(Photo Credit: GORUCK)
Memorial Day GORUCK Tough/Light – After Action Review
Start and end point: Summit Park, Blue Ash, OH
Tough Class #3034 Start and End Time: May 24, 2019, 2100 hours – May 25, 2019, 0815 hours
Light Class #3100 Start and End Time: May 25, 2019, 1400 hours – 1920 hours
Approximate total rucking mileage: 16 miles (Tough), 8 miles (Light)
Number of participants started/finished: 21/18 (Tough); 18/18 (Light)
Event Cadre: Cadre Stephen
Disclaimers:
Please note that I did my best to remember as many details about this event as possible. If there are any inaccuracies, please bring them to my attention, and I can have corrections made.
Please note that the opinions stated in this article are my own and not of any of the other GRTs. Generally speaking, GRTs’ names were not used in this article to protect his or her privacy with one exception for giving credit where credit was due.
This AAR contains some explicit language. Viewer discretion advised.
More biographies of fallen soldiers may be added after the initial publication of AAR.
Preparations leading up to the event:
This event was a special event commemorating our fallen soldiers on Memorial Day. Our assignment was to have a military member killed in action (KIA) in our rucks. We also asked prepared to talk about him or her during the event. At the end of this AAR, I asked Cadre Stephen and all of the GRTs to post their biographies on the Event page on Facebook. I will quote all of them that I have received.
I was very thankful to have people I knew for this event. This trip is the second time that I will be traveling by plane for a GORUCK event. I want to thank Andy Slyne for helping me out with a spare ruck plate for the Tough and the Light. This ruck plate saved me an extra $40 to have to add another checked bag to my haul.
I decided that the hotel was the best route to go. I waited for the unveiling of the Start Point so that I can be as close to it as possible. I highly recommend the Hilton Embassy Suites if you can get it. The breakfast and happy hour snacks are a savior for GORUCK events! The rooms are large so that I have plenty of space to sort out all my crap before events. Lying on a couch so that I can elevate my legs with an ottoman and pillows is helpful to get the lactic acid buildup out of your legs. A refrigerator chills all my snacks, drink mixes, and more.
It was hot for Cincinnati in May. When I got off my flight, it was 93 degrees out with moderate humidity. I might as well have stayed in Florida! Luckily, I drink about a gallon of water a day this time of year, so it was no bother for me to adjust. It is ironic because I brought some long sleeve shirts and jackets, which I did not use at all. I did the opposite for California, which I expected to be much warmer. I can’t seem to get it right.
You know when you are an absolute GRT nerd when you name your rucks. I have been using my Rucker (named Darius, get it?) for most of my events lately. For these events, I switched to my GR1, called Mikey, aka Murph. He keeps me strong and motivated whenever I look at him. I felt it was appropriate to bring him out on Memorial Day weekend. ICYWW, the GR2 that I use for EDC is named Buddy (because he is my everyday Buddy Carry).
Recap of the Tough:
Part I: Administrative items
I never met Cadre Stephen before. From what I heard, he had only been a Cadre for two years. Because of his work life, he does not run too many events during the year. Coupled with him and the rest of the group, it would be no surprise if people thought we were a traveling group of hobos.
We walked to the open field to circle up and do our administrative tasks. Oddly this time, my name was not called. I did change this event from an HTL for D-Day the following week. It did not seem like a big deal, though. (Spoiler alert: I still got my patch at the end.)
Twenty-one total GRTs showed up for this event. It’s about to get dirty.
Coupons for this event:
2 x 80# sandbags
2 x 60# sandbags
2 x 40# sandbags
3 x PVC pipes filled with rice
3 x water jugs
1 x team weight
1 x American flag
1 x ruck with various supplies
Part II: Opening PT: Name Game
We went around the circle. Starting with the first person, we stated our name, and we had to say each name of every other member of the team who went before us. We also gave a small biography about ourselves, and then we named our favorite exercise to do as our PT. Cadre Stephen vetoed some of the exercises (such as overhand claps and Kegels. You can guess who offered that one). My truthful answer would have been burpees or manmakers, but I did not want to gas the team one hour into the event. I ended up choosing ruck chest presses. (Words of wisdom if you get the opportunity to call an exercise. Stay away from compound exercises with lots of movement, or you will be very unpopular.) Recalling the names became difficult as we progressed through the circle and as it got darker outside.
