This is Jack podcast number two o five with Charles and me Java willing good evening of good evening. And with us once again is, SOD Warrior Dick Thompson and he we started on paragraph two, a freezer. If you haven't listen about one yet go back and listen to two or three and we talk for a three hours. And now we got a point where we are a cover, an operation that took place and actually gave me a document, based on this operation called rest and recuperation are and are so Dick well, back to the bar Gaston. Thank you for it to be here.

Like I said, if you have a to two or three yet you wanna get the background for for Dick Thompson. Sorry warrior and where jump into this mission once again. The title is documented, gave me his rest, recuperation and I'll jump right into it. As my eyes opened, and maybe conscious of the world around me, I could hear the buzzing of a large fly some felt vietnamese voices out side of I hope and radio playing by take it on an airplane. The song, quickly generated memories of my best friend Bob who had been killed on a mission a few weeks earlier, I had done everything together: basic training officer. Can it's cool airborne, Ranger special forces and volunteer, four sock

and we did together for over two years, this song would forever bring back strong memories of the good times we had together We have often discussed the low probability of either of us returning to the world. Jobs. Death had been a significant emotional event in my life and one I was still trying to deal with. So here you are How long you been in Vietnam for at this point, you and Bob got to Vietnam together, how long you been there for six months So you ve been there for six months after everything we ve been through it Bob and, and Bob it's. How did you find out who told you actually I got a letter from. Girl that time, my been dating involved, was dating her best friend. Now are we double dating a lot, and she found out from

jobs friend who found out from Bob's parents? he wrote me say open his letter up and now there was, oh, she said, I'm sure you ve heard by now I hadn't So this is snail mail, this is so the first We had been notified than the girlfriend who been notified and in the girlfriend for right you were talking you to find out for a month at least that's kind of. Easy? I mean that's crazy things, love backed, will know that, and this is something that tell them I talked about- was You guys do not get the best turnover of information because the everything was so secret. So this is an example of everything so secret that your best friend gets killed and you don't even find out about you find out about it from your group, your girlfriend's Fred. Which is his girlfriend, so

I mean he was it. He was there c c so I mean we didn't really know what their emissions were, what they were doing so being on a team. I I didn't know what they were doing down there and we didn't have no communication by in force, I don't know what he was doing. It was tough plus, may all that you got. Go directly to you all male. If you were signed in May at night. My mother sent me a letter. You didn't go May. It went to me through another male centre in Vietnam that then said the mail to the end because it had to be screened because I didn't want the thing about classified operations. May all goin out had to be green. He never saw any letter. I sat

started Ccs, it would go down the side, God it would be screened and then eventually Would we mounted her So now this just confirming, like you know, we talked about on the last park, ass, the thinking, you're, not gonna, your twenty two now think you're gonna make it to twenty two. Is this guy? be confirming that you're not gonna, see twenty three gonna get. My intention and the other thing is there's no, I mean you there's no ceremony, there's no wild, not there wasn't where we were only we had ceremonies on a regular basis at sea in for the guy their who were being kill. I mean, however, People are being killed almost every week, but on every two or three, we each have like a memorial service rights are back to this story,

I looked up. I could see my car fifteen hanging just above my head. I had on my normal sleeping attire, shirt fatigue, pants and jungle boots are compound, was hit with rockets mortars and ground attacks on a regular basis that you had to be prepared to react quickly, although It was only a little after nine walk in the morning. The temperature inside my room was already in the nineties, now soaked with sweat My mind began to travel back to the past two weeks, recall how my team barely escape the NBA during the last mission we had made a bow. To our compound in denying and spent the last few days undergoing a very intense debriefing session, conducted by our intelligence team in an effort to collect all the information they could about. Our mission. Next few days were mine for honor asked and recuperation before we began preparing for another mission, my plan was to sweep laid each morning Real food takes, several showers and rest. We had us that denying is all right

and it had a lot of meeting right now. Of course everything is relative, so there you you'd findings couple days: downtime you can eat stake and enjoy yourself. This is Sunday morning in the mess hall served is served It was until wants to know eating and looking for the evening meal. Our mess sergeant always manage to have plenty of t bone steaks every Sunday evening. No one asked where he got them, because it was certainly not standard rations for a combat unit. Everyone to drill his stake through his own perfection. This was something we all look forward to You been on mission for several days or weeks eating one meal a day, usually rice and fish heads. This was a feast so you're living large lawyer. After. I finish. Breakfast experienced told me that I'd better go make myself invisible until it was time to go back to work. You could be seen you could be given work to do while you are on our inner I'd, say

to go off limits to an off limits, section of the name where we had a safe house. The safe house was a secret location, Ccs, our unit owned and protected, heavily guarded by mercenaries and only accessible to buy our people. Get out of jail free card which has a special. Or did authorized us to travel in civilian, closed, closed, carry conceal weapons enter key fighting, restricted areas etc. Would allow me to travel into this area of the name even during curfew, this should be made chance of enjoying the next two days. Everything was looking good and I was beginning to relax. So you get, little jute get out a GMO free card, her death, I'm not sure everyone had, but I know some others there and it debate We said no mass of this guy, I mean you,

You can't just walk around through the cities and particularly after curfews, and things like that argue, would you picked up you'd be in trouble, but with that card, when I flash that they either let me go or they would call that phone number on then beat all letting go. Don't ask him: what are you doing? Just leave him alone, which yet continuing on the sky had become overcast. It looked like you would probably rain. By afternoon the temperature was steadily climbing. The humidity was approaching a hundred percent. This type, a hidden humidity, had a debilitating effect on everyone. As I was walking toward the compounds gate. I heard The familiar. What Bob Bob Sound of a helicopter I could see. Was approaching our help had there was. There seem to be a flurry of activity in that area. I was only a hundred metres from it as the chopper landed, the strong smell

GDP for was mixed with the wind and sand that hit my face. The men running around had play some bags in the cargo compartment and of the chopper and were now talk you, the crew chief one of them bought me a begin yelling. Something in me. The sound of the helicopter prevented me from understanding. What are you saying? obvious that he was very excited about something he began to run toward me still shouting as he closer? I heard him yell, L Tee, Do you know how to hook up a mug rig requiring a hundred twenty two hundred fifty foot nylon rope with a large loop made out of heavy padded strap attached to the end of it. Bag of sand is tied to the loop to give it the momentum to panic the jungle canopy? The other end of the rope, is attached the floor of the helicopter. The rope is still inside a sandbag in a manner that allows it to feed without tagging. It is when team members members have to be extracted from the jungle where the are you cannot land the ten member states inside the strap and fastened his left wrist the strap through small loop. This prevents

from falling completely out of the rig if you shot or when he Drug use tree tops extraction. It would be very the uncomfortable and painful, to hang by one arm, but at least you would get out. As we ran to the helicopter, told me that we had a team in trouble with casualties, one of our C H. Thirty four helicopters had gone. To the area to attempt an extraction during the It had been shot down and apparently exploded and burned. On impact. There appeared to be two or three survivors. Another helicopter left a few minutes ago to try and help there were no Elsie's in the air, Just a very high and thick jungle happy them acquire rigs, would be needed for extraction, so this is all spend an up, and you here and about what's happening you. What ten minutes from walk out the gate and being on honour for a couple days or less, or I thought I know

To do this. Do it all the time I'm. Usually, on the other hand, that wrote, but they re thinking you when you walk or we rethink you just gotta rig it haha, That's what he was ass. You know how to put him in there nostrils surveyor, so he's just saying: hey we gotta get Maguire rig rigged. Do you know but do it? Yes, you know how to do it cool. Come on over the helicopter, you're thinking out I'll help, you guys riggers, there's troops on the ground. Jack. They need help. Ok, I got it. So here we go. I took one look at the gate about a hundred fifty meters away, as we continue to The plans I had for my day were quickly being put on hold. As my adrenaline level. Climbed in my mind, see the smouldering remains of a burnt helicopter dead and wounded crew members and the bad guys moving in for the final kill? Time is of the essence had too quickly. Rigged. The helicopter salute, so they he go to the area and get the survivors out. As I

ouch, the helicopter. I leaned my car fifteen and ammunition bandolier against the convicts container. I climbed the cargo compartment of the helicopter begin working. Firstly to attack, Maguire rigs. After a few minutes, a crew chiefly leaned over to me and said the team is in heavy contact. We have to go at that, when I realized I've been concentrating so much on what I was doing. I had not noticed the pilot had turned up the engine. Europeans and the aircraft was beginning to vibrate. In fact, we we're lifting off the ground. I pulled the crew chief, over to me and said, I'm not supposed to be on here. He looked back at me shrugged his shoulders as if to say sorry about that. Now one of those common sayings in Vietnam with sorry about that it was just I mean you saw it all over the fire. She heard people say Anna Domini time. Something was happening like that. It was sorry about that. Yeah any time something is happening like you're getting

dont. Have you weapons? That's a key point you set down, you know you're you're, you're, gonna rig this thing in for anyone does know you're on your knees when you're Riggins up like that you're on your knees and your daddy's, both your hands. So you just not yourself, ok war. As an m, my my mission right now is just to rig this thing: what's going expiate that the most is or exploit that the most is for me just to put my weapon down over here I'll get on it. Get a rigged and then I'll get out. That's the fastest way for me to get this done, next thing, you know the helicopters taken off sorry about that, as I looked down and saw the compounds gain. As I look down, I saw the compounds gate passed under me. I sat back against them while fastness seat belt around my waist and resign myself to the fact that my honour would be delayed a couple of hours as we flew, and I began to realize that I did not know where I was going. What I want, is going to do and was naked. I've left my up in any ammunition, leaning against the contacts I was flying into combat without a weapon. The

thing I had was my fatigue and boots and a pounding heart. What a Sunday afternoon of our this was turning into about fifteen minutes into the flight, my man my might begin to play out different scenarios of what might happen when we arrived on the battle site one began to stick in my mind what, if the aircraft ahead of us is shot down if the only way to save them, is for someone to go down there using Maguire Rick. What? If I the climb down one of the ropes. I don't even have a weapon about this time. The crew chief me toward him and said the aircraft in front of us has been shot down The team is still in heavy contact and cannot go. The crash site will be there in about ten minutes. The poker factor just increase significantly, my premonition was becoming a reality. As I was thinking, I saw this play out, it was like one. Video I mean I could,

The whole thing just taken place premonition. This is this is what's gonna happen. And when he told me that aircraft is down, I told him I said something: shopping knew already as it is happening, is starting now yeah this is. This is Crazy thought. You said yourself what, if they aircraft ahead of us, get shot down and then seconds later he looks at you and says the aircraft in front of us is shut down. That's a nightmare going on the crew chief, any other door. Gunnar test fired the machine guns to make sure they were working properly. This brought about US sudden, increases excitement level test fire. The door guns always seem to insert a sense of marine morale. Mortality into what I was about to do in future. It's true chief pulled me over again and said it's just over. This rejoined,

I own fast, my seat belt and crawled over to the edge of the cargo compartments, or I could see better ass. We came over the ridge line. We will welcomed by bad guys. A stream of automatic weapons fire with some green tracers mixed in passed by the crack of each bullet could easily be heard over the noise. The helicopter, both door gunners, opened up and began sending a hail of bullets through the jungle canopy the most fearful part of combat. For me, it always been getting shot at while in a helicopter there is now protection the floor. And the size of a helicopter. Just don't stop bullets. My arousal level was continuing to climb the pilot. A quick turn and bank the helicopter on its side. I was looking straightened The jungle canopy and hanging on from my life smoke was coming up through a hole in the canopy where the first helicopter had gone down and bird as we can around the steep side, the amount we saw another hole in the canopy about two hundred metres from the first. We approach this,

or slow down the ground fire coming up at us. Increased shell casings from the door guns, were piling up on the floor somewhere following out as we passed. Directly over the whole. I could see the second helicopter lying on its side in the steep ravine. The tail Action was broken off thought I saw a crew members still in the aircraft. Research the round and came in for a closer look at this time. I could see the air crew with chow. Inside the aircraft and fuel was spilling out on them any art from inside the craft or a trace around would ignite the fuel and burn them alive. The gunners were continuing to play suppressor fire in the position shooting at us. It wasn't really having much effect on them. Bullets were coming up at us. All directions. We also detected some movement that indicated the bad guys we're working their way up. The mountain The crash site, something had to be done and fast I'm trying to think of myself if anything could be worse right now, but I actually

think of anything worse than this right. Well, I knew what was coming Tom I mean I had already seen play out. I mean this point, his own One thing you can do this down there. These helicopter pilots there. These guys are bad ass. I mean these guys for just to be thinking with all this enemy fire common, their durban they're, not where they're gonna get this done, because I've got that's. Therefore, There are grounds for dollar. Now, her back to the book here. I told the crew chief to tell the pilot to go back to the crash site and I would drop him and require rig down into the canopy climb down to it then climb down a tree to the ground. Some say that one more time your plan was

throw this rope out of aircraft climbed down into the canopy somewhere. Once you are given in the trees, then you would just climbed down the Trieste until you got to the ground. That was your plant life stress lower was a little has probably Wasn't making the best plans kid, but the time that was the only way I could see to get down to when he told him? This is the crucial talk in the pilot when, when the crew chief told the pilot, both a pilot and the co pilot looked round over their shoulders as if to say to me are, crazy. The crew chief leaned over and said the pilot says: you're crazy. I told tell the pilot that I might be crazy, but his buddies. We're gonna die if I a horrible death in a few minutes. If we Do something he quickly turn the craft around and flew back to the crash site. I pushed out one of the Maguire rigs and the bag of sand quickly took it into the canopy

We were still receiving heavy ground fire at this point approximately fifty feet above the canopy happened to see that crew chief had an m16 strapped the wall behind him. I told him to give it to me. He was a little hesitant at first, probably because he thought he would never see it again here, did it to me, along with a bandoliera for magazines, I chambered around and check the safety and fought great I'm going into the middle of the battle myself. By myself with a hundred rounds of ammunition. Yeah when it gets worse, I mean it this is not a good scenario for, in terms of survival ability at all Adam. Are you thinking about that? Are you just trying to think of yours? Do investigate do we want to get your work with. We gotta get those Gaza

