Shortly after he was assigned to Camp Shenango in PA, he was the officer on duty on a weekend. That weekend there was a race riot. My Dad went out of the headquarters and found himself in front of an armed mob. He said the young soldier in front had "a 30 Ought 6 aimed right at my belly button." My father told the soldier with the rifle to "take it easy." Then he heard someone in the back say "shoot the white . . . " The words in the rest of the description got coarser as I got older. I'll assume Motherf##cker was the used at some point.
Hearing the cowards in the back egging the man in front on, my Dad spoke to the shaking young man in front with the rifle. "If you pull that trigger the MPs are going to shoot you. If they don't shoot you they'll hang you. Nothing will happen to the son of a bitch in the back telling you what to do." The soldier put down his rifle. My Dad ordered the men back to their barracks and as far as I know never said anything further about the incident. He commanded a black company before being reassigned to Fort Indiantown Gap and a German Prisoner of War Camp in Reading. He kept in touch with some of his sergeants after the war.
Lately I have heard several people say that the Liberty Tree is watered with the blood of Patriots. When someone on the radio says this to his audience, you can bet he means their blood, not his. My Dad was a Massachusetts Republican as long as I can remember and would still be one if he were alive now (He would be 104). But he was a man who never backed down from a fight and had no use for "rabble rousers" the kind of people who start trouble and let others take the risks.
I must have heard that story 50 times growing up. I don't know why, but I did not think of that particular story until a few days ago, but it does help me understand why I dislike the current Patriot movement. Talk Radio hosts by definition "lead" from the back, not from the front. I just returned from serving in Iraq with an aviation task force in which all of the seniors officers including the commander flew missions--they led from the cockpit, not just from their desks.
On my Iraq tour, the unit I was assigned to...usually the highest ranking soldier to go out on regualar missions was below E-7.
ReplyDeleteWe had one Master Sergeant (E8) who lead his team by standing on the gun of the M1114 Up Armrored Humvee himself. He was on the gun for all 150+ missions. He was always the lead truck and was an example of "Watch what I do and see how to do this shit."
Neil, In your 3rd paragraph, you said,
ReplyDelete"He commanded a black company before being reassigned to Fort Indiantown Gap and a German Prisoner of War Camp in Reading. He kept in touch with some of his sergeants after the war."
Just curious - Sergeants from both sides (Black & German)? I'll bet that gave him an even better understanding of the situation!
Your statement, "Talk Radio hosts by definition "lead" from the back, not from the front." sums things up nicely.
Rich
Roller--In aviation the officers are very much in front.
ReplyDeleteRich--Definitely with the black sergeants and the guard sergeants. I have a painting in my living room Dad that was a gift from a POW.
There's actually a joke passed around the Marine Corps about this. It's meant to be a jab at the Air Force enlisted folks but it shows their officers "leading from the front".
ReplyDelete"Of all the services, the Air Force has the most intelligent enlisted people. This is not just theory, it's provable fact:
Take the Army, for instance. When the shit hits the fan, the young Army private wakes up from a bellow from the first sergeant. He grabs a set of BDUs out of his foot locker, gets dressed, runs down to the chowhall for a breakfast on the run, then jumps in his tank. Pretty soon, the platoon commander arrives, gives him a big salute, and says, "Give 'em hell, men."
Now take the Marines. When the shit hits the fan, the young Marine is kicked out of bed by his first sergeant and puts on a muddy set of cammies because he just got back in from the field three hours before. He gets no breakfast, but is told to feel free to chew on his boots. He runs out and forms up with his rifle. Pretty soon, his platoon commander comes out, a captain, gives his Marines a sharp salute, and says, "Give 'em hell, Marines!"
Now take the Navy. When the shit hits the fan, the young sailor is eating breakfast in the mess room. He walks 20 feet to his battle station, stuffing extra pastries in his pocket as he goes. There he sits, in the middle of a steel target, with nowhere to run, when the captain comes on the 1MC and says, "Give 'em hell, sailors! I salute you!"
Now the Air Force. When the shit hits the fan, the airman receives a phone call in his off-base quarters. He gets up, showers, shaves, and puts on a uniform he had just picked up from the BX cleaners the day before. He jumps in his car, and stops at McDonald's for a McMuffin on his way into work. Once he arrives at work, he signs in on the duty roster and proceeds to his F-16. He spends 30 minutes pre-flighting it, signs off the forms. Pretty soon the pilot, a young captain gets out and straps into the plane. He starts the engines. Our young airman stands at attention, gives the captain a sharp salute, and says, "Give 'em hell, Sir!"
Your father seems to have had the gift of wisdom,particularly in difficult circumstances, Neil. He also seemes to have had a unique way of analyzing what's happening in the moment. Was it his military training or God's gift to him (and to that frightened mob-driven soldier)? Hope you'll write more about him.
ReplyDeleteAs for the Patriot movement, we should all remember that the original patriots who helped win the freedoms we all enjoy did everything they could first, over some time, petitioning over and again for peaceful and legal rederss of their grievances. They were not quick to take up arms, nor should any member of a patriot group today be.
We should also not forget that while thre are some who want the fight for the sake of fighting, the majority of those in the patriot movement will strive with everything they have to effect real positive and lasting change through the systems already in place. It's a longer, more difficult road, but like the Christian walk, it's the road best traveled. Not everyone within those independent movements are giving heed to the radio talk show hosts. They were already talking and working long before the radio sophists turned their attentions on the problems.