Memorial Day Remarks by Grant McGarry, 1st Ranger Battalion Veteran

Grant McGarry, 1st Ranger Battalion Veteran and Director of GallantFew's Darby Project gave these remarks in Smyrna Georgia the morning of May 25th, 2015 - Memorial Day 2015.  RLTW  km

Good Morning Everybody.

I would like to thank the members of the Smyrna VeteransCommittee, the American Legion Post 160 and the Veterans Memorial Associationof Smyrna for inviting me to speak at such an amazing event.  It is a true honor to have this opportunity on Memorial Day.

First, Memorial Day is not to be confused with Veterans Day.  Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving.

Memorial Day originated as Decoration Day after the Civil War when an organization of Union Veterans established it as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers. From 1775 to present America has lost over 664,440 men and women in combat.  When you add these Americans to lives lost due to complications from wounds, diseases and illnesses of war at a later date, America has lost 1,354,664 Men and Women.

Here are some but not all conflicts and wars America has fought in and the price to earn and preserve our freedom..

291,557 Americans were killed in combat in World War 2

33,686 Americans were killed in combat in the Korean War

47,424 Americans were killed in combat in the Vietnam War

18 Americans were killed in combat in the Invasion of Grenada

23 Americans were killed in combat in the Invasion of Panama

29 Americans were killed in combat in Somalia

1,742 Americans were killed in combat in Afghanistan

3,527 Americans were killed in combat in Iraq  

Some say the worst wound of war is to be forgotten. 

So with this opportunity I would like take a moment of silence to reflect and remember the soldiers, sailors, airmen, coast guardsmen and marines that have paid the ultimate sacrifice so that we may live a life of freedom.

(pause)

That was one minute of your life that you gave them when they gave all.

Here is a little about me and my story. 

I was a senior in high school on 9/11 and I watched the twin towers fall in my 2^nd period Criminal Justice class. It impacted me and I was compelled to do something about it. So I went home that day and told my mom I was joining the military.  

She looked at me with a look that was somewhat ok with my decision but asked I go to college first. Then she followed up and said, “After College you can do whatever you want”. 

Unlike most of the decisions I made in my youth I actually listened to my mom and went to college. 

A few years later I was in my senior year at the University of Alabama when I realized that I was not happy and something was missing in my life. 

As I was preparing to graduate and start a new chapter in my life with a business degree it became obvious to me that I had reached an interesting place in my life.  I found myself in a situation that I didn’t want to be in.  I was not excited to start a career in a cubicle crunching numbers or selling widgets.  Like most young men and women I reached this point in my life because I was doing what was expected of me by my parents influence. 

As I started to process this information I had an outer body experience when I finally realized I was not living my own life.  Immediately I took action and started to plan my next move.  I didn’t seek advice from anyone because I wanted take charge of my own destiny. 

I had always thought about joining the military and knew I would be a great fit so I went about this thought quietly.  I was very intrigued and inspired by Pat Tillman’s story and coincidently I knew of a guy attending Alabama who was also an Army Ranger.  As I continued to think about joining the military I reached out to him with questions.  I quickly noticed there was something about him that I envied.  It was the way he stood and his self-confidence.

A few days later after staying up late studying for a Finance test I woke up early to get coffee on my way to the test.  The coffee shop was called Bad Ass Coffee.  As I waited for my order I watched the news and saw a quick shot of some action in Iraq with bombs and gun fire going on in an Iraq city I’d never heard of.  As I thought to myself about the military a feeling came over me that moved me.  I realized I hadn’t done anything for my country and that it was time to do what I thought was not only cool but honorable.  With this feeling of freedom I decided right then and there that I was joining the military.  I left the coffee shop and went to class and took my test.  With the war in Iraq still on my mind I drove to the Army recruiting station and walked in and asked the recruiter for the hardest thing he’s got.  He said, “I have an Army Ranger contract or an SF contract”.  I said, “What’s the difference”?  He said, “If you want to be hardcore and kill bad guys be an Army Ranger”.  I said, 

“Great! Sign me up”. The recruiter said, “Right now”. I said, “Yea before I change my mind”.  

Must have been that Bad Ass Coffee. 

After starting the process to enlist in the Army I drove home and it felt as though a thousand pounds had been lifted off of my shoulders.  I was finally doing what I wanted to do and it felt great. Before going home I stopped at a bookstore and bought a book called “To be an Army Ranger”. 