I stepped out onto the streets skater. The helicopter, confident that had a workable plan, as grab the rope at my bare hands. I realized it was brand new White nylon route. Rope new nylon ropes, are very slug slick. I knew I was gonna be it was gonna, be tough to hold on, but I figured I could read my feet around it make it work the crew chief leaned over and said The pilots as receiving too much ground fire we're gonna, to leave. I knew is now or never I stepped up, the scared and quickly began to discover some flaws in my plan. It's an interesting decision. Point right. There because you got it out, you ve got it. Right there of hay Schumann. Fire. Sorry, I couldn't get down there Instead of using a sorry, we had to leave and I'm sorry I could go, you said is now or never. He stepped off the scared and in descended into hell I could not hold the slick rope tight enough. Began to slide through my hands at a faster and faster rate after about. Thirty feet. The white robed began to turn red

burned the skin off the inside of my hands now Sweden badly and could not slow down to make matters worse. Worse, rope, no longer reached the canopy the aircraft. Was beginning to move because the ground fire and lifted the end of the rope about ten to fifteen feet above the tree tops my radio sent was increasing rapidly and the only thing I can that could prevent Death was to be over behold under rig at the end of the rope. So now the the and the rope is fifteen feet above the canopy. Which means, if you fall off of it, you're gonna go ten to fifteen feet of airborne. And then you're gonna hit the trees. Unknown to me at this time? Our tactical operations center in the compound was monitoring the helicopters, radio frequency. I found out later that about this time of fourth aircraft had arrived in the area and was observing my descent. He radioed my aircraft it and ask who the hell is that

reply was some crazy special forces guy. At the time I probably would have been my reply to when I, Maguire rig. I closed down with every ounce of strength I had left and I stopped the to my hands. Was unreal. Blood was running down my arms. It seemed as if the bad guys had stopped shooting at the helicopter and were shooting at me as looked up. I could see the red streams of tracers coming down from the door gunners and the green tracers going up the law cracking sounds of bullets were all around me. I was now also now swinging on the end of a large pendulum about ten feet. Above the canopy I the canopy was about a hundred and fifty feet above the jungle floor. My strength was gone. It was decision time. I decided that as I swung over the center of the next tree top, I would let go and tried grab ahold of something as I crashed through the canopy. Once again, this is reduced

He was this is when I watch a stupid action movie and they show some some guy jumping out of a helicopter, urgently knows, jumping off a cliff and landing in the trees and- and I was guy its debts, be asking know. I would never work Apparently I'd need to spend more time hanging out with you to figure out. What's gonna work was not so that's your play Your plan is at your ten feet above the hundred fifty foot tall jungle canopy when you see The target to jump into you're gonna go back to this, book I look down. And, as I said, the tree top, I let go. The fall brought my stomach up in my friend. The sensation was quickly overcome by impact with the jungle canopy grab wildly as I crashed through the limbs, but just couldn't seem to hold on to anything. I was moving too fast in which is bouncing off limbs, leaving blood and skin on each one. Finally, I hit a limb with my stomach and wrapped around it in

the breath out of me, but I'd stop following, a few minutes. I was able to begin my descent. There was. There was only about fifty feet to go, which means you a tumble through a hundred feet of jungle, canopy This is again you might have been thinking the same thing that I'd like. I can pull this off until following that baby girl, I what's this isn't working away. I thought I was gonna work. I didn't homeless I felt a little much towards me. I knew I and hold on to the the Garriga new restrictions fly away and The sudden I was gonna be much higher and when I fell off, that would be it at least now I was ten foot feet above softly. And I might have a chance if I were to go and dropped into. But trying to hold onto that thing I wouldn't lasted with a couple. Minutes, and then that would have been out

when nothing heroic about there was well, maybe I'm giving you about MAX hero credit, each and every decision that's being made, whether with violent. When you said, hey, I'm goin, that's all it's all I need here When I finally reached the ground, I had lie behind the tree for fuel, it's to rest. At this point, I had very little scale in the polish. My hands are insides my fingers dirt and tree bark we're all in my hands. There were numerous other cuts and bruises caused by the fall, the tree fortunate. I still had my hat. I still had the m16 and bandolier, but I'd the magazine that was in the rifle during the fall I was now down to eighty one round. There was one in the chamber. I could hear the fire fight the team, was involved in about two to three hundred metres from me, more gag bad guys, we're probably moving around the jungle.

A feeling of loneliness crept over me as I realized that not only would the bad guys be shooting at me, but so is the team because they probably did not know. I was on the ground. Moved out rapidly in the direction of the crash site. There was no time to waste. I'd only moved about fifty metres when I heard a twig break to my left. As I looked in that direction, I saw two soldiers with eighteen, forty, seven about thirty metres away. Moving parallel to me, justice Turn my weapon toward them. They both saw me and begin to turn their weapons toward me in the next. Action of a second ahead to decide if they were really bad guys or two team members dress like bad guys. I'd as an immediate action drill for just such an occasion. Hundreds of times on our fine range- and you didn't previous encounters. My decision was to take them out, as I do the ground I emptied a twenty round magazine on them. It was a tight shock group are both them get hit several times as I quickly changed. Magazines I watched and listens, listened for the signs of life from their position. They,

gone down in the undergrowth where I could not see them my attack, you ve been so sudden and violent that they had not been able to return fire. After a few minutes, I decided that those two were not going to cause me any more trouble, so I call called up the hill a ways and then continued to move towards the crash site. That's right, immediate action really talk about her here to take the shots you're goin down, go to Youtube Furlano. Well, here, that situation you dont for each Russia Falada these areas, causing, here, I'm moving and if I should, if I can spray a relatively tight shot group on melon, I'm gonna get him and I know, got hit a more than once again just pop off a couple rounds. If I shoot at one that gives the element of chance to shoot at me, so I go for above all. At the same time, I'm going to the team that you're gonna rescuers at another

was. I were you in country thing. So you know that there on the ground out there, too now I could I knew that's. I saw these two guys for the Ak Forties Island, I could hear the m16 fire. I knew that it was not team that was clear in eighteen. Forty sounds: these had been bad guys. Work is going to miss. You had no any. If you spend ten minutes getting a brief on what was and you would have found out how big the team was, what kind of weapons they had just some just some little whore kind, a nice to know, information which you had none of your brief. Was theirs good, guys down and target yeah After moving about a hundred fifty meters, a shot was fired at me. Thought it sounded strange as I do for cover it. Wasn't a rifle was a pistol, probably a thirty eight caliber. Eighty forty seventh made a different and very distinguishable sound the havoc.

Who was shooting at me. The pilot managed to crawl out of the wreckage Edison from the down helicopter, the pilot managed to crawl out of the wreckage seen. My movement have begun firing at me with his thirty eight I yelled at him and told him. I was a good guy believe me and continued to shoot My experience had been that helicopter piles were very cool com in control, When they were in the air, the jungle, the different matter. He continued to fire me until he had to reload That point I rushed him and got the drop on him. He was battered did bloody and exhausted, and kept asked me where my other men, were he found it hard to believe that I was alone actually convinced him tat. It was just me and that we had to get his men out of the aircraft as quickly as possible. I moved him to have a dense location in the jungle, a short distance away and continue to go back and retrieve the crew one. At a time The crew had lost a lot of blood and required immediate first aid. They were all injured. As a result, the crash the pilot had broken ribs, a broken arm cuts and bruises to CO pilot had a compound fracture of the femur the bone.

Sticking out of his thigh. That's an bruises. The crew chief had been shot in the leg and the door Gunnar in the arm. All four were soaked in J P, for a spark would mean tortures of them. All I told them. I like that, I was going to get help for him and everyone hidden quiet and not to shoot anyone unless they physically stepped on them. Yeah. I began to move out toward the other crash site by this time that fire fight had stopped, and I was not sure where the tea, Or the enemy were my move It was a very cautious because if the team saw my movement, they would open fire and they would miss. There's a neared, the other crash site. I heard some movement up up and some muffled voices I moved very slowly and deliberately I heard an american voice at this point. I can only assume that the enemy had captured one of the survivors from the first crash. My plan was to move in as closely as possible and look for

opportunity to attack and free the American as I crept closer and sir to the group. I eventually got close enough to see anymore, can sergeant that I recognized he was the team leader The team that was on the ground was still armed and obviously not a prisoner. So this is about First good situation, that's unfolded, you got you got some. Brothers. Now that are going be able to work with you in some way. I got back down behind a yelled elder and then I was coming in and for him to have his people hold their fire We told me was ok. I stood up slowly with my I'm sixteen in the air and walked toward the group once inside their promoter. I discovered that the loud American was the loud our can voice was that of the american lieutenant colonel who had been pilot the first aircraft to be shot down. He was not very happy about what is going on and on giving the sergeant a hard time speaking of stress right, Some of the things that you describe in the stress, no anger and not me

good decisions and being Loudon being confrontational. So this the colonels doing all those things being confrontational, one side to the reviewed, and now I informed the lieutenant colonel that I was the senior ground commander and was now in charge the operation, the fact that a lieutenant colonel outbreaks lieutenant did not matter because he was air force and we were on the ground. He became very upset and begin to threaten me about what was going to happen to me when we got to safety about, time, the mercenaries on the team and heard enough. Several of them turned their weapons toward the lieutenant colonel and made some very cold and serious remarks. The interpreter, too, the little girl that route it was in charge and that everyone would do what I said. The lieutenant colonel realized. They were ready to kill him if he did not submit that ended the discussion, So so that's what happens when you when you try and get caught, Patients will decide team on the ground. You dont want Santino very closely bonded there very close,

Lee Bond into the one zero one one year to the Americans YO. As with him anywhere, I mean they would have been that team they'll defend those Americans I mean even inside a compound. You don't want to mess with The compound is Like the old West, every body. Here, is carrying a gun and theirs and what is not like to the right. Military units around but the king. However, magazine in the name of the game, but we we were locked and loaded all the time needed for a grenade jihad. All staff in you get these little pod moving around and there are autonomous, don't ass. When my guy, lock and load on you in club. But now we're out in in the jungle see this guy's a threat yesterday

to their survival to June, to a threat to you as the leader threat to their team and a threat to the survival, because if this guy's gonna start acting like an idiot, this is gonna, be a real problem. So they put an end to that are now step was to move back down to the first crash site and recover the bodies. During this time, I discovered that there have been three survivors of the original crash. The lieutenant colonel was the pilot, a Vietnamese, Lieutenant Colonel Copilot and an american sergeant, the Vietnamese in the sergeant had been badly injured and burned in the crash. The second hell After derive on the site at lower a jungle penetrator and lieutenant colonel had strap them into it. Fortunately, as they were being hoisted up through the jungle canopy. The second, look chapter- was also shot down It went forward the jungle jungle penetrator hung up on a large tree and the steel cable broke Few men still strapped the penetrator fell. A proxy a hundred feet and landed

first on a large rock killing them instantly. We found the bodies and unhooked them from the jungle penetrator. When I got it when I picked up the work in and put him over. My shoulder. The air rushed out of his lungs. As we worked our way back up the hill, it began to reign. So the second one had actually started to extract the team and that's when they got shot down there. They were extracting the wounded from from the first aircraft. Once inside the main perimeter, we laid the bar these down alongside each other, Heads were a bloody mass, and since we did not wear names honour uniforms, I did not know who I had carried up the hill. At this point Ass lieutenant colonel HU, the young sergeant was the art. Sickening feeling in my stomach increase, tremendously. When I heard his name, He was a friend of mine who I joke. With days before I

no remorse for the two envious killed an hour ago, but the sight the dead American, especially friend, created a range of emotions from deep sadness to extreme anger towards the enemy one first rules were taught when you arrive in country is not to give to anyone. But there's no way you can prevent it. We covered them, Porthos and why to where and wondered where the bad guys were my next problem was the pilots, they were still out there alone. I took fourteen members cautiously to their location and established a security force around them to get everyone out. I would have- Blow down some trees and bring in some helicopter gunships to suppress enemy fire, while everyone was hoisted up into helicopters, I've been able Contact the rear, using the teams radio and had the necessary demolitions on the way.

Now you human in this valley, with some other persons gun and for magazines. You also didn't even have a radio, nothing naked. by the time the helicopter arrived with the demolitions. The weather was closing it may, and this is just Murphy's law. The weather was closing in the reigning there, and was coming down hard on. The clouds were moving down the mountain we would have to work fast just to beat the weather. The enemy had been quiet until the arrival a helicopter. Now he could hear them all around us, shooting up at the helicopter about that the demolitions came crash into the ground. The gunships arrived. We be weak not our location, and I had the sergeant begin to work. Working, airs, I urge all around us, while the gunship keeping the enemy busy. I carried fifty pounds a C4 blasted caps time fusing debt cord to location near the pilots. I place enough for them. I place enough demolitions on trees and dropped them this.

Up a large enough for the canopy to give us a better chance of not having a repeat of the last jungle, petty Greater incident, so you the army, this is taken type. This is, I mean, sit there and rig fifty pounds, a demo on a bunch of trees and then and put the blasting captain. This is like this. Can one half an hour to get this done? Rumble United NEWS all fifty pounds and do your part just enough to cut the drone. And get him down, but they all had to be rigged. He hadn t the things under the trees, but the blast in camps in and Saddam make sure you're not gonna fall the wrong way, but I want to Oh me, dynamite it looked like the blow things up the siege forty seven that had dropped the demolitions return and hovered over the whole

began to lower the jungle? Penetrated the enemy ground, fire increased dramatically in both door, gunners open fire with their fifty caliber machine guns. Not Could we hear the very loud, slow, distinctive sound, but the fifty However. Casings began to rain down on us after, following a hundred fifty feet that enough philosophy to do a lot of damage. We could see large red tree there's penetrating deep into the jungle. The two gunships were now raining bullets down through the trees, with their many guns, up to four thousand pounds a minute per gun fired. Forty millimeter, grenades and two point: seven: five: it's rockets which seventeen pound high spoke of warheads the poppy. Racking sounded. The board's explosions of the grenades and rockets were exacerbated by far tree limbs and shrapnel flying in every direction. The dark sky made the tracers appear. Bright, the hot water jungle, air was becoming smoky and filled with the smell of burnt, cordite and gunpowder. That's like that. That's enough enough,

fire power going down range leg? You can't simulate that did you the craziest Hollywood movie, and they don't make it look like without what that, what you just described right there. By the time the jungle penetrator reached the ground, we drug, the co pilot and crew chief over to where it landed. We wrap them on as quickly as possible and signalled to pull them There is no way to support the broken leg and we could hear the Copilot screams over the battle sounds ass. He was going up, they say the compound fracture of the femur is one of them, painful wounds. You can have to seeing the pain he was in. I believe it. The trip up took about two minutes. We sent another. We sent the other two crew members up next, followed by the wounded team members, the lieutenant colonel and the two dead the siege forty seven left to take them to the hospital. So so now, You just jump into the sea, it forty seven returned about an hour,

During that our what's happened. Are you guys? Is the enemy pressuring you? we also have an impact now got it and when they saw the two forty seven leave took some the pressure they really wanted to knock down drawn, but but the massive air support that you're getting is definitely put no hurt non the enemy and mean that is That's? That's a lotta gunfire come in their way, rockets, the whole nine yards, the siege, forty seven returned in about an hour. We do so fresh gunships to help begin extracting us, I began putting the team members on as fast as I could. While the sergeant continue to work, the air strikes, the jungle, Ford, become mud and was the job of hooking people up much more difficult. Eventually, there were just the sergeant myself left on the ground. Unfortunately, some of the bad guys had moved up close to our position and beginning to fire at the helicopter, we knew it exposed to their fire as we ascended. We thought we,

two options: go find them and take them out or chance hoisted up with them, shooting at us the pie narrowed our options by saying the clouds were beginning to cover the whole up, and it is now or never wished, ourselves on and fired each other's backs. We slowly moved skyward, spinning, slowly and swinging back and forth, and watching the tracers coming by. It seem like it our to make the trip up of. Was probably only about two minutes once inside and unstrapped from the jungle penetrator I rolled over on my back. I closed my eyes, at a prayer of thanks. There was an atmosphere of elation as you were flying away from encounter such as this. The team, Where's works changing war stories. Really. I was too tired to say much my mind, turned arrest and recuperation and how is going to make sure that I got rest tomorrow. The team leader was so particularly quiet.

