From Rocker To Decorated Special Forces Hero

[thatguy]

A long but interesting read.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/02/ma...anted=all&_r=0

The Rock ’n’ Roll Casualty Who Became a War Hero

[sandnyerface]

Thanks, I enjoyed reading that!

[Pistolwiz]

Thanks. Great story!

[gunplumber]

I read most of it, but I couldn't find the part where he was a war hero. I was expecting a Bronze star with V at a minimum. All I got was some guy served.

[Nomad, 2nd]

Originally Posted by gunplumber

I read most of it, but I couldn't find the part where he was a war hero. I was expecting a Bronze star with V at a minimum. All I got was some guy served.

They infered it wasn't talked about.... (the bit about the other GI's commenting about what he had done while in uniform vs what band he had been in)
No idea what depth...

[Pistolwiz]

Read it:

"In Everman’s cabin, I saw medal after medal, including the coveted Combat Infantryman Badge. “Sounds kind of Boy Scouty,” he said. “But it’s actually something cool."


What? He has to brag about his medals and tell you all the stories or it never happened or something? He probably doesn't talk about them because he's that kinda guy.

[ER]

CIB sits at the top of the stack, trumped only by the MOH

Told to me by a 3-tour combat vet, Korea 1950-51, Vietnam 63-64 & 68-69, US Army infantry

Think about it......

[tac-40]

Compared to what I had to put up with in the late 60's and early 70's, anybody who serves in active duty today, especially those who have been in combat, are heroes to me. They wrote a check so that others didn't have to. So he IS a hero.

[gunplumber]

when everyone is a hero, nobody is a hero.

Your philosophy is the same that gives trophies to every athlete "for participation".

The Army hands out awards like a PEZ candy dispenser. ARCOMs for making "the best pork chops the general has ever tasted". Bronze stars for showing up (if you are active duty - your National Guard members serving in the same platoon are unworthy). CIBs for merely landing with a supply plane in a secured airport. So a bronze star today doesn't mean shit. Unless it has a V, then it probably matters. Todays' bronze star is yesterday's letter of appreciation.

Anytime someone talks about "secret missions" my first suspicion is they are full of shit. Yes, US forces went to a number of Latin American countries to help their governments burn out the crops of their competitors. Mostly aviation assets and "advisers".

I'm not saying it is impossible, but it is highly unlikely to deploy Rangers in any size smaller than a company. And as "shock troops" it is even more rare for Ranger operations to remain out of the newspaper.

So my bullshit meter isn't off the dial, but it is twitching.


Lets break it down.
A fellow soldier named Sean Walker told me that Ranger instructors begin by asking recruits to quit now to save time. “You had to pass a 12-mile road march in three hours or less,” Walker said, “run 5 miles in 40 minutes or less, complete the combat-swimmers test, as well as other evils the cadre decided to throw at you.” Half the recruits quit. But Everman refused to let himself be left behind this time. He completed every last requirement.

OSUT Basic + AIT, volunteer for airborne school. Then volunteer for RIP (Ranger Indoctrination). That's the only way he'd see a ranger instructor before a year of service. So it must be RIP he's talking about, not Ranger School. This is a simple weeding out program for assignment to a Ranger BN. Cheaper than shipping a guy to a unit and having him quit there. Notice it is a 3rd party giving this description.

Since he went to Lewis on a 4 year hitch. 93 -96 or maybe early '97. that would be 2nd Bat. McCrystal was the commander at the time. Did they run drug interdiction missions? Maybe. Was it "combat" or simply providing security? It's certainly not secret.

Hey - kudos for serving. Kudos for making it to the Rangers. Kudos for making SF. But when the title of an article includes "war hero" I kindof expected some evidence that he was a war hero. There is none. Just a guy who served well and honorably alongside tens of thousands of others. When everyone is a hero, nobody is a hero.

[Garys4598]

Originally Posted by gunplumber

when everyone is a hero, nobody is a hero.

Your philosophy is the same that gives trophies to every athlete "for participation".

The Army hands out awards like a PEZ candy dispenser. ARCOMs for making "the best pork chops the general has ever tasted". Bronze stars for showing up (if you are active duty - your National Guard members serving in the same platoon are unworthy). CIBs for merely landing with a supply plane in a secured airport. So a bronze star today doesn't mean shit. Unless it has a V, then it probably matters. Todays' bronze star is yesterday's letter of appreciation.

