A story about C Co. 1-26 Infantry has been printed in the Army Times.
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/12/bloodbrothers4/
It was a hard piece to read for me.
The 1SG shooting himself is a big hit to take, and I feel remorse for their lost comrades killed by the IED, but it is no excuse to not do your duty.
Combining it with other issues does not make it any easier to swallow, nor condone.
Passing judgment is not what I am doing. I just disagree. The NCOs in this platoon let their men down in my opinion. That platoon was their responsibility, and they failed that.
I wasn’t there, I know. It still doesn’t sit right with me though.
Sorry, it’s been beaten into my head for years.
20 years in the Army as an Infantryman and a combat veteran as well, I can not see myself in a position not to carry out my duty, and also ensure that my platoon was up to that task.
How many times have other platoons felt that “we are not in a position to successfully complete our mission under these circumstances?” yet carried it out anyway?
Hamburger Hill comes to mind. There are numerous other instances where that thought/feeling surely were pervasive in other platoons, yet they continued on.
I am sure history is littered with such examples.
But, I wasn’t there. I can only speculate and base my opinion on my experiences and beliefs.