I went home and read the entire book that night.  The next morning I woke up threw all my books in my back pack and ran to class.  My lifestyle changed dramatically.  My friends no longer found me in the bars.  Instead I was either running to class or at the gym doing pushups, pull ups and sit ups.  When I ran into friends they asked why I would do such a thing; especially right before I graduate.  Some were saying don’t do it and others were not surprised.  There comments were just noise to me. I didn’t care what anyone had to say.  I had a goal and it was to become an Army Ranger.

After finishing up my degree a few months later I shipped off to basic training and never looked back.  I was full of piss and vinegar and chomping at the bits to get over to Iraq.  In just 2 months after arriving at the 1^st Ranger Battalion I finally got my wish and deployed to Iraq.  After three successful deployments to Iraq I deployed to Afghanistan as a team leader and was opened up to an entirely different style of fighting.  Instead of carrying the usual 4 mags and a grenade on a mission like in Iraq I found myself carrying 7-9 mags of ammo and multiple types of grenades. 

As we continued to surge in Afghanistan my platoon deployed in the summer of 2010 to Jalalabad Afghanistan for my second Afghanistan deployment.  It was Taliban hunting season and we were getting after it almost every night.  By this time I had over 300 direct action raid missions under my belt and was the senior team leader in the platoon when intelligence located a high valued target in the Pech Valley of the Kunar Province. 

The HVT was a Salafist commander and the leader of the Nuristan fighters, a sub network of the Taliban. The HVT was known for being an expert with IED’s, rocket propelled grenades and small arms attacks and always traveled with a PSD team of 2-3 armed men.  He was directly linked to events responsible for killing and wounding American soldiers and needed to be captured or killed so that a company of soldier’s in the 101^st Airborne operating out of the Pech Valley would be able to maintain operations in the Kunar Province.

After meticulous planning we flew into the Pech Valley and on the night of August the 18^th and 19^th.  The mission to capture or kill this specific HVT was a GO.  As cloud cover rolled in we lost our ISR platform and no longer had protection from above.  We still had each other but lost a critical element that aided in our own protection.  As my squad climbed onto a second story roof top preparing to make entry through a door an all-out gun fight erupted from directly above us on the 3^rd story rooftop. Grenades and small arms fire were pouring down on us.

Immediately Ranger’s Ethan Gronbeck and Chris Wright were wounded.  As the shrapnel from the grenades and AK-47 rounds were flying everywhere I could here Chris screaming I’m hit, I’m hit.  

Despite the two casualties there was a threat that needed to be eliminated, collectively as a squad we regained fire superiority and killed the HVT and his two man PSD element and pulled Chris to a safer place to treat his wounds.

What felt like an eternity only lasted a few minutes but I replay this moment over and over in my head everyday thinking about what I could have done better to protect Chris and Ethan. 

Chris Wright died a few hours later in surgery. 

Chris Wright was an amazing warrior and was cut from the same cloth as the warriors that scouted with Washington, fought shoulder to shoulder with Jackson, braved the redoubt with Grant, charged the beach at Normandy and climbed the cliffs at Pointe Du Hoc.

Chris Wright was a warrior that did not fight for himself or glory he fought for his brothers to his left and right.  Even as Chris laid dying on the battlefield in overwhelming pain he never felt sorry for himself.  It still amazes me to this day how mentally tough Chris Wright was and the only thing I can think of is that he spent his last moments in strength, confidence and honor because he was with his brothers to the end and he knew he had never let anyone down. 

Chris Wright is a true American hero that lived the life that others wouldn’t dare volunteer for so that Americans may live a life in peace.  Before joining the Army Chris’s mom asked him, “Why do you want to join the Army?” Chris said, “So that I can keep my brothers safe.”

Let it not be forgotten that the price of Specialist Christopher Wright’s life and the other 1,354,663 lives lost since 1775 is the cost of our Country’s freedom today.

It is best said by Colonel William O. Darby.  "We the living Ranger, will never forget our fallen comrades.  They and the ideas for which they fought will remain ever-present among us.  For we fully understand the extent of their heroic sacrifices, we will carry their spirit with us into all walks of life.  Into all corners of America our hearts join together in sorrow for their loss but also our hearts swell with pride to have fought alongside such valiant men.  They will never be considered dead for they live with us in spirit."