After opening PT, two teams formed which we will use later.
Photo credit: Zackery Pilmore
Part III: Surveillance and cover tactics – filling of the water jugs and sandbags
After the Name Game, Cadre Stephen introduced us to some cover tactics for when we are trying to meet an objective in an unknown place or enemy territory. The scheme was confusing to understand at first, but once you see it in action, it made more sense. The teams split to each cover 180 degrees of the surroundings. The basic premise to make sure that there are 360 degrees of protection at all times. When the team moves closer to the objective, you leave a trail of people to assist with surveillance. We practiced this task to fill the water jugs located across the field.
We then progressed west towards the sand pile where again we used this tactic in a more confined space. We had GRTs stationed around two of us who were filling the sandbags.
Part IV: The never-ending ruck march
This particular ruck march is something that I have not experienced at a GORUCK event before. I am not sure if Cadre Stephen is intentionally playing mind games or not. It may just be because of his level relaxed demeanor. Throughout this long ruck march, he would walk ahead into the distance to which we barely can see him. All of a sudden, we would catch up to him somehow at a purposeful stopping point, but then he would keep walking again, not saying anything, which implied that we had to keep going. There were so many of these false stops. We did make a few stops in the process for health reasons. We also needed a more extended break to re-establish our plan because we had huge gaps in our group.
During this long ruck march we also made a couple of stops to talk about our fallen heroes (see the Index below for some of the heroes discussed). One of them was at the Blue Ash Bicentennial Veterans Memorial Park. The other stop was at a grassy area in front of an office complex.
We, unfortunately, did lose one GRT during this march, due to dizziness likely from dehydration. Unfortunately, he came with a brother and sister trio. Due to travel arrangements, we had lost all three, which was disappointing. I hope to see them back again one day.
As a quick note on dehydration, you need to get ahead of your fluid intake. You cannot wait until the last minute to start hydrating because you will never catch up. And, for the love of all that is holy, please do not drink alcohol the day of your event, mainly when there is hot weather. You are asking for trouble, and you will not get much sympathy from me.
Back onto the subject, the long ruck march had another effect on us. This ruck march felt like one of those long legs of Star Course where it would just never end. Some contentious arguments took place just out of sheer fatigue, sleeplessness, and stress. Part of the benefit of training under such stressful conditions is so that you are prepared to handle it with a clear mind when it comes time to perform. If you have never witnessed that level of stress, it is hard to know how you react to it when it does occur. Once you have felt it, the next time it happens, you tend to be calmer and think clearer. This concept is one thing that has helped me in my job. Smaller, less important things that used to cause me much stress do not bother me nearly as much as it did before.
Overall, I think we covered at least 12 miles here.
Part V: “The road not taken” – We took the one less traveled
Reference: Robert Frost, “The Road Not Taken”
We finally finished this long ruck march at a parking structure, where, interestingly enough, we took a group photo. Are we done? Of course not. The sun barely came up. We trek behind the parking structure where was a ton of loose shrubbery and virtually no clear path in sight. We see a concrete drainage structure with shallow water amid the foliage. Again we applied our principles of surveillance. We had two people at the entrance providing cover for two other people who will cross the structure first. Once those people pass, they will start to form a semi-circle at the exit as more people go through. The people providing cover at the entrance then went through last at the end and reconvened to continue the trek. Going through this area was not easy. Trail shoes were beneficial for getting your footing because the ground was muddy and slippery.
After we completed this, we trekked through about a half-mile of some rough terrain that included mud, rocks, and holes. One false step and you could be on your ass with a twisted ankle. Especially with all the coupons, you had to be alert on your feet.
We ended up in a developing neighborhood where the only occupied house had citizens out on the porch enjoying the sunrise and watching us weirdos trek that whole section. We ended up back on a trail in Summit Park, continuing our journey.
Part VI: Rucks in the Muddy Waters
We stopped a small lake behind the Observation Tower. At the beginning of the event, we were told to take a contractor bag in our rucks. We got to the point where we use them.
