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Profiles of Valor: U.S. Army Col. Robert Howard

February 27, 2010

Ret. Col. Robert Howard was laid to rest Wednesday at Arlington National Cemetery. He died Dec. 23 at age 70. Howard served five tours in Vietnam, was wounded 14 times, and was the most decorated soldier from that war, including eight Purple Hearts, four Bronze Stars, four Legion of Merit awards, the Silver Star, the Distinguished Service Cross (twice) and the Medal of Honor — a medal for which he was nominated three times for three separate actions in a 13-month period.

Howard’s Medal of Honor citation reads, “1st Lt. Howard (then SFC.), distinguished himself while serving as platoon sergeant of an American-Vietnamese platoon which was on a mission to rescue a missing American soldier in enemy controlled territory in the Republic of Vietnam. The platoon … was attacked by an estimated 2-company force. During the initial engagement, 1st Lt. Howard was wounded and his weapon destroyed by a grenade explosion. 1st Lt. Howard saw his platoon leader had been wounded seriously and was exposed to fire. Although unable to walk, and weaponless, 1st Lt. Howard unhesitatingly crawled through a hail of fire to retrieve his wounded leader. …

“Through his outstanding example of indomitable courage and bravery, 1st Lt. Howard was able to rally the platoon into an organized defense force. With complete disregard for his safety, 1st Lt. Howard crawled from position to position, administering first aid to the wounded, giving encouragement to the defenders and directing their fire on the encircling enemy. For 3 1/2 hours 1st Lt. Howard’s small force and supporting aircraft successfully repulsed enemy attacks and finally were in sufficient control to permit the landing of rescue helicopters. 1st Lt. Howard personally supervised the loading of his men and did not leave the bullet-swept landing zone until all were aboard safely. 1st Lt. Howard’s gallantry in action, his complete devotion to the welfare of his men at the risk of his life were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit on himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.”

Rest in peace, Colonel.

SOURCE

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Profiles in Valor: Ed Freeman, and media politics

February 7, 2010

This is stolen from Kieth over at Lighthouse Patriot Journal. Since the Government Controlled media, as Anthony calls it, refuses to tell the tale about this man then we of the not so mainstream have an obligation to do so. Is it political that CNN etc. are not covering this? After all, the media were on the side of the enemy in the Viet Nam War, and they still have their darling the treasonous John Kerry to wax elegant about.

This is a rather long post, but please read it in it’s entirety.

The following email was sent by Joan Bartelson concerning a hero described in the chain email circuit …

You’re a 19 year old kid. You’re critically wounded, and dying in the jungle in the Ia Drang Valley, 11-14-1965, LZ X-ray, Vietnam. Your infantry unit is outnumbered 8 – 1, and the enemy fire is so intense, from 100 or 200 yards away, that your own Infantry Commander has ordered the MediVac helicopters to stop coming in. You’re lying there, listening to the enemy machine guns, and you know you’re not getting out. Your family is 1/2 way around the world, 12,000 miles away, and you’ll never see them again. As the world starts to fade in and out, you know this is the day. Then, over the machine gun noise, you faintly hear that sound of a helicopter, and you look up to see an un-armed Huey, but it doesn’t seem real, because no Medi-Vac markings are on it. Ed Freeman is coming for you. He’s not Medi-Vac, so it’s not his job, but he’s flying his Huey down into the machine gun fire, after the Medi-Vacs were ordered not to come.

He’s coming anyway.

And he drops it in, and sits there in the machine gun fire, as they load 2 or 3 of you on board. Then he flies you up and out through the gunfire, to the Doctors and Nurses. And, he kept coming back…. 13 more times….. And took about 30 of you and your buddies out, who would never have gotten out.

Medal of Honor Recipient , Ed Freeman , died last Wednesday at the age of 80, in Boise , ID ……May God rest his soul….. I bet you didn’t hear about this hero’s passing, but we sure were told a whole bunch about some Hip-Hop Coward beating the crap out of his “girlfriend” Medal of Honor Winner Ed Freeman!

Shame on the American Media.

