The Sal Guinta Story

It's been a while since President Obama announced the award of the Medal of Honor to Sal Guinta for his actions in Afghanistan.   Sebastian Junger and Tim Hetherington have produced a great clip telling Guinta's story.  It's a bit long (about 15 minutes) but well worth the time to watch.  What is very impressive is Guinta's humility and attitude about receiving the Medal of Honor.  Watch the whole thing.....it's worth it!


The Sal Giunta Story from SebastianJunger/TimHetherington on Vimeo.

Born on the 4th of July

For those of you of my generation, remember the movie "Born on the 4th of July?"  It was one of those "classic" Hollywood movies about veterans....you know the type of movie; the vet returns from war as a victim.  Tom Cruise starred in the movie, which was released in 1989.  The movie is described as a biopic about Ron Kovac, a paraylized Vietnam veteran who came home and became an anti-war activist because he felt "betrayed" by his country.  The movie won 2 Oscars, including one for Oliver Stone as "Best Director."  Well, in these days, we have an interesting contrast to the "vet as victim" mantra that Hollywood and popular culture try to portray. 

I'd like to introduce you to Army Staff Sergeant John Wayne Walding.  He's a real-life veteran, who really was born on the 4th of July.  SSgt Walding just graduated from the Army Sniper school, which is a great accomplishment.  But what makes it even more impressive is that SSgt Walding lost his leg in a 6 1/2 hour fire fight in Afghanistan in April 2008.  Walding and the other members of his Special Forces team were awarded the Silver Star for their actions that day.  Walding was shot in the lower leg and, in an article on the Army website, described how he had to use his boot lace to tie his leg to his thigh to keep it from flapping around.  Walding was determined to stay on active duty, and he's done so.  In fact, many of his classmates in the sniper course did not know he was an amputee.  He passed the extremely tough course without any specal accomodations, scoring well in all the exercises. 

Now compare the two stories.  Granted, SSgt Walding wasn't confined to a wheelchair the way Kovac was; but SSgt Walding never considered himself a "victim" nor did he decide his country had "betrayed" him.  He's made of better stuff.  He decided he wouldn't let the loss of a leg stop him from accomplishing goals he set for himself.  The path may have been more difficult, but he accomplished those goals anyway.  SSgt Walding sees himself as a soldier, not a victim.   Now I ask you.....which is the more healthy point of view? 

Marine Reenlists

So you're probably wondering why I'm blogging about a Marine reenlisting. After all it's something that happens everyday.   But this Marine, Cpl Matthew Bradford, is special.  He was blinded and lost both legs in 2007 when a roadside bomb exploded right under him.  But being blind and not having legs does not define him.  He's a Marine.  He's done what's necessary to learn to walk on prosthetics and he's done what's necessary to learn to navigate the world he can no longer see.  He's a Marine, and because he's reenlisted for another "hitch," Cpl Bradford is a uniformed Marine.  According to the FOXNews story, he'll be assigned to the Center for the Intrepid, helping other injured Marines to learn how to deal with the anger, depression, and other issues that can come with severe injury.  Good!  It seems to me that if anyone can help other injured warriors, it's this Marine.  As he says, "I'm paving the road for the rest of them who want to stay in but think they can't, I'm ready to get back to work."

What a Marine!

"Ladies and Gentlemen, You're Looking at a Real American Hero...."

SSgt Timothy Nein tells the story of the action in Iraq that resulted in his Distinguished Service Cross. Good stuff!

Remember......

Those of us who have loved ones serving overseas honor and respect the choices our loved ones have made.  We're proud that they've chosen to do something difficult, something necessary, and something that serves everyone in this country.  We're proud of the strength they must have to do the kind of work they're asked to do.  We're proud of their dedication.  Nevertheless, we also fear for their safety; they are, after all, people that we love.  We want the best for them.  We want them to come home, safely. 

Unfortunately, the world is a dangerous place and a war zone is one of the most dangerous.  Sometimes bad things happen.  When they do, loved ones at home have to pick up the pieces and go forward.  It's when that happens that our many in our military families show that those who actually wear the uniform are not the only strong and dedicated members of the family.  Our military family members serve this Country, too.  If you don't think so, just read Mrs P's blog post, "I Will Always Be a Marine Wife."  But I warn you, take a whole box of tissues along with you when you do.

