Infamous Marine-Puppy video clip

[Elyse Orecchio]

Thanks to everyone who contacted us about the video clip recently seen all over the Web, where a member of the United States Military can be seen apparently committing a heinous act of animal cruelty, flinging a puppy off a cliff.

We understand your outrage. Please click here to view our response. We invite and encourage you to share this link with your friends who are concerned about the upsetting incident.

[Tony Soika]

I am an army officer and a former humane society volunteer (back when I was in college). I could reiterate everything everyone on here has said, but the reality of the matter is that when I first saw this, it was lucky for the young man that I wasn't present. In any event, let's be productive here...some states have tougher animal cruelty laws than others. What will it take for the ASPCA to lobby congress for FEDERAL laws on this type of thing? My understanding is that at present, the young Marine's chain of command has discretion on whether/how to prosecute this. However, if there was a federal law in place and a U.S. attorney willing to prosecute it, this would be out of the USMC's hands and the individual could be punished appropriately. Speaking as an 18-year veteran, I'm not convinced that the USMC will take this seriously enough to effect any real punishment. I also would like to use this post to formally request that if the ASPCA does learn of any punishment given, that it be broadcast on here or in their newsletter so the public can react accordingly (i.e. lobby for more or take solace that justice, if possible here, is done).

Lastly, as a military leader, I'd like to express my extreme embarassment and sincerest apology for this idiot's conduct.

[debi]

we need more people like you, in the trenches. for the military and animal rights. i agree that the USMC will not take measures to enforce punishment. i have seen over and over again, marines doing something wrong and when handed over to thier commanding officers, nothing comes of it. i live just south of camp leguene, and alot of marines come to my town and sometimes there is a problem.( most are respectful ) a specific incident was some marines were caught on a beach 4 wheeling on the dunes, during turtle nesting.( we are very protective of our turtles here) when they were reported to the local authorities, they said they were marines and had permission. there is a coast guard station right there and they contacted authorities up in camp leguene, and no they didn't have permission( no one is allowed to 4 wheel on the beach ever) but because they were marines our local police really had no juristiction over them and they were handed over to the MP's . people here were very disturbed at the fact that they they were never punished. if they had disturbed a turtle nest, they would have been punished by the federal gov't because they are protected , but because they "only" trampled dunes and native plants, it was brushed under the carpet. it is a shame that some bad seeds put out such a bad taste in peoples mouths. i have seen this type of thing over and over again, and it is disheartening. even if someone were to be punished it usually never gets out to the public , so it seems as if justice is never served. i think your idea of the ASPCA posting whatever the outcome of this is great!!!! and then the public can react accordingly. so as a civilian, i was very happy to see your response here , it was probably the most proactive one , for both sides. it was starting to become a civilians against military and that certainly isn't the case. so hurray to you. and i thank you personally for your honest input.

[Tony Soika]

Ha! Well thank you for the kind words, but don't give me too much credit. If this was one of my soldiers I think the Minnesota hockey player in me would have taken precedence over any military regulations and I'd have just launched the marine off the cliff as well.

I'm still speechless with shock and rage when I see this. I've written both the USMC PAO (Public Affairs Office) as well as the unit the young man is from - the address for that can be found on ebaumsworld.com where the video originated. I threw my career safety to the wind and really said what I thought. To try to catalyze a little action on their part I made a few less than professional comments to the effect that you don't see this in the ARMY. On that note, please see the pic I'm uploading of soldiers rescuing a dog from a canal in Iraq.

Mamas don't let your babies grow up to be Marines....

Cheers,

Tony Soika

[debi]

true , true.. great pic. and unfortunately the good doesn't get shown around much, only the bad. but what makes it worse is the covering up of things and the people who refuse to believe that there is one. as long as we continue to push it won't be so easy to keep hiding it.
being an uprooted northener , i wouldn't want a whoopin' from a hockey player. my new southern neighbors wouldn't understand that but i do :)
thanx again and keep fightin' the good fight!

[Janis]

Hi, I wish you were there when he was doing this, maybe you would have acted. But the other Marines with him just allowed him to do this. They are all SICKOS, to allow this to happen and think it was funny. Did they really think that throwing a puppy off a cliff made them big men? In my eyes it makes them ___holes that don't belong in the Marines.
Janis

[Tony Soika]

I feel pretty confident in saying that had I been present when this happened it would have been ME who ended up getting thrown out of the service or worse. I'm not a big believer in writing incident reports (we call them "couseling statements" in the army). Sometimes a guy just needs to be pulled into a locked room and taught a lesson. But that's just me...

I saw the video and as someone who was at Ground Zero on 9/11, I can tell you that I think my reaction was identical. My mouth dropped open, I was at a complete loss for words and all I knew was that I felt a burning desire to punish someone.

[Janis]

Hi Everyone, Has anyone actually seen the video of the Marine, David Mortari, who threw the puppy off the cliff. I saw it and was HORRIFIED. I hope this Marine is
booted out of the Marines, for conduct unbecoming of a Marine. I heard they found out his address and phone number and he had to change his phone # and may have to move. It seems many 1000's of people were very upset with what he did, as I am.
People on youtube.com had pages of comments about this. I hope this idiot and his partner face severe punishment for what was done to this defenseless little puppy. I just could'nt believe my eyes when I saw it. The SICKO needs to pay for what he did!

[debi]

thank you joan for that link. i sent it to everyone i know. i hope this so called man , rots in hell and suffers the consequences of his actions.
debi

[Crystal Kauffman]

I think he should be punished for what he did to the puppy!

[Crystal Kauffman]

This is disrespect to our country!

[Megan]

He is supposedly saving lives in Iraq. If he throws pupies off cliffs do you think he is saving very many lives? Do you think it very safe for him to be walking around Iraqi city streets with a gun? He discraces the name of an American Soldiers. That name is for soldiers who go to fight for thier country and risk thier lives every day.

[Tony Soika]

Just to clarify for everyone...not that this is important but it's kind of a pet peave of those in the service...soldiers are members of the army and only the army. People in the U.S. Marine Corps will be the first to tell you that they are not soldiers, they're marines.

I say this only because as a soldier I'm all too proud to say I am NOT a marine. If this guy is part of the few and the proud, I'm glad to declare that I'm not.

Cheers,

2nd Lieutenant Anthony Soika