Upon arrival at the compound, we were greeted by small crowd who welcomed us back. It was good feeling to be back and pick up. My weapons and ammunition that were leaning against the convicts can take. We, been taught in Ranger School to never get more. An arms length from your weapon. I would not make that mistake again lesson learned every every true out there, don't ever do it not even for a second, I move directly to the dispensary to have my injuries treated, they treated my hands and others some bruises and told me to returned the next day, I left the dispensary dispensary. I was too that the colonel wanted to see me in the mess hall. Maybe he was going to give me an extra day of our to make up for this one. So you're pretty much smoked at this point and an equally to broken ribs.

We discovered. Well, you know when you drop a muttered fifty feet through the jungle canopy The colonel was sitting at his table with another full corner: Colonel none, special forces and seem to be having a heated conversation when they look helping me they saw wet, muddy and bloody person standing in front of them. The expression on their faces indicated that they had lost their appetites. He can go led me on doing a good job and then told me what key in the other colonel had been arguing about. We have after crew member from the first crash on the ground, apparently urban accrue chief in the aircraft who'd. Killed and burned in the wreckage lieutenant Colonel had told us that he was missing a person, the colonel me to get my team together and be prepared to launch it first light to going to recover the true Croce's body and story, the second helicopter there was concern that the helicopter had its communication equipment and codes intact. These needs,

to be destroyed before the enemy could make use of them. The news that I had to go back out there. The next morning was not what I wanted to hear I was tired, injured, and not sure if I could find enough of my team to do the job at any. It would be a long night On the way to the shower, I found one of my guys and told him to assemble as many team members as he could. While I showered the shower was even though I found three fat leeches that he crawled under my shirt and attach myself to light ass himself to my body, they were having a feast Emma at my expense escort of insect repellent, made them turn loose, so your team was your team all on our and on this point. Fortunately, majority or more still know their own compounds. Fortunately, I guess maybe not, fortunately, for them for it for the team later that night we move the team members who were going out of the mission into the isolation area and made

Plan for first light launch. When I awoke it was raining, cats and dogs outside in the wind was blowing hard to weather continued like this. For the next two days. The deal He gave me time to rest and he'll before we inserted the Back to the delay was gave the enemy more time to discover the body they knew. We would make an effort to recover it. They typically booby trap body placed others in the area and liked to plan in ambush to get us on the way out on several body recovery missions in the past and knew what to expect the morning of the third day the weather had lifted, and it is time for the insertion we later a helicopters and departed for the large sight. While we still dark at the I say we attended the mission briefing with the gunship pilots, border control, our pilots and the launch site personnel. It was a very detailed briefing with everything from Two angles of attack suspected enemy. Armed forces and fire locations code words in the teams route to the helicopter objective? Two, Gaston detail shortly,

after that Given the word to load up. At this point in the operation. The adrenaline begins to flow you just made through trip to the train and now after you and now you have all your equipment on, you need to go again you can hear the slow high pitched. Why do the helicopter engine starting to get up and get faster and faster? You smell the camouflage, paint an insect repellent on your face and J before in the air, and you know it's time. I gave the to team. The signal to lock and load put the safety on and climb into the helicopters there, their engines were now turning at four p m, as were our hearts.

And they were ready to lift off. As we begin to lift up and move forward. We received the thumbs up from the launch team personnel on the ground. I was sitting in the door of my feet hang outside, so I could get a clear view of the landing zone on the way in and be the first to hit the ground when we arrived adrenaline flown at this point. Ah, yes, and you are considering. This is pretty to guarantee to be a hot insert. But they might not eurozone Elsie, but they definitely would once we down to where the wreckage was. Plan to insert right off the crash sites, organ insert somewhere offset. We went and on top of the ridge and worked our way down, so was an officer who gave the distance. Two or three hundred meters by causes far, but in my day we and offset answer would be a couple kilometers away. Two hundred metres. We consider that, on on the x, pretty damn close to enemy,

I'll go in the jungles. Could gonna take you some time to get two or three hundred meters? How long would it take How long would you plan for Turkey to utter three under meanwhile weird, I mean right, the beginning work back an the ambush any any second, so your you're back down to the hundred yards on our voting you're going very slowly down through the air Plus, it is very wet, is mighty his slippery. He going downhill to get down to it, You just sit them to be anywhere. The first light. Would you guys, b taken off the helicopters in the dark and first light is when the extraction goes on, when the insertion goes or are you not? get off until there is a little bit like out, there's little little light on this particular mission. Here we go after about twenty minutes of flight to cobra gunships came by us one on each side there

went to the Elsie ahead of us a low, slow pass to try and draw fire from the enemy if they were there on the Elsie, your whether cobras trailing just behind us rate opened fire on enemy positions. If we made a mistake, if we made the mistake of firing on the first two we had, not anticipated the policy to be hot. So we are in two, so we're not going to prep it meaning that the gunships would shoot him up. We wanted to get in as on principally as possible to the degree you can with to hell accomplished for gunships and afforded control of flying around over the algae, so the enemies gonna know that you're here and there they never coming back the crew truth. Crew chief gave me a thumbs up indicating the Elsie was cold and we are going in. We began to lose altitude very quickly, as we made our way towards small clearing on the ridge line as we descended, the air became warmer humid. We turned

On to the final approach began or descent, I could feel the helicopter begin to vibrate. In my heart rate, increase we all skin The tree line vigorously for signs of the enemy, all of a sudden. We were only two or three feet off the ground and the crew chief was motioning for us to get off. I jumped in the he's, tie grass and went down to approach position. The team members quickly followed and the helicopter helicopters all flew off to rendezvous point. The sound of them disappearing in the distance created a very lonely feeling. We move quick into the tree line and set up a small security prefer to let her eyes ears and knows adjusted the environment. This is extremely important part of survival in the jungle, the sounds or lack of sounds of bugs birds and animals as well as the smells tell you what's going on. You must read these signs correctly? If you to survive after fifteen minutes we radioed team. Ok moving is this meant we had not

detected any signs, the enemy and it was ok to release the helicopters and gunships to return to base we were really on our own. Now stand policy. Nor unit was that teams would always have at least two Americans with them when they were the ground. This was I've been training to operate on, Special missions without any Americans, they were still in training, and I was the only American on the team. This added to the isolation effect. Do they have any english speakers that we're good enough to call for fire The sharp reinterpret the others, you ever did you guys cross train with those guys are they knew how to call for fire with the interpreter some, but not enough Yeah, I think when you say this is a The isolating thing I think that's the understatement of the century, but sometimes

Sometimes my my thoughts were. If it's just me, I'm I'm the one I have to worry about. If you're with me now I get it. I have to make sure that I put. Do I have to make sure that I get you out of your head? I mean I, I pick up these a dish nor responsibilities When I have other Americans, would they both it's just me and the team And I go down, knew how I go down. Even even the one, the breed one where I went in along it was, it was any unique feeling to know I was. I was The bright light team from one person bright, light team there were other, times where I suggested that I might, either go along on emission org.

When one or two other people, because I dont have a problem. It being alone out there. Some that didn't do that, then. The burden of responsibility of the other person is so high and it's hard to get him out, I mean it with a twenty so many missing in action from the site, James, you can't get em they get here And you're being overrun, you can't get back to get him and they might still be alive and everybody says no man left behind, but you got to decide. You can come to that decision point. Where do I leave taco and save the team, or do I get us all killed, trying to get your body off and put my position

I'm not gonna get everybody kill. If I can get you out reasonably well, but if I can't. Yeah and what would I want you to do? You know? Because I don't want you, I don't want you to get anybody killed, trying to get my body. I know I'm gonna. Let me leave me, ever doesnt matter anymore, take care of the rest of the team, back to this document from here. Our plan called for us to work our way down the side of the mountains, find the crash site recover the body, destroy the second helicopter and move to an alternate landing zone for extraction. Altogether should be a very simple mission that should take about five Six hours later, get started on my order we moved very costly down the steep, wet mountainside. With every step you expected to hit a booby trap or have an ambush open up on you. When we on the ground, no one talked hand norm. Community signals were all the team.

Communications we used silence was critical. Every footpath, was deliberate so as to avoid any noise. A broken twig would signal the enemy of your approach. After about an hour, we stop for a break. We formed a small printer and some very thick brush and put. Clay more mines aimed in for directions. I laid back on my rucksack and tried to relax while constantly looking for any movement and listening for out four out of place sounds all of a sudden. I heard what seem to be a very loud pop and. Everyone had the ground. Everyone Plague moves in the right areas plague. He had brought a coke with him. Against my very strict orders. If looks He would have been dead. He may have just compromise the safety of the entire team and mission. I took the coke buried it and then we moved out. About thirty minutes later we knew were close to the crash, like the smell of a decaying body, was very strong. You could see

the change in need expressions on everyone's faces if the bad guys we're going to get us, it would be. The crash site began to move more slowly, cautiously finally could see the sunlight coming up through the hole in the jungle canopy. We stop just short of it and said the two men recon team there returned without seeing any signs of the enemy I knew they were out there didn't know where. I said obscurity round the crash site and stepped into the opening. There is no doubt in my mind that there would be minds and or booby traps in the wreckage. Not only would I have to watch for these, but I would be standing in the open, as I recovered the body, a perfect target for a sniper. I could see you large concentrations of flies toward the center of the wreckage upon care observe observation. I saw to be a bone sticking up, I cautiously made my waited location, the bone watch. To maintain a low profile

Other part of our mission was to photograph everything. I did this quickly and began slowly. On two slowly uncover the remains the body. Did you have someone assigned for look to look for booby traps, or is it just? Every man was costly on guard and everybody was lookin for it is removed along. But, as I went out, there was me watch what you put your feet. What's for wires watch her anything, you looked, have normal gets it one and that helped has it had it had rained hard to all them The powder and materials like that from from the fire, the guy washed away, so you had mostly pieces of metal now bigger pieces of metal things that you could see easier than you get one. It was all covered with the powder and stuff. The crew chief had died, face down in the middle, the wreckage

intense heat of the burning aircraft have burned him into a small charred piece of meat. His leg completely gone from the knees down his arms were gone from the elbows out and something aluminum had melted and burnt through his head. When I touched one Left his skull disintegrated into white powder, as I was to retrieve his torso from the wreckage a broken half at the lower back when it did some of them good decay. Food to my face. Some would all my lips. I almost lost it at this point. It was impossible impossible to breathe and just as hard not to throw up after a few minutes. I was eight. Get it on a poncho and move into the woodland Woodbine I'd seen Bert people burned to death before But never to this extent now that the boy He had been recovered. We had to find the jungle penetrator and photograph it. The aviation unit did not believe the cable had broken where I'd said it had wanted photographic as evidence before we

to do this. However, someone had to be assigned to carry the body no one wanted to. In fact they want to leave behind. I became somewhat forceful and did Wang to carry it. This was part of his punishment for the coke. It took me a few minutes to find and photographed the jungle penetrator. Now it is time to move to the other. Have a copper bone, one up was going to be the highlight of the mission for me. I, was enjoyed missions where I got to use demolitions. My only concern was where were the bad guys We recover the demolitions left over for three days ago and carried to the other crash site. I was beginning to get the six? hence feeling You have just before everything breaks loose. Everything was too quiet. Doktor was down the small ravine, they very undefined, double place, just as I can. Indicated the decision to move the five team members to the top of the ravine, burst

Ok, forty seven fire from about three to four enviers, began to hate all around us. The team return fires quickly, quick. As they move to the top of the ravine. Since there were Only a few of them. I decided to stay with the helicopter and plant the demolition charges, the bad guy, as shooting in us, turned out to be the point team for a much larger group. As I worked feverishly two packs thirty pounds of C4 into the appropriate places helicopter the intensity fire increased. My hands were beginning to bleed and blood dripping out of the ends of my fingers and my gloves. Bullets were now ripping through the floor and the sight of the aircraft somewhere Evie hitting the sea, for as I packed it against the instrument panel Fortunately, C4 requires a detonation device like a blasting. Up to set it off. I felt like Houdini inside a chest, except instead of sorts coming through the sides I had bought what's the matter intensified. I really for help

was turning into a war, and we need gunships now. So there you are standing in the military. Crashed helicopter. Try to pack C4 in to get that thing. Come will be destroyed. Did you ever think when the like something like that hey, I got a good idea once gets his drop upon this. And by the way, and also when somebody tells me hey, go search around for this jungle, penetrator with a cock, cable and take a picture of it. I would add some issues with that I had a lot of issues for the whole thing they should have told me. The guy was there to start with pilot of that aircraft should have said. One of my guys is missing he should never been left there to start with. He never said there was another person. He said he had everybody. He didn't that. Guy was was out there. We gotta get email. At the same time. We get everybody else out of them. Controversy is.

There's brewing around a lot of things between us in the aviation commander over. What's going on, but now in packing forty pounds as C4 in there, and I've got a few hundred feet. A debt cord to that was left over. I got a big role of the court in their win. With the sea for their shooting, hitting it at that it bothers me by that is. That means it's coming close to me that would allow the idea. Now and again I got the lasting gaps thanking once ice ticked of lasting camps in the sea for a bullet has one of those is over, but at some point you gotta do that had to make the decision. Stick. A man ignite, diffuses, try to get out come on we're the fuses

Now that format not Lionel were the other guys up on the red line, still yeah, that's all you're, just not another down in them dynamite, so low mission They need them up there, because we are because they had a higher another angle of far down on the bad guys. They keep on back home Do you like my plan, was to go out there with them and that having it and girly, and have in us back upon the high ground like that, provided some she'll shilling for us from the blast it was gonna happen. I mean forty found C4 CUP honours. The deck cord makes a pretty again display It goes off Not gonna be anything left the harbour no, no once you pull that time views by the way You better not be anything that

can Waze yell you're no exit from the scene? I had to get up. A decision was made, which you pop those using matters decisions made you gotta get out. You come, that gear back to this document after a few minutes, Another decision pointed arrived with time to insert the blasting caps and light the time views the questions going through my mind war. What about hit one of the cast and detonate C4 before I could get out moved to a safe. This distance. Could I get out without being hit We completely exposed, while climbing out, if got out. Could I we run explode? Could I run fully exposed to the back climate fifteen feet and get to the team? That's another horrible thing cause. If you pull once you pull this time views. If you get wounded, anywhere that vicinity you're done. It became obvious that they knew I was in the helicopter and were moving it on me

who is now or never. I inserted to blasting captain of the C4 ignited the two time: flues fuses, climbed out of the side of the helicopter rolled the ground, low crawled to the base the bank and began to climb like a madman, I'm sure look like contest between me and the enemies both to see which could dig into the ground the most it only a matter of seconds but seem like an eternity. My time it my team. It really increase their volume of fire to help cover me. As I rolled up on top of the bank, I looked back to see three to five NBA run. Behind the helicopter if I waited a few more seconds, they would have had me several The team members looked quickly at me with the same expression of disbelief that I had. Could they, really be hiding behind a helicopter. They had forty pounds of sea foreign, two hundred feet of debt, deck chord in it with time he's burning where they go to try and pull diffuses out and save the helicopter quickly came apparent that they did not realise I'd spin setting charges. I could see the smoking

time views is coming out of the helicopter, but the enemy or so engrossed in the heat of battle, but they didn't I realise that they were about to become history. I said now to the team that we was about time for the explosion. What have the next was beyond words. Tremendous explosion producing a giant black fireball, followed by a shockwave. You can actually see the compressed air moving out in a circular pattern that little dazed all of us There was a momentary low on the fires, begin rain, metal pieces of metal rock dirt and tree limbs and the remains of the envious who'd been hiding behind the helicopter. The jungles filled with black smoke, one or two good explosion in there as a good one, but I had intended for to be further away when it had happened, but I had intended to be much further away when it happened. The enemy picked up quickly. With a new twist. The are the enemy fire picked up quickly with a new to us. So yeah, that's pretty much you can't.

