Jocko Podcast - They Did Their Duty. Memorial Day 2024

Episode Date: May 27, 2024

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Colonel David Hackworth wrote about one of his soldiers in his book About Face, a soldier named Private Henry C. DeBur. This was during the Korean War, and this soldier had not earned the best reputation. He consistently tried to avoid combat, often going to sick call before dangerous missions and missing out on those missions. But during one operation on the 6th of February, 1951, Dubour was with his platoon on an operation, and he got shot on an open, iced over rice paddy. And Hackworth, who was a sergeant at the time, saw him lying there exposed and ran out to get him.

And Hackworth writes this in his book, quote, Now Dabour was ashen faced, hitting the chest or gut. I don't know. There was a lot of blood and he was well into shock. I knew he wasn't going to make it. Come on, Dabour, you're going to be fine. You'll be all right, I said, giving him the old pep talk as I grabbed his jacket collar and started sliding him across the ice.

But Dabuhr said, no, Sarge. just leave me you're going to get hit just leave me sarge then suddenly he groaned and that was it he was gone i left him and ran back debauer in death became one of the greatest heroes of our outfit he didn't say take care of me he said leave me take care of yourself and when I told the other guys the story, old DeBoer became a legend in the platoon. End quote. There was no time for DeBoer to think, no time to decide.

There was only time for him to try and save his friends. And that reminds me of another story. April 22nd, 2008 in the city of Vermont, two Marines. Corporal Jonathan Yale, age 22, and Lance Corporal Jordan. Herder age 20. They stood their ground and saved scores of their comrades from death when a suicide truck bomb tried to drive past an entry control point, a point that was guarded by Corporal Yale

and Lance Corporal Herder. The suicide bomber did not get past them. General John Kelly, United States Marine Corps, a gold star father himself gave a speech about these days. two Marines and in part of that speech he described a security video that captured the scene general Kelly said this it took exactly six seconds from when the truck entered the alley until it detonated you can watch the last six seconds of their young lives putting myself in their heads i suppose it took about a second for the two Marines to separately come to the same conclusion about what was going on once the truck came into their view at the far end of the alley exactly no time to talk it over or call the sergeant to ask what they should do only enough time to take half an

instant and think about what the sergeant had told them to do only a few minutes before let no unauthorized personnel or vehicles pass the two marines had about five seconds left to live It took maybe another two seconds for them to present their weapons, take aim, and open up. By this time, the truck was halfway through the barriers and gaining speed the whole time. Here, the recording shows a number of Iraqi police, some of whom had fired their AKs now scattering, like normal and rational men, some running right past the Marines, the Marines who now had three seconds left to live. For about two seconds more, the recording shows the Marines weapons firing nonstop.

The truck's windshield exploding into shards of glass as their rounds take it apart and tore it into the body of the son of a bitch who's trying to get past them to kill their brothers. American and Iraqi bedded down in the barracks totally unaware of the fact that their lives at that moment depended entirely on two Marines standing their ground. If they had been aware, they would have known they were safe because two Marines stood between them and a crazed suicide bomber. The recording shows the truck careening to a stop immediately in front of the two Marines. In all of the instantaneous violence, Yale and Herder never hesitated. By all reports and by the recording, they never stepped back. They never even started to step aside. They never even shifted their weight.

With their feet spread shoulder width apart, they leaned into the danger, firing as fast as they could work their weapons. They had only one second left to live. Six seconds in total. Not enough time to think about their families, their country, their flag, or about their lives or their deaths. But more than enough time for two very briefs. brave young men to do their duty into eternity. That is the kind of people who are on watch all over the world tonight for you. They did their duty.

They held the line. They protected their friends. And we can get a glimpse into their mindset from another serviceman, a soldier from Charlie Company, 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry. Sergeant First Class Marshall Robertson. He had served about 10 months in Vietnam and was sent to the rear to finish out his tour. But his company suffered significant casualties after he left. His company commander was hit and he knew his troops needed him.

So he volunteered to go back to the front with his men. And he wrote this letter on August 20, 1969. my dear darling honey i love you so much i'm writing this letter at 8 30 p.m. tonight for i want you to know how i feel about you for you see this might very well be my last letter i know you will not understand or be able to understand what or why i'm doing but i've got to do it you see my company went into relieve bravo company where they had 27 men killed in two days. Well, now my company is taking a beating. Captain Murphy, my company commander, has been hit in both legs,

and I am going out at 4.30 in the morning. Now I know what you are thinking, that I have too much to live for. Well, that's very true. But there are sometimes in a man's life when he must do what he must. Honey, please forgive me for this

But my men have a brand new officer I just have to go out there and help them I know that you will not understand But please try to see my side of it My love if I should die over here It will not be for my country or this country It will be for my boys Please tell the kitties that I love them

And if this is my last letter Please remember me whatever happens I love you Marshall Robertson 33 years old father of four loyal husband was killed six days after writing that letter on August 26th 1969 while maneuvering to get to a wounded comrade these are but a few stories of a few men I also knew some brave men that stood up and faced death to do their duty and protect their friends. Men like Mark Lee,

Mikey Mansour, and Ryan Job, men who, in leaving their mortal forms of this life, became immortal. Immortal in our memories. Immortal in our history. And immortal in their example. and in their actions they joined the vast ranks of our fallen heroes heroes who number in the hundreds of thousands but who are not just numbers they were husbands fathers and sons wives mothers and daughters

They were people with dreams and ambitions and futures. All who had, like Marshall Robertson, so much to live for. But they volunteered. They volunteered to go into the fray. They volunteered to defend us. They volunteered to protect us. And in the moment of truth, they stood their ground and did their duty to the utmost into eternity. And now it is our.

modest but our most important and solemn duty to memorialize them on this day and every day by living to honor them in our thoughts words and deeds and by always and eternally remembering their sacrifice they are our heroes and we must never forget them