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Of Little Girls and Grenades -- Addenda
I'm starting a separate post to keep the comments and spin-off links from my "Decisions" post from being overlooked. I'll update this post as time goes on and possibly re-date it to keep it nearer the top of my blog.
(Updated 2004.11.26)
From a PM I received from Rurik today: I posted the story over on the Swift site too. And I just got a PM from "Redneck Vet" telling me he served with the 1/20 Inf along the main highway from 9/69 to 9/70, and thanking me for perhaps having bought the one that was meant for him. I reminded him that he may have been the one who kept the VC from collecting the bounty on my personal ass.
He continues on another forum I frequent: 1stCav, sincere thanks. Truth is, I can't tell how I would have reacted, only how I did react on that occasion. If it were to happen again on any other occasion I might do differently. And of course that's really the point.
Jack left this comment on my original post: Thanks for posting this, the armchair pundits can say whatever they want about how they would handle a situation, but until they have encountered the same situation, don't criticize or critique someone else's decision unless, you have had to make the same decisions. BTW I ran some of the Quang Nghai and Tam Ki runs out of Chu Lai. Thanks Rurik for keeping the mines swept.
Update: Desert Storm vet Bullshark had this to say: My first unit of assignment was the 39th En Bn. In 1984. I later served with 307En ABN in Iraq. My story much like this was told on mypetjawa several days ago. People who have made snap decisions are less likely to judge others whether they agree or not.
Update: Carridine, who has provided me with a couple of good blog posts in the past (here and here), left this worthy comment: Concur yr analysis. Combat is, for better or worse, split-second response. Second-guessing is the bounty of having survived a split-second decision moments earlier. Second-guessing is NOT appropriate when practiced by THOSE NOT ON-SITE or in-view of the incident in question. Really appreciated the story from Nam. I'd heard and read like it before (my 'Nam era time was on an island on the Korean DMZ) from guys there, but it bears repeating. Thanks for sharing it. Kerry Dean
Update update: "Carridine" tells me that he's gone back to using his real name, Kerry Dean Hooper, now that the election's over. He "went undercover" back during the primary season out of distaste for the two leading Democratic contenders. Kerry has some great patriotic/conservative music available here and here. Go check it out.
Blackhawk pilot Capt 2Slick emails that he'll be linking to my post Monday. Internet service for Soldiers in Kuwait being what it is, I don't guess I'll complain about waiting. links from Kuwait, with his comments (Be safe, Captain. Thank you for your service.): Sure there were probably some "rogue" MSM blowhards who tried to Abu Ghraibicize this thing- but I think (hope) that the majority of the media kept it fair. I hear Bill O'Reilly was a big watchdog during the whole thing- good job, Bill. In any case, it seems to be dying down quite a bit. Maybe it's the basketball fight or maybe the media is actually starting to "get it." Okay, you're right- it's the basketball fight.
Delftsman3 links, with some worthy comments of his own: [...]
The general population has no right to judge any of these incidents; unless you have been there in a split-second life or death decision moment, you can not know what is really going on in the minds of any of these men. The ironic thing is that this young Marine is being hoisted on the petard by one of the representatives of one our most cherished rights, that of a free press with free speech as the standard norm, and what he is there in Iraq defending.
The problem as I see it is that the press has forgotten that with the right of free speech comes the responsibility of presenting ALL the facts surrounding any story, and thinking of how their reporting may affect the attitudes of the general population, our soldiers, and our enemies.
[...]
This was true in Viet Nam as well. In fact, I would contend that this lack of living up to the responsibilities led to our "loss" in that conflict. We lost not a single military encounter in that conflict, but biased reporting made it seem as if we were losing not only the battles, but that we were animals in pursuit of combat operations.
People that had no experience of combat and guerilla warfare were sitting safe at home decrying the actions of men who were living moment to moment with death as the reward of a wrong decision made in less time than it takes to take one breath. And only the "brutal" decisions made under such circumstances were portrayed, with none of the background surrounding those decisions being shown. You can not judge combat under civilian conditions.
[...]
During WW2 my father was a member of the Dutch Underground. One of the activities he participated in was lying in wait as his sister would lure a lone German soldier into a dark alley with a promise of sexual favors, whereupon he and and a compatriot would slit the soldier's throat and steal whatever was of use in his possession. Had they even been observed on the streets, they would have been shot by the Germans without even a second thought. They were fully aware of that fact. This was an accepted risk of their activities.
They knew the possible consequences of their actions and accepted the risks. They never held the Germans wrong in doing this, because they knew that in war both sides accepted the consequences.
[...]
"Sergeant America" emails that he'll be linking. Mike's health problems are serious enough that he can't always get to things right away, but I know he'll follow through when he can.
SlagleRock links, and says some things about me I'm too humble to copy to my blog.
Thank you Walt Anthony for the mention at "Truth, Lies, and Common Sense".
Dr. Rusty Shackleford emails that he'll links from "The Jawa Report" and includes a link to this post in his. A taste: ... The subject of the young Marine in Fallujah is very near to my heart and emotional for me. See just a year ago there were sleepless nights for me and countless tears. A year ago I was the subject of a military hearing where my fate would be decided, possibly an eight year jail sentence. See, I stand firmly on the side of this Marine as many stood for me a year ago. ...
Marine veteran Grim links, with some worthy comments of his own and a link to a related story you should read. A taste of his post: [...]
Both Bill's friend and I made the same choice, and accepted a real risk to avoid carrying the guilt of killing an innocent. It happened to work itself out right in both cases. It could have gone otherwise.
When you're guarding the weak, or the backs of your brothers, you've got to look at things differently. What is an acceptable risk when nobody but you is on the line, may not be acceptable when you're protecting a child, or a brother Marine. Any Marine would rather go before a court martial than carry the guilt of having gotten his brothers killed. He would rather go to prison. I suspect it is likely that he would rather go to Hell.
Follow the links, my friends. Discover some great blogs.
Update: John at Castle Argghhh! links, with some very insightful comments of his own about what happened in Fallujah.
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