Via Froggy Ruminations comes word that a Navy Chaplain who spent time recently with the only surviving member of the 4 Navy SEALS has posted a bit about the experience:
I woke up in a mental fog. I met up with the a representative from the Navy SEALs in the morning. I was thinking we would begin to discuss the memorial for those who had died, instead I was taken without an invitation to another location. In just an hour, I would learn the full account and the fate of the other four Seals who were still on the ground. I was given a 24/7 beeper, a Land Rover SUV, a security badge and whisked into a briefing. At this initial meeting, I was given the additional task of being the lead chaplain on the Repatriation team that would bring back one of the true heroes of this war. The acronyms were flying and most of the details of the brief went right over my head–I was in a fog. I kept thinking, “how did I get here?”
…
I would spend the next three days caring for this young man who was rescued. He has a deep Catholic faith and a sense of honor that I have never seen so clearly. His story which I am sure will be told in time (and which I latter learned was told in Time Magazine; remember don’t believe everything you read)is a tribute to his physical conditioning, his complete military bearing, his dedicated special operations training with the Navy SEALs, and his enduring Faith. He said he would often clinch his St.Christopher Medal in his mouth as he was fighting and evading the enemy. In such a short time we would become “brothers” and as I put him on his flight in the middle of the night and offered him the blessing of St. Joseph Cupertino for a safe flight we embraced as if we had know each other for a life time. Such is the gift of Faith and the reality war that makes one a band of brothers in such a short time.
…
And then there was one. It has been a very long and powerful two weeks. As I reflect over these days, I can’t help but come to the same conclusion: this has truly been the most spiritually profound experience of my 13 years as a priest and my 7 as a Navy Chaplain. So much to witness–the pain of so much loss, yes; but also the incredible will to hope. The “one” was the last Navy SEAL that had died during the fire fight of June 28th, whose body was finally recovered on Sunday, July 10th, and whose Ramp Ceremony was held on July 12th. The last of three Ramp Ceremonies in the last two weeks. As always, hundreds came to stand side by side and to salute as his mortal remains were placed in the C-17. His brothers gathered around his flag covered coffin to say farewell and you could hear them say in their hearts, “I am
glad we could bring you home–sorry you had to wait for so long, you know we leave no one behind–I will always remember you bro.”
Very powerful writing about a very powerful experience. Matthew at Froggy Ruminations has been told a bit about what happened to these SEAL’s, while an unofficial account it’s probably quite close to the truth.
The story of this harrowing evasion will probably come out eventually, but while the account that I was unofficially given was not very specific, it is truly awe inspiring. After the 4 man SR was compromised and engaged, they called for the QRF and defended themselves from the large taliban hoard that was firing at them. At some point, two of the SR team members were shot and clearly KIA, one other was severely wounded, and he and the ONE continued to fight. I was told that the ONE dragged his critically wounded Teammate while the wounded man continued to fire at the enemy. Eventually, the pair received close incoming mortar fire and the ONE was ?blown off the side of the mountain?.
After waking from unconsciousness, the ONE was once again being closed upon by enemy forces. Apparently the ONE is a rather large fellow, and not known particularly for his long distance running. So he ran for a while, stopped and shot a few taliban, then repeated that until he was shot in the a$$; at which point he stopped? and laughed. This went on for a while until darkness fell and he was able to get into a more concealed position. Eventually he was discovered by a local tribesman who took him into his village and notified US forces of his location.
He goes on to inform us that every one of those on that MH-47 who went prepared to rescue their brothers but ended up perishing, will be awarded the Bronze Star with V. The 3 SEAL’s who died during the initial confrontation will be awarded the Silver Star. Who knows, “the One” may be considered for something even higher.
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