Free The Daring Dozen by Gavin Mortimer

from active service. Nonetheless Roosevelt wanted to serve, with the reluctant approval of his parents, and Carlson knew the benefit of having such a man in his outfit. **
    With Roosevelt on board, Carlson embarked on a recruitment programme for his nascent unit that he envisaged would be ‘flexible, mobile, possess the maximum fire power commensurate with great mobility and be composed of men physically capable and mentally conditioned to endure the hardships and overcome the obstacles necessary to accomplish the mission. It follows, therefore, that the personnel must be volunteers for this type of work and that they must be trained, conditioned and indoctrinated for this particular type of work.’
    Carlson got his 500 volunteers from the Marine bases near San Diego; they represented a broad cross-section of American society, from city boys to farm hands, from high school dropouts to Grade A students. Their overriding motivation was similar to that of the early volunteers for David Stirling’s SAS – boredom and a thirst for adventure.
    The recruits were split into four companies and sent to the unit’s training camp at Jacques Farm in California, but before they began their training the men were addressed by Carlson. He explained that ‘the Jap is a wily and rugged enemy, experienced in hardships. And so I can promise you nothing but the toughest life while we’re in the States and the toughest battles when we’re overseas.’ For men who already considered themselves part of the military elite it was a stirring introduction to their new unit, as was the disclosure of their battle cry – Gung Ho! *
    The training that followed was intense. Each day the men rose at 0430hrs and endured several hours of exhausting exercise, including route marches through the countryside, strengthening exercises such as giving a buddy a fireman’s lift over 50 yards, and thousands of press-ups and sit-ups. Soon the men could cover seven miles in one hour carrying a full pack.
    In addition the men were schooled in navigation, demolitions and sharpshooting, and there were lectures and practical demonstrations in all aspects of jungle warfare, including water discipline and tropical diseases. ‘As training proceeded self-confidence grew,’ wrote Carlson. ‘There was little cockiness. These men were bent on whipping an enemy who sought to destroy the democratic way of life they hold dear.’ 6
    Democracy was a prominent theme in the Raiders’ training. Carlson implemented a similar philosophy to that which he had witnessed in China during his stay with the communists. The men and the officers bedded down together, queued for food together at mealtimes and cleaned their equipment together. There were no special privileges. ‘My first step was to abolish all social distinctions between officers and men,’ explained Carlson to the Reader’s Digest in 1943. ‘There must be obedience, of course. That was the cornerstone of everything. But I told my officers they must command by virtue of ability. Their rank meant nothing until they had proved their right to it.’ 7
    Each week Carlson held ‘Gung Ho!’ meetings in which officers and men could speak their mind. The meetings began with the commanding officer greeting his men with a cry of ‘Ahoy, Raiders!’, to which came the response ‘Gung Ho!’ Once points had been raised or grievances aired, the meeting ended with everyone singing the National Anthem.
    Carlson also encouraged his men to examine the causes of the war and learn why Japan had attacked Pearl Harbor and why America was determined to prevail in the Pacific. Though he never expressed a political point of view, despite his close relationship with the Democrat Franklin Roosevelt, Carlson was less reticent when it came to religion. Men who served in the 2nd Raider Battalion recalled their commanding officer speaking to them often about religion, a theme that was addressed by a war correspondent. ‘I’m an out-and-out