Take time today to say a prayer for those who serve, and for their families who wait.

Hero in Austin

Somewhere amid all the Olympic news came a report that a disgruntled man had flown a small engine plane into the IRS building in Austin, Texas. Fortunately, the suicidal man took only one life besides his own. Disasters of every kind, man-made like this one or naturally occurring, bring stories of heroism and kindness. This disaster at the IRS building is no different. FoxNEWS has a report of one of the heroes present that day: Robin Dehaven. Mr Dehaven is a glass glazer, who just happened to be driving by the IRS building when the small plane hit. Unlike a lot of people, he didn't keep going. He stopped. He saw a situation where he could help, and he took action. As he said, "I immediately drove my truck over there, got the ladder off, went up to the side of the building and I saw people up on the second floor with their heads out the window for air because the room was filled with smoke." Mr Dehaven extended his ladder up the side of the building to try to help people get out of the burning inferno, but the people inside couldn't secure the ladder properly. So he went up the ladder, into the building, helped the people inside to break another window, and secured the ladder the best he could. Even though the ladder "slipped a little bit," he helped five people to get down the ladder, buy going down with them and holding their backs "so they wouldn't fall if they slipped."

Now, in my book, Mr Dehaven is a real hero. He ran to help when help was needed. He didn't have to, but he did. Mr Dehaven's boss wasn't surprised at Mr Dehaven's actions; he thinks it was just a Mr Dehaven's character, to help others. Oh....did I say that Mr Dehaven spent six and a half years as a Combat Engineer in the Army? I'd bet dollars to donuts that Mr Dehaven's Army experience formed a large part of the character he demonstrated at the IRS building. He's a hero.

Angels Come in All Shapes and Sizes....So Do Heroes

The official website of the Multi-National Forces- Iraq (MNF-I) has a tear-jerker of a story about a wonderful woman.....it was so good that I had to copy it here:

‘Camouflage Angel’ Spends Last Moments With U.S. Combat Casualties
Friday, 10 July 2009

Army Sgt. Jennifer Watson, non-commissioned officer-in-charge of the Casualty Liaison Team at Joint Base Balad, stands in Hero's Highway. Each patient brought via helicopter to the Air Force Theater Hospital passes through Hero's Highway. Watson, a native of Peru, Ind., is deployed here from Fort Campbell, Ky. Photo by Staff Sgt. Dilia Ayala, 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing.


JOINT BASE BALAD — The emergency-room trauma call and the medical staff's immediate action upon his arrival is only a memory to her now; sitting quietly at the bedside of her brother-in-arms, she carefully takes his hand, thanking him for his service and promising she will not leave his side.

He is a critically injured combat casualty, and she is Army Sgt. Jennifer Watson of the Casualty Liaison Team here.

Although a somber scene, it is not an uncommon one for the Peru, Ind., native, who in addition to her primary duties throughout the last 14 months, has taken it upon herself to ensure no U.S. casualty passes away alone. Holding each of their hands, she sits with them until the end, no matter the day or the hour.

"It's unfortunate that their families can't be here," said Watson, who is deployed here from Fort Campbell, Ky. "So I took it upon myself to step up and be that family while they are here. No one asked me to do it; I just did what I felt was right in my heart. I want them to know they are heroes.

"I feel just because they are passing away does not mean they cannot hear and feel someone around them," she continued. "I talk to them, thanking them for what they have done, telling them they are a hero, they will never be forgotten, and I explain my job to them to help them be at ease knowing the family will be told the truth."

In general, Watson explains to the patients that the CLT works within the Patient Administrative Department here, acting as a liaison for all military and civilian patients in-theater and initiating the casualty-notification process to the patient's next-of-kin.

Upon their arrival at the Air Force Theater Hospital, Watson speaks with each combat casualty getting as accurate information as possible about the incident. Once the doctor gives their diagnosis and severity of the patient's injuries, Watson and her team complete and send a Defense Casualty Information Processing System folder report to the Department of the Army or the patient's respective service so that their next-of-kin can be notified.

