Met a Medal of Honor recipient today

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Met a Medal of Honor recipient today

Posted: 9/22/2005 7:13:40 AM EDT

I met COL(Ret.) Roger Donlon today.

Wow. Talk about a great American. Very humble and seemed like an all-around great guy.
Definitely a "quiet professional"

www.somf.org/moh/donlon_roger_SF.htm

Posted: 9/22/2005 7:15:01 AM EDT

[#1]

Very cool. What was the occasion of your meeting?

Posted: 9/22/2005 7:19:45 AM EDT

[#2]

Please fill us in on how you met him. You just met a true American hero. What an honor.

Posted: 9/22/2005 7:23:16 AM EDT

[#3]

I read his book in the 60s shortly after he was awarded the MOH.

I always wondered how far up the food chain he made it. O-6.

glad to hear he made good in his career.

ETA he was a captain running an A team when the fight took place.

AND he was a mustang.

Posted: 9/22/2005 7:35:31 AM EDT

[#4]

Okay, here's the story:
I recently told my boss (I'm a GS employee working in IT) that I would be leaving in a few months.
He doesn't want me to leave, and we took a walk and had a conversation about what it would take to keep me (he offered me a promotion to the next GS level, which would equal an $8,000 a year raise!) and what I planned to do after I left.

I told him how I am seriously considering joining the Army to try for Special Forces (yeah, I'm a wannabe).
On the way back to his office he saw COL Donlon in the small book store we have at work, and introduced me to him. We talked for a little while about Okinawa, because we had both been stationed there previously. My boss mentioned what I had said about SF, and COL Donlon told me to stop by his office sometime if I have any questions about SF, which is awesome.

Posted: 9/22/2005 7:47:09 AM EDT

[#5]

Damn, I didn't know superman was in the armed forces.

Read that bio on his award.

speechless.

Posted: 9/22/2005 7:51:13 AM EDT

[#6]

Quoted:
Okay, here's the story:
I recently told my boss (I'm a GS employee working in IT) that I would be leaving in a few months.
He doesn't want me to leave, and we took a walk and had a conversation about what it would take to keep me (he offered me a promotion to the next GS level, which would equal an $8,000 a year raise!) and what I planned to do after I left.

I told him how I am seriously considering joining the Army to try for Special Forces (yeah, I'm a wannabe).
On the way back to his office he saw COL Donlon in the small book store we have at work, and introduced me to him. We talked for a little while about Okinawa, because we had both been stationed there previously. My boss mentioned what I had said about SF, and COL Donlon told me to stop by his office sometime if I have any questions about SF, which is awesome.

Cool stuff. Thanks for sharing. If you're married I'd say stay in the civilian world. You can do all the high speed stuff(mostly, except for blowing goblins away) that they do in the civillian world without all the BS. If you have an idea what you are getting into, then go for it, and good luck. SF needs people right now. Do you have any military experience? How old are you? You'll probably have to get assigned to a permanent party regular Army unit for at least one year before you can attend Special Forces selection and assesment unless you can get it in your contract. Are you physically fit? Can you do land navigation? Can you carry a big ruck sack? Are you claustrophobic? Any physical injuries?

Posted: 9/22/2005 7:51:27 AM EDT

[#7]

Damn..What an inspiration!! A true hero.

Posted: 9/22/2005 8:16:32 AM EDT

[#8]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Okay, here's the story:
I recently told my boss (I'm a GS employee working in IT) that I would be leaving in a few months.
He doesn't want me to leave, and we took a walk and had a conversation about what it would take to keep me (he offered me a promotion to the next GS level, which would equal an $8,000 a year raise!) and what I planned to do after I left.

I told him how I am seriously considering joining the Army to try for Special Forces (yeah, I'm a wannabe).
On the way back to his office he saw COL Donlon in the small book store we have at work, and introduced me to him. We talked for a little while about Okinawa, because we had both been stationed there previously. My boss mentioned what I had said about SF, and COL Donlon told me to stop by his office sometime if I have any questions about SF, which is awesome.

Cool stuff. Thanks for sharing. If you're married I'd say stay in the civilian world. You can do all the high speed stuff(mostly, except for blowing goblins away) that they do in the civillian world without all the BS. If you have an idea what you are getting into, then go for it, and good luck. SF needs people right now. Do you have any military experience? How old are you? You'll probably have to get assigned to a permanent party regular Army unit for at least one year before you can attend Special Forces selection and assesment unless you can get it in your contract. Are you physically fit? Can you do land navigation? Can you carry a big ruck sack? Are you claustrophobic? Any physical injuries?

