Category: Real Soldiers

At age 42, Spc. John Liddle Jr., a member of the 822nd Movement Control Team of the New York Army National Guard, is living his dream of serving his country and honoring his late father, who was a Vietnam Veteran. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Michael Behlin)

The folks at the 3rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), who invited us to their colors casing ceremony at Fort Knox, KY several weeks back and took TSO to Afghanistan with them, send us this great story of someone you ordinarily wouldn’t read about in the media because he doesn’t have a flashy job in the military, but there’s still a nice story to his service and I’m sure that there are hundreds more stories like his over there in the sand;

Soldier lives dream of serving in military, honors father
3d Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) Public Affairs

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan (June 16, 2012) – It’s not every day that someone gets to live out their dreams and goals, but for Spc. John Liddle Jr., a member of the 822nd Movement Control Team of the New York Army National Guard, the opportunity to do so is now.

A native New Yorker who calls Long Island home, the 42 year old father of one is getting the chance to do something he’s always dreamed of, serving his country and honoring his late father.

The son of a Vietnam veteran, Liddle is a 3rd generation Soldier as his grandfather fought also fought in World War II. He said that their selfless service is what led to his wanting to join the military.

“I’ve always wanted to know what my father went through, and overall just thought that joining the military was my calling,” said Liddle. “I’m proud of everything my father did and what our country called him to do. We volunteered for this, but he was drafted.”
Liddle’s dream of becoming a Soldier began during his time as a young boy mimicking his father. He explained that during this time, he spent countless hours playing with toy Soldiers wanting to be just like the guys on the war movies and TV shows.

After years of working as a welder and playing semi-professional football for the Southern Tier Warriors, Liddle’s finally got the opportunity to fulfill his dream.

At 36 years old, Liddle enlisted in the National Guard as a motor transport operator, the same military occupation specialty as his father.

Affectionately known as “Lids” by teammates and friends, Liddle said that his experiences with sports helped him persevere while dealing with dyslexia, amongst other issues that prevented him from enlisting earlier in life. He compares most of his life experiences to football and feels that his dedication is what has led to him being in his current position.

“When I get up in the mornings, every day to me is game day,” said Liddle. “We fight every day in our lives inch by inch, yard by yard until we reach the goal line.”

After years of not being able to deploy, he’s finally getting the opportunity by serving in support of Operation Enduring Freedom working as an inspector for the 401st Army Field Support Brigade’s ammunition abatement mission.

Even though this mission calls for Liddle to operate mainly at Bagram Airfield and not on the roads as his military occupation specialty might suggest, he still feels as though he’s making a difference in Afghanistan.

“We inspect every vehicle that enters our yard and check for ammunition and anything else that shouldn’t be there,” said Liddle. “We make sure our battle buddies are safe.”

Liddle admitted that while he’s proud to be serving, he hit a definite low point when his father passed away just two weeks into his deployment. But even with his circumstances, his father’s words have stuck with him.

“Not long before my father passed he told me to make sure I come home to him and my mother,” said Liddle. “He said that he was proud of me and what I was doing. Those words have stuck with me.”

Liddle said that his future in the Army looks bright as he plans to reenlist later in the year and possibly reclassify as an infantryman. He also plans to continue his career by becoming an active-duty Soldier.

And while he feels he has many years of football left in him, he said that he may soon plan to retire while jokingly admitting that many of his teammates once played on a peewee team he coached years ago.

“I like to think of myself like the Brett Favre of the semi-pro’s,” said Liddle, referring to the retired National Football League quarterback.

Overall, Liddle said that everyone has been supportive of his dream to include his current unit. He admitted that every now and then he gets down when thinking of his father, but that everyone rallied around him to help him get through.

“I have my days that I really miss my father, but my officers and NCO’s here encourage me,” said Liddle. “But I know that he’s proud of me for all that I’ve done.”

Judging by the picture, he’s a pretty big dude. I would have liked to have him carrying my M60, and he looks like he could tote the tripod, T&E and the spare barrel, too, along with 1,000 rounds of ammo without breaking a sweat.

Richard sends us a link to an article about Staff Sergeant Mitchell Corbin, a guardsman in the 147th Reconnaissance Wing of the Texas Air National Guard in Ellington, TX who happened by fiery car crash a few weeks back;

As eyewitnesses waited for help, one man jumped on top [of the burning car], smashed out the window with a fire extinguisher and with help, pulled [Nancy Decker] to safety. Then he was gone.

Francis Gary Powers was shot down in his U2 spy plane over the Soviet Union in 1960 – considered impossible until it happened. The Eisenhower Administration denied that it even happened in the early days until the Soviets broadcast video of their prisoner. Powers was held by the Soviets for two years as a propaganda tool, an uncooperative propaganda tool. After he died in 1977, he was awarded a POW Medal, and now his family will receive his Silver Star Medal. According to Stars & Stripes;

Though pressured with threats of death, as well as sleep and food deprivation, “Captain Powers steadfastly refused all attempts to give sensitive defense information or be exploited for propaganda purposes,” the medal citation reads.