"I make sure we tell their family everything they want to know, so they know everything that's going on," said Watson. "[Through the report], we'll tell the families everything that is going on with their family member ... so that they don't have any questions."

Furthermore, once the initial report has been sent, the CLT and Watson make hourly rounds to the intensive-care ward or unit to check on the patient's well-being, or, for the more critical patients, to check on their stability.

"We are constantly communicating and making sure the family knows everything we know," said Watson. "We want to put the families at ease and let them know that everything is being done for their loved one. From the moment a servicemember is brought in through Hero's Highway, they are never alone."

Each month, the AFTH, the equivalent of a U.S. Level-1 trauma center, treats more than 539 patients; more than 101 are trauma cases in the emergency department. Although Watson can never predict if and when her fellow brothers- or sisters- in arms may need her, she is always available here.
"The hospital staff is wonderful," said Watson. "They know how important it is for me to be there with them and if they know it's time, someone will come and get me no matter where I'm at.

"I see it as a form of closure, not just for me, but for the families so that they know that somebody was there with their son or daughter," she added. "My heart goes out to every patient that comes into the hospital, especially my wounded in action Soldiers. I feel like everyone who comes through the door is my brother or sister."

Not surprisingly, Watson's dedication to duty and her hard work have not gone unnoticed. She has touched the lives of all those who she has come in contact with, to include the 332nd Expeditionary Medical Group commander, Col. Mark Mavity.

"Sgt. Watson's story is one of the most compelling here in the Med Group," said Mavity. "She is a Soldier's Soldier who combines an unparalleled level of compassion and commitment to our most grievously wounded warriors with amazing professionalism each and every day.

"What is truly incredible is that she is a personnelist by training but with the heart of a medic who has taken it upon herself to hold the hand and keep a bedside vigil with every mortally wounded Soldier who has spent their last hours within the AFTH," continued the colonel. "She will not let her brave brothers or sisters pass alone. This is a heavy burden to bear and at great personal emotional cost to Sgt. Watson, but she is unwavering in her final commitment to these Soldiers. You don't have to look any further than Sgt. Watson to find a true hero."

"Angel" and "hero" are only two of the many titles Watson has been given since arriving at JBB; although she is appreciative of the kind words, she remains humble.

"I am far from an angel," said the sergeant with a smile. "I just do what is in my heart. I guess for me, I think about the family and the closure of knowing the Soldier did not pass away alone. To say I'm a hero ... no. The heroes are my guys who come in [through Hero's Highway]."

Reflecting on her time here, Watson said she is extremely thankful for the opportunity she has had to work side-by-side with the Air Force.

"The staff of the 332nd Expeditionary Medical Group has done an amazing job since I have been here," she said. "They are incredible. They have done procedures and saved the lives of the most critically injured Soldiers, and have been some of the most professional people I have ever worked with.
"I want the families to know that their servicemember was a hero," Watson concluded. "They made the ultimate sacrifice, but before they passed on, they received the best medical treatment, and the staff did everything they could -- they were not in pain and they didn't die alone."

(By Staff Sgt. Dilia Ayala, 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing)



h/t CJ & The Armorer at Castle Argghhh

Another Inspiring Hero!

Richard Ingram received his commission as an Army Lieutenant this month, after completing his degree at North Georgia College and State University. You may ask why this is important...well, because in June 2005 Lt Ingram lost part of his left arm while serving as a Cavalry Scout in Iraq. According to the Army, Lt Ingram is the first person with such severe combat injuries to earn a commission through ROTC.

Lt Ingram was attending school at North Georgia College when the National Guard Unit he served with was activated and sent to Iraq. He was injured when his tactical vehicle rolled several times after being hit by an IED. Lt Ingram is quoted as saying,

"I didn't think there was any way I was going to live through it when the truck started rolling. But it was clear that I hadn't fulfilled my purpose in this life. Even though I was hurt, I knew I'd get to keep doing the things I love so much. I was being given another chance at life."