Myth Blaster Verdict:Truth, except remarks concerning American Media.Ed W. “Too Tall” Freeman was born November 20th 1927 in Neely, Mississippi and died on August 20th 2008. He was a US Army helicopter pilot who received the Medal of Honor for his action during the Battle of Ia Drang in the Vietnam War. Mr. Freeman was a wingman for Major Bruce Crandall who also received the Medal of Honor.Mr. Freeman served in World War II and attained the rank of Master Sergeant by the time the Korean War began. He was in the Corps of Engineers, but fought as an infantry soldier in the Korean War. He fought in the Battle of Pork Chop Hill and received a battlefield commission as an officer, which made him eligible to become a pilot, a dream he had since childhood. When he applied for flight school training, he was considered too tall (six foot, four inches) for pilot duty, and thus the reason for his nickname. In 1955, the height limit was raised and Mr. Freeman was accepted to attend flight school. He first trained in fix-wing aircraft and then switched to helicopters. He was an experienced helicopter pilot by the time he was sent to Vietnam in 1965 and became second-in-command as a Captain in Company A, 229th Assault Helicopter Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile), 16-helicopter unit. Wikipedia (verified):

On November 14th, 1965, Captain Freeman and his unit transported a battalion of American soldiers to the Ia Drang Valley. After returning to base, they learned that the soldiers were under intense fire and taking heavy casualties. Enemy fire around the landing zones was so heavy that the medical evacuation helicopters refused to fly in to the landing zone. Freeman and his commander, Major Bruce Crandall, volunteered to fly their unarmed, lightly armored helicopters in support of the embattled troops. Freeman made a total of fourteen trips to the battlefield, bringing in water and ammunition and taking out wounded soldiers. Freeman was sent home from Vietnam in 1966 and retired from the military the next year. He settled in the Treasure Valley area of Idaho, his wife Barbara’s home state, and continued to work as a pilot. He used his helicopter to fight wildfires, perform animal censuses, and herd wild horses for the Department of the Interior until his retirement in 1991. Freeman’s commanding officer nominated him for the Medal of Honor for his actions at Ia Drang, but not in time to meet a two-year deadline then in place. He was instead awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. The Medal of Honor nomination was disregarded until 1995, when the two-year deadline was removed.

He was formally presented with the medal on July 16th, 2001 by President George W. Bush. Freeman died on August 20, 2008, due to complications from Parkinson’s disease. He was buried in the Idaho State Veterans Cemetery in Boise. In the 2002 film We Were Soldiers, which depicted the Battle of Ia Drang, Freeman was portrayed by Mark McCracken. The post office of Freeman’s hometown of McLain, Mississippi, was renamed the “Major Ed W. Freeman Post Office” in March 2009.

Medal of Honor Citation:

Captain Ed W. Freeman, United States Army, distinguished himself by numerous acts of conspicuous gallantry and extraordinary intrepidity on 14 November 1965 while serving with Company A, 229th Assault Helicopter Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile). As a flight leader and second in command of a 16-helicopter lift unit, he supported a heavily engaged American infantry battalion at Landing Zone X-Ray in the Ia Drang Valley, Republic of Vietnam. The unit was almost out of ammunition after taking some of the heaviest casualties of the war, fighting off a relentless attack from a highly motivated, heavily armed enemy force. When the infantry commander closed the helicopter landing zone due to intense direct enemy fire, Captain Freeman risked his own life by flying his unarmed helicopter through a gauntlet of enemy fire time after time, delivering critically needed ammunition, water and medical supplies to the besieged battalion. His flights had a direct impact on the battle’s outcome by providing the engaged units with timely supplies of ammunition critical to their survival, without which they would almost surely have gone down, with much greater loss of life. After medical evacuation helicopters refused to fly into the area due to intense enemy fire, Captain Freeman flew 14 separate rescue missions, providing life-saving evacuation of an estimated 30 seriously wounded soldiers — some of whom would not have survived had he not acted. All flights were made into a small emergency landing zone within 100 to 200 meters of the defensive perimeter where heavily committed units were perilously holding off the attacking elements. Captain Freeman’s selfless acts of great valor, extraordinary perseverance and intrepidity were far above and beyond the call of duty or mission and set a superb example of leadership and courage for all of his peers. Captain Freeman’s extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.[4]

