A Heart-warming speech given by a Marine at a ceremony in Indian Springs, CA, on Veterans Day, 2011. This is well worth reading…

By Jack McEncroe

When I was 11 years old, which seems like a long time ago, my parents took us to see the movie “The Bridges at Toko-Ri.”   The movie was based on a novel by James Michener.  The script contained some aspects with which I now disagree, but also included a few valuable life lessons and a glimpse into what our ceremony here on Veterans’ Day is all about.  The most memorable line was delivered very late in the movie by the Admiral after a couple of devastating personal and personnel losses.  This line has been quoted many times for many reasons, and it is actually not a statement but rather a rhetorical question…….

“Where do we find such men?” 

The Admiral continues as he gazes out at nothing on the distant horizon ……..”They fly off this ship, and they do their job. Then they must find this speck lost somewhere in the sea. When they find i,t they have to land on its pitching deck. Where do we find such men? “In the background, the movie closes with the loudspeaker blaring……. “Launch  jets!”

Yes, losses are very painful, but the war goes on………………….and the Admiral’s question remains unanswered.

Yes, it was a long time ago, yet it is something that was indelibly seared in a young boy’s memory.  That question would be asked again and again in the ensuing 57 years and, before we are finished here today, we will answer it …………..together. 

I am humbled to stand before many of you who were and still are an inspiration to all of us.

Your pictures were not on something called a television, nor were they on billboards or collectible cards, and yet we knew exactly who you were, and we wanted to be just like you.  When you came home from places named  Normandy, The Bulge, Midway, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, Pusan, Inchon, and Chosin, we couldn’t wait to hear all about it, and you took the time to share what you could.  You gave us a gift, the gift of service, and through your example, we learned of duty, honor, courage, and we learned of the American way.  We learned about the freedom that many take for granted; we learned what freedom costs; we learned who pays the bill; we learned how we could lose that freedom, and you showed us how to remain free.  We learned about camaraderie, respect, and the bond that makes this day so special.  Today, I speak for many when I say thank you.   All Veterans share this bond, one forged in tough times, based on unity of purpose, loyalty, and, yes, fear.  Fear, not for oneself but rather fear of failure, fear of not hacking it.  It is never about self but rather about mission accomplishment, performance, those next to us, …………. and ………….most importantly …those entrusted to us.

I am convinced that the most often heard prayer from those going into combat for the first time is, “Please, God, do not let me let my buddies down”.  

I have often heard the statement “he never talked about it” when referring to a family member who had served. This has been attributed to many things in many ways, yet just one nod between Veterans addresses each and every one of the unexplainable volumes behind that nod of respect.  From the pinnacles of victory to the depths of despair, it is indeed a privilege to serve, and it is a legacy that our magnificent young men and women of today are enhancing each and every day.  They too signed a blank check made payable to The United  States of America for an amount up to and including their lives.  I hope they, too, will one day have the privilege of standing before a wonderful group of fellow Americans in a beautiful setting such as Indian Wells and thanking the heroes before them, as I am today.  They, too, will ponder the question “where do we find such men,” even as they are taking their place among them, and eventually they will stumble upon the answer, as we will today.  They also share that special something: when things look bleakest, in one split second, a decision is made to risk it all for one another.  We know this because we have experienced it firsthand. This unshakable bond begins to form when a recruit takes an oath in which he or she swears to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.  

Please note that this oath does not pledge to support and defend any one office or any one person, but rather we take an oath to support and defend a piece of paper that most Americans hold dear.  The oath continues, but nowhere in it does it include educating those who follow, yet you did.  That same oath is for a specific period of time, yet one never really takes the uniform off.  Look no further than the many organizations where Veterans and Patriotic Americans work together to enhance the lives of today’s warriors and those who await their return.  One such organization is The American Friends of the Armed Forces, based right here in Indian Wells.  This organization was formed in 2004 by a small group of friends, and since then, they have raised and donated over $ 1.2 million in support of our Marines at 29 Palms and Camp Pendleton.  There are no paid employees, but rather dedicated Americans who have given so much back.  They welcome volunteers as the needs are many and, as they will tell you, the rewards are profound.  Some representatives of the organization are with us today, and I would like to ask them to stand.   If you have time to give and are interested in becoming involved, please see one of them afterward.  