After recovery and rehabilitation at Walter Reed, including getting fit for a prosthesis, Lt Ingram decided it was time to go back to school and get on with his life, so he went back to North Georgia College and returned to the ROTC program there. His ROTC instructors were impressed with Lt Ingram's physical conditioning, despite the loss of part of his arm. They quickly concluded that he had what it took to be an Army officer and was capable of carrying out any duties required of him. His ROTC professor said, "Lieutenant Ingram demonstrated throughout his time in ROTC that he was more than capable -- both physically and mentally -- to be a highly effective leader in our Army. The professor explained, "Once you spend time observing Richard, you forget that he has a physical disability. He can run faster and do more physical training than most cadets. He will do an outstanding job leading troops in combat, and I know he will succeed in his goal to attend Airborne, Sapper and Ranger training."

So what does this exceptional young officer say about his decision to continue pursuing a career as an Army officer? He says, "I am extremely proud to have earned a commission through the Army ROTC program at North Georgia College, and I look forward to serving as an Army officer.' But he also explains, "I didn't decide to do this just to get a slap on the back. I want to be an inspiration to others who were wounded."

Well, Lt Ingram, in my opinion you're an inspiration to a lot of folks; wounded or not. You've shown that you can set a goal and overcome difficulties placed in your path in order to achieve that goal. Wonderful...and inspiring!

"'40% Off--Some Assembly Required'"

Col Oliver North wrote an editorial, published on FoxNEWS.com, talking about the young Marine Lieutenant the Freedom Alliance honored at the Army-Navy football game. The Freedom Alliance is a non-profit organization that provides educational scholarships for children of military members killed in action. This year's reciepient of the "Defenders of Freedom Award" is Lieutenant Andrew Kinard; a true hero. Col North's editorial tells Lt Kinard's story better than I can summarize it. Here it is:

"On October 29, 2006, Lieutenant Kinard was leading his Marines on a foot patrol in Rawah, Iraq — searching for a terrorist bomb factory — when a command-detonated IED exploded directly next to his left leg. The blast blew him into the air and he landed almost 20 feet from the crater. Three other Marines were wounded.

According to those who were there, before the grievously injured officer passed out from loss of blood, he ordered them to set up security, get a head count and start treating the other injured Marines. The platoon Corpsman tried to staunch the flow of blood, but couldn't find enough undamaged tissue to apply tourniquets and the lieutenant was losing blood — from almost everywhere.

A Cas-Evac helicopter airlifted him to the Marine Air Base at Al Asad, then to the Army trauma hospital at Balad, north of Baghdad. Sixty-seven pints of whole blood — more than five times the amount in a healthy adult — were pumped into the failing officer's veins in a 24-hour period.

By the time he was flown to Landstuhl, Germany in a C-17 Nightingale, he had gone into cardiac arrest — and been resuscitated — twice. Emergency surgeries went on nearly non-stop to plug the seemingly innumerable holes punched in his body. The family was alerted and a prayer vigil held. Hundreds of people half a world away went to their knees and begged God for a miracle.

Some miracles happen immediately. This one took awhile.

Four days after being blasted to pieces, Andrew Kinard was in the intensive care unit at the National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, with his family around his bedside — and still praying. By the time I got back from Iraq, just before Christmas 2006, "Drew" as his Marine and Naval Academy friends call him, had already endured more than two dozen surgeries.

His doctor told me that the 24-year old lieutenant was "getting better" even though he had pneumonia, a blood infection and multiple perforations of his intestines from shrapnel. They had just done one of the many skin grafts necessary to prepare his stumps for prosthetic limbs.

When I walked into his room, his mother and his sister Katherine were with him. His dad, a doctor in Spartanburg, SC, and two younger siblings, Courtney and Will, were all enroute to spend Christmas with their badly battered Marine.
But for all the cards, poster, banners, Christmas stockings, lights, photos and flags, the room would have looked like a scene from a science fiction movie. Monitors, electronic devices, compressors, pumps and assorted tubes, wires and bags of colored fluids surrounded the bed — all the connected to Andrew Kinard. Tiny flecks of shrapnel were still visible on the side of his face. He had no legs. His abdomen was an open hole. And he was smiling. "God is good," he said in greeting.