Because of the wonderful lives lost during my time as a Ranger I have been driven to a greater cause and in memory of my brothers as a tribute to honor these men I have dedicated my life to a greater good on behalf of other Rangers to help facilitate a successful transition for Army Ranger veterans from active military service to a civilian life filled with hope and purpose.

Rangers Lead the Way!

Thank you.

Grant McGarry

Learn more about Darby Project and GallantFew.

Darby Original, Ranger Hall of Fame Honoree Noel Dye Funeral 20 April in Bushnell Florida

WWII ARMY RANGER DARBY LEGEND AND HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE PVT 1ST CLASS RAYMOND NOEL DYE's 

final journey home will be on:

April 20, 2015 at 1400 (2:00 PM EST)

Florida National Cemetery ,6502 SW 102nd Ave, Bushnell, Florida 33513

(352) 793-7740

Maj. Gen. K.K. Chinn, United States Army Special Operations Command Deputy Commanding General will be attending, and will provide a testimony to the intestinal fortitude of Ranger legend Raymond Noel Dye, whose life of service was honored on April 9 at Fort Benning's Ranger Memorial.

Bio of a Legend

Dye joined the Army on Nov. 12, 1942 and shipped out to Oran, North Africa in April 1943. Upon arrival in North Africa, he answered Col. William O. Darby’s call for volunteers for the elite Ranger Force.  He served with F Company, 1st Ranger Battalion, and later with the 4th Battalion.  The success of 1st Battalion, known as "Darby's Rangers", in Operation Torch, and in combat actions afterwards, led to the formation of the five additional Ranger battalions, as well as the expansion of the Army Ranger program, a prelude to the historic legacy of the Rangers of today.

Ranger Noel Dye

“Ranger Dye saw many conflicts on foreign soil,” said Maj. Gen. K.K. Chinn, United States Army Special Operations Command Deputy Commanding General. “He served with distinction in combat through three invasions – Sicily, Salerno and Anzio, Italy.”  Dye was wounded four times according to his book, “Leading the Way”.  “Ranger Dye was a Ranger, and true to the Ranger spirit, no hospital was going to keep him from being with his Ranger buddies on the battlefield,” Chinn said.  “His adventures of being AWOL from hospital treatment, so he could shoulder more than his share of the task, are described in his book.”

Dye saw too much for a young Ranger still in his late teens. His adventures in war led him from one battle to the next; surviving a gunshot wound and a mortar shelling.  "Noel represented close traits to what many of you have seen in your ranks today where you can knock a Ranger down but he will keep getting up,” said retired Command Sgt. Maj. Douglas Greenway. “He has a life example we can all aspire to follow.”

One of the most tragic events of young Ranger Dye’s life was the death of his Ranger buddy, Charles Roby. “We all grow old fast in combat, and what took his breath away and a moment that was etched in his heart forever, happened on a cold November morning in 1943, when he saw his Ranger buddy, Charles Roby fall on the battlefield – killed in action,” General Chinn said.  Noel always talked about Roby every time we met; Roby was a true friend to him and I know they are together now in the Objective Rally Point with the Big Ranger in the sky.”

An excerpt from Ranger Dye’s memoirs:

“We made our way about two-thirds of the way across the field when we started taking a lot of small arms fire. We found as many low spots on the ground as we could for cover. As we lay on the ground, our packs and canteens were being shot off. The Germans then started with mortars. After the second shell, Sgt. Altieri had us sound off, in order as usual. No one had been hit. Sgt. Altieri then called us by name, two at a time to get across the last part of the field and into the woods. We ran toward the woods. Roby was heavier than me and carried a Thompson submachine gun with ammo. Roby was on my right as I ran past him and dove across the fence. The mortar barrage continued as I lay on the ground trying to catch my breath. I crawled back into the woods where it would be safe enough to stand up. I called out for Roby but there was no answer. I asked others around me, "Where's Roby?" No one knew. Finally someone pointed toward the field.”

“Ranger Dye’s military career was one of duty, honor, courage, loyalty, selfless service and determination to get the mission done,” Chinn said. “He fought alongside his fellow Rangers throughout Italy, Africa and other campaigns across foreign lands, enduring the cold winters of war.”

Chinn left the memorial attendees with a final thought at Fort Benning, Georgia, during Best Ranger Competition.

“When you look at the life of this great Ranger Hall of Fame legend, from the beginning of his life until the end; we have an inside view of all those wonderful moments he experienced - the lives he touched - the friends he made -  the Soldiers he served with. His epitaph will read, Raymond Noel Dye, born November 2, 1924 - March 8, 2015.  the dash in the middle of his birth and his death represents everything he did in this wonderful life he had. That little dash represents someone who was truly larger than life.”

