Tag Archives: Heroes

Current Events

Belated Memorial Day Message

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To all my Vietnam Veteran brothers, as well as my patriotic American followers who weren’t able to serve, may God bless you and keep you. I did not post anything prior to Memorial Day, as I always find myself somewhat lost for the appropriate words. Is it correct to wish someone “Happy Memorial Day? Appropriately or not, I always find it difficult to make that wish.

However, yesterday I received an email from a good friend and fellow warrior, Lobo, with a message from Quang Nguyen that I found highly moving and fittingly appropriate as a Memorial Day presentation. In case you are not familiar with Quang Nguyen, he is a state representative from Arizona. He sent Lobo a copy of the speech he had given this year at the Prescott National Cemetery in his home state. I’ll let him tell you his story. Enjoy!

Big Brother,                                                                    I was given 7 minutes to speak at the Prescott National Cemetery on this Memorial Day.  I thought it beneficial to Veterans to hear a different perspective.  Here’s the copy.  Please remember that I write the way I speak and so I am not paying attention to grammar or punctuation.  Thank you.

It is always an honor to be present here at the Prescott National Cemetery on Memorial Day. I was here last year to hear the wise words from Major General Mick McGuire and I hope to be just half as inspirational as his.

There is somewhat of a different perspective of Memorial Day once you been in a war and understand the true meaning of the “ULTIMATE SACRIFICE”. Today, I offer you my unique perspective of what this day personally meant to me. You see… We recently commemorated the 50th Anniversary of the Fall of Saigon. I was too young to be in the service, but I lived through three communist invasions including the final one on 30 April, 1975. So when I say I’ve seen American service members walking through the rice fields, I actually saw that with my own eyes. When I say I understand the sacrifice of young men and women who travel 10 thousand miles to fight for my freedom, I actually do know and do understand. More than 58 thousands of your sons and daughters gave it all, SO I can stand here in front of you today. No books; No teachers; No professors will be able to explain the meaning of Memorial Day to me. I know from personal experience. Not a single day in my life that I don’t think about how lucky I am to be an American.

My Dad spent 39 years of his life fighting in three different wars.  My brother fought along side many of you who are here today, from 1968 to 1975 as an Airborne soldier. During my childhood, I learned that two of my first cousins died as rangers in Cambodia. One was executed after the Fall of Saigon in a concentration camp. Those are also my personal experience.

For years, I wasn’t able to visit the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington DC. I felt responsible for getting those names etched on those Walls. I did not want to interfere with the mourning process by showing up. There is so much guilt in my soul. In 2016, my wife, daughter, and I flew to DC to drop off my daughter Sarah at a Summer Program in Annapolis. Having little else to do in the area, my wife and I decided to visit the monuments and I mentally avoided the WALL. My wife then said to me… We need to spend time paying respect to Vietnam Veterans to which I replied, I don’t think I am wanted there. She literally dragged me from the Lincoln Memorial to the Vietnam Wall. It was 2:30 in the afternoon and for some unknown reasons, not a soul was there except for a wreath left for a soldier with a gold banner: “West Point Class of 64”. I touched as many names as I possibly can and by the time I got to the very end, I was emotionally drained and I felt grateful having known that so many died for me and I am grateful to be adopted by the most generous nation in the world.

To the Gold Star families, you bear the heavy burden of loss. You showed us your strength and resilience and that is a profound testament to the love and pride you hold for your love ones. I will never be in the position of telling you that I understand your loss. Thank you, Gold Star families for your ultimate sacrifice. To you and your service members, this nation owes you a debt of gratitude.

Here’s what we all need to recognize… Our fallen heroes know sacrifice through giving. The rest of us know sacrifice through receiving.

Let us honor our fallen heroes not only with words, but how we live, by serving others, stand up for what is right and to ensure their legacy endures through our action. May we never forget freedom is not free. It is paid for by the brave, and today, we remember them all.

God bless the Unite States America and her heroes.

Quang Nguyen

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NFL – Does the “N” really stand for National?

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If so, why?

I have not watched any NFL game since two years ago except the Super Bowl this past January, or was it February, hell, I don’t remember and really do not care. I refuse to spend the Lord’s Day watching scum sucking anti-Americana millionaires play with a ball and think they are heroes. Oh, I do watch college football , and I have my favorite teams e.g., Bama and the Volunteers for example. I doubt very seriously if I will see any knee bending or disrespect there, but one never knows??  I cannot and will not watch these scumbags taking a knee or disrespecting something I served for much of my life and for which I shed blood. 

