Shattered Glass The Story of a Marine Embassy Guard eBook Greg Matos
Download As PDF : Shattered Glass The Story of a Marine Embassy Guard eBook Greg Matos 
What does life hold for you when you’re a Marine Embassy Guard stationed in the Middle East? In Shattered Glass, Sergeant Greg Matos answers that question.
Through his personal experiences as an enlisted Marine in the early 2000s, evolving from boot recruit to decorated sergeant, Matos offers a compelling look at the diverse roles Marines play in today’s war on terror.
Although he enters the military with visions of glory and honor, Matos soon realizes the Marine Corps isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be. Not everyone embraces the integrity and drive that Marines are known for, and at times, “the mission” takes a backseat to nightlife and romance. Yet it is in upholding his mission as a Marine Embassy Guard—to protect Americans in foreign countries—that Matos encounters his greatest conflict.
On December 6, 2004, the U.S. Consulate Matos has been charged to protect is attacked by members of al-Qaeda. It is up to Matos, standing guard at Post One, to orchestrate the defense of his fellow Americans. The events of that day leave an indelible mark on his psyche, and in the aftermath he must find a way to accept the rightness of his actions and move forward.
Matos’s story illustrates the complexities of life in the military, where men and women are tasked with being trained killers as well as human beings. The emotional struggles that Matos reveals are common to many, and the final reconciliation he finds—an understanding of what it means to serve your country with honor—is empowering.
Shattered Glass The Story of a Marine Embassy Guard eBook Greg Matos
I picked up Greg Matos’ Shattered Glass—The Story of a Marine Embassy Guard with a narrow purpose. I wanted to read about the December 2004 attack on the U.S. Consulate in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. I wanted to know what it felt like to be the Marine standing Post when five heavily armed terrorists stormed our compound, killing and wounding colleagues in the course of an hours-long siege. I wanted to know how it felt to be responsible for protecting scores of U.S. and foreign diplomatic personnel serving the United States at a time when anti-American sentiment had reached new heights, thanks to the invasion of Iraq and protracted insurgency that followed.What I found, in the end, was a heartfelt, deeply personal narrative that delivers those intense insights, and so much more.
https://benonbooks.wordpress.com/review-shattered-glass-the-story-of-a-marine-embassy-guard/
The memoir focuses on Matos’ six years as a Marine, and is peppered with the details of an upbringing that make him who he is today. He writes about his grandfather’s courage hunting whales off the coast of Portugal, his father’s love for winemaking and “Old Country” culture, and the strong influence of his sisters and mother on his respect for women. The anecdotes manage to be personal without being sentimental, and the telling never strays far from the main thread: Matos’ determination to be not just a Marine, but an exemplary Marine worthy of that storied service.
Matos acted on his conviction in the summer before 9/11. Then his country came under attack and moved to a war footing. Matos writes of his enlistment, “I was destined to be a Marine at this significant time in history.” That autumn, his college dorm room was festooned with the Code of Conduct, General Orders, Rifleman’s Creed and other documents outlining Marine Corps principles. “I was attracted to the idea that somehow the brainwashing, indoctrination, or whatever you want to call it, could be self-directed; that I could own my recruit training experience rather than be sideswiped by it.” Most of all, he writes, “I wanted the fire of boot camp to burn away any self-conceptions I had that couldn’t take the heat. I wanted to become a man in the hardest way possible.”
But service didn’t always offer the rewarding challenge he’d imagined, and he notes these disappointments with wry deprecation, as with the editorial process for typing up correspondence in Okinawa: “Take this back and un-fuck it,” his superior orders, certainly the most colorful use of the verb I’ve ever seen. He encounters dubious characters not worthy of their uniform because they are lazy, disrespectful of women, or generally lacking the intensity for which Marines are renowned.
The broader utility in Matos’ book, however, lies apart from his passion for perfection and inevitable disappointments when others fail to rise up. It can be found instead in the details of life inside a little-known but much-admired group of Marines who serve in Marine Security Guard detachments. Their mission: to protect U.S. diplomatic facilities and personnel around the world. Matos expresses some remorse at being transferred to the relative privilege of serving in air-conditioned comfort while his fellow Marines fight insurgents in Iraq’s bald desert heat. When friends back home first ask what he thinks of the men and women doing the fighting—and dying—in Iraq he responds, “We’re Marines, that’s what we do”. Eventually, though, the sentiment becomes: “They’re Marines, that’s what they do”. This guilt, and self-doubts arising from his action during the attack on the U.S. Consulate in Jeddah, remain central to Matos’ tale.