Dye’s awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart with three Oak Leaf Clusters, the Good Conduct Medal, Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal with Arrowhead, National Defense Service Medal, World War II Victory Medal, Presidential Unit Citation, and the Combat Infantryman’s Badge.

Dye is survived by his wife Theresa, son Richard Meyer, daughter Tondra Mineo and granddaughter Stephie.

Rangers Lead the Way!

For more on Darby WWII Ranger Raymond Dole, please visit
http://www.benning.army.mil/infantry/rtb/rhof/index.html

Ranger Noel and Theresa Dye are personal friends, and I grieve with his family and the Ranger family.  These treasures are becoming more rare - not too far off there will be none remaining on this earth.  Find them and appreciate them while you can.  RLTW  km

Rangers Monger and Dye, 2011

GallantFew launches The Darby Project

GallantFew, Inc. announces launch of The Darby Project, Grant McGarry named as project director

 

Every Ranger veteran deserves a life filled with purpose and hope - and who better to help a transitioning Ranger veteran than another Ranger who has already transitioned?

The Darby Project matches transitioning Rangers with Ranger "Guides" - Rangers from the same unit, same military specialty, who have previously successfully transitioned and live in the same local area as the transitioning Ranger. This helps overcome isolation and leads to a smoother and more successful transition.

Elite US Army Rangers face unique challenges when transitioning. The characteristics that make them elite soldiers can prevent them from reaching out for assistance which in turn can lead to isolation and worse. The Veterans Administration tells us that 22 veterans take their own lives every day, and that veteran unemployment and homelessness remain unacceptably high.  

Grant McGarry

In conjunction with the launch of The Darby Project, decorated Ranger veteran, Grant McGarry, has been named as Project Director. McGarry served as rifleman to team leader in the 1st Ranger Battalion and transitioned from active duty to jobs with Triple Canopy and the Coca Cola Company, as well as starting a small business, Live the Ranger Creed. While working for Coca-Cola, Grant helped start the Coca-Cola Military Veterans Business Resource Group and was appointed the Atlanta Chapter President. Grant has a degree in Business Administration from the University of Alabama and plans to start his master's degree in the fall.  

GallantFew's Executive Director, Karl Monger, said "McGarry is a well-respected Ranger veteran who understands the unique transition challenges this community faces. His energy and focus will result in a stronger bond between the active-duty Rangers and the Ranger veteran community, which will lead more Rangers to successful civilian lives filled with purpose and hope."

Rangers planning to transition (or still working through their transition) and Ranger veterans interested in becoming Guides should visit www.darbyproject.org for more information.  There, they will provide contact information and proof of service.  Following a brief interview, they will be identified as a Guide or a Future Guide (all transitioning Rangers will one day help another) and a transition plan of support will be established.

GallantFew is a nationwide charitable nonprofit organization established in 2010 and provides a "Revolutionary Veteran Support Network".  Other programs include The Raider Project, Run Ranger Run and Descendants of Sparta.  Contact info@gallantfew.org for more information.

Operation Urgent Fury 25 October 1983

Thirty-one years ago I was a student in the mountain phase of US Army Ranger School.  Waiting by an LZ for Blackhawks to come pick us up for more fun Ranger stuff, we asked the RI (Ranger Instructor) what was new in the world.

"Well", he said, "this morning Rangers jumped into Grenada.  How many of you are Second Lieutenants?" I and a few others raised our hand. "They're dying over there and they're gonna need more - so you better pay attention".

Pay attention I did, and remember I will.

A veteran of the operation, Stephen Trujillo gives an on the ground account.  He received a Silver Star for his heroism there.

Here's an article from the Savannah news.

Brief video about Rangers jumping, featuring GallantFew advisor Mad Max Mullen.

These Rangers made the ultimate sacrifice:  Sergeant Randy E. Cline, Sergeant Mark A. Rademacher, Specialist Four Mark O. Yamane, Private First Class Marlin R. Maynard, and Private First Class Russell L. Robinson; 1st Ranger Battalion; killed in action Grenada, 25 October 1983.  You and your sacrifice shall never be forgotten.

Rangers Lead the Way!

Vets Prevail and Poster Project II

This week I had the pleasure to interview on TNAV two veterans who are making an impact.

