Get the feedOne Sunday, in Uniform
Thursday, Nov 11th 2010
On Veteran's Day, David is remembering:
MAJ Andrew Olmstead
CPT Thomas Casey
SGT Corey Spates
CPT Torre Mallard
SGT Phillip Anderson
SPC Donald Burkett
Mr. Albert Haroutounian
SGT Gregory Unruh
SPC Matthew Morris
CPT Ulises Burgos
SPC Andre Mitchell
CPT Michael Medders
May God grant you everlasting rest. And may God comfort your families with the knowledge that you lived and died serving others.
MAJ Andrew Olmstead
CPT Thomas Casey
SGT Corey Spates
CPT Torre Mallard
SGT Phillip Anderson
SPC Donald Burkett
Mr. Albert Haroutounian
SGT Gregory Unruh
SPC Matthew Morris
CPT Ulises Burgos
SPC Andre Mitchell
CPT Michael Medders
May God grant you everlasting rest. And may God comfort your families with the knowledge that you lived and died serving others.
In honor of Veteran's Day, we are re-running this article. Thank you to all our servicemen and women!
One weekend a month, I get up extremely early in the morning, put on one of my uniforms from my tour in Iraq, and go to the reserve center in Nashville to fulfill my military obligations. After our physical training, I go out to breakfast on Sunday morning with my friends in our unit… all in uniform, of course, and typically go to McDonald’s. There, we eat a country ham and biscuit, sip coffee, and share war stories since almost all of us have been to Iraq.
Every weekend, as sit and chat, someone invariably comes up to us and thanks us for our service.
But one Sunday morning was different. We were finishing our biscuits and about to get up, when an older man rolled up in an electric wheelchair. He looked reasonably healthy and reasonably fit, except he had one leg. He positioned himself in front of our table, put out his hand, introduced himself, and said, “Thanks for your service.” I gave my standard response (“my privilege”) and started to to leave. But he didn’t move.
“You boys have been to war.” He motioned towards our right arms, which bear the combat patches signifying we’ve been “downrange” to Iraq or Afghanistan. “Mind if I tell a war story?”
“No sir. Please do.”
“I’ve been to war, too. Vietnam, in 1965 with First Cav. I don’t know if you boys volunteered to go, but I did. In fact, I couldn’t wait to get out there and get into a fight. I told my re-enlistment sergeant that I’d re-enlist only if I could go to Vietnam, and my main worry while they processed the paperwork was that I’d get there and the war would be over."
We all chuckled. Until the current conflict, Vietnam was our longest war.
“But, you know, they were still fighting when I got there with First Cav. Well, some people were fighting. I wasn’t. All I did was walk around, just like on Forest Gump, when they walked and walked and walked and never saw anything. I mean, weeks went by, and I never saw anything. Then one day — one day — I did. There was all this firing to our right, and another platoon was in trouble. We went to help, and I heard those bullets crack by, and I knew I had the fight I’d always wanted. But you know what I did?”
We’d stopped gathering up our trash, mesmerized.
“I got behind a rock, curled up in a ball… and soiled myself. I was scared. You know what I mean?” His eyes were shining. “Scared.”
I did know what he meant. At least a little. I wasn’t in an ambush like he was, but I did know what is was like to roll down IED-laden roads in a fragile Humvee. I did know what it was like to walk down an Iraqi street, hear gunfire, and not know what was happening. I did know the kind of fear you never really feel back home. Not the fear that he felt, but still...
“So all I could do was just put my arm up, and pull the trigger on my rifle. I wasn’t aiming at anything. I was crying, and firing. Crying and firing. Then my platoon leader comes running up to me, and he says, ‘Private, the Viet Cong might kill you, but if you don’t do something right, I will kill you.’ And in that moment, I was more afraid of him than the Viet Cong. So I looked up from behind that rock and started shooting. And you know what?” You could tell he’d told this story a million times. “I was good at it.
“I did that fourteen more times, and got really good at what I did — until a mortar shell landed right by my legs. It took off this right one, and tore up my left one. It even tore up part of my spinal cord. They told me I’d never feel anything in my leg, and I’d never walk again. Then one night I woke up with the worst pain I’d ever had. It was my leg. So I’ve been walking on that one leg ever since.”
We didn’t really know what to say. We didn’t really have to say anything. He just wanted to tell his story to some people he thought would understand. “Well, that’s my war story.” He reached into his wallet to pull out a military ID. “That’s to show you that I’m Army, and I told you I was scared so you know I was for real. The guys who brag in the V.A. aren’t real. They’re making it up. You know how I know? ‘Cause they never say they were scared. Anyway, I just want to tell you that you’re the only thing that makes this country great.”