Can't plan that one any better the enemy you you leave that helicopter with forty pounds a deck or forty pounds of C4 in a a bunch of debt cord which, for those you dont, know, decorated, just explosives in in a string. And so, when it blows up it blows up in its actually pretty powerful, is actually very powerful backwardness. So guys were blown away by this by this explosion and all they had to do. We see what was going on, walk over and caught the time to use in They would have it all right. I don't know if they still had time to get inside their headed crawled. Somebody had to crawl inside to pull it out guy? I gotta pull it out and and tossed to decide, but it didn't you. When you watch in time fuse burn. It's not like at all burns to wherever it's burning everything fall is going down.

Through the middle of the two there and you dont know exactly where it is it's all here they might grab it just is, it hits account, we don't it met were about that worked out now. The enemy fire picked up quickly and with. New twist there moved a machine gun position on the other side of us that we are now in the crossfire we were pending. Couldn't move. We had to get rid of the machine gun or we were all dead. There was a a group of rocks about twenty metres from our position. If I could to those rocks, I would be able to call back directions to our m. Seventy nine Grenette Gunnar and we might knock out the machine gun the problem. Was getting across the twenty metres of open terrain with fire. Coming both sides without getting hit there so brought in our p and fired a couple. Those at US time was- out

all the team to cover me as I went across the ground like a mole watching the mud being dug up all around me, the only way could explain not being hit was that God put a force field around me, the had begun to shift their fire off of me as I neared the rocks the scene strange. But I was glad that glad that I made it. I did Think much about it. The rocks did not provide as much cover as I had anticipated. They would. The machine gun had to be dealt with quickly. I pulled self over the edge of the bank and looked over and covered why the enemy shifted most of their fire offer me West Three feet for me was an enviable crawling up the bank to get me out. Which one of us had the biggest look of shock on their face, probably me time began to move in slow motion in what was reality was two to three seconds seemed like minutes and the next fraction of a second he squeeze. The trigger on his aching. Forty seven the first round just miss my head by what must have been an inch or two,

We're coming out of the barrel was hitting me in the face, as the bullet streamed out Ok, forty seven have a tendency to rise up when they are on automatic, so that the bullets were when, over my head, I squeezed a burst of sixty eight rounds from a distance of less than three feet. They all hidden in the face and the top of his head cogent, causing it. Explode, sending Bree! All over me ass, his body. Hold down the bank. I good taste the blood that it hit me in the mouth. The fire immediately shifted back on me. And I was hugging the ground so close that I'm to look like an empty pair of fatigue, lying on the ground. Nevertheless, I felt occasional bullet hit my rucksack fortunately, the radio, was not damaged. A green tracer ricocheted offer rock and landed right in front of my face. I want lie there in bird as I can new to fire at the enemy. The hay Garda. My on my car fifteen became so hot. I could no longer hold it

I was having to shoot one handed. I shouted back directions Liam. Seventy nine Gunnar his first was high and after the left Can you do to her his fire into it, hit a tree beside the machine gun, sending shrapnel of position. To envy were wounded and momentarily stunned. This gave me a chance to put ten to twelve round burst on them and silence the machine gun for good Man is an exciting Anthony yeah. That's that's completely crazy! I can't I can't imagine sitting there as all this machine gun fires happening at end of tracer settles itself in front of your face and you sit there and watch it burn about this time to helicopter gunships arrived, I mark our position initially with a flare gun and then with purple smokers aid.

After they had identified our location. I directed their many gun. Forty millimeter grenade rocket fire into the enemy. The gunships were literally ripping the trees ground an enemy apart, Even though we had already killed a lot of enemy, there were still twenty more shooting at us. The gunshot, spotted the enemy. Furthermore, enemy further down the ridge moving toward us and fired rockets on them, too slow their progress. I worked here. Strikes in as close as I could to our position and eventually was able to suppress the enemy fire enough to kill. Back to the team so far only won T member had any serious wounds shrapnel from one of the bee. Forty rockets had hit him in the back. It was not life of writing at the moment, but using a lot of pain and bleeding We were beginning to row, run LA run, low on ammunition and the we force was increasing. The time had come break contact with the enemy or die in place. You you go in for your car, fifteen to get that hot, that you can. You view, put your shooting a lot. Howdy. Many you going with

A normal on a sovereign nation, I use look here you around. Fifty magazines, diesel, fifty five zero, five zero magazines so. We have the little ones they out. There was a toy around that because I Even though I was a leader, I still attended to engage the bad guys, so you see here and there, and what about for this? When will you know you got a high potential for contact? I don't think We had that many aren't member, exactly how many I had. No, maybe thirty yourself, but last, I haven't even without thirty thirty one, thirty man, things or fifty magazines of you can only fit so many on here on your web gear. You were the candy canteen pouch, you can put five twenty around magazines, and so I, when I would carry to those, at least on the bill and then he had put the others in the rucksack some am. I gonna do

the left side and have you ten magazines, because you gonna put the magazine and when you left him the white side and have one or two bags grenades, because I could put usually five of those canteen pouch and you got the right handed. You will have to be rolling in turn. I try not to put anything besides the med kid, which was pretty flat, Gauls pads and things like that, my coffers on the front, so I could get closer the ground and then in the rucksack at unloaded up I've wondering everything was so heavy and Gary, I do have a couple: a cordial water on the bill, and sometimes more and the right you had the clay, more mines and the rucksack honey claymores would usually I use like here too,

ending the size of the team we might everybody else might have to, but now claymore the heavy would you wear those be rigged, the ones red with like five second or ten? Second, I'm, depending on what we wanted to do with him, and then you also had a rig for perimeter security that you can clock off. We care a lot of stuff yeah. Yeah. To be in these kind of firefights tissue, your weapon enough that it's hot and We sit in her under that under that higher director. This is just this is good you're crazy things, you can barely even capture how how What what your chances of survival in a situation like this or The chances are not good. Let me put it that way, whether with it. Regional m16 the hand guarded would get hot, but.

The regular troop rarely fired on? That might say we get warm, but the car fifteen you have a different type of hand guard front and with MT old barn there. We're doing and never the thing was a hundred and ten degrees to start with the new start, putting whose around see there as fast as you can very quickly. It would get hot most Americans war gloves My particular particularly on this down, because any skin on the inside of my hands lot of them. So be it was gone and women and we cut the fingertips out here. So we had some dexterity to do things and I would put peace, a canvas around the hand guard. That would just give me A little lecture protection got hot and then you

The one handed thing having the rope small rope go through the whole site, break it up there and hook tend to them, is not link on your shoulder You could put pressure down on that. It made it easier to shoot one handed and b of the whole it down now. Cause he's gonna try to come up on order, but you could do that. It was a little uncomfortable, not vision mission. And the good thing about you hand all of it gonna grow right that you didn't think along you'll come back the other place is on the body. Just come back that fast all right, so you guys are running low on ammo, and here we go back to this document. I signal the team to get ready to move out and radio to the gunship If you're going to do as they their next run: firing many guns, forty millimeter, grenades and Rockets myself, to team members expose ourselves long enough to throw white phosphorus grenades is far toward the enemy as we could when they

bloated each productive produced a very good thirty meter, radius of white smoke and streams of burning phosphorus the smoke didn't stop. The bullets, but it did prevent from seeing our direction of escape. We quickly drug the body, and the wounded team member into the thick go and began, slipping and sliding up the mountain, a radio gunships that we were clear to make their necks. Pass directly over our old position, marked with a red. Smoke? Renewed asked? the meeting that the bad guys would be there by then, good move, resulting in the gunships killing several them. Where we had been the gun continued upon the area for another twenty minutes, sending thousands of bullets, hundreds of forty millimeter grades and dozens of rockets through the jungle canopy onto them. Again, the weather moved in on us very quickly in the rain begin. To come down hard before we were halfway up the mountain. The clouds were already covered

the closet already covered the ridge light. We would not be distracted that day, tired and somewhat demoralized. We continue to climb toward the top the mountain we had these temporarily Barochan contact with the enemy. Eventually, We found a very dense, rocky and steep peak. We thought we could defend. Rain, continued the rest of the day and throughout the night with that morale, crusher, death, your low on ammunition, you thank you. Making your your final, you no movement and then you're gonna, get extracted and in the weather, comes into your shutdown gap. It and go over well with the team, it happened. It had a significant impact on the morale because they really thought. I really thought they once we get up here. We would get a tract but not once the weather rolled in then. I knew man, gonna be here at least

told tomorrow and things you don't work out as well. In that position, what is important for you to do as a leader as Morales starts to slip in part. A part of what I was doing with them was congratulating them, because this is one of our first heavy firefights as a team so pop in them up how well they did how we destroyed all those guys. We got the body that we went down after a distant trying to tell him You really do a good job, so wing everything about software, a soft again That their debts

Okay, ok! So you give him like a pep talk, hey, you did great, but they gotta be looking at you, hey, hey thanks law, boss and now we're here and the enemy that we just killed a bunch of enemy. What are they they're gonna, come after us, we ve got to keep the guard up, pay attention. Ain't dwell on what what's happened: whether a clear who declares in the meantime, we gotta stay sharp and we're in a good position. If they try to come out will take like the ultimate form of of of when people in competition of some kind and they think they win, and then it turns out they don't. You know I gotta Buddy named TIM Kennedy whose actually especial Force Guy Gregg I'd. He was actually a. U have fighter mixed martial arts wider incredible fighter, but here He had a match against a guy and the guy he was no one against was an olympic Champ Guy it really. A guy and TIM was beating him and

the EU is between the second and third round the opponent. Didn't answer the bell, so he didn't come to fight. And then the coroner man there were some shenanigans going on in all the sudden within extra thirty seconds of rest or whatever the guy stood up and ready to fight, and now TIM Kennedy, who had just thought he'd want because the guy didn't answer the bell: they go. No, no! No! No! It's not over you. Gotta fight here and Intel that story me. He said it was this this situation right all of a sudden. He fought, would had one thought the day was done, raised his hand in victory and then all the sudden. No you got to fight again and he did. He didn't you know he ve told me like. I didn't get back in the game losing their fight and unfortunately that fight would have put him in this. To be the day you have see champion which keep absolutely should a bit. It's you remind me of this and you, as a leader have to take them. People in that moment where they could let down their guard, they could get the they could give up and

say no guess what ok a good job. We got him If you tonight we're not done yet, and it happens all the time Cunningham move the first term. First got it to be an ace pilot in Vietnam, went down when they shot down there, the fifth aircraft. Then southern dimension is our the shot down the that air, that Mig and later and go home and he and the co pilot there and each other on the back man races. Now we ve done is that was great, just going back and forth They didn't hear the muscle long go off forest Lay they were almost back to the coast and when the muscle him they had a punch out, they landed in the water. You'll get picked up out there but they were celebrating so hard. They light a guard downplay thought it was over.

It ain't overtones over concerned and in this budget your case in Austria. Here we go back to the door. Even though the mission was supposed to be a five hour mission, I mean just everyone just I'd made everyone bring to meals, just in case the team said, grumbled about the extra weight, but no was grumbling now. Nor did during the next day, as rain, continued we spend almost forty eight hours on that little peak constantly watching listening and feeling for the enemy before the weather cleared and we were extracted. Needless to say, never was very excited to climb on board the helicopter head. Rome, even though the smell was terrible. I really look forward to seeing. I really I was really looking forward to some time off to let my body and mind he'll when we, the compound. However, I discover

My team was scheduled to begin preparing for a new mission the next day, our nor would have to wait. Three months later, I was awarded the air medal with v device. Second award for heroism during aerial combat, for my actions on May fourth, one thousand nine hundred and sixty nine. The first trip I was also awarded the bronze star metal with be devised, four heroism in ground combat for my actions on May seven, nineteen sixty nine, the second trip- and it was worse When I go, please tell me what was worse than that, because when I an idea, whoever rode up you for a bronze star. For that no disrespect, but I'd like to slap them. First, try Freddy's, because that is ridiculous. Tire thing is ridiculous. When I get back, We had the m

the asian guy. There were the hour colonel again. And he sang you what my helicopter, I'm saying. That's what you told me to do destroy the helicopter ease. I didn't tell you that you are not supposed to store is put at the reminder something on on the radio's, but not destroy the helicopter idle. What he thought he would going do with it. But I said: well, drivers and a million pieces out. There is gone Euro next time yourself. I didn't go that far and might have been thinking there, I was not happy when I heard that I wanted to hear recommended. You did a great job and helicopter countrymen? Well, that's a disconnected.

That's a very disconnected person very disconnected leader. Unbelievable So that's it! That's just complete The prison. You did. You get wounded during that mission, now just banged up a little, his back half a minute? It was an uncommon get hit which shrapnel in or something but down the aisle. I get broken ribs and burn hands and all of that deal with the first part of it, but the second part I just got skin open. So then, So now, what's the next hour, what's that was in that was in two to seven May,

The next thing we got is a king be down so when I can be, helicopters goes down that wasn't good day on meal. I take Archie Virginia and we go on emission. And I think that's the wine where it was the young envy, a division regiment Heading four hamburger hill: we were supposed to go, find em and then but bring air strikes and things on try to stop home because hamburger here it was a very political battle that happen. The hundred first was trying to fight your way up to the top of the mountain taken at all.