Rich Gengler is a retired Navy Lieutenant Commander earned an Air Medal flying the F/A 18 Hornet and went on to found Prevail Health Solutions with the goal of helping address the surge in military mental health issues that have accompanied the Global War on Terror.

I first learned on VetsPrevail more than three years ago when I stumbled upon this awesome presentation:

Create a confidential account at Vets Prevail, and you'll get a $25 gift card for dinner and a $5 Amazon gift card.  It is a quick process, I did it.  Go here using this link and they'll know GallantFew sent ya.

Second half of the show featured an interview with USMC veteran, Hollywood actor and GallantFew Board Member Michael Broderick.  Michael raised money for GallantFew last year through The Poster Project, auctioning off a signed movie poster of Band of Brothers.  If this video doesn't create chills up your spine, check your pulse.

He's back at it this year, Poster Project 2: Blackhawk Down.

Go check out VetsPrevail, and stay tuned for more info on The Poster Project!

Watch the original youtube broadcast here.

You can also catch TNAV on iTunes (search GallantFew) or listen on your computer or mobile device at BlogTalkRadio and PodBean.  Be sure to check out the other great veteran programs at VetsOnMedia.com.

Follow TNAV on Facebook.

RLTW  Karl

National WWII Merrill's Marauders Day - August 10, 2014

Yesterday might have slipped past you without warning - so let's catch you up this morning.  Seventy years ago yesterday the "Merrill's Marauders" were disbanded.

In existence only six months, about 3,000 volunteers answered President Franklin D. Roosevelt's call in 1942 for a secret "dangerous and hazardous" mission (sound familiar - mission unspoken destination unknown?) that became a thousand mile trek through some of the toughest terrain on the planet to ultimately seize the only all-weather airstrip in Burma at Myitkyina (the first Ranger airfield seizure!).

They were the first American combat troops to fight the Japanese on the ground in Asia.

300 were still fit to fight when they reached Myitkyina (Sparta!).  So few remained, the unit was disbanded and the survivors rolled into the 475th Infantry (Mars Task Force). 

Today about fifty original Marauders still live, and their 68th annual reunion is set for Milwaukee Wisconsin over Labor Day weekend.

75th Ranger Regiment honors the Marauders legacy by wearing the Marauder patch as their crest.  The Mountain Ranger Camp is named after Frank D. Merrill, the unit's commander.

Below are some of the recent news releases honoring Merrill's Marauders.  Did your state recognize the unit?  Post links to the press release in the comments!

Merrill's Marauder Vincent Melillo, flanked by two other Rangers, at the 1st Ranger Battalion Ball November 2013.

RLTW  Karl

http://www.thebayonet.com/2014/08/05/643290/governors-proclaim-aug-10-as-merrills.html

Governors proclaim Aug. 10 as Merrill's Marauders Day | Article | The United States Army

Merrill's Marauders honored with commemorative day on 70th anniversary of disbanding | Latest News | Columbus Ledger Enquirer

In memory of Merrill's Marauder Matsumoto | Juneau Empire Mobile

WWII unit to receive recognition » State and Nation » The News Courier in Athens, Alabama

The Bismarck Tribune

Governors proclaim Aug. 10 as Merrill’s Marauders Day | Myanmar Articles Links

The New American Veteran: NATIONAL WORLD WAR II MERRILL’S MARAUDER DAY

The Farmville Herald - Farmville, VA - Newspaper | Facebook

http://www.timesdispatch.com/opinion/their-opinion/columnists-blogs/guest-columnists/north-burman-campaign-six-decades-later-j

Best US Veterans Podcasts (August, 2014)

 

Finding My Fit, The Struggles of Transition

James Ross, is a Ranger veteran, GallantFew volunteer, and our newest member of the blogging team.  He has found success in transition in a career field most Rangers haven't considered.  RLTW

When we transition from the military life to the civilian life it is hard to predict what the future brings. For me this was especially true. After my ETS in April of 2010 I began my long road to finding my fit. I always knew that I was good with communicating with people and getting them to listen to me, but how in the world does a veteran with no college degree and limited "real world" work experience put his leadership and drive to practical use?

After a long and arduous journey I eventually found myself content with day to day life. Determination and hard work as well as some inspiration from my wife got me through college. I managed to balance working full time, having a new born child, and college and received my Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice with a minor in Homeland Security Crisis Management in March of 2014. The question now was did I really want to go into this field of work. Much like the past four years I had a difficult time trying to pin down my fit.

