Sometimes you don’t know why one Patriot or another shows up at each Tea Party. You can never guess the stories that are in the heart of those who gather to find ways to fight for our Republic. This man is at every STLTP and is now an inspiration to all of us.
This is taken directly from his blog
Please go to his site and let him know how much you appreciate it after you read it. Thank you.
SOMETHING VERY PERSONAL
I attended the Tea Party in Clayton, Missouri this afternoon, and I was so proud to be a part of the people who were taking part in the rally! And the speakers were great; they are building an educational program, a way to teach the people of this country the truths about the Constitution, and they showed a genuine concern about making sure that our nation wakes up from it’s political haze! But I was emotionally struck when one of the speakers asked the crowd if they understood the sacrifices made by the men and women who have, and are serving in the military. I suddenly realized that most Americans truly don’t understand the truth of the pains of war, not the movie versions, but the true, emotional depth of what happens in combat, so I decided to share something with you all that I personally went through. Please understand; digging up old memories is extremely difficult, but I believe that many of you will find a new strength in your efforts to regain our country, if you can see the pain of war as it really happens. I am not writing this for pity, or recognition, but for you to feel what I felt.
I was eighteen when this happened, still a young kid, and I had been tempered by many long months of combat, but when it happened, it was the kid in me that was damaged, and I believe that damage still exists. I had a friend, in the 4th Division, in Dak To, who was a LRRP, pronounced “Lurp”; LRRP is an acronym for “Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol”. They go out on patrols for extended periods of time, to seek out the enemy and complete whatever orders they have. “Doc” was a Lurp; I never did know his real name, but Doc was a good guy! Sometimes, when I was up in Dak To, I would run into him, and we would “shoot the shit” with each other, and I enjoyed having him as my friend, and was proud of him for what he did.
To make a long story short, Doc went out on his final mission and, when they were ready to come back, we received a call that they were in a “hot’ LZ ( Landing Zone). and they needed immediate extraction, so we flew over to get them out! Extraction flights are made up of three birds; the first is the “Lead Ship”, and that was mine that day, the second was the “Pickup Ship”, the one that lands to get them out, and the third was the “Chase Ship”, the one that goes in if something happens to the Pickup ship. When we got over the LZ, it was covered with trees, which meant a rope ladder would have to be dropped from the Pickup Ship, through the trees, for the troops to climb up, and one was. Three of the guys climbed all the way up, and the last, Doc, only made it about halfway up, when he signaled he couldn’t make it any further. So, according to standard proceedure, he remained on the ladder while the bird lifted up and flew him to a safer LZ, where they would set him down, then land and let him board the bird. But things didn’t work that way, once they got up into the sky.
I knew something was going to happen, so I told the officer in charge that something was wrong; when we looked back at Doc, one of the guys in the bird stepped on the ladder to go down to help him and, when he did, the ladder “whipped”, throwing Doc from it! I will never forget what I saw that day; it is imbedded in my mind, and it is just as clear, and as real now, as it was that day. I can still see everything that happened, I can still feel my heart race. Everything slowed way down; I could see the ladder ripple as it whipped! I saw Docs hands lose control of the rope, and his eyes grow wide with fear! I saw him rapidly continue to reach for the rope as he fell away from it! My heart was pounding as I yelled out “Doc” to him, but I know he never heard me! He began falling down, back first, with his legs kicking wildly, and his arms repeatedly grabbing empty air, trying to reach the rope! Then I saw him suddenly relax; his eyes closed, he stopped flailing into the air, and he kicked his legs straight out, extended his arms straight out from his shoulders, and simply “laid himself out” in the air as he continued to fall! As I look back on it, I think he excepted his death at that point, and surrendered himself to it! In a way, it was beautiful, but it tore my heart out, as I could do nothing to help him, and I had to watch him die! I had tears coming from my eyes as I yelled “Doc, No!” Then I watched as he hit a tree limb, right in the middle of his back, which made his body fold up, completely in half, then he and the limb fell the rest of the way to the ground! This is all you need to know, but it was one of the most horrible days of my life, as I didn’t lose a buddy to a bullet, in a battle, I lost him to an accident, one that never should have happened, and I live with the memory of those moments every single day of my life! And the pilot who was flying the bird that went in to get him out, blamed himself from that day on, even though it was not his fault, and there was nothing he could have done to prevent it!
Now you can see why I fight against those who attack my country from the inside, out! I lost friends, like Doc, and I watched many young American kids die because they were fighting to maintain the Constitution of this great nation, and to protect and defend the rights and freedoms of every American, including the ones that threw blood on us and called us “baby killers” when we returned home! And, now that I am standing with the Tea Partiers, to fight those who want to destroy the Constitution and force us into a Socialistic society, I am called a “Homegrown terrorist”, and I am not supposed to voice my opinions, or argue against the leadership of our current Administration! Yet, the angry students, illegals, and union people can be violent and curse us on TV and the radio, and they are made to look like heroes! But, every time I see some new bill to rob us of our rights and freedoms, to destroy our financial base, to further erode our manufacturing base, I see Doc’s face when he was frantically trying to grab the rope! The panic that filled his eyes is the drive that pushes me to fight harder! I know that his life was sacrificed in service to this great nation, that he knew that he had done all he could, and he trusted us to carry on, and that is why he laid back and accepted the death he was falling into! It is my responsibility, in Doc’s name, to protect the rights and freedoms of his family, to work to rebuild the strength of our Constitution, to allow the children of this great nation to have the kind of lives and futures that Doc lost his life for! And, in the name of Doc, and every other soldier I saw die in Vietnam, I will not quit until I see my nation get back on its feet, and stand tall, once more, as the greatest nation in the world! And, now, I hope that you can see why it is so important to vets that you understand and work with us to keep our great nation strong and safe, and I hope that this story will open your eyes to the sacrifice of the vets of this nation, and that you will stand proudly with them in this battle for the great Republic of the United States of America! Let’s not dishonor those who sacrificed for their country, by letting those who have done nothing, but build their own power and fatten their own wallets, destroy the very way of life that our courageous soldiers died for! Stand with us, in the memory of our lost brothers, to fight to regain our great nation, that one that we all love, deeply within our hearts!
This was written, in honor of Doc!
WAKE UP AMERICANS, OR LOSE AMERICA!
Michael J. Kilgus
Gladiator 059
This entry was posted on Friday, April 16th, 2010 at 8:15 AM