Anytime someone talks about "secret missions" my first suspicion is they are full of shit. Yes, US forces went to a number of Latin American countries to help their governments burn out the crops of their competitors. Mostly aviation assets and "advisers".

I'm not saying it is impossible, but it is highly unlikely to deploy Rangers in any size smaller than a company. And as "shock troops" it is even more rare for Ranger operations to remain out of the newspaper.

So my bullshit meter isn't off the dial, but it is twitching.


Lets break it down.
A fellow soldier named Sean Walker told me that Ranger instructors begin by asking recruits to quit now to save time. “You had to pass a 12-mile road march in three hours or less,” Walker said, “run 5 miles in 40 minutes or less, complete the combat-swimmers test, as well as other evils the cadre decided to throw at you.” Half the recruits quit. But Everman refused to let himself be left behind this time. He completed every last requirement.

OSUT Basic + AIT, volunteer for airborne school. Then volunteer for RIP (Ranger Indoctrination). That's the only way he'd see a ranger instructor before a year of service. So it must be RIP he's talking about, not Ranger School. This is a simple weeding out program for assignment to a Ranger BN. Cheaper than shipping a guy to a unit and having him quit there. Notice it is a 3rd party giving this description.

Since he went to Lewis on a 4 year hitch. 93 -96 or maybe early '97. that would be 2nd Bat. McCrystal was the commander at the time. Did they run drug interdiction missions? Maybe. Was it "combat" or simply providing security? It's certainly not secret.

Hey - kudos for serving. Kudos for making it to the Rangers. Kudos for making SF. But when the title of an article includes "war hero" I kindof expected some evidence that he was a war hero. There is none. Just a guy who served well and honorably alongside tens of thousands of others. When everyone is a hero, nobody is a hero.

+1!

Per usual, Mark stated it best.

I could not read beyond the first sentence in the second paragraph of the article. . . the writing contained within made me want to gag due to the blatant sensationalism and exaggeration.

[Roadmarker]

The guy found his place and was at peace. He did serve his country. Maybe "Hero" is a bit strong, but he did his part, and that of it's own is all I could ever ask.
Seems to me that "heros" are many times, the result of someone else's blunder and the "hero" just did what he had to do to keep his brothers-in-arms alive. He overcame his personal challenges and fought for his country on many battlefields. Every heroic action and deed does not receive a medal. There are a lot more heroes than medals to go around in my book, but then again the Marines don't hand out medals for standing watch either.
There are a lot of "heros" out there and if the circumstances fall just right, or wrong, there will medals and awards handed out.
Now if you're talking Audey Murphy or Sgt. York....that's a whole different story, or is it?

[the gman]

Originally Posted by Roadmarker

The guy found his place and was at peace. He did serve his country. Maybe "Hero" is a bit strong, but he did his part, and that of it's own is all I could ever ask.
Seems to me that "heros" are many times, the result of someone else's blunder and the "hero" just did what he had to do to keep his brothers-in-arms alive. He overcame his personal challenges and fought for his country on many battlefields. Every heroic action and deed does not receive a medal. There are a lot more heroes than medals to go around in my book, but then again the Marines don't hand out medals for standing watch either.
There are a lot of "heros" out there and if the circumstances fall just right, or wrong, there will medals and awards handed out.
Now if you're talking Audey Murphy or Sgt. York....that's a whole different story, or is it?

FYI, guys usually don't fight for their country, they fight for their friends. Especially in this latest go round of bullshit deployments for questionable reasons, they aren't fighting for the USA, they are fighting to keep the MIC alive and healthy..... Mores the shame that thousands needed to die for a lie and many more are injured and crippled for life for NOTHING. And yes, I am a combat vet of several deployments prior to 9-11.

[Dirt1042]

I'm a fireman and yes I've been called a "hero". I have saved people before with the help of the people I work with. We get paid to do it. I hate being called a "hero" for choosing to do a job I get paid to do. Lots of people fawn over it and I get uncomfortable.

There was talk of handing out ribbons and shit like that for our service and most of the guys I work with said it was stupid.