Over the next 11 months of hospitalization, Andrew Kinard was living proof of that statement. When I would ask him or his family, "How can I help you?" The inevitable response would be: "Just pray for recovery." And so, he also became evidence of the power of prayer.

In April 2007, he flew to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina to meet his Marines when they returned from Iraq. Wearing his Marine utility uniform for the first time since being wounded, he greeted his comrades in a special "all-terrain" wheelchair.

Asked by a reporter to recollect the day he was wounded, he acknowledged that his memory of the attack had been dulled by shock and pain. Then he said, "A man asks himself, if something happens to me, when I go into battle, how will I react? Will I be brave?"

As they arrived home, the members of "Alpha" Company made it clear: Lieutenant Andrew Kinard was, without a doubt, their hero.

On October 29, 2007, exactly a year after he was wounded, the indomitable young officer came home. Dignitaries and thousands of well wishers were on hand to welcome Andrew at First Baptist Church, Spartanburg. The following Sunday he spoke at all three services, thanking all for their unfailing prayers.
His recovery will continue for years to come. But on one of my visits to him in the hospital the man who had once played rugby at the Naval Academy said, "I don't need legs. I have my arms. I learned discipline at the Naval Academy. I have my faith and a desire to serve. Maybe I'll go to law school."

Andrew has all of that — and more. He also has a great sense of humor. He has a T-shirt with the words "Marine for Sale" printed on the front. On the back it reads: "40% Off — Some Assembly Required"

Great Story! Personally, I hope Lt Kinard does go to law school. The legal profession needs heroes, too.

Heroes are Everywhere

Heroes can appear anywhere, suddenly and without warning. It's amazing how many heroes a person can find if you open your eyes and look. There's the obvious heroes: the first responders to an accident or disaster and our service men and women. Police and firefighters are always heroes in my book, as are those who volunteer to protect this Country and its ideals. But then there's the less obvious heroes. Those who quietly go about their business, yet still manage to impact the lives of others in a positive way. I kind of agree with journalist Ellen Goodman who wrote, "I have never been especially impressed by the heroics of people who are convinced they are about to change the world. I am more awed by those who struggle to make one small difference after another."

I guess that's why I was touched by a story on FOXNews.com about civilian doctors who volunteer to work alongside military doctors at Landstuhl Military Hospital in Germany as a part of a visiting scholars program. The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and the Orthopedic Trauma Association sponsors the program, where civilian doctors who have at least 10 years of trauma experience travel to Landstuhl to train military surgeons. The goal is to share knowledge and experience so that military surgeons can save the lives of our service men and women injured in combat. In my opinion, these doctors, the military docs as well as the civilian ones, exemplify those quiet heroes that "struggle to make one small difference after another."

It's clear that these Doctors don't want adulation or praise. They just want to help, to learn, and to make a difference. They want to serve. As one of the civilian doctors who participated in the program, Dr. Dean Lorich, said, "From my standpoint, you just can't say no to going. No matter how much of an inconvenience--if you believe what our country is about, you go when you're asked." Now that's the attitude of a hero. Dr. Lorich understands that being a hero isn't all about doing big things to get your name in lights, its all about (to paraphrase Bob Dylan) understanding the degree of responsibility that comes with freedom.

Dr. Lorich also treated a few heroes while participating in the program. He treated a Special Ops Soldier who broke both his legs in and IED attack. When Dr. Lorich told this highly trained Soldier that he wouldn't have normal function on his left side, and might do better if the leg was amputated. The Soldier said to do whatever was necessary to get him back to his unit. According to Dr. Lorich, that Soldier's dedication to his mission and his unit inspired him and changed the way he looked at life. Dr. Lorich said, "It's a totally humbling experience. You leave different from when you went. It makes you appreciate your home and your family. It was just life altering." According to Dr. Lorich, the military doctors he worked with and trained are also real heroes. He was impressed with their caring and dedication to their patients. He said, "You just can't believe what these guys do.' Dr. Lorich wouldn't hesitate to go back to Landstuhl and work with these heroes.
Although he was the trauma expert, sent there to train our military surgeons, he said that he "definitely took more away from it that I gave." Those are the words and the attitude of a hero.

