When I asked a friend who served in Vietnam, what he thought of the movie "Saving Private Ryan", he answered, "The only thing missing from that movie was the smell of death and burning flesh!" It still sends chills running down my spine when I think of that moment. I can't imagine what it's like being blown up thirty feet up in the air and landing on your head. That's exactly what happened to Denis, only to be found days later by another platoon as his was wiped out. When he recovered he wanted to go back in to finish his tour. His requisition was denied. His commanding officer gave him a choice, either take a desk job or go home. He took the latter, he came home and became a cop. I had another name for Denis, "The Runaway Freight Train", he was unstoppable.
Denis's story is similar to many others in the military during wartime. He voluntarily enlisted soon after three of his friends were drafted and never came back. They asked if they could serve together as they were friends and they would take care of each other. However, on that faithful day, while they were on a mission on patrol, they were ambushed by insurgents and were killed instantly along with the rest of the platoon. When Denis heard, the anger and frustration nearly drove him insane. He immediately joined the Army and went directly into combat. He joined only for one purpose, to go in and avenge the killing of his friends and "wipe out that country from the face of the earth", in his own words. Denis served three tours in Vietnam, from being a "helicopter door gunner" to a "tunnel rat" and everything in between. He was fighting a one man war.
As in every other war, the buddy system was a common occurrence, when friends and family members demanded to serve together for the sole reason of protecting each other. One of the best examples is in the movie "The Deer Hunter". However, the military had a policy against that, unfortunately it only applied to family members. A policy that started after an event that took place during World War II, when five brothers from Iowa insisted on serving together aboard the same ship. Stationed in the South Pacific, the ship sank when it was hit by a Japanese torpedo. Three of the brothers were killed instantly, the other two ended up in the water only to face a shark attack. By the time they were rescued, only one, the oldest made it in the raft including ten other survivors. Being overwhelmed with grief by the loss of his brothers and disappointed for not being able to save them, he went insane, jumped in the water and drowned.
One day two men in uniform showed up at their family home and said to their father, "We have news about your sons." He asked, "Which one?" They responded, "All five."
The family wasn't told the whole story on how the event took place until months later when President Roosevelt personally wrote to them. As the parents began lobbying in Washington to make a law against having family members serve at the same time, their only daughter joined the Navy and became a Wave. The Navy did have a policy to keep siblings from serving together but they didn't enforce it. As a result of the Sullivan brothers and others like the Niland brothers, the Navy adopted the "Sole Survivor Policy" to protect family members from serving in the military if they already lost members in the service. As most people know this as "The Sullivan Law", it was never named that, instead the Navy named two destroyers in their honor, the "USS The Sullivans DD-537 and DDG-68".
It's been said that Steven Spielberg was inspired by the story of the Sullivan and the Niland brothers and directed the movie "Saving Private Ryan". As for Denis, he's living the rest of his days with a steel plate in his head and attending mass almost every day asking God's forgiveness for what he's done.
"War is as much of a punishment to the punisher as it is to the sufferer."
Thomas Jefferson
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Sunday, October 24, 2010
The Wizard of Menlo Park
Thomas Edison, a prolific American inventor, who in 1869 developed the Ticker Tape machine, set up a meeting with two of the country's richest investors in hopes to sell his new invention. Before he left his home that day to discuss the deal, he had a conversation with his wife.
"How much do you think they'll pay for that?" she asked,
"I'm planning on asking $3,500.00, though I'll be happy to get $2,000.00!" he answered.
He left and closed the door behind him and he was on his way.
He brought the machine into the office and commenced with his demonstration. When he was done he was asked the price for this new invention. Instead of revealing his price, he asked how much they were willing to pay for it.
"We'd like to offer you $20,000 for your machine. What do you say to that?
Edison was motionless and emotionless and never said a word. The two men looked at each other and the second one said,
"$30,000, how does that sound?" Edison never flinched.
They continued on in frustration and said, "Very well, $40,000, that's our final offer, take it or leave it."
Edison responded by saying, "Very well, if that's the best you can do, I'll take it."