“I believe the Silver Star is an appropriate award for my father for what he endured from ’60 to ’62, and it helps to set the record straight after 50 years,” said Gary Powers Jr, 47.

His was a name that I grew up with and it’s outstanding that he’s finally getting the recognition his deserves. According to his memorial page at Arlington, he died in a helicopter crash while flying a local TV station’s helicopter. Captain Powers is buried at Arlington where he belongs with the rest of America’s heroes and pioneers.

Country Singer writes to remind us that, probably one of the most famous commanders of Desert Storm, (now) Major General Herbert Raymond McMasters has assumed command of the Maneuver Center of Excellence at Fort Benning, GA. He was also promoted to his second star. MG McMaster commanded “Eagle Troop” of the 2d Armored Cavalry Regiment at the Battle of 73 Easting (Objective Norfolk). In my opinion, for whatever that’s worth, there is probably no one more suited to the job as MG McMaster.

COB6 and I had the pleasure of passing through then-CPT McMaster’s unit at oh-dark-thirty on the morning following his troops’ engagement with the enemy and witnessed up-close the destruction they had wrought on the Iraqis there. If I’m not mistaken, we rounded up over eighty thoroughly demoralized prisoners that day who surrendered to a sniper and some mechanics who were fixing our CO’s Bradley which had thrown a track in the middle of the carnage.

Yeah, I don’t have many officers who are my personal heroes, but HR McMasters is one of two – the other being COB6.

AverageNCO sends us a link to an article from the Traverse City, Michigan Record Eagle about Clarence “Sonny” Szejbach who saved his commander by throwing away a grenade which had landed near the officer on June 6, 1969. He’s finally being recognized for that selfless act which took his arm and peppered him with shrapnel when that grenade exploded as it left his hand;

Szejback recently visited Antrim County Veterans Office counselor Deborah Peters, and she realized Szejbach had not received recognition for his heroism.

“I saw there was not a Purple Heart listed on his documents,” said Peters, who requested an Army review of Szejbach’s service record.

Peters subsequently received a correction notification that stated Szejbach wasn’t only eligible for the Purple Heart, but he also was in line to receive the Distinguished Service Cross and eight other citations.

“I was shocked when I realized what he was entitled to,” Peters said.

Szejbach voiced more than surprise when he learned of the impending — if long overdue — honors.

“At first I questioned whether it was a mistake, but I will take them at their word,” he said

“I thought I was just doing what was expected of me in the heat of the battle,” said Szejbach, 63, who lost his right hand and sustained severe neck and facial injuries during an enemy attack.

SGT E sends us a link to the UK’s Daily Mail which tells the story of a Marine, Lance Corporal Winder Perez who had a live grenade imbedded in his leg and a whole host of heroes who saved his life;

After Corporal Perez was wounded, a Black Hawk helicopter transported him from the field to a makeshift operating room surrounded by blast walls.

‘Not only did we know we had to make a soft landing, we had to fly at whatever air speed caused the least amount of vibration,’ Captain Kevin Doo said to Fox.

[…]

[U.S. Navy Nurse Corps Lieutenant Commander James Gennari] held the [M]arine’s hand, dosing him with enough pain medicine so that [Army Staff Sergeant Ben Summerfield] could pull out the grenade.

He attempted to remove it three times, tugging at the dangerous device, before he finally got it out.

‘I said a prayer, and I thanked God for everything I had…’ Lieutenant Commander Gennari told CNN.

It took real heroes to load LCPL Perez into the helicopter, it took heroes to fly the Marine-bomb to the hospital, it took heroes to take him behind the blast walls and it took heroes to extract the explosive from Perez’ leg. Perez is fortunate that he was in the company of heroes that day, because the article reports that Perez survived.

A CNN interview with Lieutenant Commander Gennari;

PennLive reports that the French who live in Normandy will dedicate a statue to Major Dick Winters, the commander of Easy Company of Band of Brothers fame near the site where he earned his Silver Star Distinguished Service Cross between Carentan and Brecourt.

An effort years in the making will bear fruition on June 6 as the World War II Foundation unveils the Richard Winters Leadership Monument, a 12-foot high bronze statue of Winters in an attack position, his weapon at the ready. The monument will be dedicated to all junior U.S. military officers who served on that day.

“Richard Winters represents the young men of his generation who stepped up and took on a leadership role as junior officers in a growing American army,” said Ret. Colonel James Helis, chairman of the Department Of National Security Strategy at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle.

“They provided the front line leadership that the troops needed. The generals do the big planning but when it comes down to making contact with the enemy and fighting the battle and getting off that beach, that’s done by the junior officers. Winters represents all of that.”

I think that if he was still alive, Major Winters would argue that he was just one among thousands and that his leadership would have meant nothing if it hadn’t been for the men under his command.