The
National Rifle Association conference yesterday in Washington, D.C.
drew lots of media attention because of the high powered presidential
candidates invited to speak. McCain got in a line on a protester,
Thompson got in a line on Bill Clinton, and Rudy tried to make peace
with his previous anti gun positions; stories for which Drudge has
linked to on his site. But to my complete shock, the best speaker of
the evening was not Fred, nor Newt nor Mike Huckabee all of which I
enjoyed immensely.
But the best
speaker of the day was not a politician, lobbyist, nor even an NRA
official. The best speaker, hands down, was a young army NCO. Everyone
I asked agreed with that assessment. I can't express in words how
amazingly his speech, his story, his utter love for this country moved
me.
When he took the stage
and began speaking unassuming, haltingly, somewhat softly spoken, I was
concerned. I thought at the time as I later told him "I was feeling
sorry for you speaking amongst such polished, intelligent speakers."
However, I quickly followed up with "you kicked their asses!"
This young NCO, a man
I won't identify by name to a wide audience until I get his permission,
told of his massive injuries while fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Trying to relay his story here seems futile. I can't match in print the
emotion of the man nor the way I felt about him even were I a better
writer. I don't think anyone could. But I will try and tell you a
little about what he went through.
He talked of his 19
years in the Army, how he had seen friends die in combat, and then one
day it was his turn. He and a few other Special Forces operators were
pinned down in a four day battle against "a thousand Taliban" in
Afghanistan. Unlike the typical Taliban hit and run tactic they massed
and no one had been prepared for such a battle. He and his men held
their position against an overwhelming force requiring Air Force
ammunition drops several times when they were reduced to "40 rounds"
between them.
As they maneuvered
their vehicle (I believe he said he was on the gun in the turret) they
got blown up. He described the sensation of heat, not just on his skin
but in him. He struggled to pull himself from the vehicle. He
looked down and saw his leg hanging by mere flesh, the bone splintered
out into the sand. He got out, couldn't breathe and then felt a pop
which eased his airway constriction. That pop was his abdominal lining
bursting. He watched as his intestines began to leak from the stomach
wounds.
Others came to his aid
and they beat out the flames on his body. Disoriented, he began
fighting the man who was hitting him. As they hovered over him to
administer aid he felt the sting of what he thought was biting insects
but soon realized was actually sand spitting up from the bullets
hitting all around them. He said he "owed those men a debt he can never
repay". I thought, no sir, it is us who owe them that debt. It is us
who can never repay them for bringing you home to tell your story.
The sergeant said his
plan if he got hit in combat was "to die". It never occurred to him he
might live. He went from a Special Forces soldier to "a man who could
not wipe his own butt" he said, apologizing for the graphic detail. No
apology was needed of course.
He talked about his
recovery, the year he spent in the hospital, only recently getting out.
He said that what sustained him was his faith in God, his incredible
wife, the amazing military medical professionals who rebuilt him, and
something that surprised me, the wonderful assistance of the NRA and
corporate partners that took a personal involvement in his recovery.
I do not intend this
as a commercial for the NRA. But having just joined myself, this type
of activity was unknown to me until today. I want to thank the NRA and
the corporate partners who aided him. One representative from a
corporate sponsor with whom I spoke about the NCO was choking a bit on
his emotion which allayed my skeptical nature.
The young NCO didn't
talk about politics, the war on terror, the war protesters, although he
berated the Move On "Betray us" ad. He just said, or rather asked,
paraphrasing: that the next time a soldier, someone who has on the
ground knowledge, who has sacrificed for our freedom, please listen to
what they have to say.
I doubt his message
will breach the tin ears of the antiwar left. But his courage, his love
of his family, country and freedom pushes me to write. I ask the
antiwar left, and I urge others to ask, listen to the soldiers.
Right now, the
overwhelming majority of them find value in their mission to fight
terrorists in Afghanistan and Iraq. I agree. If I ever get the sense
from them, the genuine belief that they don't support the mission I
will be the first to stand up and say bring them home immediately.
Until then can you on the left stop "supporting them" by insisting you
know more than they do about the work they are doing?
If they tell us they
are fighting al Qaeda can the MSM please stop writing articles about
how they are not really fighting al Qaeda? Can Michael Ware please
refrain from making hyperventilating statements like "the streets were
rivers of blood" as he did a few days ago on CNN? Can you at the New York Times and Time
magazine just take a few moments to rethink the de-legitimization of
our brave soldiers strategy your are employing when you call them
uneducated, unemployable, untrained, too afraid to speak up against the
president "cooking the book" stooges of George Bush?
I am not asking you to
love the war. I am asking you to listen to a man who watched his guts
leak from his body to protect that freedom of the press you use to
attempt to dishonor him.
Posted on
Saturday, June 28, 2008
by Ray Robison