Organizations such as The American Friends of the Armed Forces are so important because our returning Veterans and their families have endured so much while receiving so little, and they still have a steep climb ahead of them.  In some small way, organizations like this address the needs of those deployed as well as those awaiting their return. They are returning much different people than their families and loved ones said goodbye to, and they are returning to a much different America.  They departed with beliefs they hold dear, and they have made the sacrifices to ensure them; yet, some at home with megaphones threaten those very beliefs.  America is the shining city on the hill, the Veteran put it there, and the Veteran will keep it there.   However, it is incumbent on every American to stay informed and protect those sacred values here at home while our warriors defend our freedom to enjoy them.  No, it is never about self but rather about mission accomplishment, performance, those next to us, and those entrusted to us.  We all have stories about people we served with, fought with, cried with, and in some cases, bled with. I would like to share an event with you that epitomizes Honor, Integrity, Courage, Ingenuity, and more.The American Way and all that we are celebrating on this beautiful Veteran’s Day morning.  It is an event known simply as Pardo’s Push.                                                                                        

Bob Pardo is 5’6” of pure American spirit and ingenuity. Yes, he is only 5’6” tall, but his heart is as big as his home state, Texas.  It was March 10th, 1967, and Bob and his wingman were the last 2 airplanes in a large strike force that was attacking one of the most heavily defended targets in the Hanoi area, the Thai Nguyen Steel Mill.  Now, tail end Charlie is not where you would choose to be, but as Captains, we do not get to choose.  Steve Wayne was in Bob’s back seat.  Earl Aman was Bob’s wingman, and Bob Houghton was in Earl’s back seat.  Earl was hit on the way into the target, but he kept coming.  They all rolled in, dropped their bombs, and, on the pullout,  Pardo was hit and Earl was hit again.  Earl’s damage was severe, and he zoom climbed to 36,000’ with Bob and Steve in trail.  Earl was losing fuel, and the situation was becoming critical rapidly.  Pardo continued to assess the situation, seeking a solution.  What do you mean by solution?  Here,  we have a 36,000# airplane rapidly running out of fuel,  that is 18 tons of metal that will immediately assume the flight characteristics of a bank safe when it does run out of fuel,  and they are also occupying a small piece of the most heavily defended airspace in the history of aerial warfare.  Yet, he tells Earl to lower his tail hook, and he attempts to come in under and push, but the turbulence or jet wash is too severe, so he has to back out.  He tells Earl to shut the engines down and he comes in again.  His solution is to put Earl’s tailhook on the one bulletproof place on the F-4, the windscreen, which is shaped something like a large football, and is this far in front of  Pardo’s face.   His reasoning is that if it is bulletproof, it has to be the strongest place to put it.   However, if it does not hold, Bob Pardo and his backseater, Steve Wayne, will be crushed instantly by the 18 tons they are attempting to push.  Nobody has ever done this before, and nobody has done it since, but on that day in that place, Bob and Steve made a decision, and they pushed Earl and Bob Houghton 88 miles to Northern Laos and to relative safety. Once they were over Laos and down to 6,000 feet,  Earl and Bob Houghton ejected.  Pardo and Steve reported 2 good chutes to rescue those who were en route, and then they ejected. You see, Bob Pardo and Steve Wayne used all of their fuel pushing their pals to safety. When asked about it later, Bob Pardo responded simply: “ We just could not leave them behind.”

Honor, Integrity, Courage, Ingenuity…………………..The American Way

Once again, we find ourselves asking the question, “Where do we find such men?”. Once again, the question goes unanswered.

Twenty-one years later, the Commander in Chief, President Ronald Reagan, invited all of those who fought in the skies over Hanoi and Haiphong to the White House.  Our organization is known as the Red River Valley Fighter Pilots, or the River Rats, named after the valley in which we lost many. The occasion was the dedication of the POW Medal, and we were all seated in the Rose Garden on a beautiful late spring day.  

 President Reagan’s remarks that day conveyed the sense of pride, exhilaration, and awe that our grateful nation felt as those magnificent men,  who had endured so much, came home with HONOR in 1973.   In closing,  he shared a story of a special evening with some of those very special Americans.  

Then President Reagan said:

“When I was Governor of California, Nancy and I hosted some of the Vietnam POWs in our home.  We heard such stories, and after they left that night, I asked Nancy, 

“Where did we find such men?” And the answer came almost as quickly as I asked it.

“We found them where we always have found them.  We found them on the farms, in the shops, in the offices and stores, on the streets, in the towns and cities of America.

They are just the product of the greatest, freest system that man has ever known.”

 Please do me a favor:  never pass up an opportunity to thank our Soldiers,  our Sailors,   our Marines,  our Airmen,  and our Coasties.   They are the brave who keep that flame of freedom burning.   They ……..are the wind……. beneath ……..our wings……..

They are the magnificent Americans who pay the bill for our Freedoms. 

Happy Veteran’s Day

Thank you

God bless you 

And 

God Bless the greatest country on earth, The United States of America.

*****

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