God Bless Young Man

The milblog community lost one of its own with the death of Army Specialist Stephen Fortunato, 25, on Tuesday. He was killed on his first patrol after returning from a leave home to visit his family, when the vehicle he was riding in was hit by an IED. His mother found an entry dated August 30th on his blog and forwarded it to the Boston Globe who published it. I agree with CJ at A Soldier's Perspective and Brat at Tanker Brothers, this young patriot's words need to be spread far and wide. So, I'll do my part to honor him, his family, and his service by doing so.

If I may …

I'd like to say something....Just to get it out there so it is clear.
To all the pampered and protected Americans who feel it is their duty to inform me that I am not fighting for their freedom, and that i am a pawn in Bush's agenda of greed and oil acquisition: Noted, and [expletive deleted] You.

I am not a robot. i am not blind or ignorant to the state of the world or the implications of the "war on terrorism." i know that our leaders have made mistakes in the handling of a very sensitive situation, but do not for one second think that you can make me lose faith in what we, meaning America's sons, daughters, fathers, and mothers in uniform are doing.

I am doing my part in fighting a very real enemy of the United States, i.e. Taliban, Al Qaida, and various other radical sects of Islam that have declared war on our way of life. Unless you believe the events of 9/11 were the result of a government conspiracy, which by the way would make you a MORON, there is no reasonable argument you can make against there being a true and dangerous threat that needs to be dealt with. i don't care if there are corporations leaching off the war effort to make money, and i don't care if you don't think our freedom within America's borders is actually at stake. i just want to kill those who would harm my family and friends. it is that simple. Even if this is just a war for profit or to assert America's power, so what? Someone has to be on top and I want it to be us. There's nothing wrong with wishing prosperity for your side.

I am a proud American. i believe that my country allows me to live my life more or less however i want to, and believe me, i have seen what the alternative of that looks like. i also believe that our big scary government does way more than it has to to help complete [expletive deleted]-ups get back on their feet, a stark comparison to places where leaders just line their own pockets with gold while allowing the people who gave them their power and privilage to starve. I have chosen my corner. I back my country, and am proud to defend it against aggressors. Also, if you dare accuse us of being inhumane, or overly aggressive because we have rolled into someone else's country and blown some [expletive deleted] up and shot some people, let me remind you of just how inhumane we COULD be in defending ourselves. Let me remind you that we have a warhead that drops multiple bomblets from the stratosphere which upon impact, would turn all the sand in Iraq to glass, and reduce every living thing there to dust. Do we use it? No. Instead we use the most humane weapon ever devised: the American soldier. We send our bravest (and perhaps admitably craziest) men and women into enemy territory, into harms way, to root out those whom we are after and do our best to leave innocent lives unscathed.

...One last thing...a proposal. i know it has been stated time and time again but i just think it is worthy of reiteration. If you find yourself completely disgusted with the way America is being ran, and how we handle things on the global stage, you can leave. Isn't that amazing? No one will stop you! If you are an anarchist, there are places you can go where there is no government to tell you anything. That's right...you are left solely to your own devices and you can handle the men who show up at your door with AKs in any way that you see fit. Just don't try good old American debate tactics on them because you will most likely end up bound and blind-folded, to have your head chopped off on the internet so your parents can see it. However if you insist on staying here and taking advantage of privilages such as free speach and WIC, keep the counter-productive [expletive deleted] to a minimum while the grown ups figure out how to handle this god-awful mess in the middle east.

God Bless, young man, you never lost faith; and neither shall we. Rest in peace and know that your brothers and sisters in arms continue the work you did so well.

Another Hero!

Here's a story about another real-life hero from the Army Times. (Anyone seeing a trend here today?)

Spc. gets Silver Star for hand-to-hand combat

By Gina Cavallaro - Staff writer

The Rangers were wading through chest-high grass and deep irrigation ditches.

Spc. Joseph Gibson, 23, felt something odd underfoot. It turned out to be an armed man wearing a suicide vest. What happened next earned Gibson a Silver Star medal.