In all of my years of life I had never even considered Real Estate as a career until my mother in-law (a Realtor of 20 years) said she thought I could be a great Realtor. So I went ahead and pursued my license here in the state of GA. Three weeks later I was an officially licensed real estate agent. The beauty of the whole thing is now I am able to communicate daily with a variety of different individuals, while at the same time putting to good use my leadership and drive that I learned during my years in the military. Also I no longer find myself in one place feeling stagnant as I did in the past with other career fields.

Once I received my license I became a member of The Joanne Curtin Team, which is a team associated with Keller Williams Realty Consultants. The draw of the team environment and being able to have my opinion be heard was extremely appealing. As veterans we strive to be a part of something bigger than ourselves and this was it for me. Now I am able to work in a team environment, while at the same time having the freedom to manage my own schedule and determine my own earning potential. The idea of helping other in their home buying process is also pretty cool. The beauty of the whole thing is that every single deal is different and believe me when I say that you are definitely faced with people of all kinds on a daily basis.          

The cliche of "if the shoe fits wear it" has ever been more appropriate. For the first time since I have left the military I find myself actually satisfied with my daily life. Previously I would tell myself that I was happy with what I was doing when in reality I was just masking my discontent with my situation. Now, it may just be that there is finally enough distance between me and my time in service, but I firmly believe that I have finally found my fit. Regardless of the situation any veteran finds themselves in they need to revert back to their discipline and mission focus and remember to stay on track and complete the mission though they be the lone survivor.

Falling in to the VA Rabbit Hole

**After a 7 year career as an investigator, I am now a full time caregiver to my Ranger husband. In 2011 he was critically injured by a suicide bomber with a hand grenade. He was medically retired in 2014 with a 100 percent service connected rating. I blog so that the highly publicized shortcomings of the Army Medical Evaluation Board and the VA can be seen through one families personal experience and how decisions made by  those in charge trickle down to those most in need of care.**

As a caregiver, my role at the VA is to advocate for my husband, ask important questions about the recommended treatment plan and provide an emotional buffer to the stresses caused by the system. I do my best to remain calm, patient and respectful. This is no easy task.

My husband has very complex injuries and as a result he frequently falls. His falls are caused by leg injuries, nerve damage, TBI, and vision loss. After several serious falls, including knocking himself unconscious after a fall in the bathroom and, on a separate occasion, almost going over the second level railing at a football stadium, we knew he needed help. The journey to get the appropriate safety tools took 6 months.

He was first evaluated at the poly-trauma clinic who determined that, at a bare minimum, his falls could be reduced with leg braces. The clinic ordered X-rays and sent referrals to orthopedics and prosthetics. Prosthetics decided, without evaluation or knowledge of the internal structure of my husbands feet that orthotics will fix the falling. This idea seemed ridiculous to both my husband and I but we went along with it anyway.

Several weeks later, we were able to see the orthopedist. After his evaluation  he laughed that prosthetics had issued him orthotics to try and rectify his falling. The x-rays revealed three large shrapnel pieces that reside in the right foot. The x-ray also showed how his tibia and fibula are titanium rods screwed into his ankle joint. This severely limits his range of motion. The orthopedist prescribed "Ritchie Braces" which encase the ankle and heel to steady his legs and sent us back to prosthetics for casting.

This is when we hit a brick wall. The prosthetics department REFUSED to make the braces. They told us, "You saw the worst orthopedist in the VA system so we will not do what he recommends." Patients have no control over which specialty doctor they are assigned to and although no one in the prosthetics department is a medical doctor they believed they had the power to veto what was recommended.  On top of suggesting my husband was "perhaps putting the orthotics in backwards" they suggested we go back to the poly-trauma unit to determine "why he is falling."  Essentially, they wanted us to start back at square one.

We were turned away twice by the prosthetics department as they shared their clear disdain for the orthopedist who had suggested the braces. At this point, 4 months had passed, my husbands falls continued, and my patience was wearing thin. We decided to make a third attempt at getting the braces. This time, I refused to leave until he was casted. It took me 3 hours and taking a poster off their wall that listed "The Goals of Prosthetics". I pointed to number 9 on the list which stated "reduce the risk of falls". They begrudgingly gave in and casted my husband.  After another two months, and several calls attempting to dissuade us from the braces , my husband can finally walk with a sense of security.

