A most unusual day!

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    Author Topic: A most unusual day!  (Read 2117 times)

    Offline Skunkworks Challenger

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    A most unusual day!
    « on: May 04, 2012 - 10:47:08 PM »
    This afternoon I went to an Olympia High School (Olympia, WA) baseball game to watch my grandson play.  I knew there would be a Congressional Medal of Honor winner there since there was an Armed Forces Appreciation event to take place immediately before the game. The baseball field is named after  Major Bruce Crandall, Medal of Honor winner in Vietnam and he was invited to attend and be recognized. Major Crandall is a 1951 graduate of Olympia High School and was an all star base ball player.  Soon after the game started my son, CSM Steven P. Knight,( former Army Ranger, and veteran of 13 months in Baghdad and survivor of an IED explosion that destroyed his Humvee) pointed out a much younger person that is also a Congressional Medal of Honor winner.  His name is SFC Leroy Petry and he won his medal in Afghanistan, receiving the medal in July of 2011.  He had heard about the ceremony and wanted to meet Major Crandall.  Sgt Petry was later recognized by the MC.  I made a point of thanking each of these fine gentlemen for their service and told them how much I appreciate their sacrifices.
    Please Google or Bing these names and read their remarkable stories since they are both true American heroes:  Major Bruce Crandall and Sgt Leroy Petry.  It was a great honor for me to meet and shake hands with these two great people.
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    Offline ChallengerHK

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    Re: A most unusual day!
    « Reply #1 on: May 04, 2012 - 10:54:08 PM »
    Outstanding! Sounds like two men I would definitely like to meet.
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    Offline GranCuda1970

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    Re: A most unusual day!
    « Reply #2 on: May 04, 2012 - 11:24:40 PM »
    Glad to see we still got guys willing to Risk it all for Old glory  :wavingflag:. Very inspiring!!
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    Offline challengermaniac

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    Re: A most unusual day!
    « Reply #3 on: May 05, 2012 - 12:15:56 AM »
    That is beautiful Paul.  Thank you for sharring that with all of us.
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    Offline oneoff666

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    Re: A most unusual day!
    « Reply #4 on: May 05, 2012 - 10:14:45 AM »
     :aarg:  I find  bringing in politics or War into a post will only start conflicts in its self  :roflsmiley: did you ask them what they thought  they gained from being  there and what they were actually fighting for
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    Offline Skunkworks Challenger

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    Re: A most unusual day!
    « Reply #5 on: May 05, 2012 - 10:53:39 AM »
    Quote
    find  bringing in politics or War into a post will only start conflicts in its self  :roflsmiley: did you ask them what they thought  they gained from being  there and what they were actually fighting for

    I'm very sorry and maybe a little slow but I don't understand the question or inference.  I'm assuming you intended to make a joke but you will have to rephrase it so I can understand. I re-read my original post and cannot find a reference to politics or war.  I did see two very real heroes however.
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    The Brewmaster

    Offline Gumby

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    Re: A most unusual day!
    « Reply #6 on: May 06, 2012 - 11:24:50 AM »
    What an outstanding day you must have had! Please relay my thanks to your son, CSM Steven P. Knight for his service. It must have truly been an honor to be able to meet and shake hands with Major Crandall and Sgt. Petry as well. I hope that your Grandson was able to meet these heroic men. Thank you for sharing this with us. I work as an Engineer for a RR company, and we pass by a training field every trip I take. It brings pride to my heart knowing that the young men and women are out there fighting for America and representing all that we believe in. Thank You.  :wavingflag:
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    Offline Road_Runner

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    Re: A most unusual day!
    « Reply #7 on: May 06, 2012 - 05:47:32 PM »
    They represent everything that is still good about America, wish we had more like them!  Thanks for sharing.

    Jim
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    Offline RB2929

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    Re: A most unusual day!
    « Reply #8 on: May 07, 2012 - 07:57:59 AM »
    Skunk Works,
    Thanks for posting.  Meeting a Medal of Honor recipient is pretty rare - meeting two of them is, well, rarer.
    I’m sure the soldiers were great to talk with.  The ones of spoken with have all been rather shy and downplayed their heroic tasks.  But I know better, it takes a special person to unselfishly risk their own life in order to save others. Most of the time, MoH recipients are alive to receive their medal.  It is an honor to meet true American heroes.

    Also, I hope your son is doing well having survived the IED explosion.  You mention that he was in the Army Rangers, was he able to get 20 in and retire?

    Again, thanks for posting.
    I like to hear uplifting firsthand accounts.
    I’m retired Air Force after 21 years (18 years as an aircrew member on the E-3 AWACS) and now I’m an AF civilian (for just over 9 years).

    Take care,
    Ron
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    Offline Skunkworks Challenger

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    Re: A most unusual day!
    « Reply #9 on: May 07, 2012 - 11:23:20 AM »
    Thanks guys for all the positive comments.  When my "most unusual day"  occurred and on my way home I got to thinking--I have to share this with the CC.Com guys.  All the baseball players got to meet both Major Crandall and SFC Petry.  Major Crandall was in the dug-out with them before the game and they both stayed after the game to talk.  My son, CSM Knight talked with both of them.  My son, years before was in the 2nd Ranger Battalion, same as SFC Petry.  They had lots to talk about.  My son was in the 2nd Ranger Battalion during his four year enlistment starting in 1987 and saw action in Panama.  Because the 2nd Battalion went to Panama they didn't get to go to the first Gulf War.  I heard lots of complaints about that.  Anyway, after fours years my son was discharged and immediately joined the Washington National Guard and was mobilized to Iraq in 04-05.  That is when, as the First Sergeant of his unit, leading a column of Humvee and Bradley ' s got hit by the IED.  He suffers no lasting effects from that incident in-which he earned the Bronze Star for actions that followed.  The hit resulted in the column halting then they were attacked by mortar and rifle fire. Turned out to be a big mistake by the enemy.  He retired from the WNG last July as a Command Sergeant Major (CSM) with 23 years of service. My grandson, a high school junior plans to get into an ROTC college program and wants to be a helicopter pilot.  Thanks to the ones of you responding to my post for your service!
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    Offline ragtopdodge

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    Re: A most unusual day!
    « Reply #10 on: May 07, 2012 - 11:32:59 AM »
    I'm thankful for their service and their extraordinary bravery.

    However that doesn't diminish the millions more that serve and the thousands that do not make it home or make it home, but are injured; both physically or mentally.

    I just wish that people who want to send our kids to war (politicians), be thoughtful of the impact that has on our brave men and women. 

    Many people avoided the draft for a variety of reasons, but if they avoided it, but then in turn, want to send others to war, I question their motives.  Chickenhawks has no place in this deciding who goes to war and who gets to stay at home.  Especially when their own children doesn't serve.
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    Offline GranCuda1970

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    Re: A most unusual day!
    « Reply #11 on: May 07, 2012 - 11:38:18 AM »
    Outstanding!! One of my friends lives next door was in the Army Rangers at that time and is a Vet from the panama jump He might know your son. He was a SFC when he got out. Injured during a jump. I also served in Iraq with another troop who jumped into panama one of the most dedicated and well liked somoan's I have ever had the pleasure to serve with. We did not need a battering ram for the steel doors when he was around.

       :wavingflag: :2thumbs:

     
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