Of casualties- and everybody was questioning at the time. Why do they need to go up there? You go. The high ground it'll be a political victory that I was military, is we? If we take it, they were take what kind casualties. The north. It means had this large unit that was coming and that was Gunnar, crush battalion and also our mission was to go, find it stop it, don't let em there they had moved a lot further, along than we thought so we will do our level circling around thing in were coming in. On short final, they open far hit the aircraft we lost power. I'm setting in the door- and I mean

in the ground come up in, does not good men worker really smack in and we did so hit the ground. Everything went black, and then I my eyes, come open and on land near thinking. Am I alive or dead, and then I hear the bullets granted by I'm thinkin. I must be alive vast somebody's going to shoot me so I look around see. What's going on, I get my guys scattered on the ground to drag him over into a bomb crater. Let's there. So we had some protection They eventually got the helicopter flying again. Oh wow overtaken lotta hits, but he got it back and hear someone who's your their king Pilots is we're southie enemies, pilots.

Feel but yeah they flew for us there. There are guys there now sound where, wherein the crater fighting, they can't get back and ground fires away too heavy, work and air strikes who work in them. Everyone is we're heading The whole ridge line waiting top of the hill, getting secondary explosions up their young crusade, already moved, a lot of ammunition and staff on the hill, so we're smoking it pretty hard, but I mean they can shoot right across the top them bomb. Greater was kind of hard to to sticky head out everybody's busted up I am experiencing in amount, tremendous amount of pain and I'm not quite sure where's is coming. I mean I'm hurtin it's hard to breathe all at cost. F

but we're getting a lotta kills they're trying to crawl out dear to us Eventually, we suppress the far enough there one helicopters able to come in and took everybody on the team up for myself, in one guy down to us, They there. Nobody knows that, because the crowd of too many people is that, because there are technical reason to do that in the sky, I wanted somebody else with me. Then there we were loading. The aircraft down were really putting too much weight on it search, so you the fear was, if you, if you like, if everyone got on that can be won. The other thing I knew it would go to so too you're gonna stay cow. He asked question Karla we talked about before sometimes after all, the way to the good of the many on the one hand for us the

A solution was for us not to get on the helicopter and we would stay there. If we got out, we got out, we didn't we didn't get. The rest of the team you know would survive so so they went away were still do law shooting working gunships and stout, and then I just the mole, irritated him. If I need to go get one hour, I think what I'm gonna do is disk all out there cuz. I know they're crawling around at two in the grass I'm going to crawl out there and get one of these drivers leaning, meaning you're going and capture alive the enemy. So in White Oak cuz you're right here now you got two people, two of you you're injured. Somehow you don't really know what it is: you're in a bomb crater you're, surrounded by it in VA, division and now a good time to go. So what? If I'm, what if I'm gonna get somebody only this may be my last chance so snatch one, those Joker

because if we can take it back, give a lot of India about where they are. What they're doing everything so I start calling out there in the grass near the graces about that, but to have three feet high. I'm crawling around out there and I can hear me out of their shooting, still shooting down at the the bomb crater. They realise that crawled out there with them I can hear that one up in front of me and I'm crawling up there and if the Viking, the timing right so that see me immediately, then, and how I could probably wounding, drag back in India, you'll, be ours it just didn't, go well when we had the encounter, so I more than wounded him so

I didn't have a prisoner to shoot atam, or did you stab now shy their times. They use a knife, but sometimes you need to do it. Quick him he's got buddy yeah you can only reached so far with a knife. There were that car fifteen you reach way out turn taps o my son, I decided to go back and because I just didn't have any strength when sure what was going on, I got back in February. The press. The far enough that they were able to come back again and get the two of us and we went back to the launch. And they said that was good, but There is still a ton of amount, fear and you to go back into more and more so take the team back inside replace them team members,

then why'd, you really to replace team members, because some of them were injured. Helicopter crashed in solemn, And what about you? You're back I got whenever groundwater is, I got with emetics and they drug me up and they said Joe with an impact that hard you are bound to have some some bruises, whatever that's man this in not a and his heart breathe. When move that anyway, they say we really needed back out here tomorrow morning. I critical we're gonna. Do it. So we go back in same insertion point no we're. We moved over to different location of a few clicks away from that. First one. And went in and an iceberg underground regarded him into the jungle. We may contact,

we're in heavy contact there trying to suppress fired, Workin again, ships and things that we had with his guide suppressed enough. That we were able to get again all but me and one of the guys out on strings and lifted them out. So the two We still, they are still work in air strikes, and or in a better position at this point to really hit the main body of the force, and you know we had that big stick with us and we were hammer nose, downing literally thousands of them or kill. You know that morning I mean we, we pretty decimated that force, not you. What would you do you in an elevated position? Yeah? That's all! We were up pretty close to the top of a mountain and we could see him in the valley. We could see him

the red line coming up to where we were. We could see him on a ridge. Land were read it. They know where you were. I guess I'm in from the far that was going on. They knew we were up there, but they couldn't get up there to us, except for the ones that were already there, because Now we had a big enough by air Support team Willis out here to just smoking. We had the Spaniards, they want to use. We had the air force and gunships Jeff, taking those things, and I mean they were so. Out here waiting on their turn to come in and go after and put them from where we were. As you know, I could see him and we had a pretty significant. Contact Roy, you dear, where we were directly honest in person reason it just seemed like a good idea to take one of em back with us

So you got that the notion again that you're going to try and capture. So I thought you understand different terrain. I need to get one of them, so I, I crawled out here would covering far from our lower guy countered guy and I didn't have the strength to manhandled. I wanted him where's hurting so bad? I do. I just didn't, have the strength and mean I under normal conditions. I gotta brought him back, but I wasn't too much. Pain, so I had to let him go happy hunting ground were crawl back later on that day, ass in the other guy were able to come out on the strings and then they really hammer de place there

how long were you on the ground for on that one most of the day it was a long time and got back. These young go think, there's something wrong with yeah. I think so by the way, the NBA that that ellen- when we have thousands and thousands of NBA did they ever make two hamburger him. So that's. Why do much wine hundred first was not wiped out. They did finally make it to the top and once they got out there where the king of the hill, they were tall. Ok, come on back down, when that kind of stuff was going on. What are you guys? What was that we will look back arm, chair, quarterback and say: oh, you know what what were they think what would you guys they can when you guys here that I hear her would hear about that. Would you think what the hell's, the leadership, do it

Are we doing? Why would you do it? Why would you sacrifice that many lives and I I forgot now the exact number, but it was a lot of Americans, kill trying to get it that he'll just to turn around and walked back down, and I know it was. Just that it road, big political move and everything, but my opinion. I dont think it was worth losing people like that, if you're going to turn around a go back there right now. Did you guys think about that? You talk about that. Did you Look at each other and say what the hell are we doing what? Why would we made it sometimes sometimes when we get back, team members setting not young american members sitting round. Sometimes we would say man: did you see what here what happened and questioning some other political things goin out, because now it's nineteen sixty nine, so that this is like the height of the

Eric and Anti WAR movement right now. This is like Woodstock com in all events enough down Are you guys here in any that we're hearing some about to protest, but you know we didn't get to see me. You wouldn't have tvs and stuff like that. We didn't we didn't see what was going on as if you got a hold of an army times. You might see something in there, but a lot of stuff was held back because they didn't want us being exposed to it but you knew you had heard from him. For who were coming and more recently things that they had seen you knew that likely to be spent on and the airport or on the street. If you are in uniform was what are you thinking about that mean we? If

you just. Can you even fathom that? Well, I wasn't happy about it and Whether a lotta hijackings planes go on all that time too, so, not not by protesters, but by from people hijacking apply to different countries, and in one of my thoughts was this brand, ha power. Nine millimeter that I took off over envy, I'm carrying not when they are playing my plane, is not gonna be hijacked. It would be the hijackers worst nightmare to try to stop my plane, so I carried it when they I had it. When I went to the airport I did get spit out. I got called baby killer all kinds of things like that.

From various groups in the airport. It was not the welcome home candidate that you say today, although we don't I don't think we do a very good job today. We do a lot better than we did. I wouldn't happy about what was gone so you you were about to say before I cut you off you're about to say that you get back and now they're yours ahead or something. Actually, I think it's actually something wrong with me. Yeah decided that I haven't. They decided at the time that I had severely bruised my I back and maybe some vertebrae I think I'm broke out. Another couple ribs. I don't remember right now, but I think it was a couple ribs broken too and no beat up cut up then it was determined later than I had fractured my spine and a couple vertebrae and they just couldn't believe

that I actually want emission like that and was able to do what we do so what they give you a couple days downtime in some more sure how they found was real powers. There yeah I got a few he's down time after but guide motoring like candy. And then it was ok. You got eventually by the time the next nation came around ready to go and when I was at you, you have a note in here about the year. The Pew W mission. That is after you got home now, Still, I'm still over there. Ok, We got into hell, he's got into allow a sudden, that's there is a small group of ten to fifteen american, pure dubious.

There were being moved north and they entail said we know where they are so they said we need to give them that. Came the mission, but it was gonna, be intense, combat condemnations What we did was we created a spike t, buy you mind, Bruce Lombard. Nine would do that. Sometimes we would put our two teams together, so we'd have about twenty or so people to take out there. We took a medic with us. It's we were. We were loaded forbear to machine guys, all of that dream when everything and our mission was to go out and Item and get him back, so Wait till the launch site will respect the large. The next day there was a hatchet force that was there to that.

Permission to go. I don't know what their mission was, but they were going somewhere. We had a team Dennis Neil Michael Browns Team, Michael Brown's team- when they had finished their emission. They move back to an extraction elsie. They had call for extraction then, all of a sudden they call the prayer of our emergency that they were being overrun and there are large contact with a radio contact with team, one other Crap is one of the aircraft in the area. Transmission on the lower your tv radio just operated under guard frequency. They picked up what they thought was an american voice, saying

somebody help me out make for God's sake. Somebody help me. Heard that north- and that was all we heard, and so every Everythink d lost sight stopped. The guy's now is a prairie fire. Gotta go get Genesis team, that was a situation where I didn't. A two or in our coming out, but I'm looking at their aircraft is about to go out to try to bring and back and I'm thinking, I probably should get on. Aircraft. I think I should go with them and I thank him. I've got a leader led my own mission to get pure dubious honour, couple hours. I've gotta go, do that. I can jump on this area. Often fly out there I mean that's, not gonna work I didn't go. They went out

to the area they saw some movement was on what they thought were good guys. They drop guy down. As they were lifted off three of on call time and then one of them shot loose and they came on up. There To indigenous personnel I'm a guy, and now the crib chief said he thought he saw an American on that. Thirdly, that pop loose, He thought American had gotten in there and fell out as they were pulling attention up. There were receiving someone's fire me how they couldn't go back in there, so they brought The two survivors from the team back to the lost site did a quick debriefing from them. They said everybody else's did they lie, the young hatchet force

to go in as a bright like team. They change their mission to bright light, decided to put Emma there, because there were so many bad as in the area, but they inserted them a couple thousand metres away from from where the extraction sight was. But they were pinned down on Elsie, never never moved anywhere, but he's got another tree line, and that was as far as I can go So once that started opening and they saw they couldn't go anywhere than they came to me and said your mission changed? You are now the bright lighting got all my guys together and said: ok, we're goin bright light, the other mission or do later so then they can we plantation required and they inserted at me the whole spiky so alarming as five aircraft going,

no it's a really hard area. We will probably Elsie, but we have to be careful because we don't know the other team members that might be out there, so we can just here where the whole area, we can only profit right around the Elsie so they went out the gunships ahead of us. They probably Elsie, I'm listening known ahead, headset is not sounded good I knew we were gonna get hammered because they were to open up. All NASA says we got close. And I was in the lead Europe. If we started Dan, bullets had come and everywhere they aircraft taken hits the by may have taken heads, but we I went on in the gutter the ground got, my First loading tree lie brought into the rested: a guy's one ship with a time work in air strikes.

Right around us press the fires, much as we could, so we spat until the next afternoon Mostly fighting looking forward and his team trying to find any survivors that we could so it was a long time and they were firing mortars over at them Patchett force. We could hear from back up behind us. I would call them and say rounds on way out here and drop it in a to induce. You know I, just you got incoming get everybody down, but we could. Get to where the mortars were because too many people around us. When you get daylight We are still looking for more lookin, for in a smaller rediscovered, we were in the middle of a banker. Complex matters were all around us.

That's? Why? One reason that the young Elsie perhaps didn't have much of the fact they were in their backers. We brought in a lot of air support, eventually got out genesis. Was never found and the the two survivors. Doubt in my mind that they get was the wrong location. Where were the team, when it was over run. I don't. I don't think they did it intentionally. I think it was stressed. I think he was being just trying to survive. I think they lost track, what how far they moved to get to where they were picked up from Because otherwise, you would have found something we would have found something now you go out there. You can find people who written all kinds of things about and illnesses motion in that

and you know it was evidence- was found and things like that I was there. I was again on the ground. You know I searched that area. I know what was there Dennis was my roommate, so we We are already very close, so I had a personal stake. Finding his team. Now we just did make it so we came back so our mission for the P W were was posted we went back down and started replanting not mission again because for till they had moved more, so we had to pick a new site. They go into Gonna think the riddle differently. It turned out to be one.

Probably one of the most interesting missions than I had being one of the most unique in and sob because of a couple of things that happen Well like what it's? It's really interesting that if anyone listening I guess we ve, we re. On one of them, What are you had on the park? Ass was Ganem, Colonel William Reader, and he was Alex. Provided that were shot down two times and the second time down whose captured than he was one of those folks that was being moved from South Vietnam to them. Which was actually the worst possible thing to have happening and guys died on those tracks, and you know this. This was them there stereotypical image that you get of of the Vietnam prisoner of war.

In the jungle. That's what these guys were going through, so the guys in Hanoi Hilton that were at least they were again. Five people knew that they were there, etc. These guys in the jungle. They were just getting No, every horrible thing that could possibly happen happen to those guys are when you talk about the fact that you knew you know you had in tell this is the type of person that I'm thinking that you're going to save? You know someone like colonel were William reader who, stories that he D told about the captured in Europe point. He was in a two foot tall, bamboo cage his legs are shackled he's in the middle, the jungle he has needed any true get some sleep, but I can't sleep because the rats are gnawing at the wounds in his legs so that when you say hey, you got an opportunity. Go capture these these, these guys That's what I'm thinking about

and you're doing all this. Just on top of you know losing your friend your brother, Dennis Neil, who completely you know, disappears So what changed about what changed about the mission? When what what did it start? What what made it to round having we're going into a different location, different route, but other than that the beginning was basically the way it was supposed to go when it when we got canceled before we go, we go in relatively uneventful and we get on. Elsie was the big team, reason. I have already used together, they one and we start moving? the red line. It was kind of a late, certain not last light but calculate we start up. The red line We get a few hundred meters.

A year, and then we stop for the night. A big group now takes lorry, get everybody in position get set up, get all the claymores. I get everything that way Were you need it so So now we have a larger parameter, I'm in the centre of it. The bruises close to me, but I know where he is and what interestingly, it got dark. In the weather is starting to get bad, but it's dark you I can't see your hand in front of your face and I'm leaning against the tree. My rucksack behind me. I got my car fixed, across my lab, like I normally do.

