Monday, December 27, 2021

A life well lived

 



12 comments:

  1. I raised my children to follow his Rule 6. It was some of the best preparation they could have for life. Doom on you, Dick, I hope Valhalla was ready for you.

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  2. I had the honor of meeting this man at an intelligence conference in FL back in '07 and he was as advertised! We were introduced by a mutual friend and dinner that evening was a laugh riot. We will never see his like again. Rest in peace warrior, you've earned it.

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    1. "We will never see his like again."

      Never Hatchee! I'm confident that somewhere a young Snuffy is working up to drink your beer before courteously asking you to hold his.

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  3. I read his book in the 90's. I need to dig it out again. Two more to add from the same vintage: Marine Sniper, about Carlos Hathcock. And one by Major Plaster on MACV/SOG. What those guys did was super human at times. I routinely had sunburn on my tongue reading those.

    ISBN ‎ 0425103552 and 045123118X

    Oh, another good one is about 1st Cav helicopters in VietNam. I gotta go dig for the title...

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    1. "1st Cav helicopters in VietNam"

      Um, "Chickenhawk" mebbe?

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    2. STxAR,
      I've read both the book about Hathcock and Plaster. Agreed that both are great reads.
      -Snakpit

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    3. Hunter Killer Squadron is the name of the book. ISBN 0671744534

      In Amarillo years ago, I ran into an old Vietnam war vet that flew UH-1's. He couldn't believe I wasn't prior service. After reading that book, I had the vocabulary. When I told him I was just a hack historian, he wouldn't believe me. I think he thought I was a spook. He ALWAYS side eyed me when I went up there to do work...

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  4. Marcinko was viewed by the military establishment like Trump is viewed by the D.C. swamp denizens. "An interloper who is going to upsent the corrupt status quo".

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  5. I got to shake his hand, give him my thanks, tell him he got screwed and get my hardback copy of his book autographed during his 1993 book tour in Dallas.

    He really got a raw deal by the desk Admirals in the Pentagon...

    ..payback for his and Red Cell's capturing a US nuclear missile submarine in its naval base during a security training exercise I guess........

    ...or maybe it's because Red Cell kidnapped the Naval Base at the same time........:))

    As someone from the Intel Community who was both in and not in the Military at the same, I really appreciated his Chutzpah.....Have a Good'n Dick......

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    1. Yes. He committed the cardinal sin of Making People Look Bad and making comfortable people uncomfortable.

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  6. Read this while in Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance in 1992. At the time, we were the closet thing to spec ops in the corps. Dude was a legend and we all got to meet him right after the book came out.

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