The following entries of the bibliography demonstrate that Major Freeman, US Army retired was afforded plenty of publicity – even at this death, as one of many American heroes of our nation’s history. That part of the chain email was untrue.Some email versions, according to SNOPES, presents the wrong date of death.The email as one can see is a bit outdated and has made the chain email circuit many times, sometimes changed in various ways.The travesty of this story is how long it took for the man to receive his honor as an American hero, the two-year limit rule was ridiculous. In the myriad of paperwork, sometimes thinks get misplaced. My father finally received his additional medals after World War II – twenty years later.Bibliography MOH Recipient Ed Freeman Dies … (August 21st 2008) Idaho Statesman, Military.comMedal of Honor Recipient Ed Freeman, 80, dies … Nightly News videoEd Freeman … Snopes Ed Freeman, Medal of Honor Recipient … David Emery, Urban Legends Netlore Archive, About.comRemembering Medal of Honor Recipient Ed Freeman … Truth or FictionEd Freeman … Wikipedia Biography with sources Decades Later, Vietnam War Hero Is Finally Awarded Medal of Honor … Sandra Jontz, Stars and Stripes, July 17th 2001 Bush Presents Congressional Medal of Honor … CNN, July 16th 2001Congress Names Post Office for Valley Medal of Honor Recipient, Idaho Press-Tribune, March 18th 2009

SOURCE

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Profiles of Valor: U.S. Army Major Brent Clemmer

February 6, 2010

On Jan. 28, 2007, while commanding the Charger Company of 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, United States Army Major Brent Clemmer received notice that a helicopter had been shot down near Najaf, Iraq. Responding coalition forces were under heavy gun and mortar fire. Clemmer moved his company approximately 60 miles to connect with a Special Forces team to establish a perimeter between the downed chopper and the enemy. From there, he directed the recovery of the wreckage and the bodies of the two pilots killed in the crash. Clemmer’s unit fought off numerous enemy attacks and prepared for a full assault on the town where the insurgents were entrenched.

At dawn the following morning, however, wounded women and children began coming from the town, signaling the jihadis’ surrender and turning the would-be assault into a humanitarian mission. All told, Clemmer and his soldiers killed about 250 insurgents and captured more than 400. In addition, they recovered stockpiles of ammunition and weapons. Upon receiving the Silver Star for his actions, Clemmer said the award was a reflection on the performance of the nearly 170 soldiers in his company.

SOURCE

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Marine Corps Christmas: Poetry in motion

December 8, 2009

Tradition. That spells it out. My good friend and internet buddy Texas Fred found an update of something that has been said many times before. Something that a Marine writes.

Yes, Army Infantrymen write the same sorts of things too.

But ? Well, the Marines have this one cornered. Plus, I am admittedly somewhat prejudiced. I am, after all? A Marine Corps Brat!

To be sure; this could have been written by any young Soldier, Sailor, or Airman. But? A Marine did it!
Enjoy!

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.

Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.
The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.

My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.

The sound wasn’t loud, and it wasn’t too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn’t quite know,
Then the sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.

My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.
Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.

A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.

“What are you doing?” I asked without fear,
“Come in this moment, it’s freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!”

For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts.
To the window that danced with a warm fire’s light
Then he sighed and he said “It’s really all right,
I’m out here by choice. I’m here every night.”

“It’s my duty to stand at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.
No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I’m proud to stand here like my fathers before me.

My Gramps died at ‘ Pearl on a day in December,”
Then he sighed, “That’s a Christmas ‘Gram always remembers.”
My dad stood his watch in the jungles of ‘ Nam ‘,
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.
I’ve not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he’s sure got her smile.

Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red, white, and blue… an American flag.
I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home.

I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.
I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother.

Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall.”
“So go back inside,” he said, “harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting and I’ll be all right.”

“But isn’t there something I can do, at the least,
“Give you money,” I asked, “or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you’ve done,
For being away from your wife and your son.”

Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
“Just tell us you love us, and never forget.
To fight for our rights back home while we’re gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.

For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled.
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us.”

Stolen from TexasFred!

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Profiles of Valor: Col. Van Barfoot

December 5, 2009

Yet another example of an HOA gone power mad…

This is not the usual profile of valor. This is the story of a highly decorated 90-year-old World War II and Vietnam vet fighting his homeowner’s association to keep his flagpole. Col. Van Barfoot has been awarded more than 20 medals, including three Purple Hearts, the Bronze Star, the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit and the Medal of Honor, and is thought to be the most decorated living combat veteran.

