Do You Ever Wonder Where Your Role-Models Ended Up? I Do. Here Are a Few That I Tracked Down.

Ray Devens:

For a flamboyant personality like Devens, there's sure not much mention on the web. Here's the most recent thing I've come across:

PRESS RELEASE: Savannah-based Rangers organize unit rugby team

Rangers from 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment at Hunter Army Airfield, Ga., have organized a rugby team and are planning to play in the upcoming Savannah Rugby Tournament.

According to Maj. John L. Rafferty, the team’s coach and the battalion fire support officer, interest in starting a team sparked when officers from the battalion played rugby as a unit physical training event.

“Lieutenant Colonel (Michael) Kershaw, our battalion commander, played at West Point and is a member of the team, and a big supporter of our effort to field a team, as well as Sergeant Major (Ray) Devens, who is also playing,” Rafferty said.

Devens is the operations sergeant major for 1st Battalion.

Here's a picture of Ray Devens (at the left) looking completely smoked. This is the only time I ever saw him look whupped. This is the cover of the January 1984 issue of Soldiers magazine. The caption reads: "Vince Lombardi carries the 90mm recoilless rifle flanked by assistant gunner Ray Devens as they move to the next mission during Operation Urgent Fury on the island of Grenada in 1983."

Ray Devens was a wild-man. The first day I was in Battalion, we had road march. I was new to the AT section, and feeling a little bit sorry for myself when this IDIOT came running the wrong direction down the road. Full gear, running the opposite direction that everyone was going. He stopped next to me and said "you're one of my guys, right?" Since I was humping a 90mm, it was a pretty good guess. Devens was smart like that. I said "Roger that Corporal. I got here yesterday" in between gasping for air.

Devens took his canteen out, unwrapped the 550 cord and twisted the top off, then slammed it into my chest. He had a crazy look in his eyes.

"Drink my water" he yelled at me.

"I'm okay corporal, I've still got both canteens."

"DRINK MY WATER, DAMMIT!" Now he was yelling like he was pissed, crazy AND a little stupid.

So, I drank a couple of swigs from his canteen and tried to hand it back. He slammed it back into my chest and said "finish it."

I mustered the courage to quiz this idiot "Why do you want me to drink your water corporal?"

"SO I CAN'T HAVE IT."

That's Devens.

Vince Lombardi (Sgt. Lombardi when this picture was taken) was a leader. He's on the right of the SOLDIER magazine cover above. He left the Ranger Bn, went to college, got a commission, and returned to active duty. I only knew him for a short while in '84, but his men (my peers) talked about him in terms of great respect. Someday I hope people will say similar things about me. Here is an article from the US Mountain Ranger Association (from http://www.usmountainranger.org/memorial/2005/lombardi.htm)

Vincent Lombardi

Vincent John Lombardi Jr. was born in Lewiston, New York on May 2, 1962. His long and distinguished career in the Army began on March 5, 1980. He spent his first five years as an enlisted soldier in the 75th Ranger Regiment and earned the rank of Staff Sergeant. One of the events that demonstrated his service to his country was contributions in Operation Urgent Fury to liberate Grenada in 1983.

After completing his enlistment he entered the Reserve Officer's Training Corps. In 1988 he graduated from Niagara University and was commissioned into the Infantry. Lieutenant Lombardi served with the 1-503th Infantry Battalion in Korea and then 2-75th Ranger Battalion at Fort Lewis. As a Captain he commanded two companies in the 24th Infantry Division and was the Commanding Generals Aide De Camp. Major Lombardi's last assignment was at Fort Richardson, Alaska where he served as the Battalion Operations Officer and Executive Officer for 1-501st Infantry Battalion.

The many awards that he earned in his twenty-two year career included [lots and lots of awards. I'll just list the important ones] Combat Infantryman's Badge and The Coveted Ranger Tab.

The nickname "Coach" was given to Major Lombardi very early in his career and would always be used by the many soldiers who served with him. This signified the respect and admiration that everyone held for a great leader who fought for his country and could inspire all.

Maj. Lombardi was diagnosed with Carcinoid tumors in his pancreas and liver and was transferred to Washington, DC, for treatment at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. He died unexpectedly as a result of liver failure on 18 February 2003.

He is survived by his wife, Sue, and two young children, Vince III and Teresa. He will be sorely missed.

I read somewhere that he prowled the halls of the hospital visiting other terminal cancer patients to keep their spirit up. Truly a Servant Leader. I'm privileged to have known him.

Steven Fondacaro:

WASHINGTON (October 16, 2007) — The US military has developed a new programme known as the Human Terrain System (HTS) to study social groups in Iraq and Afghanistan.The HTS depends heavily on the co-operation of anthropologists, with their expertise in the study of human beings and their societies. Steve Fondacaro, a retired special operations colonel overseeing the HTS, is keen to recruit cultural anthropologists. "Cultural anthropologists are focused on understanding how societies make decisions and how attitudes are formed. They give us the best vision to see the problems through the eyes of the target population," he said.

You can read more at: http://www.envirosagainstwar.org/know/read.php?itemid=6091

William "Chief" Carlson:

May 21, 2004

At its annual memorial ceremony this morning, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) honored 83 employees who died in service to their country, including Christopher Glenn Mueller and William "Chief" Carlson, two civilian contractors killed in an ambush in Afghanistan last fall.

"The bravery of these two men cannot be overstated," Director of Central Intelligence George J. Tenet told a gathering of several hundred Agency employees and family members of those killed in the line of duty. "Chris and Chief put the lives of others ahead of their own. That is heroism defined."

Mueller and Carlson died while tracking ists near Shkin, Afghanistan, on October 25, 2003. Both saved the lives of others during the ambush.

"Their sacrifice was not in vain," Tenet said, pledging to continue the war on until it is won. "We owe that victory to all American heroes like Chris and Chief", and to Mike Spann and Helge Boes, two other remarkable young men who died fighting a pitiless enemy in a remote, rugged place."

Again, I'm privileged to have known him.

You can read more about Chief at CSM Greer's website http://www.greerfoundation.org/Tomahawk.html Or Robbie Leatham's website: http://www.robleatham.com/Rob%20Leatham%20in%20memory.htm#William

Joe McClaren

Joe's son hired me to fly to Yuma, AZ and drive Joe to Oregon. Joe was well past the part of his life where he was in a hurry about anything, so the drive took us about 5 days. I had the privilege and advantage of talking to a 92 year old WWI veteran about everything for several uninterrupted days. Wow.

A 19 year-old shut into a car with a hairy-assed 92 year old. Do you think I learned anything?

You bet I did.

This guy was a veteran of cattle drives, true frontier living, building his own ranch (which is still run by his family), and raising a family that included a son who was commanding one of the first of Patton's tanks that arrived to "rescue" the 101st Airborne during the Battle of the Bulge. If you don't know the story, then watch "Patton", or "Band of Brothers" or "the Battle of the Bulge", or read any of a hundred books on the subject.

Anyway, we were talking about Joe McClaren, not his son... Joe was a little guy on the outside, but when I think of the archetypical American man, Joe's in there somewhere. All hard work, gristle, guts, brains, and fight.

I'll be lucky to live to 92, but I'll be luckier to approach life like Joe.