dispatches from the new world of work

Feeling One's Age!

We just lost 30+ Marines and a Navy medic in Iraq. Went down in a Sea Stallion., a CH-53 helicopter. Flash back. 38 years. Me. I Corps. Vietnam. Navy Seabee. (From "CB," Construction Battalion.) We are building "hardened camps" for US Army Special Forces teams, must move heavy equipment into the hinterlands. In 1967 a new tool arrives. You guessed it. The CH-53 Sea Stallion. A Big Deal. CBS News covers its arrival "in country." And it's about to take its first "operational" flight. Who's aboard? Me. We cruise inland, and get our baptism in fire, far sooner than we'd supposed. Nobody KIA, but all of us shaken up. My CO (Commanding Officer) offers me a Purple Heart, but I'd been nothing more than scratched by an errant shell that wobbled around the craft, thought it was bullshit, and turned it down. That was 38 years ago. The mighty CH-53 is still serving our courageous troops. My heart goes out to the Families & Friends of the KIAs.

Tom Peters posted this on 01/28/05.

Comments

Thanks for writing about this and the post below. I don't think any of us who have been lucky enough to avoid being in war or in battle can imagine what it's like. It's as distant as walking on the moon for me.

I watched the most amazing interview of two POWs on CSPAN Books by the author, James S. Hirsch, the subjects of his book: Two Souls Indivisible: The Friendship That Saved Two POW's in Vietnam.

The two men, Fred Cherry and Porter Halyburton, were riveting to listen to, recounting a situation that's almost unimaginable. Have you read it?

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0618273484/ref%3Dnosim/thisistrue-20/102-1663612-0457710

Posted by Halley at January 28, 2005 12:46 PM

Tom, bless you for posting this. Too many people focus on the politics of why we are there, and not enough time on the people who serve our country faithfully when asked. We can debate whether or not this conflict protects our freedoms, what should not be debated is the courage and patriotism of those who answer the call.

Posted by Ann at January 28, 2005 1:55 PM

Ann :Amen!! "courage and patriotism" & I'll honesty too -- as the yardstick for a person !!

Posted by /pd at January 28, 2005 3:40 PM

Tom:whats interesting is that I can't find (anywhere) - if its an "E" or a "D" catogory !! SO I was wondering how you knew it was a "sea stallion" and not the "super stallion"

Posted by /pd at January 28, 2005 8:36 PM

Peter, I didn't do any research, just pulled it out of my tattered memory bank.

Posted by tom peters at January 29, 2005 1:10 AM

Yup tom: that's exactly the point. The E catogory was designed for primarly SeaOp's and the D catogory is used for SEALops. What intrigures me is that nowhere did DOD mention the catogory.!!!

So this leaves me with the observations that our resourse deployement in the theater is flawed. The correct resources need to be used for FieldOps- else disasters like this can happen.

..and why did DOD not mention the Catogory ?? I know that the SeaKing in Canada is going to be decommissioned because of design flaws !!

Posted by /pd at January 29, 2005 1:05 PM

tom:FYI only.. and answering my own questions :) just got some intel... it was a CH-53E Super Stallion !!

"...but NASA satellite photos of the region suggested western Iraq was facing dust or sandstorms. "

Posted by /pd at January 29, 2005 2:06 PM