If any of you do watch the NFL, and I don’t have a problem with that — it’s your choice and I respect that, may I ask a favor? I would like to know if you see any advertisements from USAA. They have been my bank, mortgage company, brokerage account, IRAs, and insurer of home, boats, and cars for over 46 years. I do know they advertised last year, but I don’t know about this season. If they are doing that it would be the biggest example of hypocrisy I’ve ever witnessed. If I find they are advertising on the NFL network, the CEO will get a letter from me that will burn his hands while he reads it — guaranteed! And I just may pull all my accounts from them?I would like for someone to provide me a list of all the companies who advertise  NFL games. I will research them and get there contact information and publish on this blog in case anyone else wants to write them bitching and threatening to stop buying their product. We can write all the correspondence we want to addressed at the NFL and it will do no good. They must be hit in the pocketbook. I understand companies that advertise NBA games have already started complaining because they are not getting the viewership promised in their contracts. The NBA has already leaked out they intend to change things next season reference the outspoken scum like Lebron Scumbag James. We can do this folks, I know we can. Let’s become a united voice.

This video is a must watch, and if you are like me, you might need a Kleenex.

 

Originally posted 2020-10-24 14:18:12.

Current Events

“Texas Reloaded”

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Sorry folks, I know I have already posted for the day and said I was going to skip the BS rhetoric coming from the far left. But this just came in and have to post it. There was a rather large amount of verbiage along with the video, but the sender advised me to skip the text and just watch the video, so I have done that here. Great political ad by a bunch of HEROES!. Click and enjoy.

 

Originally posted 2020-09-26 13:01:50.

Recent Posts

“Sgt Al”

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I never make two posts in one day, but today it is a must. Today, a Saturday, started out as any other day in my near 80 years of life. It’s not a weekend to me since retiring, hell every day is a weekend. But then I received some news that struck a dagger into my heart. And I do mean it hit me hard and I have to share it with my followers, many of whom served and will understand how and why this sort of news hits one deep in the soul. For those who may not have been there, please excuse my posting something you may not understand. So simply pass it by if you wish — this is personal

Raiders of Echo 2/1,  it is with the heaviest of heart that I inform you of the passing of one helluva Marine with whom we all served in 1966-67. One of whom I owe so much, the best damn Platoon Sergeant anyone could ever ask for regardless of one’s position in the platoon, but especially for me as the plt cmdr. As we all knew and loved him, “Sgt Al” — aka Dennis Alessandrine. He and his son Denny, Jr attended  our first reunion.

I just got off the phone with son Denny Jr and his sister JoAnn with whom I frequently communicated in an attempt to get him to come to another reunion. I spoke with Sgt Al just two weeks ago where we spoke of the passing of his lifelong girlfriend, Peanuts as he called her. He missed her terribly. She was in a nursing home with Alzheimer’s, where for the past nine years, he had traveled there to feed her three times a day. Yes, three times a day – EVERYDAY! He never missed a day, which is why he could not attend any of  our subsequent reunions. We talked about her as we always did when we had our periodic phone conversations. She passed in March and  he was having a rough time getting over it, but was enjoying his grandchildren.

It appears from initial reports Sgt Al died of an apparent heart attack on Thursday at the age of 73. He is to be cremated and the services as now planned will be this coming Thursday in PA.

Sgt Al and I sailed to RVN together, survived our time in hell together, came back together, and remained best friends and brothers since then. I loved him like the brother I never had.

I have so many memories of our time together in RVN, more so than any other members of the company. We looked out for one another and probably saved one another’s life more times than we cared to count. As some of you know who read the book, I somehow became the Skipper’s “Pinch hitter platoon commander.” Anytime we lost a Lt for whatever reason I was sent in to take over. I always requested Sgt Al to come with me, and sometimes the Skipper approved, sometimes not.

I remember so many times when we  were setting up to cross a danger area on patrol. Two squads on either side of the crossing point along with guns and mortars, I’d take the third squad and start crossing. Sgt Al always said “Let me take the squad across, we can’t afford to lose you!” I’d laugh and say bullshit, we need you more than me.”

One time as I we were preparing for the cross I was looking for Sgt Al to give him the heads up to take charge of the base of fire squads and I looked up and the crossing squad had already started across with Sgt Al in charge.