Single.
Prior service (5 1/2 years Navy)
25
Plan on going under 18x program.
I can score above 290 on an Army PFT right now.
Never tried land nav, but SOPC supposedly teaches what's required and then some.
Starting ruck marching today actually.
Claustrophobic? Not really. Why?
No injuries.

Posted: 9/22/2005 8:23:42 AM EDT

[#9]

Quoted:
I read his book in the 60s shortly after he was awarded the MOH.

I always wondered how far up the food chain he made it. O-6.

glad to hear he made good in his career.

ETA he was a captain running an A team when the fight took place.

AND he was a mustang.

Please pardon my ignorance, but what does that term signify?

Thanks Piccolo.

And to the thread author, great thread.

Regards,

Justin

Posted: 9/22/2005 8:24:54 AM EDT

[#10]

I read the citation... There are no words to describe that type of heroism. What a great warrior.

Next time you see him please convey my family's deepest thanks.

Yet somehow, saying thank you seems not enough.

Posted: 9/22/2005 8:25:38 AM EDT

[#11]

Quoted:
Quoted:
I read his book in the 60s shortly after he was awarded the MOH.

I always wondered how far up the food chain he made it. O-6.

glad to hear he made good in his career.

ETA he was a captain running an A team when the fight took place.

AND he was a mustang.

Please pardon my ignorance, but what does that term signify?

Thanks Piccolo.

And to the thread author, great thread.

Regards,

Justin

I believe that means he was an enlisted man that became an officer

Posted: 9/22/2005 8:25:50 AM EDT

[#12]

Quoted:
Quoted:
I read his book in the 60s shortly after he was awarded the MOH.

I always wondered how far up the food chain he made it. O-6.

glad to hear he made good in his career.

ETA he was a captain running an A team when the fight took place.

AND he was a mustang.

Please pardon my ignorance, but what does that term signify?

Thanks Piccolo.

And to the thread author, great thread.

Regards,

Justin

A Mustang Officer is one who was previously enlisted.

And thanks for the great thread comment.

Posted: 9/22/2005 8:26:01 AM EDT

[#13]

Quoted:
Quoted:
I read his book in the 60s shortly after he was awarded the MOH.

I always wondered how far up the food chain he made it. O-6.

glad to hear he made good in his career.

ETA he was a captain running an A team when the fight took place.

AND he was a mustang.

Please pardon my ignorance, but what does that term signify?

Thanks Piccolo.

And to the thread author, great thread.

Regards,

Justin

It means he started out as enlisted, and came up through the ranks, not a 90 day wonder, or Academy, or ROTC type....

Posted: 9/22/2005 8:39:22 AM EDT

[#14]

Not only did he start out as enlisted, he originally joined the Air Force, then switched over to the Army.

Posted: 9/22/2005 8:44:07 AM EDT

[#15]

Thanks guys.

kaizoku,

IM inbound.

Posted: 9/22/2005 9:00:39 AM EDT

[#16]

Claustriobia is bad.

When you go to SERE school, you get to enjoy about two days locked into a foot locker sized cell. Have to sign a shitload of waivers and shit - they pretty much torture you in a realistic fashion according to the fellow in my platoon who leaves in Oct for Selections. Got to sign shit saying you aint afraid of heights and that sort of thing as well.

John

Posted: 9/22/2005 9:11:14 AM EDT

[#17]

PM'd you back.

Posted: 9/22/2005 9:19:12 AM EDT

[#18]

I met Franklin "Doug" Miller (MOH) at Schofield Barracks, he was in the process of retireing and was signing his new book "Reflections of a Warrior". He is a legend in the SF community, he passed away from pancreatic cancer in 2000.

Like President Nixon said, there is something "different" about MOH recipients. The second you met Doug Miller, you KNEW he was "different". God, he could tell a story too, he had that voice and oratory skill to grab and pull you into the tale he was talking about.

I have never forgotten my meeting him, the little tidbits of advice he gave me as a young PFC at the time. I was a bit saddened at his passing but he is in the good hands of the Man upstairs.

Posted: 9/22/2005 10:03:15 AM EDT

[#19]

Quoted:
Not only did he start out as enlisted, he originally joined the Air Force, then switched over to the Army.

I'd forgotten about that.

Years ago, it was possible to make a military career of 20+ years by pulling a hitch here in this service and a hitch there in that service. You wouldn't necessarily he able to carry your rank with you, but you could do it.

The DoD sends out a lot of retirement checks to retired corporals, etc that retired before the present up or out policy.

Many retirees would pull a hitch, get out a while, pull another hitch, get out a while, re-up, get out a while before finally deciding to make a full career out of it.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Met a Medal of Honor recipient today

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