of Theranos. Holmes had a device she claimed could
detect all kinds of disease in a few drops of blood. It would change the
world, if it worked. Holmes contacted Mattis in August 2012 and wrote
Pentagon officials requesting, “How do we overcome this new obstacle?
I have tried to get this device tested in theater asap, legally and ethically.
This appears to be relatively straight-forward yet we’re a year into this
and not yet deployed.” 

The main problem Mattis was willing to overlook was that the FDA had
not approved Theranos’ blood testing technology to be used on our
troops in Afghanistan, but Mattis was hoping he could push it through,
right or wrong. 

Mattis retired and went on to make a fortune serving on four corporate

boards, including Theranos and military contractor General Dynamics.
Theranos’ technology would not only be denied FDA approval, but it was
proven to be a fraud. During the Elizabeth Holmes trial, Mattis, who had
served as a Theranos board member for several years, testified that he
was unaware of any of Theranos’ scandalous actions. This seems
unlikely, given Mad Dog’s legendary tenacity, and the fact that he had a
fiduciary duty to know what was going on.

Holmes’ device never worked. She is now a convicted fraudster. Was

Mattis her gullible mark or a greedy participant?

Mattis’ disgraceful actions are laid bare in A Few Bad Men. He used his
position as secretary of defense to bottle up the Freedom of Information
Act requests to get our testimony in that March 4, 2007 ambush exposed.
Our shocking testimonies have now been released and tell a terrible
story of betrayal by a Marine against other Marines. They reveal why
the Pentagon’s top-brass generals who burned the careers of
subordinates but then pivoted to lucrative careers with every defense
contracting company lost their forever war in Afghanistan, and really,
haven’t won a war in decades.

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About Fred Galvin

Major Fred Galvin (USMC-Ret), author of A Few Bad Men: The True
Story of U.S. Marines Ambushed in Afghanistan and Betrayed in
America.

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Photo: TIM SLOAN/AFP via Getty Images

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Comments Community 🔒 Privacy Policy  Ava

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Join the discussion…

J.J. Sefton • 6 days ago

Considering Mattis has not slapped the author with a
massive libel suit, QED.

Say what you will about Obama, the sick bastard

actually did fundamentally destroy the last bastion of
real America - the military.
37 △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Sticks and Stones • 6 days ago

If you want to know if someone is a POS all you have
to do is see how the media treats them. If the press
praises them then they are a total lying POS. If they do
everything to destroy their character then you know
they are legit.
28 △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

orenv > Sticks and Stones • 6 days ago

This is how the brass in the military also works.
11 △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

trangbang68 > Sticks and Stones

• 5 days ago
Sniveling Chihuahua Mattis couldn't hold Mike
Flynn's duffle bag
4△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Kurt Ingalls • 6 days ago

As a former Marine, I can say with authority that he
should be drummed out ......... He is a disgrace ........
27 △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

C# > Kurt Ingalls • 5 days ago • edited

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That would be weak "justice". He should be

stripped of his pension and spend the rest of
his days in Leavenworth. Ditto for the others --
generals or otherwise -- who betrayed their
fellow marines and soldiers as well as the
nation.
10 △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Kurt Ingalls > C# • 5 days ago

I'm with you on this ......Tommy Franks
had to dress him down in the second
Iraq war pertaining to insubordination
..... he did the same to President Trump
....... drummed out is too good for him
..... caste him out of his benefits .....
8△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

SamsaraGuru > C#
• 5 days ago • edited
Works for me. Oh course, in the good ol
days in past lives, so did the Iron Maiden
treatment!
4△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

patriot > Kurt Ingalls • 6 days ago

Thank you for your great service!
10 △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Kurt Ingalls > patriot • 5 days ago

And thank you for allowing me the
privilege of serving you. You are an
American ..... to me you are priceless
!!! :-)
6△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Sicasevilis > Kurt Ingalls • 5 days ago

Thank you for your service.
God Bless You And Yours!
2△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

RH13 > Kurt Ingalls • 5 days ago

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RH13 > Kurt Ingalls 5 days ago

It was always easy to spot the officers who
really didn't give a sh*t about the men they
commanded. They got no respect. When you
served under an officer who understood,
respected and cared for his men, he was given
the ultimate level of respect.
1△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

silencedogoodreturns > Kurt Ingalls

• 6 days ago
They’re both already out?
1△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Kurt Ingalls > silencedogoodreturns

• 6 days ago
Once a United States Marine, always a
United States Marine ......... there is no
such thing as an "ex-Marine", only
"former" ....... :-)
8△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

trangbang68 > Kurt Ingalls

• 5 days ago
Semper Fi from an old army
infantryman
2△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

0311 > Kurt Ingalls

• 5 days ago
Again, +1.
2△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

GTYROWN > Kurt Ingalls

• 6 days ago
you betray your marines and
your country, you are an ex
marine
3△ ▽ 1 • Reply • Share ›

Maximus-Cassius >
GTYROWN • 5 days ago
Agreed. Mattis deserves NO
t H ' di j t

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respect. He's disgrace, just as