I knew that wasn’t right. But I did know this: Our country couldn’t be great without him — and those that served before him, with him, and after him. Why tell the story of a man whose name I’m ashamed to say I don’t remember? Because there’s a million war stories that are told and forgotten, but I don’t want his to be.
Thank you, sir, for your service.
David French
David French is a Harvard educated lawyer, writer, and soldier. His next book, about his year spent in Iraq, comes out on July 4, 2011. Connect with him on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/DavidAustinFrench and follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/davidafrench.
Comments
by Jo Ann Goodman #
David, I can't wait to get your book! I always love reading your articles and this one was certainly very touching!
by Rex McBride #
David -
THANK YOU for the great article, and for the reference to the patches that identified your and your group's service in Iraq and Afghanistan.
I noticed that alongside your article was a patch of an American flag. I hope we don't skip over those symbols of our flag, when we see them, or forget the price paid by those who defend them. I've only visited Arlington National Cemetery and the VietNam wall in Washington DC one time, and found my time there to be a profound, spiritual experience. It's hard to describe, but I walked away from both experiences feeling in awe, and feeling like my soul had somehow been enlarged.
Right after reading your article and noticing the U.S. flag patch photo next to it, I just by chance stumbled across the following article about the recovery of the U.S. flag from the Challenger explosion -- and the impact this had on a boy scout troup in Colorado that had originally requested that the flag be flown on that particular mission.
How the flag was preserved, intact, with no burning or smudging from the explosion or crash, is inexplicable by natural means.
Like your new friend in the diner, and his story from Viet Nam, this story of the Challenger flag is worth retelling. So, here it is.
Rex McBride
--------
"The Challenger Flag"
by David A. Hall,
Meridian Magazine,
May 20, 2004
"...It was January 28, 1986 when an explosion
only seconds after liftoff destroyed the Challenger
shuttle, and stirred the hearts of our nation. Many of us
still remember clearly where we were and what we were doing
when we heard the news.
There’s a story behind that accident, behind the shocking
explosion of the Challenger. It’s the story of a flag and a
Boy Scout troop and of persevering in the face of
discouragement. It’s also an inspiring, patriotic story
that will make your spine tingle. And that story is tied to
a book that has just been released in national markets.
The story starts with a Boy Scout troop from Monument,
Colorado.
In 1984, Air Force Major Bill Tolbert was called to be
Scoutmaster in the Monument Ward. Starting with six young
men, only one of whom had been involved with scouting
before, Brother Tolbert felt he had a long way to go before
he could turn them into a dynamic, committed Boy Scout
troop. He was looking for something that would inspire the
boys, something no other Boy Scout troop could say they
had.
He decided to ask Congressman Ken Kramer’s office to
help them get as a troop flag, an American flag that had
flown over the U.S. Capitol. The boys were impressed with
the symbolism of this special flag, but that reverence
changed to excitement over Brother Tolbert’s next idea: Get
this flag to fly on a space shuttle mission!
Tolbert, at the time, was Chief of the Manned Space Flight
Division, Second Space Wing at Falcon Air Force Base near
Colorado Springs, Colorado. Still, there was no automatic
granting of his request.
It took several months of plowing through red tape before the request was finally granted.
The anticipation of this honor—of having their troop flag
actually go up into space and back—caused a burst of energy
in the troop. The boys learned all about the space program
and astronaut training. They learned the names of the
astronauts and their biographies, and shipped their flag to
the Kennedy Space Center.
With less than two weeks to go before liftoff, however,
Bill got a call from NASA telling him that their flag had
been bumped from the mission. Space was tight on the
shuttle, and their flag wasn’t a priority. But Bill wasn’t
about to give up that easily.
He convinced the boys to go through the process again. Months later, he was able to announce again that the flag had been approved for a shuttle mission. However, once more, the flag was bumped from the flight only two weeks before the scheduled
liftoff.
As determined a personality as Bill was, he hardly had the
heart to take his scouts through the process again. But,
with a lot of talking, he was able to convince them to
apply one more time. This time the launch date came and
their troop flag was still a part of the mission.
The Tragic Morning
The Challenger liftoff was scheduled for a Tuesday morning
in January. Because of Christa McAuliffe, the schoolteacher
who had been honored to be a member of this shuttle crew,
the schools broadcast the launch, and the boys all got to
see it. They cheered and whistled as they watched the
Challenger leave its launch pad and head upward into the
sky.
But it was only 73 seconds later that the spacecraft
was destroyed by a tremendous explosion. They saw debris
shoot out from the huge white cloud and fall down to the
ocean below.