And I'm just about asleep, and I my here on a twig, bright eyes, open and I'm thinkin delight sure toward right, and then I hear another one, and I am saying to myself: that's directly in front of me, there Somebody in front of me that's moving in this direction, and so now I'm listening and arms, and somebody is coming directly at me and I'm thinking how did it go through the parameter me we're not space very far apart at all, Hyena work at this guy have walked through our parameter. Maybe he's only inside now he's coming straight at me. So I'm playing all those thoughts in my mind and he's getting closer and now I've

my who drilling go on, I got my super senses working and even though it so dark, I can't see anything I can visualize young and fry me. I can literally see. A black silhouette do my mind because I'm tracking knows the sound I can. During freezing and he's coming right at me, and I'm thinking that this is not going to be good cuz. This guy is going to walk right into me, so I've got to make a decision. You know if I tip shooting right now, Is going to light me up like a neon sign and all of his buddies are going to open up. I've got to do something he's about to step on me, so I got to selector switch on full, auto I got my weapon in the hands and I'm I'm tracking mental you the silhouette, and we want it

It's in my mind where peace within reach my plan was I'm gonna reach out and grab a hold of him. I'm gonna crammed the barrel of the car fifteen in his head and I'm gonna pulling you'll be off, balance are pulling, and bring it down to the ground if he fires his weapon, if he yells, if he makes any kind of sound and they're going to put a three or four round burst in your head, Course I don't like me up and everybody you start shooting at me now what I think lady began their solemn. Ninety got were then in range. I reached up a grabbing at this distance same, as did the gun hidden inside the head, Quetta began shook his head.

I pulled him down, he hasn't said a word. I jerked him right down to the ground and a gun. Is there and I'm saying now? What am I going to do? I mean I've got him, but what am I going to do? and all of a sudden I hear him whisper trunk with joy. His aunt lived out tat, light flights hunting. Why Light heights- and I realize we, the vietnamese captain was view means Army captain. And he had seen something and he was coming to tell me. What do you want me to go out with Then he was coming to tell me I've, got him down on the ground now, with a gun stuck halfway through his head

and he Lucien lights and light, and and I look up looking up the ridge up toward the top of the mountain and all the way from the top of the mountain half way down the ridge or just light. I thought they might be flashlight, but I think there is some kind of a lantern, an irresistible, a stream of people coming down the mountains. So I led him up. I look back down the ridge and there's the stream alights as far as I can see down, The rage coming up the man, the guy, that minor radio right then says so You need to hear this, here's my hands and I respect, and what I hear is. You are now a prairie fire emergency. This is coming farms, Zog had gone down in and now

Saigon being relayed to tell us that. You're pretty far emergency. I'm thinkin. I didn't know that but I mean no I'm looking now and see in all these lights and I'm thinkin, I think we're we probably are and we're carrying K. Why? Thirty eight. We have the most secure tactical radio is that there is the kind you'd have to set that what about twenty manual settings, I hunch ended crypto code you have to have. Frequencies. You have to have all the settings and then I'm on the radio says it's our unity or this nothing. Now why these Gallagher From everywhere and he's got something else you want to listen to you,

the hands out and I'm thinking. What do I hear it's music I'm I'm hearing music coming over the answer. And then I hear this female. The NBA. Wherever start talking. Then it dawned on me all of a sudden, this beautiful music. This is the obituary music This is what I used to hear one hour's little, my grandmother's radio, everyday life They do the news, but then they would do the obituaries for the people. County or whatever they had had died red off your name and all the staff in and have their music in the background and this female is reading off our obituary that we were killed in action. That day.

And she read my name off as Dick Thompson and I'm thinking there is only one one person on this side of the world. Who knows me as dig the has any clue? That's my name and that was barge. Well, I knew your barge with someplace nobody had him in read my name off his Dick Thomson reads off the name of every member that we had on the team, all this is being killed in action. That day on the secure encrypted radio saw guns listening to this and think in what is going on and I'm thinking what is going to make him a little nervous

did you know my name. How did they get on this frequency? And I know that goes away, so it's kind of got my attention now in the bad guys are coming. So you start talking back and forth when they got a covey out in the area now, so we start talking about what our Genes for getting us out of here there's a weathers night there good there are tons of, north vietnamese all around us by God. Does one woman who Page just told us all we were killed a day. I read our better where I should get our names everyone. The shock and confused about. What's what's going on? How do they know? We worry were in their common air at us other starting, a role in the clouds were slow

They started to come down on the mountains, so now I'm thinkin, where I gotta be a get air support. They can't get aircraft the UN to extract us. I'm having this conversation now would cover about dying needs to options, because this guy's got bigger pretty soon and it's not gonna be pleasant, we're loaded forbear, but not for that many people not to be true, in doing so. Finally, they said one option might be combat scarf bites, that's air force coming out five hundred pound bombs, and do you know you give them a coordinate two or three thousand metres away from here? They are flying by radar and been vector by radar toward those coordinate And then, when the radar says you're at the right place to release the bomb, you release a bomb.

And you see where it hurts so this because it's a night time is an idea is night. While he is night plus now. The clouds are down on the mountain, so e g ground He can. You see the mountain there were on the river. What was that? What was that technique called combat sky spot combat sky spot? So I'm going to come you know with the technique, does not use very often because it's not very accurate road, and only but It was an emergency situation. Did you and approve it. They said you you, you need, give us the coordinates there's two or three thousand meters away. Art relating put one bomb out there, let's see where it hits in them, will start to just that's all we got. Let's do it.

Tom you didn't take long to theirs and therefore on the area I am, I I play using my emergency radio I was able to talk directly to till they are for which you can normally do and he's only here, the bombs away. It's impact about twenty seconds. You got your jihad down what you're gonna hear of unless nice than our own. It goes off and there is a lot closer than three thousand meters, some thinking glad I wasted on out their ways

anyone. It really was on. The was an online with a ridge. Anyway, it come on over the ridge and down into the valley, but at least I knew were promptly where it hits. I could start to adjust in some now. So we started Masson were that when that irritated the north, it means they were not happy that somebody was out there trying to draw bomb on. So we we overheard radio as saying Shoot him in the legs, take all their Americans prisoner and we got a message coming out

from Saigon they were intercepting nor vietnamese transmissions and plan they plan to capture here and there I tried a wound, you and take you. Ok, then we gotta get these scar spots working for us here, yet them in closer and the bad guys are getting closer and closer. So I start working I'm down and young kind behind a tree and one of the bombs goes off in a piece of shrapnel two and a half inches in diameter. Comes out across the top mired goes into the treaty right in front of me and just cuts new alliance. The top of my head is going into a tree. Thinking that was closed. For me I was pretty close down.

You know I was behind a tree for a little while, once it cool down a little bit. I popped it out and I put it in my pocket. I still have it at home somewhere. I wanted to bring it just a short sale. And also that crease? The top of my head got my intention now, if the other, they are serious about doing something. Eventually, we we do some gun battles and staff, and that's going on light yet now, but it is getting close when it when it first We did get why there was some marine squadron. There came a helicopter squadron that came out with a gun, and I guess the the leader came over

I wish to wear. The red line was just received so much ground virus out from it. He tell it rested his guys back off we're not going in there there's too much ground far and then all of a sudden I'm I get a call from one of the gunshot pause he says I'm coming as don't come in here. If you try to flout the ridge, you gonna have go so low! You gonna fly around the tree tops. Barely moving. You have almost be hover, they're gonna knock down, don't come in here. Will we will find a way don't come up here. He's I'm coming So this was a halo Helga. Don't you worry or helicopter gunships one, but few, and I could hear him coming and wonder, but a few and then I heard him. I forget his name now Eagle Claw

something made a Meda may day were here. We're going down and also talk to allow more. Then he said and out another May day in day out, we're on fire going down, I'm going to try to make it to the river. Some listen I got now and he actually he made it to the river and it was called A deep swift flowing river went inside ways the pilot got out the door Gunnar on that side got out. The two of them got out. The crew chief on the on the side that went went in first and the co pilot didn't get out one of the the guy door. Gunnar got out was a good swimmer and stuff

So he dumped in water swam over, they went down to try to give them the other Gunnar got out, but the pilot couldn't get out, never saw the door Gunnar again in ever came back up the lost those I was too guy too many bad guys in that area. They couldn't go and have taught us how to extract the two guys it didn't come up, but they did yet, though the parlour door Gunnar out so that wasn't a good see how far away was that from you from your long. Their impact on the river was partly three thousand meters. Okay, so this is all in the vicinity of you,

as all right around me, so they go in and then now we have all. We have a battle and used. It is not looking good too many of them and we have no place to go so it eventually get started haunt we're Talkin back to carry. Into the air force on the avenue cluster bomb yet goodies? on board. He said they did. I said, put it on my position, I don't know if you ve seen closely. Is this the last thing? What what time a day? Is it now it's midmorning? So it's meant more, so you guys had been in heavy contact the entire morning. The enemy is closing it on rains about two hundred of those things down on you,

So why are you time I saw so how close the enemy was? Alright airline? Here I mean I'm already apply mean for you to be calm. Looking around your position. That means you're. Now be overlooked. I'm looking around saying man is this: the last what what time a day is it now? It's midmorning. So it's meant more, so you guys had been in heavy contact the entire morning, the is closing in on your position there in progress, obviously, because now you're getting to appoint because we can go up or down, I In the side is the size of the ridge arrears deep, so we can go down a ridge sides, and there are coming in and I'm thinking how long will the Iraqi able the trigger anyone I start getting here. She has already blow your claymores report. Bitter claymores claymore, gone, come in their common nine billion.

A twenty guys in this parliament about now. So the parameter wherein its communist more than this a little bigger than this room. Since the European in, like fifteen by fifteen feet, it's it's a fairly all parameter in? U S surrounded. I am a thousand in the thousands of hardened end of year, so regular spear and they're coming, and I tell I tell about You make your first wrong. Put it on us. If you dont, hearing come back on radio, then make your next pass and just. Level everything on this ridge, because I mean we're not ear. Sorry, they tell us heads down his coming in and it rains all these things down and we had seven on land either, side of rambler or right

the editor parameter, not a one off none of unexploded, but they were exploring all around us and you could hear the screams and all the staff costs. Come on we're goin off in the trees trap and was going, he rear and it broke broke their attack. I don't. I don't put another one honest that that's working back awful over now. Let's just divine intervention. Yeah further seven, a movie cluster bombs at land inside your parameter. Had none of us know that mean that is done, happened as though you might have one or two of em that go off somewhere, but not all the ones that are right there at all Don't do go the others, the I I don't know There were some out there? It appears that they all went off so they backed off things come down a little bit. I had Bruce Tom. I his people to look for

way down the writ, could we could we go down? and somehow a team went out. Then I got a call back saying: we just found the remains of another Sgi down on the side of the richer and there's no there's one one body here, indigenous body. What do you want me to do. We need to identify the person so without going into detail. I just told him take the appropriate action, so he could be identified now. Bring that back with him to the to the team. So then we finally get some gunships working now because them, whether starting to to lift up we ve got army, we ve been bombing,

quite a bit during the night, so we start work and down the policy that we can come on we're gonna try to get on the extraction. There I ran into a small boys, will lead in last long, so we re were keep Goin. Guy down to the today the LZ and we looking around looking for bad guys. But what I see is tat. They and sticking up out of the ground couple feet: five hundred pound long stay in the LZ unexploded, how we think Are we gonna bring a helicopter in here without bomb setting? The unexploded gives me some we'll talk of this is what's going on we really like to get out of here of their coming back. Have some dialogue and they decided. Okay. If we're going to do the extraction, can, is it going to take five aircraft because it's out

You started rotating a man and when my team was gonna, be the last team out so The machine guns places far out trying to suppress the fire. The gunships of suppressing fire, rotating chips in and we had so many. Ships and they want to use on standby. Out there and just waiting on their return to come out on real, but eventually think it was. Around one thousand seven hundred we got out so started at two thousand one hundred the day before, and you know one thousand seven hundred we finally got extracted and headed back, but we'd get to go after their prisoners. So then the question start. How could they know who was on the tee? How could they have the Frequencies They had to have a K. Why thirty eight? Where do they get there? So,

It was, and I mean in To my knowledge, those questions whenever answered. If, if they were answer, we never found out how they manage to do that now there was about about it too. Delay between the time that we did a bright light mission for Danish, his team drought and coming back right so I mean emission had already been planned and night had taken a couple of weeks and then we get delayed a couple of weeks. There is only somewhere had to be a leak and our compound, so they information got out and I think, when you were talking to till he was saying no it in late, sixties going into seventy proteins are disappearing, Mason was getting out somehow they were good

smarter, but information was getting out and we lose in teams. So that was a little you could you didn't know? get your visually I mean now in there is wondering, don't normally one point there we found out eastward back. We found that there was a port during the during the mission. Where they had actually listed us, as am I. Because all the radio traffic they were picking out from the north Vietnamese that they added but we really wasn't there now and all this bombing in staff it was going on. We went in there. Indeed, any enough didn't get wounded or not miss random stuff. No one! No one was killed but deal with trap. I got the top my guts and you got that qualification of calling a club. Your bomb in on your position,

a pretty rare wonder, walk away from it, so I guess today you in This day, when I hear People say less banks, your bombs. You know why you close your hand, something in me, and I am glad that thing around At least one time yeah. That sort of the Euro It's likely We see the ultimate. Terrible situation it doesn't get any worse than when you are calling for air. All your position. That's that the absolute that. That's the last thing you do right, that's when you say we're going to be overrun with probably get it I this is our last ditch efforts efforts the ultimate of all hail marries. This is it call for fire on our position. That's what you did and by the grace of God Browns that hit inside your perimeter as worrying is planet town I will end Give me one other, so I'm trying to get the

have to look after loading and get my guys on it. This one's going. The sound strange do what I'm standing right next to the helicopter, I'm putting people on, and I hear a voice that says: drop a wild, boars drop. Without hesitation. I just collapse to my knees And, as I did about a ten round burst Machine gun rounds hear this the chopper right where my head was in a fraction of a second later I would have been de cap decapitated, I mean They were things like that happening throughout and use thing: where did this come from? What has all this? it's beyond coincidence. It is, and it was

an interesting version. I just very upset that we didn't get to go after there appeared areas, but what's a prairie fire, what is called for? fire, prairie, fire. Sorry, the area of operations is, they would cause prairie and, and then the prairie fire emergency was when there was about situation where these guys need to get extracted, got that's it, the Prairie fire emergency? The kitten afford for us to be captured are discovered so white ever it took to make sure that we were not. And if you read the signs material you read about here about that, Sometimes the team is rumoured ITALY. Is that sometimes be fifty to strike was put on to use it disappeared

to make sure there are no survivors. I've been I've done bombers SAS my damages after beefeater strikes out, never had one put on me, and yet this would have been good down from her put one out there if they were going to do that, but I dont know that that's true, but you know do you have volunteered to go on emission where you can't, under any circumstances, be taken alive, yeah, but you have another mission, highlighted worry. It just says a prisoner snatch, twenty calibre pistol with silencer. Did you have? did your prisoner. I never got my life? What point the jury? Nickname door? Your code name turned a terminator, I figure it might have had something to do with this. It was. It was actually after saw going some other things I always do.