In the first exercise, we took out the ruck plate in two of the rucks, and with all the items in the ruck, we placed them in the contractor bag. The contractor bag went inside the ruck, and we inflated the rucks while inside it. Once sealed, this is how the ruck can float in water so that you can easily transport the ruck and all of its content easily. By this method, we were able to make the rucks have an overall less density than water. You can use it as a flotation device if necessary.
In the next exercise, we used the same rucks and placed them within a tarp. We wrapped the tarp in such a way as to trap a large amount of air inside of it. Again, these rucks floated, and we swam with the rucks in water.
All in all, we all got wet in the middle of a public lake. There were a few passersby that early in the morning but none of which thankfully were police. There were more than a few counts of public urination and likely unlawful swimming.
Part VII: Humpty Dumpty and the Wall
Our next objective takes place along the side of the Observation Tower, where there is a brick wall. Maximum height is about 10 feet. Each team is to transport the sandbags, poles, rucks, and all members of the team over the wall as fast as possible.
Our team went first, and we scaled the wall in about 3 minutes. The other team observed and then was challenged to beat that time. They beat us by quite a margin.
We again performed the same task, and we beat their time by a considerable margin. The other team got one more try, and barely beat us.
There were many cuts and scrapes on that wall, particularly at the top edge of it where it is not smooth. It’s not like the builders of the wall would think anyone would be on top of the wall trying to scale it. There is a gate that allows you to get on the other side of the wall that was open.
Let’s say that there was also some acrophobia, screaming of expletives, and hurting of certain female body parts during these exercises.
Part VIII: Endex
We rucked back to the parking lot to Cadre Stephen’s car. However, he instructed us to follow him as he drove away. I would have quit if he just started fleeing on Glendale-Milford Road and expected us to catch him. Another mind game?
No, luckily, we ventured to the emptier parking lot about 50 meters away to load the coupons and then finally endexed.
Photo Credit: Cadre Stephen
Recap of the Light:
Part IX: Administrative Items
My name was on the list this time! Hooray!
18 GRTs showed up for this event. I counted 8 GRTs returning from the Tough. Someone can double check me on that one.
Coupons for this event:
2 x 80# sandbags
2 x 60# sandbags
2 x 40# sandbags
3 x PVC pipes filled with rice
3 x water jugs
1 x team weight
1 x American flag
1 x ruck with various supplies
Part X: Rucking the Observation Tower
Our initial PT started with a stair climb to the top of Summit Park’s Observation Tower. This tower was about 10 or so flights of stairs tall. We had our rucks on and had to carry the sandbags as a team. This task was no easy feat, especially for the sucker (me) who took the 80# sandbag.
Once we finished that stair climb, we dropped the sandbags and then did the entire stair climb again with only rucks. I was able to move much quicker.
Part XI: Filling of the Water Jugs and Dumping of one 80# Sandbag
The best news of the day: we could dump one of the 80# sandbags. Hallelujah! There was a debate about one of the 80# sandbags being much more massive than the other throughout the Tough. There was no debate that the one we thought was heavier was getting dumped ASAP.
I never ran faster with a sandbag in my life. One of my most refreshing dumps ever… probably not 😉
Part XII: Another Long Ruck March
We charged forth now short one 80# sandbag. We took the smaller of the two loops. In the process, we made a stop to fill water, fuel up, and talk about our fallen soldiers that we decided to commemorate.
The weather was about 80s-90s with moderate humidity. Staying in the shade and hydrating was necessary here.
Part XIII: Rucking the Rich Bitches’ Neighborhood
We made a stop in the trail behind the sand pile. We got to empty the other 80# sandbag. (There is a God.) I do ruck much quicker when I know there is a sandbag dump coming my way.
According to the map below, we were technically not in the “Rich Bitches” area, but we were pretty close. I would have to say that that “Judgmental Map” is pretty accurate otherwise.
We now headed into our longer loop through a neighborhood full of beautiful houses, golf courses, and country clubs. If anyone thought we were weird, it would be the people who live in these homes.
Cloud cover started to come over us, which made the ruck much better with the sun out of the way. The rain did hit towards the end of this evolution for about 20 minutes. We ended up back in the Observation Tower in pseudo-shade and stopped for fuel, water, and bathroom breaks.