No veteran or caregiver should have to experience such mismanagement of care nor should they have to fight tooth and nail for what a doctor has suggested.

CSM Jeff Mellinger, a true American hero is retiring after nearly 40 years of service

I am proud to call CSM Jeff Mellinger a friend, and wish I had served with him at the same unit on active duty.  He remains the last draftee from the Vietnam era to continuously serve, nearly forty years.  My first interaction with him was a phone call, and Jeff asked me to help him.  He had just visited a young horribly wounded soldier at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and that soldier was going to die.  The kid had one regret in his life, that he never earned his Ranger Tab.  Jeff asked me if the US Army Ranger Association would award him an honorary tab.  Leaders like Jeff are precious few and far between.  From placing himself in harm's way constantly - his convoys in Iraq were hit 27 times, and twice his personal vehicle was hit - to his love and concern for the grunt soldier, CSM Mellinger has lived up to the Ranger motto:  Rangers Lead the Way.

Rangers Mike Schlitz, Jeff Mellinger, Karl Monger

Here are some great articles.  CSM Mellinger - from a grateful nation, our thanks.


CNN
ABC News video
Huffington
Wikipedia
Michael Yon


This July 4th, Listen to a Veteran (article).  This hits right at the heart of the concept of GallantFew.  A quote from the editorial:  "Abundant research shows that social support — not high-powered clinical approaches, but ordinary, compassionate connecting — has enormous healing power. In other cultures, but less so in our own, communities help the traumatized heal by reconnecting them with friends and others."


The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is hosting the National Veteran Small Business Conference on August 15-18th, 2011, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, assisted by Halfaker and Associates LLC. As the largest nationwide conference of its kind, the National Veteran Small Business Conference provides Veteran-Owned and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (VOSBs and SDVOSBs) an opportunity to learn, network and market their businesses.  It is the only event of the year where you can learn, exchange ideas, and network with business peers, federal government agencies, prime contractors, and industry experts all in one location.  To learn more about this conference, please go to its homepage at: http://www.nationalveteransconference.com/


And now for something completely different, this week Boone Cutler will fill in for me on The New American Veteran.  He will interview... me.  Boone requested the chance to talk with me about the work GallantFew is doing - and I'm looking forward to the interview!


RLTW  Karl

Historical Army Ranger Video

Reflections on Independence and Comrades

On this Independence Day, I am reflecting on the incredible blessing of being free - of being able to go online and write about my thoughts and feelings - and I remain in awe of the men and women who have and who continue to stand in harm's way to guarantee my freedom.

For Father's Day, my daughter gave me Sebastian Junger's book War.  War is the story of a single platoon in combat over fifteen months in Afghanistan and gets to the dirt and mud of being a combat infantryman.  In the third chapter, Junger talks about psychiatric casualties and I was surprised to learn that logistics warriors suffer greater psychiatric cases per physical casualty than do front-line troops.

"The primary factor determining breakdown in combat does not appear to be the objective level of danger so much as the feeling -- even the illusion -- of control...among men who are dependent on one another for their safety -- all combat soldiers, essentially -- there is often an unspoken agreement to stick together no matter what.  The reassurance that you will never be abandoned seems to help men act in ways that serve the whole unit rather than just themselves" (War, p123-124).

We become dependent upon one another for safety, we make a pact to watch each other's back - no matter what - and then the day comes when military service ends, either abruptly due to injury or planned due to expiration of enlistment.  When that happens, the process is called discharge, severance, separation and that is exactly what happens.  The pact is not broken, but it is fragmented.  A sense of control is gone, purpose is gone, it is no longer possible to watch each other's back.  Closely knit individuals scatter to the four winds - only now they carry the reminders of their service in physical scars, in movies that flow through the mind during sleep, in spontaneous reactions to sounds, smells, sights that remind them of combat.  Few in their new civilian lives understand or even seem to care, and the new PS3 game due out soon seems to be of more importance that the fact that soldiers still serve and die on the other side of the world.

Small wonder it is, then that a new veteran has difficulty making the transition out, difficulty finding a great job that returns a small sense of the purpose he or she felt while serving - but what a tragedy it is when that veteran, fighting too many demons alone decides the only way out is to take their own life.

We can do better - we MUST do better.  We swore we would never leave a fallen comrade - now let us dedicate ourselves to preventing that fall by never leaving them now.  Join with me to prevent veteran suicide and reduce veteran unemployment.

Rangers Lead the Way,

Karl
www.gallantfew.org