The scouts were stunned. They sat, contemplating what they
had just experienced, letting their emotions flow, and
consoling each other.
They had developed a personal attachment with the Challenger crew—they had learned the names and backgrounds of the seven astronauts. Added to that, thinking of their precious flag, for them it was almost as though eight crewmembers, rather than seven, had perished on the Challenger.
A few weeks later, Bill organized a memorial service to
honor the astronauts. The scouts came with their parents
and others who were in some way affiliated with the
government or the military. Additionally, several of the
boys’ schoolteachers came to pay their respects to Christa
McAuliffe.
It was an emotional service. As part of his presentation, Bill presented each boy with a small American flag. NASA had sent these flags to the troop as a consolation and a memento.
But the grief and discouragement felt by the scouts wasn’t
totally dispelled. The overall effect on the troop was
negative. Enthusiasm waned; attendance fell. Bill made
inquiries about the possibility of recovering the flag, but
everyone who was familiar with NASA told him there was no
hope.
A Flag Returns Home
The news didn’t come directly. Bill learned about it one
morning, nearly eight months later, as he was reading the
newspaper. He picked it up as he was leaving for work. The
headline made his heart jump: “NASA to Return Challenger
Flag to Boy Scout Troop,” it read. “My shoes almost blew
off my feet,” he said later.
Astronaut Guy Bluford, who had flown the Challenger for its
last complete mission, had the honors of presenting the
flag to the troop in a ceremony at Falcon Air Force Base in
December 1986.
When U.S. Supreme Court Justice Warren Burger learned of the Challenger flag, he designated it as the official flag of the U.S. Constitution Bicentennial, which was celebrated the following year. Troop 514 was honored at the Bicentennial Gala in September 1987 held at Constitution Hall, Philadelphia. When the troop left Philadelphia, they took the flag back to Washington, D.C., where it was reflown over the Capitol, completing an amazing journey from
the Valley Forge Flag Company in Pennsylvania,
to the U.S. Capitol,
to the mountains of Colorado,
to the Johnson Space Center,
to the Kennedy Space Center,
to the edge of space,
to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean,
and all the way back!
The flags that were on display represented each stage in
the development of the American Flag, from the Betsy Ross
Flag on through the flag's history with the addition of
each star. Every flag was represented, including the
Challenger Flag.
More recently, this flag was on display in the Joseph Smith
Building for the Salt Lake City 2002 Winter Olympics, and
at the September 2003 flag history display at the
Independence, Missouri, Visitors Center.
When you see this flag, you comprehend more fully the miracle that preserved it because you can see that it survived—not burnt, not in pieces, not torn, frayed, or even singed, but completely unscathed.
Doesn’t that say something about the spirit of the United
States of America?
The book, Threads of Honor: The True Story of a Boy Scout
Troop, Perseverance, Triumph, and an American Flag, sells
for $11.95 and is published by Mapletree Publishing
Company. It includes the more detailed story of the
Challenger flag, as well as a lengthy appendix containing
photographs, a history of significant events connected to
the American flag, and instructions on flag protocol and
flag care."
THANK YOU for the great article, and for the reference to the patches that identified your and your group's service in Iraq and Afghanistan.
I noticed that alongside your article was a patch of an American flag. I hope we don't skip over those symbols of our flag, when we see them, or forget the price paid by those who defend them. I've only visited Arlington National Cemetery and the VietNam wall in Washington DC one time, and found my time there to be a profound, spiritual experience. It's hard to describe, but I walked away from both experiences feeling in awe, and feeling like my soul had somehow been enlarged.
Right after reading your article and noticing the U.S. flag patch photo next to it, I just by chance stumbled across the following article about the recovery of the U.S. flag from the Challenger explosion -- and the impact this had on a boy scout troup in Colorado that had originally requested that the flag be flown on that particular mission.
How the flag was preserved, intact, with no burning or smudging from the explosion or crash, is inexplicable by natural means.
Like your new friend in the diner, and his story from Viet Nam, this story of the Challenger flag is worth retelling. So, here it is.
Rex McBride
--------
"The Challenger Flag"
by David A. Hall,
Meridian Magazine,
May 20, 2004
"...It was January 28, 1986 when an explosion
only seconds after liftoff destroyed the Challenger
shuttle, and stirred the hearts of our nation. Many of us
still remember clearly where we were and what we were doing
when we heard the news.
There’s a story behind that accident, behind the shocking
explosion of the Challenger. It’s the story of a flag and a
Boy Scout troop and of persevering in the face of
discouragement. It’s also an inspiring, patriotic story
that will make your spine tingle. And that story is tied to
a book that has just been released in national markets.