Barfoot recently placed a flagpole and U.S. flag outside his home near Richmond, Virginia. The homeowner’s association guidelines don’t expressly forbid flagpoles but say they must be “aesthetically appropriate.” Apparently, that means only short poles on porches. The association issued a statement saying, “This is not about the American flag. This is about a flagpole… We are a neighborhood of patriotic Americans, many of whom have served our country in the military as Col. Barfoot has done…” They might try serving it again by dropping this outrageous request.

Barfoot’s story is also quite a contrast with that of our current commander in chief, who, while at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska, refused to be photographed with the F-22 that he fought so hard to cancel.

SOURCE

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Wake Up America: Profiles in Valor

November 30, 2009

Received this a short time ago from Marvelous Merry. Please follow the link, and view the video. This is powerful stuff folks.

Semper Fi!


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Veterans Day

November 11, 2009

What can I say? If you can read this thank a teacher. If you are alive, thank a Veteran!

Veterans Day

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Political Correctness on steroids: The Political Correctness Bomb That Exploded At Fort Hood

November 10, 2009

Hat Tip to Texas Fred. Political correctness is a demon that tries the patience of the best of us. For my part, it the epitome of dishonesty.

Read on;

The Political Correctness Bomb That Exploded At Fort Hood

By Edward L. Daley

Nidal Malik Hasan is an Islamic terrorist who, with premeditation and contempt for our military’s anti-terrorist mission in the Middle East, murdered 13 American servicemen and women, and wounded 30 more at Fort Hood, Texas last week. To refer to him as something other than an Islamic terrorist is to ignore the painfully obvious facts surrounding the case, yet that is precisely what the leaders of the American leftist movement, and their sycophantic drones in the news media, are doing.

They are intentionally ignoring the fact that he has been a vocal critic of our nation’s war against Islamic terrorism, even going so far as to argue with soldiers under his psychiatric care against the very mission to which they’ve devoted their lives.

They are intentionally ignoring the fact that he attended the Dar al-Hijrah mosque in Great Falls, Virginia at the same time that two of the September 11 terrorists did, and has stayed in contact with its hate-preaching, imam, Anwar al-Awlaki, even though the radical terrorist recruiter has since fled to Yemen.

They are intentionally ignoring the fact that he is a Muslim extremist who handed out copies of the Quran prior to his vicious and unprovoked attack on our nation’s bravest men and women.

They are intentionally ignoring the fact that he shouted “Allahu Akbar” during the massacre, a phrase routinely exclaimed by Islamic terrorists while committing just such atrocities.

To argue that Mr. Hasan was not, as far as we know, a member of an organized terrorist group, is entirely irrelevant when considering the nature of who he is and the obvious motivation behind his heinous actions.

He is clearly sympathetic to the cause of the Islamofascists that his fellow soldiers combat on a daily basis, and has time and again exhibited a sincere disdain for America’s war policies.

The fact that Mr. Hasan is an Islamic terrorist is not in question, at least not to anyone with a functioning brain and the ability to view events objectively. He is a Muslim and he did commit an act of terrorism as sickening as any other. CASE CLOSED!

What is in question, however, is a system which has allowed so obvious a threat as he to exist within the U.S. military; nay, to do more than exist; to advance with uncommon speed to the rank of Army Major!

And what is the unmistakable flaw in that system? Rampant political correctness. Our defenses have not been weakened by a lack of understanding on our part of the enemy’s ideological worldview, intentions or methods of operation. We know exactly who we’re facing, what they want and how they intend to accomplish their goals.

The fault lies with those military commanders and their counterparts in the political realm who have chosen to forgo the rational courses of action associated with the concept of self-preservation, all in the name of multiculturalism.

In essence, it is we who have blown a gaping hole in our own defenses, for no better reason than to appear ethnically and culturally tolerant to the rest of the world, and it is we who must seal that hole as soon as humanly possible.

We have allowed the cancer of political correctness to permeate every aspect of our society for at least a generation, and now it has settled in the last bastion of hope for liberty and justice in the world, the United States armed forces. Advanced by enemy spies, political cowards and traitors alike, this weapon of mass delusion is as dangerous to America’s survival as anything the Islamofascists can throw at us. The true horror of this particular weapon is that we created it, and it is only we who can be harmed by it.

Sourced via an email.
Read about the Author HERE

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Happy Birthday!

November 10, 2009

Happy Birthday MARINES! A special shout out to 1st MarDiv for all that so many of you have done over time.