Had commanders. Starting with we dig meadows that started this thing about it Are you the most relentless personnel? Have everything I'll a person in the world, I won't I M coming after you forgot, you just want to stop shine. I had other commanders after they are saying the same thing, and now after terminator movie came out of it. The name that movie after you gardener then the name all the sudden was promoted, and so they said Europe your name really Terminator thought Can I hung honour that one I use it as a race name. Do iron man, competitions and stuff I had a good conversational whilst talkative till then he would with through a lot of scenarios that he described was. He was talking about It would become an employer and you know it

ass till they said. Do you like who says I hit doktor. He said it without a moment: s notice it. What would you think it organised it? I hate dogs Of course, he also said his wife, like stars: Therefore they have dogs Are you? Are you scarred from from dogs as well huh and though I do have a robotic dog I've had a lot of dogs across the years, but You can do your dogs from either the tendency the position away, sometimes but term twenty two percent, while the silence her is still gonna make some noise, but if the dog is the dog is far enough away from the group you can t. Came out with one of those who can put out cs powder on on the trail. Really relish crews are smaller when they sniff there

So there are ways to deal with dogs, but it here's your little when you realise their common after you, dogs, I prefer trackers cause. I know how to get em. I don't I don't miss tractors. They will step on one of my mind extractors to get rid of the when they put three of them out there at different locations with a couple pieces of bamboo and no clapping the bamboo over here and you'll. Hear that you say when we're not going that way. So we start to turn. Why can't you go to far you're here to pack and over on this side, or so there I can reach analyzer channel. You write in until they ambushed, you know, that's going to happen to it. It's hard to put out soap operas or something for those guys, cuz they're. So far away from you and you don't know where they're going to walk, you can't get it to him, so that makes it

a more interesting how you going get away cuz. You know they heard me right to at ambush What was you deal with the the note you haven't here about the twenty two, the hush, three twenty two with a silencer and the prisoner snatch that just another failed briskly snatch. Well, there was another technique I had trouble keep them alive. With the twenty two we are used to similar scenario is the ambush bushel retarget about where I had a I shot to twenty two, I would urge you to the die anyway. It was sting enough it would cause their hands from the weapon and then thumper you know would take him. I'd hit the morphine in him, and that was the plan. Now I hit the female artery one time with a twenty do of all about me now lay clear and I

David Artery, so the goblet there I mean just just accidents like the term gotten away and I didn't have but one of the other teams and they had one. He was alive there come in our own strings and one other little guy has was was home, the guy in even though that you'd been drawn up a little. He was holding an about three thousand feet in this gas started coming to decided. He was not going to be a prisoner, so he started kicking and screaming. Fighting the guy in the face and the old acid, Ok, I guess you have that option. Two thousand and eight is turning loose and watched them disappear into the canopy That was somebody else's bad luck. I wasn't mine and at this point you gotta be close to you're one year,

run over there and You start to feel any visa any the short time. And tat will be used to think of the last mission. Wins, alas, wander you start to feel that it all. I started Phil not so much to the last mission, but I started to feel. Like I mean they hit this guy, and from time to time. And over there. A year, so I go to Supply Room and I say I'd like to sign out of black jacket and still pot You say why I said I Next time desiring goes off and we had for the bunkers. I'm gonna have flight joggins still bought, so. I dont have long left I dont want to somebody's lucky shot to take me out how many of lorries like last month, you were their young last few weeks. You thinking I've made. This fire not gonna, get hit by not mistake in the compound. Could you would see people how to another

friend of mine that had been with us for a long time before song You only had a couple weeks left before is going on and they had a mission come up. And he volunteered to go on PETE? What are you doing you two weeks now he said They need a pretend later to go out with his company, I'm going to do it and then I'm out of here I was just last night. You see people like that, so I tried not to think of anything as this is my last one. This is what I'm going to do this week or whatever. It's not my last, but I did. I did think about when I'm run into that Barker, maybe is still part of white jacket would be ok. This night is relatively cool

Some of you are so how did it? How did the deployment I finished up again Fear went back down to the train to pray, this out. They told me now you're gonna, be stuck here for a couple of weeks or so before we can get on a plane home. So I went over to the S S headquarters and I said I need help. There is an anti. Oh there's said: what can I do for you? I said I need young plain tonight. He said Lucy I can do so I go out and party would some other guys. I know I know, but two o clock the morning so my knocking on our door, this guy's theirs, and I need you to to get over forget what they call the place he had to go through

you need to get over there right away, so they can process you through it. Get you on the plane, sore you captain now at this point now you Stella. Firstly, it so a first lieutenant at this point. Are you thinking, you're staying in the army? I think animation. I around for a while. I mean, if you it was gonna, be three years, but when you get into an organisation that has the latest greatest gadget sin, and machines and esprit de corps. You can't just walk away from it now some hardware wachter. It's all doing this all out here. There's another announces like the guys it come back from walking on the moon. Now what you can do so I mean we had everything from the little tiny grenade, much bigger a job workers that they gave us the task ahead of a rocket pistol.

Rocket- and this was a little man like like a little tin gun that you probably played with when you were a kid you stick, Organ Indo at new squeeze them trigger and perhaps the cork out on the little strengthen this thing popped out of fifty km around with a rock in the back of it here and I gave us this and you know what I thought then make most nor this sounds like shooting a bottle rocket. Whoosh. In this I mean those things figures you Tom, is solid. Still I mean only outside still came was where they build it, for what was the purpose of it? To be something really clot that had a timid, penetrating power so, like you take it vehicle out, whether someone not to be go back, young pity go right through a vast, I mean I've got it. Hours right here? If I should you with it right here it bout off of it because it would have

it takes about, has been dealt with in feed to build up the speed. But beyond that I mean I shouted through to two by force I mean you'd gotten, stop it. Again, I try to use it. I think I'll, take the sky out because it Gonna be really quiet, I get it up You always night and I go click and you can hear the click no rocket so when the other guys had to take him out because it is they didn't work. They got rid of those guys. You're such a man a function rate, will I Google girl, rock? Rocket Pistol. Our video is out there Vietnam, and then I was trying to make them work. Sometimes they work. Sometimes they don't put your around here. Is it around your three year mark? You must be around three or hate you already re enlisted, who you was realistic. Coming up because because I wanted

Oh see us then I incurred extra time occur, so so I had to stick around and if I was going to accept captain, Do go indefinite some say. So the weird thing is you you're in Vietnam, your inside your conduct in these crazy operations? You barely live through this and then you all. The sudden two clock in the morning here still probably you Have you ever he knocked at the door and says: hey you're gone home so, then I get on. I go. Get on the plane. If you know you know the rules for curing thing and the gases. What's that in an your pants message, you mean this. He said yes, said it's a war traffic and he says I put it back down my answer. I got on civilian aircraft and off I go and thinking nobody

Go hijackers thing, her ready! Guy, aren't you off the plane with it in salmon. Cisco were, I think, of San Francisco. With the relay one of the children. What right on through there you didn't have the security checks again now. So now, you're in either San Francisco somewhere in California year, whatever you're forty eight hours or seventy two hours, something less than a couple these few days out of the Bush has a transition. It's tough, I mean it's, it's a different world back here from aside from the protest and all that is just a totally different environment, different world I come from the wild West have come from a world where I didn t all these rules of engagement that you have now

the rules of engagement was. If I see you, I kill you, If I run across somebody out in the area of operations, I terminator that's it you're you're, bad guy. You'll have to have a weapon, you don't have we doing anyting aggressive toward me, I just have to see you because you're not supposed to see me. So if I let you see me, then you know I can basically signs and now I'm in a world where you get in there rules there are laws there all kinds of things you can't do that and what did the army I guess this is a loaded. What did the army do to help you re? to reintegrate? To being? in Amerika. At that point, Reintegration was Here's an extra silence, you're going to be arranged doctor and rendered born bunker. Ok, I can do that

I mean I I wanted to be arranged instructor, so I get that that particular job and now I've got. Maybe eight months at the most before I'm gonna, be back. So what better placed to put me then, as a ranger instructor going in evaluating rangers units on small patrols, tactics all that kind of stuff and haven't a journal. Then here's how I can prove this technique that are used in sock, here's. How can practise slipping up, people more. I can improve all the techniques that I've been using their. I can go improvement. I can spend more time in a way the range Using a rain shooting improvement skills? My listening skills, skill night movement skills. I can go out and work. The staff for eight months journal it and when I get back to sob, I'm going

you better saga noise, while there before well too we ve been going fur. Or two hours and forty minutes- we're gonna pay cup with your Rangers Ranger instructor period. Of your life on the next part, cast thanks for coming on. Thank you very much and there has not just extra come round his thanks for everything will talk to you on the next part gassed. Thank you well once again Colonel Henry Thompson has left the building and, as once again left me in a complete sense of awe. Because we're talking about just absolute insanity than the fact that the

Men of Sog did what the men of saga did and the fact that the factor get to sit here and talk to some of them is just unbelievable. Because who, who survives what he did, who survives what tilt did? Who you're behind what the Frenchman did. Not many. And that's something that we need to remember as awesome as it is to sit here and here these stories remember that they're not just stories that these were people's lives and these were people's deaths, and so many of these men did not return and they gave their lives so that

We liberals- and here we are forever indebted to them to their sacrifice and Wow, I know that that we cannot ever repay them. We can't it's just it's impossible,

what we do know is that the best we can do to attempt to repay them due to live our lives every day in a way that vat rates there sacrifices. So don't just live, don't just be instead, be everything that you are capable of being that's what we need to do so echo. I I guess that being everything we are,

capable of being starts out with us just being capable you like that word capable if we went through a whole like you, went through a whole people, oh yeah, whole kind of thing here, yet one of the things that you cut kind of like you latched onto something- and I said yes, but then you kind of you kind of adjusted it so it made sense to you here in a clear way. Yeah and, I would say, even more accurately, put like where I latched onto an exact, a good way, pudding, putting latched onto it and then just sort alike, go down that wormhole more and more and more and more so. Railways on air and when it and and plainly game versus the shirking as another. Those are the two for sure, because that's really what it can do is it's like it's almost like every decision you make me,

decisions that you make are going to land on like one of those things like okay and a lot of times, both of them. So you like, okay am I gonna play long game here? The short game in that area pretty much and then the other one I don't wanna be cable, bore comfortable right that the other two. Ok and if you can kind of keep that in your mind, your decision making better for yourself it's in even though this little this, play on words, a little s a little bit of a play on words. I just set right if you want to be everything your capable of being well start with just being capable in the first place, is. Where do we need to be capable, and how can we move our capabilities physically mentally anymore, solely spiritually, and spiritually. I think yes, because some poor tell you not spiritually really. Pulled them again. What is Libya's I watch me? Let me tell you Digital, you

help you in all aspects, let's think about this pragmatically confidence, You know jujitsu. You will be more confident. This is now. Take a little. You start off by taking a little bit stepped back and confidence, because when you very first our training, you're gonna, be overwhelmed by the fact that you're me scared of everyone. Look anatomy won't wait. This kind might know Jujitsu, and then they meet me for a little while you're, ok, now cool, even if person knows Jujitsu. I at least know what to do a little bit. So so common is deadly to help. You stress, If we talk about the last time, it definitely help you capabilities, deafening to help you yeah, so Can I help you across the board, best social aspects. Gonna help. You ok, go ahead so that to Doktor Thompson, and you know all this talk guys were actually a lot of guys that we've talked to her whatever I kind of trip out like when I go home,

this in a lot of ways, but in this particular way, where you know like in the movies rigour, the guy in these are also about to be killed. But in the back your mind you like, unless this movies gonna kill this character, which they're not if it's the main character- and this is where the end and sensitive but in the middle of a movie or whatever and is about to get found out by the magazine, found and killed it whenever viewed. You like ok, is good the where they presented in everything and I'm sorry, it's suspense full but back my mind like they're, not gonna, kill him. So you kindly get that feeling when they're telling the story, but it's like a real story here and That's why they're Why you know I was thinking about this like it hu it so awesome to sit here and talk to these guys that lived, but you have to remember that. There's countless guys that the exact scenario that with that these guys went through aware o the bull

went to India to left unsaid, attuned to the right and that guy's dead copper got here. With this, the helicopter crash, like it it's to adjust its that's. Why such a miracle that these guys are sitting here talking to us yet and that's what I mean then that's why I'm actually tripping out because sure we know the guy live cuz. It's sitting right here. We know that part of it, but when he takes you back to the moment, bro Wii. U, Dont know if this guy's gonna live or not. I mean as far yourself and then at your body, Where can I go down a little wormhole like Ben? This is just how impossible this is not impossible. Maybe that's not the right word, but it kind of feels like during work. But just how weird this is. Where little you went back in time and visited tilt or whoever in the Hague this is what you're gonna do in these very specific things are going to happen and you're gonna live Even him up, him himself would be like that's possible,

yeah for sure. Meanwhile, it factually happened yet kind puts a lot of things into perspective. Yeah yeah, it's it's crazy! Those guys are just unbelievable and that story from from Dick Thompson, when I read today with just going into rescue with now, plan with no some Yeltsin's weapon. Just like completely just dropping, ten feet into a hundred fifty four of jungle, canopy falling through the trees. Until you luckily had a branch, and so you don't If you hit the ground without hitting Ethan, you just tat, stood up to stay there. And so yeah. These guys are just there just awesome their source of human beings and their need you should see him soon.

Soon using this theory is that this is the guy did that there are real style. You know what about those old pictures it till went till like twenty twenty two years old those who, like the cool guy ever you see bridges all these guys, the Frenchman with his wife. His legs. All taped up. You didn't have to design was lucky off of was the first lieutenant. I thought it was cool and the first part gas. When I was asking about how. Like when you volunteered was resistance, he's like no he's volunteering to be an officer in Vietnam. The life expectancy was a couple weeks They, like all european obstacles, that pride of beer into this line, or you ll, be good arranged schools course definite. As I know, you want to be special forces core separatist, like oh, you want to go to saga cool, no problem, step, a rear, their zero resistance, zero resistance for him. Do we wanted to do because the life expectancy of every one of those it just like that

interior to volunteer to volunteer to to be dead. Nea and there's no resistance, so many fear crazy man. Well, where capable people were talking. Dear ITALY, physically, mostly and spiritually Monday percent, expected you to yes covers all those things, and we should be doing this in my opinion, so we need geese when we do digital because it that's part of the EU Form you get origin deep, don't even have to ask Question no longer a question of no longer a question, or eager origin, main dot com boom pick whatever you want easy money also. We also have rascal than their other clothing aid. Their cause. You wanna represent a b Being in an American made clothing but

you can't where you D to the store, unfortunately, I mean you are attacking recommended. You could technically usually the cut off for that around eleven years? Oh, yes, it's better! If you like my dog my little ten year old daughter, she's, walk around, and I know very well that you don't know. There's enough, you notice anything to her she's, not like she's, not like walking around trying to be proved that she's, a judge play. No. I mean it's kind of evident that she's gingerbread cause. She is wearing a d, but you know it. Factors shall go to dinner with a Guiana, Well, you know. Ok, I guess I d been circumstantial, she's ten years all possible. I think you're caught off his eleven years where'd! You learn to leverage or probably like coming to take off my dear right now we're well. If you come straight from Jujitsu and you're like hey, let's pick up some dinner and you're hanging out and going hey we're going out for dinner for the house. Let me put my key on not doing that. I wouldn't be bothered. If she did, you know I mean it, My son wore a day a day Superman, uniform

for light to see years when he was you know five years old, five and six is where a dang captain, America outfit this walkin around he just go to school. With that it had the muscles in it. You know I mean data, how Kostiei frustrate caused him he's Looking around whatever government, I dig it my other daughter word dang too too. You know that Second ballerina outvoted, ballerina uniform, we'll see with your that thing all the time you ll ever hear, she's no factor So what I M saying is different, but when you get past aged ten, maybe eleven you dont want to wear your d to the store to the restaurant, but you still in your heart, you one represent you're good. Can we got origin genes? You got the origin genes. You can get the Regular, wait genes or you can get the Delta sixty eight genes, which are, I guess there, the jockey.