Part XIV: Tactical Movement Drills
Once the skies cleared and we were all fueled back up, we headed back onto the field where we had our educational evolution of the day. Cadre Stephen demonstrated Individual Movement Techniques, specifically the low crawl, high crawl, and rush.
We got to practice the rush (i.e., I’m up, he sees me, I’m down). We ended up making it a race amongst pairs. My OCR experience helped here because I learned how to take a face plant gracefully. :-p
The next thing we reviewed was the one-person, two-person, and three-person buddy carry. What a perfect exercise to practice with the ruck club challenge!
Now we had another contest amongst the original two teams split at the beginning of the event. We split the coupons up amongst the two groups. The objective was to have all rucks, coupons, and people run across the field for about 25 m. However, in each group, there must be three casualties (team’s choice).
After each race, the losing team gets to decide whether to take a team member from the other team or give a coupon to the other team. We repeated this five times until we finally realized that one team was stacked compared to the other.
Before heading out to our next evolution, we were able to empty both the 40# sandbags and one 60# sandbag. I did not take part in that bliss, but I knew Endex was coming.
Part XV: Rucking the Observation Tower… Again
Our last evolution was the Observation Tower one more time. This trek was just with the flag and the team weight. At the top of the Observation Tower, we got an awesome aerial picture.
Photo credit: Cadre Stephen
Part XVI: Endex
At last, we endexed. All 18 GRTs had finished. To my knowledge, we only had three first-timers (correct me if I’m wrong). Time flies when you are having fun.
Personal commentary about the event:
I love learning military drills and life hacks during these events. This takes the monotony away from just rucking heavy shit all night long, even though that should be a large majority of it. Any yahoo can order you to do PT and carry shit on a route. The military experience is what separates GORUCK from other endurance-style events. Additionally, no two events are the same. I always feel like I learn something new each time I am out there.
GORUCK events are so much more rewarding when you leave with a few lasting friendships. Having just left Cincinnati coming out of fellowship, I was familiar with a few GRTs from the S.O.R.E. group. I got started with rucking during my last three months of my fellowship before I left to start my job in Tallahassee, FL. I did not complete my first event until July 2018 in Tallahassee, FL (on my birthday). Since then, this would be my 13th and 14th event completed now in three different states. It was great to feel welcome, like a family member, especially when I am far away from home. I will be back for another event in the Southwestern Ohio area (the question is which one?). I am thankful to have discovered the GRT community, and I hope I get to meet more of you in the future.
Photo Credit: Hannah Napier
Advice:
• Stay ahead of the hydration. Especially with summer weather already here, keep hydrating during the day, even if you are not working out or outside in the sun. It is better to stay ahead of the game than fall behind it.
• Additionally, “sports drinks,” such as Gatorade and Powerade, tend to have a lot of glucose in it, which can dehydrate you if you don’t use the sugar for energy. You should use these drinks during your event. You can buy simple electrolyte packets without the glucose for day-to-day hydration on Amazon and elsewhere. Pick your favorite. If you have to use Gatorade or Powerade because you have too much lying around the house, dilute it half-and-half with water.
Index of All of the Fallen Soldiers Discussed at the Event in Honor of Memorial Day
Lee Chavis
(submitted by Cadre Stephen)
Lee Chavis from Hampton, VA. Lee was killed by a sniper in Iraq, while manning the .50cal and defending his convoy.
Jeremy (left) and Ben (middle) Wise
(submitted by Cadre Stephen)
Article reference: https://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/local/2014/01/18/one-family-two-sacrifices/?fbclid=IwAR2Tiv-xx7F2g7Ai631_2s5l_O4xcfswWcIq0l9HIgaEhTV1Y2OI0mB4s2M&utm_term=.24493425f111
The scene in Zero Dark Thirty of the bombing at Khost is the same incident that killed Jeremy Wise.
Ben Wise is remembered with a Gold Star blend from De Espresso Liber: https://www.deespressoliber.com/products/patriots-brew
Beau Wise continued to serve, but after Ben was killed James Amos, the Commandant of the Marine corps, looked Mary Wise in the eye and told her “your son is done with combat.”