On Nov. 10, 1775, the Second Continental Congress resolved to create two battalions of Continental Marines for the War of Independence from Britain. In 1798, President John Adams signed the Act establishing the United States Marine Corps. The 13th Commandant of the Marine Corps, General John A. Lejeune, issued Marine Corps Order No. 47, Series 1921, directing that on Nov. 10 every year, in honor of the Corps’ birthday, the Order’s summary of the history, mission and tradition of the Corps be read to every command.

SOURCE

For any of the older Marines that were not aware, my mother, Patty, that worked at the San Luis Rey  Inn, and Sea bags, as well as a few other bars and restaurants that catered to the Marines on Camp Pendleton passed away last July 9th. The Marine Corps never had a bigger fan. Services are still pending, as I am attempting to get permission to spread her ashes along the beach’s that are used for training south of San Onofre.

SEMPER FI!

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Fort Hood: A Free fire zone, so much for gun control

November 10, 2009

Much has been written over the past few days about the Fort Hood incident. As usual, the Brady Bunch and others are calling for more gun control. As if weaponry on military bases are not already under strict control. Be that as it may my inbox has been filling up with various states of rage. I don’t really call it correspondence, after all, most up until now have been emotional venting ‘s. This includes some from people that are well educated, current and former military, and fellow emergency workers. Then, I opened up the mailbox this morning, and a friend had forwarded something that he had received first hand. This person is a trusted confidant, and for opsec reasons a few lines have been edited out to protect the source’s. So much for gun control…

H/T to Neil

This was sent to me supposedly from a 1st hand account from the friend of a friend. I believe it-you can choose to believe or disbelieve as you wish.

I thought you might find this interesting.

I received this from a friend today. The writer, a JAG (Lawyer) officer was
a first person participant in what took place at the Soldier Readiness
Center at Fort Hood on last Thursday. This is his personal
account of events. When you read this understand it was written after a very
long and very busy day. These are his words and phrasing.

> What happened.

Since I don’t know when I’ll sleep (it’s 4 am now) I’ll write what happened (the abbreviated version. the long one is already part of the investigation with more to come. I’ll not write about any part of the investigation that I’ve learned about since inevitably my JAG brothers and sisters are deeply involved in the investigation) .
>
Don’t assume that most of the current media accounts are very accurate.They’ re not. They’ll improve with time. Only those of us who were there really know what went down. But as they collate our statements they’ll get it right.
>
I did my SRP last week (Soldier Readiness Processing) but you’re supposed to come back a week later to have them look at the smallpox vaccination site (it’s this big itchy growth on your shoulder). I am probably alive because I pulled a ———- and entered the wrong building first (the main SRP building).
>
The Medical SRP building is off to the side. Realizing my mistake I left the main building and walked down the sidewalk to the medical SRP building.As I’m walking up to it the gunshots start. Slow and methodical. But continuous.
>
Two ambulatory wounded came out. Then two soldiers dragging a third who was covered in blood. Hearing the shots but not seeing the shooter, along with a couple other soldiers I stood in the street and yelled at everyone who came running that it was clear but to “RUN!” I kept motioning people fast.
>
About 6-10 minutes later (the shooting continuous), two cops ran up, one
male, one female. We pointed in the direction of the shots. They headed that way (the medical SRP building was about 50 meters away). Then a lot more gunfire. a couple minutes later a balding man in ACU’s came around the building carrying a pistol and holding it tactically.
>
He started shooting at us and we all dived back to the cars behind us. I don’t think he hit the couple other guys who were there. I did see the bullet holes later in the cars. First I went behind a tire and then looked under the body of the car. I’ve been trained how to respond to gunfire…but with my own weapon. To have no weapon I don’t know how to explain what that felt like. I hadn’t run away and stayed because I had thought about the consequences or anything like that. I wasn’t thinking anything through.
>
Please understand, there was no intention. I was just staying there because I didn’t think about running. It never occurred to me that he might shoot me. Until he started shooting in my direction and I realized I was unarmed.
>
Then the female cop comes around the corner. He shoots her. (according to the news account she got a round into him. I believe it, I just didn’t see it. He didn’t go down.) She goes down. He starts reloading. He’s fiddling with his mags. Weirdly he hasn’t dropped the one that was in his weapon. He’s holding the fresh one and the old one (you do that on the range when time is not of the essence but in combat you would just let the old mag go).
>
I see the male cop around the left corner of the building. (I’m about 15-20 meters from the shooter.) I yell at the cop, “He’s reloading, he’s reloading. Shoot him! Shoot him!) You have to understand, everything was quiet at this point. The cop appears to hear me and comes around the corner and shoots the shooter. He goes down. The cop kicks his weapon further away. I sprint up to the downed female cop. Another captain (I think he was with me behind the cars) comes up as well.

