The Marine Corps built its officers on a single principle: they led from the front and shared every hardship of the men they commanded. A Marine officer ate after his Marines ate, carried the same pack, dug the same holes, and in the assault he went first — which is why junior officers died at a fearful rate in the Pacific. Lieutenants leading rifle platoons up the beaches of Tarawa or the ridges of Peleliu had some of the shortest combat lives in the war, and seasoned sergeants often ran the platoon in fact while the young officer learned or fell. This officer, packing the same load as his men, is that ethic made solid.

K&C sculpts the officer advancing on foot, the M1 Carbine held ready across his body, an M1911 holstered at the hip, and a full field pack on his back — the same load his Marines carry, as the copy rightly notes. He wears regulation green fatigues and a camouflage-covered M1 helmet. He leads from the front like his commander Chesty Puller, takes his place at the head of the marching Marines, and pairs with the shouting Marine officer driving the attack forward.

King & Country model USMC068. 1/30 scale (approximately 60mm), matte-painted metal. Single foot figure on a sculpted groundwork base. Boxed.