A bit more modern but a good story...
I have personally been blessed beyond belief to have met and served with some of the most hard, tough, and courageous men to ever walk this earth. I understand many people may feel that way about their old unit, but I swear it’s different with me. Going through recruit training in the Marine Corps in the aftermath of 9/11, we were told tales and stories of Gunney “Manila” John Basilone decimating a battalion of Japanese infantry with one machine gun section, at times exposing himself to enemy fire to run from one gun to the next to salvage parts and keep as many crew served weapons running as possible. Or stories of General Chesty Puller, or of Carlos Hathcock. Fast forward to my unit, and it didn’t take long for me to realize I was literally living what will be the lore of the Marine Corps one day. I have met some men that would give Smedly Butler or John Basilone a run for their money in the courage and hard man department.
I was picked up by 2nd Bn, 8th Marines in September of 2003. I was immediately assigned to Golf company, where 1stSgt Hawkins frequently gave speeches about when it’s your time to die, it’s your time to die. Older, he could still destroy the entire company on a forced march. Everyone, that is, except then company Gunny (SgtMaj) William Sweeney, another man of legend. SgtMaj Sweeney was known to us by “taking a stroll” in Iraq during a firefight. Instead of seeking cover, he casually walked down the street firing grenades from a 203 at enemy positions. I’ve personally known other legends, including SgtMaj Timothy Haney. He won the silver star being wounded in the invasion of Iraq while exposing himself to gunfire to aid other Marines. He continued his aid even after he was wounded, and he left the division aid station a week later against medical advice and informed every Col and above he found that he was going back to his boys in 2/8 up North if he had to go UA and walk there.
Among one of the very best was not a Marine, but a Navy Corpsman. Dustin “Doc” Kirby was kind of goofy, fun loving, and well liked by everyone who met him. Smoking and joking with him, it was almost hard to take him seriously as he was so good natured and fun loving. Despite being the ultimate fun time friend, Doc Kirby took his responsibility to look after us very seriously. Almost every night he would go through his med bag and practice retrieving items blind. He taught our combat lifesaver courses. He would tell us to stop sniveling as he stitched, patched, and healed us up. He would also run in “boots and utes” with his med bag on his back, outrunning some of us jar heads.
In early December of 2006, Doc Kirby saved a Marines life who was shot in the head on my last deployment. A few weeks later, on Christmas Day, he himself was shot by a sniper in the head, the bullet nearly tore his entire jaw off. Instead of laying down and giving up, or freaking out, Doc Kirby refused to be carried to the medivac. Instead he demanded that he walk. While on the medivac flight, his esophagus collapsed and he had a difficult time breathing. Having a squeamish flight nurse, he gave himself a tracheotomy with a Ka-bar knife. 99,999 out of 100,000 men would have probably died from that, but Dustin Kirby willed himself to live through a probably dull ka-bar knife.