The story starts with a Boy Scout troop from Monument,
Colorado.
In 1984, Air Force Major Bill Tolbert was called to be
Scoutmaster in the Monument Ward. Starting with six young
men, only one of whom had been involved with scouting
before, Brother Tolbert felt he had a long way to go before
he could turn them into a dynamic, committed Boy Scout
troop. He was looking for something that would inspire the
boys, something no other Boy Scout troop could say they
had.
He decided to ask Congressman Ken Kramer’s office to
help them get as a troop flag, an American flag that had
flown over the U.S. Capitol. The boys were impressed with
the symbolism of this special flag, but that reverence
changed to excitement over Brother Tolbert’s next idea: Get
this flag to fly on a space shuttle mission!
Tolbert, at the time, was Chief of the Manned Space Flight
Division, Second Space Wing at Falcon Air Force Base near
Colorado Springs, Colorado. Still, there was no automatic
granting of his request.
It took several months of plowing through red tape before the request was finally granted.
The anticipation of this honor—of having their troop flag
actually go up into space and back—caused a burst of energy
in the troop. The boys learned all about the space program
and astronaut training. They learned the names of the
astronauts and their biographies, and shipped their flag to
the Kennedy Space Center.
With less than two weeks to go before liftoff, however,
Bill got a call from NASA telling him that their flag had
been bumped from the mission. Space was tight on the
shuttle, and their flag wasn’t a priority. But Bill wasn’t
about to give up that easily.
He convinced the boys to go through the process again. Months later, he was able to announce again that the flag had been approved for a shuttle mission. However, once more, the flag was bumped from the flight only two weeks before the scheduled
liftoff.
As determined a personality as Bill was, he hardly had the
heart to take his scouts through the process again. But,
with a lot of talking, he was able to convince them to
apply one more time. This time the launch date came and
their troop flag was still a part of the mission.
The Tragic Morning
The Challenger liftoff was scheduled for a Tuesday morning
in January. Because of Christa McAuliffe, the schoolteacher
who had been honored to be a member of this shuttle crew,
the schools broadcast the launch, and the boys all got to
see it. They cheered and whistled as they watched the
Challenger leave its launch pad and head upward into the
sky.
But it was only 73 seconds later that the spacecraft
was destroyed by a tremendous explosion. They saw debris
shoot out from the huge white cloud and fall down to the
ocean below.
The scouts were stunned. They sat, contemplating what they
had just experienced, letting their emotions flow, and
consoling each other.
They had developed a personal attachment with the Challenger crew—they had learned the names and backgrounds of the seven astronauts. Added to that, thinking of their precious flag, for them it was almost as though eight crewmembers, rather than seven, had perished on the Challenger.
A few weeks later, Bill organized a memorial service to
honor the astronauts. The scouts came with their parents
and others who were in some way affiliated with the
government or the military. Additionally, several of the
boys’ schoolteachers came to pay their respects to Christa
McAuliffe.
It was an emotional service. As part of his presentation, Bill presented each boy with a small American flag. NASA had sent these flags to the troop as a consolation and a memento.
But the grief and discouragement felt by the scouts wasn’t
totally dispelled. The overall effect on the troop was
negative. Enthusiasm waned; attendance fell. Bill made
inquiries about the possibility of recovering the flag, but
everyone who was familiar with NASA told him there was no
hope.
A Flag Returns Home
The news didn’t come directly. Bill learned about it one
morning, nearly eight months later, as he was reading the
newspaper. He picked it up as he was leaving for work. The
headline made his heart jump: “NASA to Return Challenger
Flag to Boy Scout Troop,” it read. “My shoes almost blew
off my feet,” he said later.
Astronaut Guy Bluford, who had flown the Challenger for its
last complete mission, had the honors of presenting the
flag to the troop in a ceremony at Falcon Air Force Base in
December 1986.
When U.S. Supreme Court Justice Warren Burger learned of the Challenger flag, he designated it as the official flag of the U.S. Constitution Bicentennial, which was celebrated the following year. Troop 514 was honored at the Bicentennial Gala in September 1987 held at Constitution Hall, Philadelphia. When the troop left Philadelphia, they took the flag back to Washington, D.C., where it was reflown over the Capitol, completing an amazing journey from
the Valley Forge Flag Company in Pennsylvania,
to the U.S. Capitol,
to the mountains of Colorado,
to the Johnson Space Center,
to the Kennedy Space Center,
to the edge of space,
to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean,
and all the way back!
The flags that were on display represented each stage in
the development of the American Flag, from the Betsy Ross
Flag on through the flag's history with the addition of
each star. Every flag was represented, including the
Challenger Flag.