His account of the attack goes beyond our shattered front door, our scorched Stars and Stripes, our bombed and smoldering Marine house. It goes beyond the heroism of three Marines crossing open ground under threat of fire to reach their weapons in the chancery. It goes beyond the young Sri Lankan guard who took out the lead attacker before he himself was shot dead. Matos’ account puts the attack in broader context, tying it to the insurgency in Iraq and the resulting Second Battle of Fallujah. That battle, which raged from November through the end of December 2004, resulted in the death of an estimated 2,000 insurgents and civilians, and more than a hundred Coalition forces. The battle likely inspired members of an insurgent group called the Fallujah Brigade to storm our compound and get their revenge by killing U.S. Marines stationed there. “My place in this big picture,” Matos writes, “came in early December when five men, who had been fighting my fellow Marines in Iraq, came knocking at my door in Jeddah…”
I read and re-read about the attack with a mix of horror and comfort. Horror, for the obvious reason of mortality. Comfort, for the reminder that as I hunkered beneath the visa counter, tallying the doors between myself and the murderous rampage taking place outside, it wasn’t the number of doors that mattered (by one count there were four; by another, only one). But at the time my dread stopped with the Marine I knew to be standing post, trained for this crisis to keep us safe. I survived thanks to Matos’ courage, and it was personal and important to me to understand his story. By some measures, it can be summed up by his Bronze Star citation, which reads: For heroic achievement while engaged in military action against al-Qaeda terrorists as a marine Embassy Guard…
The soul-searching Matos recounts in this memoir eventually leads him back to service. After earning a Master’s degree in Psychology from Rhode Island College and a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology, Matos came to serve as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy, where he provides psychological services to Marines and sailors in North Carolina. As they follow the path to recovery, our Veterans deserve the full support of the Republic they served. And it’s heartening to know that someone as compassionate, intelligent, and inspiring as Greg Matos has returned to the fight and is working on their behalf.
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Shattered Glass The Story of a Marine Embassy Guard eBook Greg Matos Reviews
A must read for any aspiring MSGs
This book is infused with Greg Matos's love of the Marine Corps, a love that is tempered by intelligent criticism. It recounts the story of Matos's tours of duty as a Marine Embassy Guard at three different posts Ankara, Jeddah and New Delhi. The highlight of this tale is Matos's gripping account of his role in repelling the attack on the U.S. Consulate in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on December 6, 2004. Hence, the book's title Shattered Glass.
Full disclosure I worked with Greg Matos at the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, Turkey. I knew him as a bright, personable young man who brought energy and enthusiasm to the most mundane tasks. Matos was distinguished by his eagerness to learn and this book distills the lessons that he so earnestly gathered. In every detachment of Marine Embassy Guards there are one or two Marines who stand out as individuals who will use their Embassy experience to go on to become Foreign Service Officers or enter similarly advanced professions. Matos was obviously such a Marine and he did not disappoint he will soon earn a doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology in order to counsel those who have been psychologically wounded by war. In healing himself, the author is healing others. In sharing his story, he is teaching others. Greg Matos is both a healer and a teacher.
Shattered Glass is well written and insightful. The budding psychologist is evident in the author's account of feelings as well as events. Matos is strikingly self-aware and that quality alone lifts this tale of military action above the rest. I could feel my heart pounding as I read the author's minute-by-minute account of the attack by al-Qaeda members upon the Consulate he was charged to defend. I had heard the story before, but never in such detail and never with such perception. This book will be read eagerly by Marine Embassy Guards, but it has a wider audience of those who are interested in the effects of military service upon the whole human being.
Only 5% of this book actually speaks about being an MSG. It's a poorly written autobiography of a Marine who makes a switch to the Navy.
I was on MSG duty for 2 1/2 years.. The author seems to be some 'special snowflake" and is now what we used to call in the Corps a "Talking Doctor"
Book pretty much sucked.
I say 'biased' because I am a former Marine Embassy Guard who attended MSG school with Matos (chapter 6) and visited his detachment in Ankara (chapter 7) while stationed in Russia.
This is a wonderful account of both the Marine and Marine Embassy Guard experiences. While the book had a tremendous affect me in ways only a fellow Marine would understand, it is written for the many people who have little to no understanding of the foreign service nor a Marine's place in it; something that is disheartening for many of us when we return home from years of being detached overseas.
I am very proud of Matos not only for how he handled that day in Jeddah and the courage it took to share this book with us, but also his commitment to continually help veterans. The institutions designed to assist veterans are strained to say the least. Innovative minds like Matos are paramount in the overall success of 'taking care of veterans'.
There are more than 1,000 Marines detached in 120+ countries protecting our diplomatic facilities as you read this. Read this book and learn about it!
8151
Not usually my genre but on the recommendation of a friend I read it. Super easy read, pulls you in from the first minute. Loved how it was not just a military story but a coming of age story. I was surprised how personal it got and how detailed the account was. It was like I was there. It has a surprise ending. I related with his family story on deep level. Waiting to see what happens next for this brave, sweet Marine. Thank you for your sevice.