She’s bleeding profusely out of her thigh. We take our belts off and tourniquet her just like we’ve been trained (I hope we did it right…we didn’t have any CLS (combat lifesaver) bags with their awesome tourniquets on us, so we worked with what we had).
>
Meanwhile, in the most bizarre moment of the day, a photographer was standing over us taking pictures. I suppose I’ll be seeing those tomorrow. Then a soldier came up and identified himself as a medic. I then realized her weapon was lying there unsecured (and on “fire”). I stood over it and when I saw a cop yelled for him to come over and secure her weapon (I would have done so but I was worried someone would mistake me for a bad guy).
>
I then went over to the shooter. He was unconscious. A Lt Colonel was there and had secured his primary weapon for the time being. He also had a revolver. I couldn’t believe he was one of ours. I didn’t want to believe it. Then I saw his name and rank and realized this wasn’t just some specialist with mental issues. At this point there was a guy there from CID and I asked him if he knew he was the shooter and had him secured. He said he did.
>
I then went over the slaughter house. – the medical SRP building. No human should ever have to see what that looked like, and I won’t tell you. Just believe me. Please. there was nothing to be done there.
>
Someone then said there was someone critically wounded around the corner. I
ran around (while seeing this floor to ceiling window that someone had jumped through movie style) and saw a large African-American soldier lying on his back with two or three soldiers attending.
>
I ran up and identified two entrance wounds on the right side of his stomach, one exit wound on the left side and one head wound. He was not bleeding externally from the stomach wounds (though almost certainly internally) but was bleeding from the head wound. A soldier was using a shirt to try and stop the head bleeding. He was conscious so I began talking to him to keep him so. He was 42, from North Carolina, he was named something Jr., his son was named something III and he had a daughter as well. His children lived with him. He was divorced. I told him the blubber on his stomach saved his life. He smiled.
>
A young soldier in civvies showed up and identified himself as a combatmedic. We debated whether to put him on the back of a pickup truck. A doctor (well, an audiologist) showed up and said you can’t move him, he has a head wound. we finally sat tight.
>
I went back to the slaughterhouse. they weren’t let ting anyone in there. Not even medics. finally, after about 45 minutes had elapsed some cops showed up in tactical vests. someone said the TBI building was unsecured. They headed into there. All of a sudden a couple more shots were fired.People shouted there was a second shooter. A half hour later the SWAT showed up. there was no second shooter. that had been an impetuous cop apparently, but that confused things for a while.
>
Meanwhile I went back to the shooter. the female cop had been taken away.
A medic was pumping plasma into the shooter. I’m not proud of this but I went up to her and said “this is the shooter, is there anyone else who needs attention… do them first”. she indicated everyone else living was attended to. I still hadn’t seen any EMTs or ambulances.
>
I had so much blood on me that people kept asking me if I was ok. but that was all other people’s blood. Eventually (an hour and a half to two hours after the shootings) they started landing choppers. they took out the big African American guy and the shooter. I guess the ambulatory wounded were all at the SRP building. Everyone else in my area was dead.
>
I suppose the emergency responders were told there were multiple shooters. I heard that was the delay with the choppers (they were all civilian helicopters) . They needed a secure LZ. but other than the initial cops who did everything right, I didnt’ see a lot of them for a while.
>
I did see many a soldier rush out to help their fellows/sisters. There was one female soldier, I dont’ know her name or rank but I would recognize her anywhere, who was everywhere helping people. A couple people, mainly civilians, were hysterical, but only a couple. One civilian freaked out when I tried to comfort her when she saw my uniform. I guess she had seen the shooter up close.
>
A lot of soldiers were rushing out to help even when we thought there was another gunman out there. this Army is not broken no matter what the pundits say. Not the Army I saw.
>
Then they kept me for a long time to come. oh, and perhaps the most surreal
thing, at 1500 (the end of the workday on Thursdays) when the bugle sounded we all came to attention and saluted the flag. In the middle of it all.
>
This is what I saw. It can’t have been real. But this is my small corner of what happened.

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