Captain Jeffrey P. Toczylowski
(submitted by Cadre Stephen)
Reference article: http://arlingtoncemetery.net/jptoczylowski.htm?fbclid=IwAR0oqYWqnUi2XjvwI25Ikcj9pO6__GPkinZnqihb_M8-yz3yMk1qUbGgMGc
Colonel James “Nick” Rowe
(submitted by Cadre Stephen)
Reference article: https://www.soc.mil/SWCS/RegimentalHonors/_pdf/sf_rowe.pdf?fbclid=IwAR1dU9piJjanso9xTwLYBuLfN-jhR5mSrnwTsk0vjU90D_xRNDZMRFHQXpM
Master Sergeant Gary I. Gordon
Sergeant First Class Randall D. Shughart
Medal of Honor Recipients: Somalia
(submitted by Cadre Stephen)
Reference article: https://history.army.mil/moh/somalia.html?fbclid=IwAR3yeajR0BIN0fFkMzJjy89pvitCdFh1OvS5Vs-o_rvXdLj-H_hOzN3M_T4
SSG Robert James Miller
(submitted by Alan Chen)
(Oct 14 1983 – Jan 25 2008)
Place of birth: Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Pre-military details: He was known to be a friendly and yet brilliant man. He knew many languages and was very resourceful with the locals in Afghanistan. He was also an avid surfer and had a knack for adventure. Overall, he seemed to be the guy with who you wanted to hang out. He always had a smile and a “can do” attitude
Date and place of entry into service: Special Forces trainee on Aug 14 2003. Graduated from Special Forces Assessment and Selection on Sep 26, 2004
Units assigned: Company A, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Special Force Group (Airborne) at Fort Bragg, NC
Operation Enduring Freedom (Aug 06 – Mar 07) – De Oppresso Liber (Free the Oppressed)
Details of engagement leading to KIA: Jan. 25, Miller found himself willingly leading a team of Afghan National Security Forces and Coalition soldiers during a combat reconnaissance patrol in Konar Province, near the Pakistan border. Insurgents hiding in a structure attacked Miller’s team. A fellow teammate called for close-air support to drop ordnance on the insurgent position, disrupting their attack. When the combined patrol moved toward the structure to check for any remaining enemy threats, insurgents again fired using heavy weapons.
Miller’s team captain was wounded within the first minutes of the attack. While his commander was moved to safety, Miller returned fire. At personal risk to himself, Miller remained at the front of the patrol and continued to lay down suppressive fire on multiple insurgent positions, allowing his wounded commander to be pulled out of the line of fire, ultimately saving his life. Miller’s courage under intense enemy fire enabled the entire patrol to gain cover and return fire. Even while injured by direct enemy small arms and machine gun fire, Miller continued to employ his M249 Squad Automatic Weapon and grenades to suppress enemy fire and protect his teammates.
Legacy: Parents and seven brothers and sisters
Foundations: Green Beret Foundation
Danny Dietz
(submitted by Alan Chen)
(Jan 26 1980 – Jun 28 2005)
Place of birth: Aurora, Colorado
Pre-military details: He was a black belt in Taekwondo. He enjoyed fishing and rock climbing.
Date and place of entry into service: Enlisted in the Navy on Aug 31, 1999. Graduated with SEAL Class 232 in 2001.
Units assigned: Task Unit Bravo as the secondary SDV pilot and Ordnance and Engineering Department head
Details of engagement leading to KIA: On June 28, 2005, SEAL Team 10 was assigned to kill or capture a high ranking Taliban leader in the Hindu Kush Mountains. The SEAL team was made up of Michael P. Murphy, Marcus Luttrell, Danny Dietz, and Matthew Axelson. Luttrell and Axelson were the team’s snipers while Dietz and Murphy were the spotters.
“They were spotted by anti-Coalition sympathizers, who immediately reported their position to Taliban fighters. A fierce gun-battle ensued between the four SEALs and a much larger enemy force with the superior tactical position,” the Navy release said. The SEALs radioed for help, and a responding Chinook helicopter was shot down by a rocket-propelled grenade, killing eight more SEALs and eight Army NightStalkers. It was the second worst single combat loss for the SEALs in SEAL history.
Dietz was mortally wounded after taking the brunt of the initial attack and the fall. These wounds led him to lose his ability to walk, and as a result, SEAL Marcus Luttrell carried him on their way down the mountain, as Dietz fired back. This rigorous activity was repeated several times until Luttrell accidentally swung him into a bullet, when about to fall. The bullet penetrated the back of his head and instantly killed him, Dietz’s dead weight came as a surprise to Luttrell, and as a result, he fell down the edge of the mountain with Dietz’s body and was severely injured.