As he's walking out the office with his hand on the doorknob he heard,
"Mr Edison, we'd thought you'd like to know we were ready to pay $60,000 for your invention!"
Edison turns around and retorted, "Gentlemen, I was only expecting to get $2,000."
Edison used the money to start a research facility in Menlo Park, New Jersey, where he along with his assistants came up with many more inventions to benefit the human race. He was known as "The Wizard of Menlo Park".
Be courageous. I have seen many depressions in business. Always America has emerged from these stronger and more prosperous. Be brave as your fathers before you. Have faith! Go forward!
Thomas A. Edison
"How much do you think they'll pay for that?" she asked,
"I'm planning on asking $3,500.00, though I'll be happy to get $2,000.00!" he answered.
He left and closed the door behind him and he was on his way.
He brought the machine into the office and commenced with his demonstration. When he was done he was asked the price for this new invention. Instead of revealing his price, he asked how much they were willing to pay for it.
"We'd like to offer you $20,000 for your machine. What do you say to that?
Edison was motionless and emotionless and never said a word. The two men looked at each other and the second one said,
"$30,000, how does that sound?" Edison never flinched.
They continued on in frustration and said, "Very well, $40,000, that's our final offer, take it or leave it."
Edison responded by saying, "Very well, if that's the best you can do, I'll take it."
As he's walking out the office with his hand on the doorknob he heard,
"Mr Edison, we'd thought you'd like to know we were ready to pay $60,000 for your invention!"
Edison turns around and retorted, "Gentlemen, I was only expecting to get $2,000."
Edison used the money to start a research facility in Menlo Park, New Jersey, where he along with his assistants came up with many more inventions to benefit the human race. He was known as "The Wizard of Menlo Park".
Be courageous. I have seen many depressions in business. Always America has emerged from these stronger and more prosperous. Be brave as your fathers before you. Have faith! Go forward!
Thomas A. Edison
The Renaissance Man
Ludovico Buonarroti, a prominent businessman during Italy's Renaissance, walks into a warehouse with his son to conduct business with the owners. As they walk by the shop area they notice the workers and a giant block of marble.
Looking at them he says, "No son of mine will ever work with his hands!"
As they continued on, his son kept looking at the marble block.
For the next month this young man went back and for days on end would stand there and stare at this giant block of marble.
At one point one of the workers asked, "Ma che fai?" (What are you doing?)
He responded by saying, "Sto lavorando!" (I am working!)
Six months later the giant block of marble became the statue of David. That young man was Michelangelo. Michelangelo proved his father wrong.
"Lost" episode
______________________________________________________
A girl I knew in high school who's father was a well known and successful psychiatrist, got up one morning and bought himself a $50,000 truck. He left his family and started diving across country hauling freight.
"Being a doctor was what my parents wanted me to do, I just wanted to drive a truck!"
Most of us don't know what's within us, and we may all have hidden talents that we may never discover until we try, if we try at all. Although we use our brains to do what we need to do, it's what lies in our hearts to be who we want to be.
"I am still learning!" Michelangelo
Looking at them he says, "No son of mine will ever work with his hands!"
As they continued on, his son kept looking at the marble block.
For the next month this young man went back and for days on end would stand there and stare at this giant block of marble.
At one point one of the workers asked, "Ma che fai?" (What are you doing?)
He responded by saying, "Sto lavorando!" (I am working!)
Six months later the giant block of marble became the statue of David. That young man was Michelangelo. Michelangelo proved his father wrong.
"Lost" episode
______________________________________________________
A girl I knew in high school who's father was a well known and successful psychiatrist, got up one morning and bought himself a $50,000 truck. He left his family and started diving across country hauling freight.
"Being a doctor was what my parents wanted me to do, I just wanted to drive a truck!"
Most of us don't know what's within us, and we may all have hidden talents that we may never discover until we try, if we try at all. Although we use our brains to do what we need to do, it's what lies in our hearts to be who we want to be.
"I am still learning!" Michelangelo
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