A Real Hero

Greco

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 9, 2008
Messages
634
Russell Keck was my friend. We were children together growing up in Okmulgee, Oklahoma. Russell was never very big, probably never weighing more than 130 pounds, but his courage was large. As a young teenager, he was once challenged by the town bully. He wouldn't back down. While he lost that encounter, he was never again bothered by him. He was that kind of person.

The mid-60's found our nation deeply divided. Our military had been placed in harm's way in a war of choice. Our leaders frequently misled America about the true status of the war's progress. We were told "it's better to fight them over there than at home." Critics of the reasoning behind the war were often labeled as "un-patriotic traitors" and worse. The Selective Service Administration was operating the national draft, replenishing our troop needs. Those that didn't have "other priorities", or lacked family connections to secure highly prized, safe, stateside military service in National Guard units faced the real possibility of being drafted and placed in the war zone.

Russell made the decision to not wait to be drafted, and instead enlisted in the Marine Corps. His internal spirit made him an ideal candidate to become a Marine. I remember clearly the last conversation we had before he left to begin his training. He was enthusiastic, believed in what he was doing, and anxious to start. While I was in basic training with the U.S. Army at Ft. Knox, Kentucky, during a phone call home I learned that my friend, Russell Keck, had been killed. Years later I learned some of the details. He was killed on May 18, 1967 from small arms fire at Quang Tri.

He was 20 years old.

I always admired his courage. I respect his commitment to a cause he believed in. I miss his smile. You can visit Cpl. Russell Keck at Panel 20E, Line 30 on the Vietnam Memorial.

As a follow up, last year I came across a field report online from the actual battle where Russell lost his life. The report most likely was written by one of his battalion officers. It reads in part…

“While attacking the enemy’s bulwarks, Corporal Russell F. Keck, a machine-gun squad leader with Alpha Company, dispersed his guns to deliver accurate fire upon the trench line. Coming under a heavy barrage, Keck ordered the automatic weapons moved to another location to prevent their being destroyed. Although wounded, Keck remained in his position to administer covering fire for another Marine, knowing this action would surely result in his death. Corporal Keck received the Navy Cross posthumously.”

http://www.1stbattalion9thmarinesfirebase.net/documents/Story - A Place of Angels.pdf
 
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The real heroes were the comrades of the National Liberation Army who endured great hardship and suffered the lost of three million fellow citizens and the destruction of millions of acres of farmland and forest and finally emerged victorious from the combined onslaughts of the French and US war machines.

The US citizens had the option of whether to fight or not.

The Vietnamese did not.

This is no way detracts from your sense of loss, but this is a forum and if you post threads, you must expect comment and divergence.

Comrade Stalin
 
The real heroes were the comrades of the National Liberation Army who endured great hardship and suffered the lost of three million fellow citizens and the destruction of millions of acres of farmland and forest and finally emerged victorious from the combined onslaughts of the French and US war machines.

The US citizens had the option of whether to fight or not.

The Vietnamese did not.

This is no way detracts from your sense of loss, but this is a forum and if you post threads, you must expect comment and divergence.

Comrade Stalin

Then couldn't you have just started you own topic about the 'feelings' that you had for the Vietnamese??? GOOD GRIEF :mad:
 
Threads, like wars, once started, acquire a life of their own.

Comrade Stalin
 
The real heroes were the comrades of the National Liberation Army who endured great hardship and suffered the lost of three million fellow citizens and the destruction of millions of acres of farmland and forest and finally emerged victorious from the combined onslaughts of the French and US war machines.

The US citizens had the option of whether to fight or not.

The Vietnamese did not.

This is no way detracts from your sense of loss, but this is a forum and if you post threads, you must expect comment and divergence.

Comrade Stalin
You can always tell a "liberated" country from a "non-liberated" country: they put up fences around "liberated" countries to keep the people in and they put up fences around "non-liberated" countries to keep people out.
 
You can always tell a "liberated" country from a "non-liberated" country: they put up fences around "liberated" countries to keep the people in and they put up fences around "non-liberated" countries to keep people out.

 
While cute, it wasn't real in actuality. However, for purposes of making a point, yes, that's the way it is because your elected officials (virtually all of them on both sides of the aisle) need cheaper labor for much of their businesses. The alternative could be going out of business. That's been going on for a very long time.
 
I always considered REAL Heroes as people who're NEVER afraid to speak-UP....even when it isn't considered the "hip, trendy, patriotic" thing-to-do!!!​

November 15, 2003

"They chumped us. Anyone can be chumped.

That's you now. Just fewer trees and less water."​

"I spent 33 years and 4 months in active service as a member of our country's most agile military force--the Marine Corps. I served in all commissioned ranks from second lieutenant to Major General. And during that period I spent most of my time being a high-class muscle man for Big Business, for Wall Street and for the bankers. In short, I was a racketeer for capitalismhttp://warisaracket.org/. I suspected I was part of a racket all the time. Now I am sure of it. Like all members of the military profession I never had an original thought until I left the service."
 
You can always tell a "liberated" country from a "non-liberated" country: they put up fences around "liberated" countries to keep the people in and they put up fences around "non-liberated" countries to keep people out.

For example the Apartheid Wall in Israel - a "liberated" country.