Signature Mama, maybe, but if their thinner ear, thinner well, technically, isn't that a fashion thing, I'm nothing! This particular thing is the fashion thing, I'm saying being thinner. Fashion genes tend to be thinner. Ok! Well, I don't know about that. What I do know is this: I live in California, its warmer here. We don't always need to wear thicker genes, so we get Jean Centre We just like when you're in the military, which you were so you wouldn't know anything about we about you'll carries about how they used to have woodland, carries they had a lightweight mad, a heavyweight. You don't know about that. So I do Yes, I guess where we have lightly. Genes, and also the other ones, are medium. The normal, the other genes normal genes, the the Delta sixty eight named after my forefathers and the seal teams that war genes in the May cause Delta is sixty eight for the year

that's a good delta. Sixty eight so get the Delta sixty eight genes. If you need some, that's a little bit later, wait not fashion. I guess, if your echo Charles, you can do it for fashion or you're, a normal human fashion, to But potentially, would you say, look you know, PETE sprinkled some fashion, and you know that IRAN is your family watch him like a HAWK yuri. Nobody there's no fashion on the delta. Sixty eight genes, sherbet yeah, I'm positive wait a minute when I go against my delta sixteens. If that happens, I'm gonna make an evaluation and report back, but my hyper This is that if peat has anything to do with it- which, incidentally he does he sprinkled Larry I gotta. Do I gotta watch that guy like a sniper,

guess he will constantly trying here. Otherwise, it's no use the better funding, rather not Bell bottoms fell back. Are you bringing them that a year? I dig it in your? U correct you not wrong hearing, but your life You know you eat steak. Would you put on your dick state Would he put on their salt and pepper era? What ok cancelled for pretty basic salt and pepper right? So you don't people they'll, put like a special seasoning made up the spell rob right. Are you with that or you just like whatever or cutting Haven Oda, whatever I'm, not an timeline hating on, but I'm not. It seems on a certain way. Ok, so here's the comparison that what PETE does with fashion what people could do wisting figure? Let's say you are the kind of person with salt and pepper. That's my jam! Touch mistake: otherwise medium or mere what our, if like to cook for the vessel, you put your stupid right,

so you ve got your messing up my whole steak and come saying you know people like to dig it. Man, that's all that you think peat is the kind of We like hey, no problem. I got you salt and pepper, that's it, but he knows confidently that if he put some of that special rub on their you'll like it or not it years, four zero cancer you're, like nope, don't touch it and then he'll, be like ok, I got you, he doesn t get in there you're a hundred percent, accurate Yazzi that yeah and there's there been time, Rubberneck Bro, what you want you were demonization would arrive on our stay out. Your do it, but I think I think he said, he speaks it in their good them. Then, when you take the stake, your like thing, people a great state that even realize he snuck in the rub- that's what he does with a fashion with dish

I hope he doesn't hear this, which I know he will now he's gonna, get excited about and think he can sneak in more p and watch me like a sniper eyes on rural zones genes. I say PETE do what you do better. Do it just don't take it too far. Yeah, the genes are good. I lie in this house about the genes ducas when I put him on a lake came my way kind of critical she's from the Pacific, Northwest my way for she knows about just functional genes for work and like all that stuff she's, just a but she'll get off your number giant belong here. You know she's statute in she gets it and speaking for better, but just like it. So like the look Mr Gil Robles or dad genes, and you know my dear the worker. Whatever shone like the look is an aim so I put on. Origin genes. If she didn't like him, she would tell me hundred percent partly would never let me be seen whether which I can respect answer.

And she even said those genes. Look good interesting to map approved in my household approve. My girl. PETE line? The spice right has also what else does origin have been supplements messy, keep us on track in the game. Even when you get older, if you're old school and you ask and my tool to join you two nope, I was working with a tech company yesterday. And they were talking about age and everyone. There was young and then relaxing like none other some older people here like late forties and I'm like hey how's, it going hey pretty funny. But yes, here's the thing. One thing I can help you is these supplements Journal Africa. Oil discipline discipline. Go that there definitely beneficial. If you think you might forget.

First of all take more disciplined, but second of all subscribe. You can do the subscription thing on origin, main dot com, and then you just get it just shows up decision make it a standard operating procedure done then, fall off. You know how long I've gone without joint warfare for However, I take it everyday Osgood. Yes, yes, withdraw you mentioned forgetting, so you know like you. What I forget to take it like you can look at me. Crazy, like Brown? Were the caddy forget each standard? Already gangs are hard to write a therapist war, one might argue, Ozma reported to bud not really true, because if you re in a certain routine- and this goes to your point- If you dont role, that in to your routine, you will forget, even if it's important, because their certain times of the day or certain moments in life would have they do Well, you know you're driving I'm going home? but you'll forget the whole experience of driving cause. You think

star like routinely or whatever you like I'll shoot. I don't remember one single moment of driving home. Really he just didn't automatically you lived. You live the ass. What meetings? Not important, we'll go DR moms airport? Oh yes, very important, but it's just a routine seem saying so, like I said, if taken the killer, joint joint warfare is not rolled into routine, you can potentially forget it saw rolled it into your routine, subscribe An? U you re, actually save money if you subscribe to so do, Don't forget about the region drink cans. You dont need to drink these hyped up energy drinks anymore. That and that are literally not good for you. You can address That is good for you, it's delicious gives you little? Did you need that it's a milder taste to than the energy drinks, and now I saw a lousy. I mean I'm assuming. This is why it allows you

drink like more of a big, be careful with it. I'm saying, but in other kind, were you drink to them will say for like about it: traditional energy drinks you drink to those. You feel good, afterward low you for crop, even if you're into energy drinks, typically yea Technical jumped. Those are just like many can can I have one going the up like a rude Yeah swing the end of our mark, all difficult, a protein deserts, just straight desserts, for you free warrior kid mark for your kids get some of that and that we get the White T gonna get you through the woods. The months with the warm white tea and get the canned white tea and, of course, the benefit is eight thousand ft post hard to know that you also speaking, benefits kind of chocolate, store store. That's where you can get shirts. Why is it better?

Have you been drinking your benefits now presenting I thought, what you're going to say is: there's a guy that said his wife said to him. What do you want for your birthday and he said, there's a store. It's called dollar store. Edgy, like she read in my mind near she said, check you buried in she Bobby said. Ok, what's that live good, look into it! Anyone ever do it yet good These were yet you can get shirts. It is beneficial cause So she nowadays that you, King Breakin, I think nowadays word fashion necessarily of saint, but what you? Where has it What you were going to shut down the stored away? Why, where it's? Not it's not a fashion store, but what you wear Is like you have many options

life I'm saying you can work just a blank sure if you want so you kind of look for a little bit more than just the well. I guess you can look for a lot of things into it. One of the things that This is why this stuff, that you can get it kind of, is representative of a certain how I say not message, but a certain disk. Ok, so anyways what you can get his tee shirts, rash guards. Hats deserves a hearty misled. Knots does any teacher the what I'm saying the reality one to twenty one hundred percent, yes given, but You know, there's a little added layer to what you're wearing is there. Is there. See bo effect. When you were assured that says this one, it was freedom. Yes, does it affect your your mentality. Technically, yes, it is because it is, I guess, technically, a placebo effect, but

it's how right or is it just a real affect its real feeble effect is a real allows. You to obtain is gonna like like like hypnosis or something like this right. That's a real effect to most of the time sometimes just show, but the effect the result is real. That's where we get the nineteen percent increase. This strength and performance We rush mental acuity, yes with the rash guard with the t shirts, actually we're up to twenty. Percent now Oak here that happened last year late last year, up twenty two percent: improved everything, mental or physical and spiritual and social. By the way, with all these items anyway, talkest or dotcom shirts, tee shirts, rash guards, hoodies hats means I sell stuff. Well, there's, U reminder Bomb Douglas dot com also subscribed

gas, if you haven't already, if you want neither stature, Itunes Y all If there is not enough of this part gas to listen to which really means you along commute, you can subject: up, grounded podcast, which is a differ progress that we do. It's called grounded. If we talk about digital life, experience humor And other things and other things an here that Europe should allow you to back me up on its true, because there are some elements of that that I did notice that you know others like

she's not necessarily controversial years under a hyper grounded carbon poker. Yes, because I think it's because you can't let you feel like you're a little bit of the star of the Grenelle. I don't really like other star at are. Actually, I feel like. I know that you will allow me, maybe not anymore, but you will allow me to introduce elements to it that kind. I have two sides to it now and then I can can kind of sea. Ok, where does people? Where do people fought on this issue and not of torture by the bye? So, yes, I am which the hype, your height. They can. I guess I ll get it around and listen to the ground and forecast like reminded require your parts again anyway, hobbled this. Let's just say I hurried highly recommend that another good You're, not a warrior kid park ass. We have new episode coming your way will see in the near future

and don't worry it's more your kid soap. You can support an actual warrior, get out their running a business young Aden, making soap so that you can stay clean. Irish ouch dotcom. Also you to your interested in video version, Of this part carers, you Dick Thomson looks like. Yes or anyone. You know anyone on the on the broadcasts. Are we interview or each other? If you'd know, Jack looks like yeah. And then we have psychological warfare, which is a little Mental support. Psychology. Support if you find yourself in a moment of weakness. Unionist press play. On your on your phone and you get to listen. I'm a little guidance from me as available on Google play by.

Mp3 platforms Balkan. If you need a visual reminder to stay on the path to a flip side, canvas dot com from my brother Dakota Meyer Podcast one fifteen by the way, He makes these things here in Amerika, you gotta website canvas dot com to get one books got some books. First of all stress effect. Again. We haven't hid it yet, but the next part gas with Colonel Dick Thomson. We will be covering the stress effect, so you get that book. It's on the website does want Amazon, but you can click through our. Side darker broadcast dot com, and then you can get the book distress effect and then there's ways. Strategies tactics is my new book I have coming out. Which is action? We very granular, here's a little section from part two

It is just from the contents part to leadership tactics One becoming a leader how succeed as a new leader. How to be true. And led when you're not chosen impostor syndrome in security as a leader transitioning from follower or peer to leader, overcome a grudge new sheriff in town- don't go overboard Rambo. So there's some topics. That are in the new leadership intact his book If you want to get a copy of it, try and get a first edition. You need to order it right now. Because otherwise we comes out January, Fourteenth Amazon. It's gonna, send you note that says you all cool Jockers book him out to them in order it you'll go in there to say it's shipping in three to eight weeks and you can go what is wrong with the logistics train, Joggled, horrible and I'll say yeah. I know I didn't do the job of convincing you when you needed to order the book, so I failed so

Let me not fail by getting there and helping me to help you. And then, of course we get the warrior kid books. One two and three: these are books would that I wish I had when I was a kid I promise you when you read, you say I wish I would have spoken as you might even be in full on adult and say I wish. I learn these lessons wade or your kid one way, the your kid to Marks Mission way the work had three where there is a will subject us out. You got a little kid in your wife somewhere a little bit younger, maybe six years old, five years old, seven years old, three years old, get a Mikey in the dragons there Actually, gonna learn a pragmatic technique to overcome fear which of you remember being a little kid, life is filled with fear. So how overcome that you get Mikey and the dragons, that's what you do! Discipline equal! Field manual, theirs,

a Christmas present. There's the Christmas. Present you wanna get for someone that may be drifted off the path. Maybe you're having a hard time, maybe if isn't going good, maybe It could do better. Maybe you know that discipline would help them in their life, give em the discipline equals Freedom field manual. Simple as that. And then for leadership, we got extreme ownership. We got dichotomy of leadership Those with my brother wave Babbitt is about what we voted on the battlefield in how you can apply it to your life, to win to your business, to win to your company to win out over leadership? Can. See it's called echelon front in what we Who is we solve problems through leadership? That is what we do So what Ashland on front dot com for details? If you want to have someone from the team comments? at your company, don't go they speakers bureau. No, you gonna echelon front. Dotcom. You cut

the middle man and you go right. Company that we do need a Google Jacko speaker. Cause you're gonna get somewhere you'll be Yossi Echelon front. You won't know what it is. Maybe new goes click on someone else and then charge you a big chunk of money. On top of what I'm going to charge. Don't do that good on fraud dotcom, we also have online training because leadership training is not inoculation. You don't get one shot at now. You gotta go! No, it takes time. It takes reps get there. Sin seat again seated from a different angle: e f online dot com and there we got muster dates coming for twenty twenty go to extreme ownership, dot com. This is our leader chip seminar, our leadership conference common, checked out, and, of course, if over watch any YE have legion. Vizir are placement platforms, weary!

Taking military personnel and putting them into civilian organisations, so that they can help those organizations lead at every level and win, go to e f over watch dot com or e legion dot com. That is what you need, is leadership, and if you Made more of us or you have cut, genes for us or you have answered for us. You can find all of us on the into WEBS Dick Thompson. On twitter at each p s under core ceo and at each, why ass dot com, high performance systems, that's his company. And of course we are also on Twitter, Instagram and deep phrasing box. Echo is adequate rules and I am at Java willing and

once again, sincere thanks and appreciation to Dick Thomson for coming on this programme. And sharing is lessons with us and, of course we thank him for his incredible service and so it refers to our great nation, and that goes to all the rest of our service, men and women who stand the watch against evil and against tyranny so that weak Be here living in freedom. Into our police and law enforcement and fire writers and paramedics and E M teasing, dispatchers and correctional officers at border patrol and secret service and all the first responders. All you get her out their risking your lives for us. Thank you for standing the watch over us here at home. So we can sleep safely at night.

And everyone else out there yourself that question. What are you capable of being, what are you capable of being in or you doing everything in your power to be the most capable human being? You can be. I know when I asked my that itself that question The answer I know I can do more. I know I can't we can all do more than that starts each every day. We're getting up going on the attack and getting after it then until next time. This is ECHO and Jacko out.