More recently, this flag was on display in the Joseph Smith
Building for the Salt Lake City 2002 Winter Olympics, and
at the September 2003 flag history display at the
Independence, Missouri, Visitors Center.
When you see this flag, you comprehend more fully the miracle that preserved it because you can see that it survived—not burnt, not in pieces, not torn, frayed, or even singed, but completely unscathed.
Doesn’t that say something about the spirit of the United
States of America?
The book, Threads of Honor: The True Story of a Boy Scout
Troop, Perseverance, Triumph, and an American Flag, sells
for $11.95 and is published by Mapletree Publishing
Company. It includes the more detailed story of the
Challenger flag, as well as a lengthy appendix containing
photographs, a history of significant events connected to
the American flag, and instructions on flag protocol and
flag care."
by Scott #
Great story. God bless our troops.
by Ole_Sarge #
Yep, that's how you know the difference. Training and practice may take over, but that instant of "scared" NEVER LEAVES.
Thank-you to all my fellow veterans, and to those still serving.
Thank-you to all my fellow veterans, and to those still serving.
by John #
David -- thank you for honoring this man with this tribute.
May his reflections to you -- and your recounting of them -- be a great beacon to all who have overcome their fears to act courageously in the advance of the good.
May his reflections to you -- and your recounting of them -- be a great beacon to all who have overcome their fears to act courageously in the advance of the good.
by John #
Shared by my Dad (with his permission)!
It was my intention to let you know about my week in Texas and the events I attended------------------------but Six Seeds got in the way,, specifically the writing of David French. His writing about the experience with the Vet while having breakfast or thereafter was significant to me. Certainly, I practice saying "Thank You for serving" to all those I pass in my travels.. More significant are words from the former soldier describing and feeling fear and David relating to them while in Iraq and then to his readers.. I didn't do a lot in two Asian locations but I did experience ------ fear. I was afraid. . Thank Major French for his comments and sharing .. I am also looking forward to his book.
It was my intention to let you know about my week in Texas and the events I attended------------------------but Six Seeds got in the way,, specifically the writing of David French. His writing about the experience with the Vet while having breakfast or thereafter was significant to me. Certainly, I practice saying "Thank You for serving" to all those I pass in my travels.. More significant are words from the former soldier describing and feeling fear and David relating to them while in Iraq and then to his readers.. I didn't do a lot in two Asian locations but I did experience ------ fear. I was afraid. . Thank Major French for his comments and sharing .. I am also looking forward to his book.
by calvinist #
Good people, but fooled by our government.
Vietnam war and Iraq war are both bad. Bad for our country, bad for Vietnam and Iraq. These wars killed millions of civilians and tens of thousands of our soldiers.
We boasted to give democracy to these countries. Do they get democracy? No.
Vietnam is still controlled by communists, but now they come to our country, and trade with us. All of a sudden, Vietnam and Uncle Sam are friends. But those who died, died in vain.
May God comfort these souls, and forgive the United States of America.
Repent, America. Those who live by sword shall die by sword.
Vietnam war and Iraq war are both bad. Bad for our country, bad for Vietnam and Iraq. These wars killed millions of civilians and tens of thousands of our soldiers.
We boasted to give democracy to these countries. Do they get democracy? No.
Vietnam is still controlled by communists, but now they come to our country, and trade with us. All of a sudden, Vietnam and Uncle Sam are friends. But those who died, died in vain.
May God comfort these souls, and forgive the United States of America.
Repent, America. Those who live by sword shall die by sword.
by Wesley Morrison #
Reading articles like this helps me to keep my life in perspective. God bless you soldier. And thanks for sharing.
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On Veteran's Day, David is remembering:
MAJ Andrew Olmstead
CPT Thomas Casey
SGT Corey Spates
CPT Torre Mallard
SGT Phillip Anderson
SPC Donald Burkett
Mr. Albert Haroutounian
SGT Gregory Unruh
SPC Matthew Morris
CPT Ulises Burgos
SPC Andre Mitchell
CPT Michael Medders
May God grant you everlasting rest. And may God comfort your families with the knowledge that you lived and died serving others.
MAJ Andrew Olmstead
CPT Thomas Casey
SGT Corey Spates
CPT Torre Mallard
SGT Phillip Anderson
SPC Donald Burkett
Mr. Albert Haroutounian
SGT Gregory Unruh
SPC Matthew Morris
CPT Ulises Burgos
SPC Andre Mitchell
CPT Michael Medders
May God grant you everlasting rest. And may God comfort your families with the knowledge that you lived and died serving others.
by Nancy French #
Thanks!