Legacy: Parents, brother (Eric), sister (Tiffany), wife (Maria Dietz)
Foundations: Danny Dietz Foundation
Army Spc. Gregory J. Missman
(submitted by Jennifer Jarvi)
Died July 9, 2009 at Bagram, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained elsewhere in Afghanistan, when enemy forces attacked his unit using small arms fire. Died serving during Operation Enduring Freedom
Corporal Isaiah Calloway
(submitted by Sheila Casada)
Born: September 8, 1983 (died at 23-years-old)
From: Jacksonville, Florida
Died: October 30, 2006 , Marah Afghanistan
Graduated 2002 from Engelwood High school, was a member of the ROTC.
Cpl. Calloway joined the Army in October 2003
Unit: 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, Hohenfels, Germany.
Cpl. Calloway was the first soldier KIA since the Vietnam war.
Deployed to Afghanistan in June with 1-4’s company C, which were working alongside Romainan Troops fighting Taliban and Al-Qaida insurgents in Zabul Province.
Cpl. Calloway died when his combat patrol was ambushed by insurgents armed with rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns.
Per Lt. Col. Delasse, “as the platoon manevered, he returned fire and was struck by enemy fire.
Medics tried to revive him, he passed away before medvac could get there .
Recommended for a bronze star medal with a “V” device for his actions. (Metal denotes herorism or Valor in combat).
Left behind
Mother: Beatrice Calloway Whetstone
Father: Charles Whetstone
Grandfather: Charles Whetstone, Sr.
Brothers: James, Daniel and Jeremiah
Sisters: Alanna and Teleece
Wife: Alecia Calloway and children Isaiah, Jr . , Alexus and Aleia
Cpl. Calloway was 300, a perfect score on the Army fitness test and could run 2 miles in just over 12 minutes.
1-4 Troops describe Cpl. Calloway as a quiet soldier , strong family man.
After his tour in Afghanistan Isaiah planned to go to Stewart, Ga. and live with his family. He was going to buy houses, fix them up and sell them.
1st Lieutenant Roslyn (Roz) Schulte
(submitted by Brandon Michael)
1st Lieutenant Roslyn (Roz) Schulte died on May 20, 2009 when the vehicle in which she was riding was hit by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan. She was the first female Air Force Academy graduate to be killed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
A native of St. Louis, MO, Roslyn graduated from the Air Force Academy with academic and military honors in 2006. A member of Cadet Squadron 7, she was selected as Wing Superintendent and as Group Commander, top leadership positions at the Academy. A high school All-American lacrosse player, she captained the Air Force Academy’s women’s’ lacrosse team. After graduating from the Academy, Roslyn entered training as an Intelligence Officer at Goodfellow AFB in San Angelo, TX. After completion of Intel training, she was assigned to the Headquarters Pacific Air Force at Hickam AFB, Honolulu.
Roslyn volunteered for a deployment to Afghanistan and was assigned to the Combined Security Transition Command – Afghanistan CJ2 (CSTC-A) at Camp Eggers, Kabul, Afghanistan, in February 2009. She mentored the Afghan military in intelligence gathering and interpretation and assisted with humanitarian efforts. Roslyn was en route to a joint task force intelligence conference outside of Kabul when the vehicle she was riding in was hit by an IED.
She was posthumously awarded the National Intelligence Medal for Valor and the Hawaii Medal of Honor. In addition to the Bronze Star and Purple Heart, Roslyn was awarded the Air Force Combat Action Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, NATO Medal and Afghan Campaign Medal. She is survived by her parents, Bob and Susie Schulte, and her brother, Todd Schulte.
Private 1st Class Sadao Munemori
(submitted by Caerleigh Sanner Terasaki)
Although I am not Japanese (which was probably very obvious), my husband is, and his family has a long history in the military. Luckily, none of his family members were ever KIA, but his great-uncle served with Pvt Munemori, who – at the conclusion of WWII – was the only American of Japanese ancestry to earn the Medal of Honor. But let’s take it back a little further than that to the beginning.