That crossing turned live, they drew fire from two directions to their front. The crossing squad hit the deck in the swollen rice paddies and the base of fire squads opened up with a high volume of fire along with the 60 mortars and machine guns. Once fire superiority was achieved I fired a red star cluster, the base of fire squads shifted their fire outboard and the crossing squad fired and maneuvered across the paddy to the treeline and set up a defensive position.  We took no casualties and found three dead VC once we all got across.

After setting a PPB and eating a C, Sgt Al stunk to high heaven having laid in a smelly knee deep rice paddy for several minutes. He joked he was not going to demand to take the crossing squad anymore. He lied, he continued to do so every time.

He was from Philly and was fearless, always ready for whatever “Murphy” could possibly throw at us on patrol. He was a hero in my eyes and to the troops as well.  I will certainly miss our periodic phone calls.

May God welcome him into heaven with all the pomp and circumstance deserved of a hero! And God bless the entire Alessandrine family and friends. Here are some cherished photos of the brother I never had!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sgt B and Sgt Al Waiting to be helicoptered into Operation Mississippi

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SSgtB and SgtAl finally clean

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Foreground, Sgt Mize, plt guide,  Sgt Al and Sgt B after a patrol

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cpl Pelch (1st Sq Ldr), Sgt B, and Sgt Al

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sgt Al holding a deaffall we discovered on the patrol where I was wounded. Sgt Al led the platoon back to the company.

Sgt Al, I personally believe we made one helluva team, and we shall do so again! God Bless you, we will be together again someday, because We’ll All Die as Marines Brother.

Originally posted 2020-08-08 16:23:06.

Recent Posts

We All Have Some

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While we may not admit it, no matter what one’s walk of life was we all have had Godfathers at times who helped with the ladder of success. Personally, I had many in my career; however, there was one who stood head and shoulders above the rest. He had more to do with my career than anyone else, especially during my early years as an Enlisted Marine. His name was Lee Manuel Bradley, Sr.

We first met in 1962 as DI’s at PISC. He a Sgt, me a Cpl. Lee taught me much during our nearly two years together. While only a  year or so older than me, he taught me much more than how to be a better DI or Marine.

There was a policy in force at the time that two DI’s could not work two platoons together in sequence. How was it then that Lee and I worked three straight platoons together; he as the Senior DI (SDI) and me as the Junior DI (JDI)? Well, during our third platoon, I ask Lee that very question, and he shared with something that I never revealed to anyone. He said when the four seniors had been designated, they met with the Chief DI and picked their juniors. No one wanted me because they thought I beat recruits. I was loud, seemingly overbearing, aggressive acting type DI. The wild JDI that remained the disciplinarian throughout the 13 weeks while the SDI and other JDI backed off some. I was the discipline maintainer of the team.  From my outward actions and  appearances everyone thought I beat on recruits – I did not! Strangely we were allowed to work three straight platoon together and no one said a thing about it except to complain because we came in first in everything e.g., drill competition, 30 and 60 day tests,  inspections, etc. We were the team the beat; we were known as the “Two B’s.”

I will not regale all the other influences Lee had on my career. If you have read “The Book” you know all about them. They were indeed very influential.  In fact after our third platoon together, Lee transferred to Quantico, and I picked up the next platoon as the SDI. While he never admitted it, I am certain he had something to with assignment.

However, the biggest influence of all was getting me assigned to Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C. where I eventually was commissioned, and Lee was there to serve up my first salute.

It’s all in the book. In fact Lee’s name shows up in the book more than any other Marine with whom I served.

Sadly, Lee passed away on 29 August of this year. The world lost another of its heroes. Someone who made a difference every where he went and with whom he touched. I have personally lost many great Marine brothers this year, it has something to do with our age. As Charlie Tyrian (Col, USMC (Ret), who’s also in the book repeatedly told me when I turned 80, “Welcome to the decade of death.” However, the loss of Lee still tugs at my heart strings

I wept profusely when I received word from Lee’s oldest daughter, Geneva, that he had passed. Our current world is losing its heroes everyday, and this time it lost a huge one. All I could think about was the last we talked on the phone (he in CA and me in FL, 1000’s of miles apart) and how we laughed and joked about our times together. Why did I not call him more often is the question that keeps running through my mind as I think about Lee and his influence on me as a person and a Marine.

I know he is up there in the hands of the Lord and I am sure He has some special missions for Lee. Until The “Two B’s” are together again, save me an assignment Lee. May you be blessed as the godfather to so many souls here on earth. I love you Lee as the brother I never had.

God bless you Sgt Major!

Semper Fi,
The other “B”

Originally posted 2023-10-18 11:58:47.