“He was kneeled down in one of the irrigation ditches. I actually stepped on him and just because of how the terrain was I really didn’t even think anything of it. I took about two more steps before I thought, ‘I’d better see what that was,’ ” said Gibson, of A Company, 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment.

Gibson received the Silver Star at a ceremony Sept. 26 at Fort Lewis, Wash., where his unit is headquartered.

It was April 26, and Gibson, who joined the Army in 2005 “to get as much action as I could,” had already been to Iraq three times on the night he and his squad were moving through the ditches.

The man in the ditch was the last thing he expected to see, Gibson said, and because he had been pushing through the grass to see the ground, he didn’t have his rifle aimed.

“He was fixin’ to shoot me and there’s no way I could have shot him first, so I just got in front of his weapon ... and he fired it off right next to my face,” Gibson told Army Times. “I tackled him to the ground and grabbed hold of his weapon ... and I started hollering for help. While I was doing that he ripped my helmet off.”

Before help could arrive, Gibson was in a full-scale hand-to-hand fight with the man, who was on his back and tenaciously fighting to get control of his AK47 assault rifle.

There was no room to maneuver in the ditch, and Gibson gained superiority by getting on top of the man and wrestling his rifle away. The man grabbed Gibson’s rifle, which was slung around his neck, and tried to keep Gibson from shooting him.

“He’s got my weapon, so I start to hit him in the face,” Gibson said. “He wasn’t trying to aim my weapon at me, he was in no position to do something like that.”

While Gibson was throwing punches, he could feel the man’s hand reaching down to “grab a knife or something to attack me and then he told me in English he said ‘bomb’ and I realized he had a bomb on him and he was trying to clock himself off.”

“It definitely dropped my morale, but it didn’t slow me down or anything,” he said.

“I kept control of his hand and he ... used his foot to push my chest plate up into my throat and it was beginning to choke me so I let all my weight down on him and I hit him in the face as hard as I could and knocked him out for just a second.”

With no time to waste, Gibson opened enough space between himself and the man to shoot.

“I buried my weapon into his gut and fired one off and he hollered and then that’s when I got off of him and neutralized him,” Gibson said.

Gibson’s close encounter with the suicidal enemy took place only minutes after he had risked his life under fire to help evacuate a Ranger buddy who had been shot when the squad assaulted enemy-held territory by helicopter.

After the hand-to-hand fight, Gibson continued to press on with his fellow Rangers to secure the area, fighting for about another hour.

After the close combat, Gibson said, “I was in a pretty good mood, I was ready to go. I was kind of discombobulated, running around a little shaken up, but I got it together and got my stuff and carried on.”

After the exhilaration of the action he said he joined the Army to see, he re-enlisted for six more years.

“I’ve thought about it, and I know it could have played out a lot of different ways, I’m just glad the guy did what he did and wasn’t thinking very smart,” Gibson said. “As long as I got out of his weapon’s reach, he didn’t have a chance.”

h/t Blackfive

Fallen Hero Video

Here's a heartwarming story about how one family honors their fallen hero and others. I guess I should give a "tissue alert" for this one.


h/t CJ

Real Heroes

Barry Rubin, a writer at American Thinker, has an article titled Detecting Real Heroes where he discusses a Raymond Chandler essay that, according to Mr. Rubin, defines the American hero and what the American hero tells us about ourselves and our society. Mr. Rubin says that “Americans like their heroes flawed but not shattered.” We like them to be reluctant; thrust into the role of hero because of their moral character and their commitment to doing the right thing for the right reason. We understand that our heroes are not perfect; we don’t want them to be better than we are, we want them to be someone we could (or should) be. We like heroes who are ordinary, imperfect people with a good sense of humor, who don’t take themselves too seriously. Although we like our imperfect heroes, we also want our heroes to have a strong sense of self; an understanding of character and honor and integrity. Our heroes have a strong moral code and despise the fake or the petty. Mr. Rubin describes American heroes as

”These are the kind of people who serve in the military, risk their lives, endure torture as prisoners if that befalls them, and work the tough jobs. Or, to pick an example at random, such a person might be a mother who works her way up from the PTA to a governorship by raising five kids and choosing to have a baby with serious problems. Where one side sees a living being, the other sees a burden.