Munemori (born August 17, 1922) was trained as an auto mechanic, but couldn’t find work, so decided to enlist in the Army one month prior to Pearl Harbor. He was inducted in February 1942, and the Army didn’t know what the hell to do with him or any other Nisei (second generation Japanese-American). They weren’t allowed in combat, so Munemori was sent to Camp Robinson in Arkansas where he peeled mounds of potatoes and did endless KP. “Not quite our idea of patriotic duty,” one of his friends said, recalling that Munemori earned the nickname of ‘Spud’ for liking potatoes more than he liked rice.
After about a year, he was sent to Camp Savage in Minnesota to help train the Military Intelligence Service Language School. Around this same time his parents and his four siblings were also forcibly removed from their homes and sent to the Manzanar internment camp.
In 1943, the military finally opened up the ability for Japanese Americans to serve in combat by creating the 442nd Infantry Regiment. It was comprised entirely of Nisei, and Munemori was attached onto the 100th Infantry Battalion. He was sent to Italy, then to France where he took part in the rescue of the ‘Lost Battalion’ (the Texas National Guard, surrounded on all sides by German forces).
In April 1945 he was sent back to Italy to participate in the Italian Campaign, and was specifically stationed at the Gothic Line, Germany’s last defensive stand in Italy. The Gothic Line had been built by 15,000 slave-laborers and was a nasty mess of machine gun nests and other turrets. Munemori’s squad leader was wounded, so he took over and crawled out of the trench to single-handedly take down 2 machine gun nests by himself. As he was crawling back, someone threw a grenade at him. It bounced off his helmet into the friendly trench, and he threw himself on top of it. He died, but his allies all survived thanks to his actions.
For five centuries, he was the only Japanese American to be awarded the Medal of Honor. Then in 1997 (and again in 2001), the Army re-evaluated their decisions in WWII, realized they had allowed discrimination to color those decisions, and awarded 22 additional MOHs to Nisei, most of them posthumously.
Senior Chief Petty Office Shannon Kent
(submitted by Jennifer Jarvi)
Shannon M. Kent was a United States Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer and Cryptologic Technician, who was deployed to Syria and killed in the 2019 Manbij bombing.
Reference article: https://coffeeordie.com/shannon-kent/?fbclid=IwAR2aPuCKaonU5a5ePXDs5Vm5Gee1xFDVq2kDoN9f0-hCePkUHo8WkXYUZJc
Master-At-Arms 2nd Class (SEAL) Michael A. Monsoor
(submitted by Francisco Pascual)
Reference article: https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2017/06/04/fallen-navy-seal-honored-with-underwater-memorial/?fbclid=IwAR2XxQ2F8Y3p366tjIMyRLq7OoIdbpYd2oPZ_uHxNlMLY_QJXhjmXO2c_4E
Sergeant First Class Paul R. Smith
(submitted by Dom Santoleri)
Sergeant First Class Paul R. Smith distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action with an armed enemy near Baghdad International Airport, Baghdad, Iraq on April 4, 2003. On that day, Sergeant First Class Smith was engaged in the construction of a prisoner of war holding area when his Task Force was violently attacked by a company-sized enemy force. Realizing the vulnerability of over 100 soldiers, Sergeant First Class Smith quickly organized a hasty defense consisting of two platoons of soldiers, one Bradley Fighting Vehicle and three armored personnel carriers. As the fight developed, Sergeant First Class Smith braved hostile enemy fire to personally engage the enemy with hand grenades and anti-tank weapons, and organized the evacuation of three wounded soldiers from an armored personnel carrier struck by a rocket propelled grenade and a 60 mm mortar round. Fearing the enemy would overrun their defenses, Sergeant First Class Smith moved under withering enemy fire to man a .50 caliber machine gun mounted on a damaged armored personnel carrier. In total disregard for his own life, he maintained his exposed position in order to engage the attacking enemy force. During this action, he was mortally wounded. His courageous actions helped defeat the enemy attack, and resulted in as many as 50 enemy soldiers killed, while allowing the safe withdrawal of numerous wounded soldiers. Sergeant First Class Smith’s extraordinary heroism and uncommon valor are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, the Third Infantry Division ‘Rock of the Marne,’ and the United States Army.[8]