"..T he Israeli West-Bank barrier is a barrier being constructed by the State of Israel, consisting of a network of fences with vehicle-barrier trenches surrounded by an on average 60 meter wide exclusion area (90%) and high concrete walls up to 8 meters high (10%).[1] It is located mainly on Israeli-occupied territories in the West Bank and partly along the 1949 Armistice line, or "Green Line" between Israel and Jordan which now demarcates the West Bank. As of April 2006[update], the length of the barrier as approved by the Israeli government is 703 kilometers (436 miles) long. Approximately 58.04% has been constructed, 8.96% is under construction, and construction has not yet begun on 33% of the barrier.[2] The Jerusalem Post reported in July 2007 that the barrier may not be completed until 2010, seven years after it was originally supposed to be finished.[3]

The barrier is highly controversial. Supporters argue that the barrier is necessary to protect Israeli civilians from Palestinian terrorism, including the suicide bombing attacks that increased significantly during the Al-Aqsa Intifada;[4] The significantly reduced number of incidents of suicide bombings from 2002 to 2005 has been partly attributed to the barrier;[5]

Opponents of the barrier object that the route substantially deviates from the Green Line into the occupied territories captured by Israel in the Six-Day War of 1967. Therefore they argue that the barrier is an illegal attempt to annex Palestinian land under the guise of security,[6] violates international law,[7] has the intent or effect to pre-empt final status negotiations,[8] and severely restricts Palestinians who live nearby, particularly their ability to travel freely within the West Bank and to access work in Israel.[8] In a 2004 finding, the International Court of Justice declared that "Israel cannot rely on a right of self‑defence or on a state of necessity in order to preclude the wrongfulness of the construction of the wall. Construction of the barrier is "contrary to international law."[9]

Settler opponents, by contrast, condemn the barrier for appearing to renounce the Jewish claim to the whole of the Land of Israel.[10]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apartheid_wall
 
Granted...but all it requires is that 'ONE' just that first 'ONE' to derail this 'NICE PERSONAL STORY' off into the ditch...SAD!!!

I did not derail this story.

The other side of the story needs to be told.

To my knowledge, no US official, military or not, has ever apologised to the Vietnamses people for the horrors inflicted on them.

For the Vietnamese, the war is over and part of the past.

For the US, the war is still being fought as the 2004 election showed.

Comrade Stalin
 
Russell Keck was my friend. We were children together growing up in Okmulgee, Oklahoma. Russell was never very big, probably never weighing more than 130 pounds, but his courage was large. As a young teenager, he was once challenged by the town bully. He wouldn't back down. While he lost that encounter, he was never again bothered by him. He was that kind of person.

The mid-60's found our nation deeply divided. Our military had been placed in harm's way in a war of choice. Our leaders frequently misled America about the true status of the war's progress. We were told "it's better to fight them over there than at home." Critics of the reasoning behind the war were often labeled as "un-patriotic traitors" and worse. The Selective Service Administration was operating the national draft, replenishing our troop needs. Those that didn't have "other priorities", or lacked family connections to secure highly prized, safe, stateside military service in National Guard units faced the real possibility of being drafted and placed in the war zone.

Russell made the decision to not wait to be drafted, and instead enlisted in the Marine Corps. His internal spirit made him an ideal candidate to become a Marine. I remember clearly the last conversation we had before he left to begin his training. He was enthusiastic, believed in what he was doing, and anxious to start. While I was in basic training with the U.S. Army at Ft. Knox, Kentucky, during a phone call home I learned that my friend, Russell Keck, had been killed. Years later I learned some of the details. He was killed on May 18, 1967 from small arms fire at Quang Tri.

He was 20 years old.

I always admired his courage. I respect his commitment to a cause he believed in. I miss his smile. You can visit Cpl. Russell Keck at Panel 20E, Line 30 on the Vietnam Memorial.

As a follow up, last year I came across a field report online from the actual battle where Russell lost his life. The report most likely was written by one of his battalion officers. It reads in part…

“While attacking the enemy’s bulwarks, Corporal Russell F. Keck, a machine-gun squad leader with Alpha Company, dispersed his guns to deliver accurate fire upon the trench line. Coming under a heavy barrage, Keck ordered the automatic weapons moved to another location to prevent their being destroyed. Although wounded, Keck remained in his position to administer covering fire for another Marine, knowing this action would surely result in his death. Corporal Keck received the Navy Cross posthumously.”

http://www.1stbattalion9thmarinesfirebase.net/documents/Story - A Place of Angels.pdf

Job well done Greco!

You show in this post how you obtain your realistic insight as well as what a good friend you would be to have.

We salute you... and your buddy.


 
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I did not derail this story.

The other side of the story needs to be told.

To my knowledge, no US official, military or not, has ever apologised to the Vietnamses people for the horrors inflicted on them.

For the Vietnamese, the war is over and part of the past.

For the US, the war is still being fought as the 2004 election showed.

Comrade Stalin

But here's the thing, Stalin...the other side of this story would have to have been told by someone from the opposition {Enemy Fighter} who was there at the time! To give exact detail perspective to this story about honoring a friend/solider/military person on Veterans day...so in my opinion you did derail this topic/thread by posting that piece {even when you have the right to do that}...it is a public opinion board...BUT WHY do it on something that was written to honor a friend on VETERAN'S DAY?

Just seems very surprising and unkind, and not like your other posts!
 
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