They are the store clerks who don’t be the big break and become rock stars. They are the insurance salespeople, the factory workers, the businesspeople on a big or small scale, the truck drivers, and all the rest. If they don’t get glamour they should at least get respect.”

Aside from Mr. Rubin’s obvious political bias (one which, in the interests of full disclosure, I share) he’s right about the characteristics of the quintessential American hero. Real heroes, everyday heroes, are everywhere. They are the “wise who solve what the smart create.” They are the young men and women who choose, who volunteer, to serve a cause bigger than themselves; often at risk to life and limb. They are the wounded warriors who think only of recovering and rehabilitating so that they can rejoin their “buddies” in the field to get the job done. They are the mothers and fathers who work hard everyday to take care of their children; who give love and laughter along with the discipline. They are the people who give back to the community, the church, or the nation, rather than take just because they think they’re somehow “entitled.”

We don’t have to look far, or read the papers to detect real heroes. We all know someone who is a real hero. I know several. I’m sure you do, too. I know my AF-daughter and Marine-son are heroes. They chose to serve our nation, willingly, knowing that they may be called to put their life on the line. I know my daughter-in-law is a hero. She chooses to support my son’s choice to serve. They are easy heroes to detect. There are others, not so easy to see. I know a father who comforted his sick young son by letting him sleep on his chest, at the expense of the father’s own sleep and despite the father’s need to work the next day. I know a grandfather who worked hard every day of his life, but took the time to volunteer to teach the community’s youth the joys that of riding and caring for horses. I know young man who lost an eye in service to his country, but still wants to serve and still sees a future in service; despite having only one eye. I know a good man who has worked hard to conquer his demons and has changed his life for the better. These true heroes are more private heroes; but heroes nevertheless. I also see my mother and my grandmother as heroes. These strong and capable women raised children with love, and discipline, and helped instill a strong moral code based on honor and integrity in their offspring. I see my daughter as a hero. She’s picked up the torch these strong women lit and is carrying it forward in raising her own children. All of these heroes are real people, imperfect people, who just try to do what’s best. That’s what makes them real heroes.

"It's what Marines do."

Two Marines at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, Lance Corporals Brandon J. Brown and Christian D. Forrest, were recognized by the commanding general of 2nd MLG, Brig. Gen. Juan G. Ayala, for helping save the life of the driver a car that jumped a curb and slammed into a pole then rolled. The two Marines saw the accident and rushed to the driver's aid, pulling her from the car and waiting with her for paramedics to arrive. Read the Marine Corps' official press release here.

These two Lance Corporals certainly demonstrated the courage and personal bravery we've come to equate with the term "Marine." But what impressed me was their humbleness. They acted heroically, but both said that they did what any Marine would do. According to LCpl Forrest, "As a Marine you do what you need to do, when it's time to do it," while LCpl Brown says, "I felt good that I did it, but it’s what Marines do, we help. It’s our job." I wish more of the young people in this Country would have the attitude of these two young Marines. Perhaps the Country would be a better place. Thank you LCpls Forrest and Brown!

h/t Blackfive

Hometown Heroes

CNN has a great story today about a real hometown hero, Walt Peters. Mr Peters is a Vietnam veteran who has met most, if not all, of the flights carrying Soldiers going into and out of Hunter Air Field. He estimates that he's met over 20,000 Soldiers either leaving for their deployment or returning from a tour. Mr Peters, and the volunteers he trains and oversees, are there to shake the Soldiers' hands, give them an American Flag, and an say encouraging word. It's Mr Peters' type of quiet support that means the most to these young men and women. They can instinctively understand that Mr Peters knows what they're feeling. And he does. He's been there. The standard mantra these days is "we support the troops." Well, it's folks like Mr Peters and his volunteers, or those of you who adopt a Soldier or a unit, or those of you who just send a random care package, who really do support the troops. Don't forget them. Don't forget that they go where they're ordered, and do what they must, to support you, our way of life, and our Nation. Thank you, Mr Peters!