I picked up Greg Matos’ Shattered Glass—The Story of a Marine Embassy Guard with a narrow purpose. I wanted to read about the December 2004 attack on the U.S. Consulate in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. I wanted to know what it felt like to be the Marine standing Post when five heavily armed terrorists stormed our compound, killing and wounding colleagues in the course of an hours-long siege. I wanted to know how it felt to be responsible for protecting scores of U.S. and foreign diplomatic personnel serving the United States at a time when anti-American sentiment had reached new heights, thanks to the invasion of Iraq and protracted insurgency that followed.
What I found, in the end, was a heartfelt, deeply personal narrative that delivers those intense insights, and so much more.
https//benonbooks.wordpress.com/review-shattered-glass-the-story-of-a-marine-embassy-guard/
The memoir focuses on Matos’ six years as a Marine, and is peppered with the details of an upbringing that make him who he is today. He writes about his grandfather’s courage hunting whales off the coast of Portugal, his father’s love for winemaking and “Old Country” culture, and the strong influence of his sisters and mother on his respect for women. The anecdotes manage to be personal without being sentimental, and the telling never strays far from the main thread Matos’ determination to be not just a Marine, but an exemplary Marine worthy of that storied service.
Matos acted on his conviction in the summer before 9/11. Then his country came under attack and moved to a war footing. Matos writes of his enlistment, “I was destined to be a Marine at this significant time in history.” That autumn, his college dorm room was festooned with the Code of Conduct, General Orders, Rifleman’s Creed and other documents outlining Marine Corps principles. “I was attracted to the idea that somehow the brainwashing, indoctrination, or whatever you want to call it, could be self-directed; that I could own my recruit training experience rather than be sideswiped by it.” Most of all, he writes, “I wanted the fire of boot camp to burn away any self-conceptions I had that couldn’t take the heat. I wanted to become a man in the hardest way possible.”
But service didn’t always offer the rewarding challenge he’d imagined, and he notes these disappointments with wry deprecation, as with the editorial process for typing up correspondence in Okinawa “Take this back and un-fuck it,” his superior orders, certainly the most colorful use of the verb I’ve ever seen. He encounters dubious characters not worthy of their uniform because they are lazy, disrespectful of women, or generally lacking the intensity for which Marines are renowned.
The broader utility in Matos’ book, however, lies apart from his passion for perfection and inevitable disappointments when others fail to rise up. It can be found instead in the details of life inside a little-known but much-admired group of Marines who serve in Marine Security Guard detachments. Their mission to protect U.S. diplomatic facilities and personnel around the world. Matos expresses some remorse at being transferred to the relative privilege of serving in air-conditioned comfort while his fellow Marines fight insurgents in Iraq’s bald desert heat. When friends back home first ask what he thinks of the men and women doing the fighting—and dying—in Iraq he responds, “We’re Marines, that’s what we do”. Eventually, though, the sentiment becomes “They’re Marines, that’s what they do”. This guilt, and self-doubts arising from his action during the attack on the U.S. Consulate in Jeddah, remain central to Matos’ tale.
His account of the attack goes beyond our shattered front door, our scorched Stars and Stripes, our bombed and smoldering Marine house. It goes beyond the heroism of three Marines crossing open ground under threat of fire to reach their weapons in the chancery. It goes beyond the young Sri Lankan guard who took out the lead attacker before he himself was shot dead. Matos’ account puts the attack in broader context, tying it to the insurgency in Iraq and the resulting Second Battle of Fallujah. That battle, which raged from November through the end of December 2004, resulted in the death of an estimated 2,000 insurgents and civilians, and more than a hundred Coalition forces. The battle likely inspired members of an insurgent group called the Fallujah Brigade to storm our compound and get their revenge by killing U.S. Marines stationed there. “My place in this big picture,” Matos writes, “came in early December when five men, who had been fighting my fellow Marines in Iraq, came knocking at my door in Jeddah…”
I read and re-read about the attack with a mix of horror and comfort. Horror, for the obvious reason of mortality. Comfort, for the reminder that as I hunkered beneath the visa counter, tallying the doors between myself and the murderous rampage taking place outside, it wasn’t the number of doors that mattered (by one count there were four; by another, only one). But at the time my dread stopped with the Marine I knew to be standing post, trained for this crisis to keep us safe. I survived thanks to Matos’ courage, and it was personal and important to me to understand his story. By some measures, it can be summed up by his Bronze Star citation, which reads For heroic achievement while engaged in military action against al-Qaeda terrorists as a marine Embassy Guard…
The soul-searching Matos recounts in this memoir eventually leads him back to service. After earning a Master’s degree in Psychology from Rhode Island College and a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology, Matos came to serve as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy, where he provides psychological services to Marines and sailors in North Carolina. As they follow the path to recovery, our Veterans deserve the full support of the Republic they served. And it’s heartening to know that someone as compassionate, intelligent, and inspiring as Greg Matos has returned to the fight and is working on their behalf.
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