Today the United States Marines ended its role in Iraq. This marks the end of this particular mission which included years of exemplary service to our nation; to the people of Iraq who did not know what "freedom" meant until they met the Marines and of course, to us.
The Marines handed over their role to the US Army today in a ceremony at Ramadi where some of the worst fighting took place. Ramadi will forever be remembered by me because of what it means to a man - a true national hero - who became my friend over the last few years. He is Master Sergeant of Marines, William "Spanky" Gibson.
In early 2006, Spanky was on foot patrol in Ramadi when a sniper took out his knee. That ultimately cost Spanky his leg and he later became the first ever member of any branch of our military to return to a combat zone having had an above the knee amputation. You can see Spanky at the top of this blog saluting the Stars and Stripes. You can also see he has one leg.
And I can never talk about Spanky without talking about another hero. My friend is alive today because of cover fire provided by a Navy Seal - Michael Monsoor. Just six months later, Monsoor was dead in an act of bravery and heroism that few of us mere mortals can comprehend. The following is an excerpt from NavySeals.com and is the report of the death of Monsoor who was just 25 years old.
“A couple of hours later, an insurgency fighter closed on the overwatch position and threw a fragment grenade into the overwatch position which hit Monsoor in the chest before falling in front of him. Monsoor yelled, “Grenade!” and dropped on top of the grenade prior to it exploding. Monsoor’s body shielded the others from the brunt of the fragmentation blast and two other SEALs were only wounded by the remaining blast.”
“One of the key aspects of this incident was the way the overwatch position was structured. There was only one access point for entry or exit and Monsoor was the only one who could have saved himself from harm. Instead, knowing what the outcome would be, he fell on the grenade to save the others from harm. Monsoor and the two injured were evacuated to the combat outpost battalion aid station where Monsoor died approximately 30 minutes after the incident from injuries sustained by the grenade blast.”
So you see Ramadi is quite significant. There is a lot I could tell you about my friend Spanky. I could tell you about his recovery. I could tell you that he swam the Escape from Alcatraz race. Or his plans to solo swim the English Channel. But what I really want to tell you about is how Spanky chose to honor me.
You see I first heard about him around two years ago. And I arranged for him to be my guest on my weekend radio show. It was after that appearance which was live from Camp Fallujah in Iraq that he became my friend. And just before he returned home, he asked me for my address - "I want to send you something".
Without hesitation I of course gave him my address. And about three weeks later a box arrived through the mail. I opened it and to say I was floored would be an understatement. You see Spanky had sent me the flag you see him saluting in the picture at the top. And along with the flag came the certificate underneath it. I STILL simply cannot believe this national hero chose to honor me in this way. Every single day he risks his life for OUR FREEDOM and the freedom of the Iraqi people. Every day. And he chose to honor me. All I have done is run my mouth.
I wrote about it at the time and Spanky wrote a comment on that blog back then. I said that he understands his mission way better than any of his detractors. Just read these words.
"Its a sincere honor to serve each of you and our great country. I joined the Marine Corps 19 years ago with no other desire than to serve. I always accept the responsibilities of the job so, my injury does not cause me regret or hatred. I still have a life as a Marine and a long life to enjoy and I will live it to the fullest. I have the support of so many of you and my beautiful family. Please know that all we sacrifice here is for a higher good and we do not regret the multiple deployments to get the job done. Most of us realize when we join that life in the Corps could be a long battle. We swear on an oath to support and defend. We protect all those who can not protect themselves and provide them opportunities that might otherwise be impossible. And we do it for a thank you! We do not care of the books and journals which might hold our name. We only care of the Marine Corps tradition and not failing it or you in anyway. As you honor me and my fellow service members we also honor you. So, I say "Thank You" and "Its my honor", because this is the life I chose to live. I love each and everyday of it. I often allow my injury to guide me closer to the media to voice some opinion of what truly happens here in Iraq. Its interesting how falsehoods can outweigh truth so easily in the public eye and I vow to do my part in getting the truth up front. Semper Fidelis"
Those words still bring chills to me. I did make Spanky a promise however. I told him that I would box frame the flag and the certificate and it would be on a stand and the very first thing anyone would see when entering my home. I have kept that promise. If my house was ever to burn down, once I had made sure my kids and dog were out safely, this is the one thing I would try and save. It is my family's most prized possession and I will always be grateful to my friend for honoring me.
So as you think of the Marines leaving Iraq today, think of men and women like Spanky. Think of the sacrifices they have made so that you and I can live in freedom and argue over whether or not we should even be there. And perhaps think of the words on the certificate above. Not the ones about me, but the ones about the people of Iraq.
Semper Fidelis
If you would like to comment on this blog, you can do so by e-mailing me at simontalkshow@gmail.com
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