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"Falling Feathers"
Original artwork by
Christopher Bacon
SSA Member #1409
I decided to use four simple feathers for several reasons: (1) Feathers, in Native culture and many others, have long been symbols of trust, honor, strength, wisdom, power, and freedom; (2) To honor Carlos Hathcock who was instrumental in ensuring that the Scout Sniper program was made a permanent program after the Vietnam War; and (3) The moral of the ancient Greek fable "The Eagle and the Arrow".
There are four stars in the border and one in the design interior. These stars approximate the positions of the stars in the Southern Cross constellation. The history of the southern cross in Marine Corps lore parallels that of scout snipers, entering our symbology in World War II. There are four feathers. The feathers represent Marine Scout Snipers currently serving in each of the Marine Divisions. The feathers are falling. This is a metaphor for having been discarded.
“The Eagle and the Arrow”
is an ancient Greek fable attributed to Aeschylus in his 5th century BCE tragedy, the Myrmidons.
An Eagle was soaring through the air when suddenly it heard the whizz of an Arrow, and felt itself wounded to death. Slowly it fluttered down to the earth, with its life-blood pouring out of it.
Looking down upon the Arrow with which it had been pierced, it found that the shaft of the Arrow had been feathered with one of its own plumes. “Alas!” it cried, as it died, “We often give our enemies the means for our own destruction.”
The moral of the story relates to the dissatisfaction of discovering that one has contributed to one's own demise. It also serves as a warning against self-reliant pride.
Both seem particularly relevant, given the current circumstances around the decision to remove Scout Snipers from active service in infantry units in February 2023.