John McCain is a disgrace (and
my language about him would
not be permissible on this page)
for betraying the American
people on Obamacare (and
many other things).
1△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

silencedogoodreturns >
Kurt Ingalls • 6 days ago
So what are they to be drummed
out of?
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

0311 >
silencedogoodreturns
• 5 days ago • edited
Forfeiture of rank, all pay and
benefits for life.
1△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

trangbang68 >
silencedogoodreturns • 5 days ago
Trump's out of office and still being
impeached, maligned and tried by the
Stalinesque left
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

nickthegreek • 6 days ago

And he violated his oath, and gave comfort to the
enemy (China) - one definition of treason. Was
insubordinate to POTUS Trump. Was a leaker. We
should ban ALL flag ranks when they retire from any
activity towards the military period! No cushy Board
seat payoffs for past help, or expected future help.
20 △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Joseph Criste > nickthegreek • 6 days ago

Considering that they are entitled to very
generous pensions, I wholeheartedly agree.
Mattis likely has a pension of well over
$100 000

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$100,000 per year.

5△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

SamsaraGuru • 6 days ago • edited

My father-in-law was Chief of Staff of America's largest
military installation; wounded 4 times in WWII,
graduated top of his class at West Point. Ultimately,
retired, after 25 years in the military, in disgust.

This has been going on for a long time.

If I were a young man or woman today the LAST

professions I would consider entering would be the
military or being a police officer.
18 △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

orenv > SamsaraGuru • 6 days ago

THere are a whole lot of Colonels and Majors
who never played the game and got
themselves a star. If not for them, our military
would be terrible. The current version of brass
now seeks out these doers for weeding out.
7△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Transplanted Floridian > orenv

• 6 days ago
You can not become a General unless
you prostitute yourself. You'll stall at
Colonel if you don't agree to play the
game.
8△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

SamsaraGuru > orenv • 6 days ago

True but they tended to belong to a
different generation of men with values
based on love of country and loyalty. My
father-in-law from the age of four only
wanted to be in the Army.

Actually, funnily, was part of the cavalry

right before it was disbanded.
Something to do with ineffectiveness

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against tanks.

He was up for General and EVERYONE

and I mean everyone who was anyone
was certain he was a shoe in for it with
his impeccable record until he was
black balled.

After that he basically decided the Army

was too corrupt an institution to believe
in anymore.
8△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

eheter > SamsaraGuru • 6 days ago

Judging by how far our military is falling short of
their recruitment goals, it looks like your last
paragraph is happening quite a bit these days.
Between vax mandates, wokeness, and a
military justice system that punishes warriors
for simply doing their job, the disincentives to
join far outweigh and incentives to the contrary.
5△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

C# > eheter • 5 days ago

Exactly. And this is why this will be a
generational (or multi-generational) loss
for the nation. Once the reputation of an
institution has been destroyed, it can
take a very long time (maybe never)
before it can be restored. As
SamsaraGuru quite correctly points out,
this rot has been undermining the
military for a long time. Until there is
accountability for these betrayals, the
trajectory of the institution and the nation
will not change. It will become a death
spiral.
3△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Kemo Sabe > SamsaraGuru • 6 days ago

One of my grandsons just enlisted in the

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Marines a couple weeks ago.. That boy wanted

so desperately to be a Marine.
Now he is in. . His dad (my oldest son, recently
passed away) ex-military, tried to change his
mind. I did likewise. No dice.
4△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

DiegoVan > Kemo Sabe

• 6 days ago
Last Friday, one week ago, I attended
my first Marine recruit graduation at
MCRD San Diego. I'm an Army guy, but
I was crying tears of joy and proudness
for the 204 newly minted Marines. The
entire event went like clockwork. It
started at exactly 10AM and ended at
exactly 11AM.
4△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

SamsaraGuru > Kemo Sabe

• 5 days ago • edited
I am sure if he was so determined to
become a Marine that he couldn't be
dissuaded by either his loving father and
grandfather that he has to be a
somewhat headstrong young man!

As the best of the best lads of this world

have always been throughout history!

Which is part of what makes the

virtuous, determined ones so effective
and powerful in this life.

I believe in reincarnation - ala Edgar

Cayce's paradigm - that we are reborn
and usually into family units and with
friends we have been with in lives
before; wanting to fulfill destinies,
relationships and longings we maybe
see more

△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

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Kemo Sabe >

SamsaraGuru • 5 days ago
Thanks for the kind words. He
was in the JROTC program.
1△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

trangbang68 > SamsaraGuru • 5 days ago

I agree . I don't want any of my kids sacrificed
for the delusions of Nazi bit*hes like Klaus
Schwab and George Soros
1△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

SamsaraGuru > trangbang68

• 5 days ago
You might find this back and forth
between cxt and myself interesting.

https://amgreatness.com/202...
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Maximus-Cassius > SamsaraGuru

• 5 days ago
What Sam said....
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

This comment was deleted.

mcsandberg > Guest • 6 days ago

This and the rest flagged as spam.
1△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

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