Tags
1st Battalion 4th Marines Alpha Company, Alpha Raiders, Are You Experienced, Devil Dogs, Dogs From Hell, Jimi Hendrix, Marines, Teufelshunde, The Draft, Tim L O'Brien
Jimi Hendrix should have turned 69 years old this week. Hard to imagine what the psychedelic rock star would look like or sound like today.
Sadly, due to his drug overdose, we will never know.
In late summer of 1967, The Jimi Hendrix Experience released its first album Are You Experienced. The début record was an instant hit and featured classic rock staples such as Purple Haze, Hey Joe, Foxey Lady, Fire and several other hits.
Thirteen years later, on a hot summer afternoon, I popped my 8-track tape into the stereo of my Chevy Blazer and headed for the Post Office. I was working a summer job on a farm in Brookshire, Texas, a short drive west of my hometown of Houston. My memories are still vivid as I headed into town during my lunch break, the music turned up loud, and my windows rolled down. Headed down the road with the music pumping I appeared to be just another wise-ass teenager. But, deep down inside, I was apprehensive.
Seems that, in July of 1980, President Jimmy Carter made all of us a little apprehensive, when he signed Proclamation 4771, Registration Under the Military Selective Service Act, which retroactively re-established the Selective Service. Every young man in this country was given 30 days to register for the draft, following our 18th birthdays.
“Purple haze all in my brain
Lately things just don’t seem the same”
I placed my name on the dotted line and headed back to work. The music was a little louder on the way back. Of course, all the worry was for nothing, after all. The draft still remains dormant since the Vietnam War. We never went to war against our country’s biggest threat, the Soviet Union. Leaders from both countries kept their finger off that BIG nuclear trigger button.
The commies have since done themselves in, without the aid of a single soldier from my generation fighting on a foreign soil.
We were lucky, I suppose. We didn’t have to face the destruction of a war. We were allowed to keep living our simple little lives, which at the time, were consumed with college destinations, women and where the next party was. No doubt about it. We were lucky back then.
But, duty, and service to our country, still calls out today. Our enemies aren’t as clearly defined as they once were. We can’t even pronounce most of their names anymore. The issues facing us, from our enemies of the new millennium, are far more complex.
This Sunday, my daughter’s husband will be asked to pack his bags and deploy once again to defend our country. This will be his second tour, and despite what the president tells the American public, we are still deploying troops. The threats facing our nation are far from over. Don’t let the media fool you. They are not all coming home soon. We still need to keep them in our prayers.
My daughter’s husband is a member of 1st Battalion 4th Marines Alpha Company. The tattoo on his arm is the Alpha Raiders logo. They call themselves Devil Dogs. The moniker was used by German soldiers during World War I to describe US Marines who fought in the Battle of Belleau Wood in 1918. The Marines fought with such ferocity that the Germans likened them to Teufelshunde – “Dogs from Hell.”
He’s your typical All-American Marine. Disciplined. Focused. Eager. Hard as steel and posses a total dedication to his country. He’s a devoted husband to my daughter.
He will miss his first Christmas with his new wife. My daughter will undoubtedly go through emotional tough times, missing him, worrying about him. Her family will stand by her side and give her all the support she needs.
Selfishly, I felt lucky back in 1980. Only this time, we all are lucky. Lucky to have men and women who give the ultimate sacrifice of themselves for this country’s freedoms.
Jimi came to my rescue in the summer of 1980. Sunday, twin Devil Dogs, will come to a country’s rescue.
I wish Ryan and his twin brother Riley safe returns. We are all proud of them. We will send our care packages. We will send our love. We will send our prayers.
If you enjoyed reading this blog, don’t forget you can automatically follow this blog by clicking on the “Follow Blog Via Email” icon at the top right of this post. Feel free to share this with your friends and family. If you wish, share it with your friends on Facebook. As we enter this holiday season and season of thanks, lets not forget our brave young men and women. May God Bless Them All!
susielindau said:
Thank your son-in-law for me! I so appreciate his sacrifice for our country. I am sure you are very proud of him.
You wrote this so well. I could feel the same trepidation from the 80’s to now 30 years later.
Happy birthday Jimi!
Excellent!
timlobrien said:
I will thank him for you and yes, we are all very proud of him and his twin brother. Thank you for the kind words and support!
coleen patrick said:
Heartfelt post! Thanks for the reminder to remember, pray and be proud. Thanks Tim and all the best to your family.
timlobrien said:
Thank you Coleen!
chris said:
All of my gratitude to your son-in-law and all the fine men and women that serve this country. The sacrifices are so great, the commitment so deep. I hope there is a time when we can all enjoy Christmas together in peace.
timlobrien said:
I hope that one day will come soon, Chris!
Sheila Seabrook said:
Oh my goodness, you made me cry, Tim. You have honored your son-in-law, his twin brother, and all the other young men and women we protect us all. Thank you for a lovely post. 🙂
timlobrien said:
There’s no crying in blogging, Sheila! Thank you for you kind words and continued support of this blog.
JB914 said:
Keep up the great blogging Tim!
timlobrien said:
Thank you very much, Joe.
Lynn Kelley said:
An excellent post, Tim. We are blessed by those who serve so faithfully like your son-in-law. “Devil dogs,” is cool. Yes, we need to remember to pray for our military daily and also for their family members who are left back home. Your daughter is fortunate to have you supporting her while her husband serves.
timlobrien said:
Thank you Lynn for your support and very kind words.
Greg Reichel said:
This is good stuff. Thanks for sharring Tim. Wish them the safest travels. GR
timlobrien said:
Thank you Greg for stopping by. I’m glad you enjoyed the post and I will pass along your well wishes.
Angela Orlowski-Peart said:
Great point, Tim — do not let the media fool you. Our troops will be “out there” for a long time, to protect our freedom and our comfortable lives. I always feel that there is not enough REAL awareness in our society about this reality. We thank them for their dedication and bravery, but then we go back to our ignorant lives. Those young men and women sacrifice so much for our sake.
No doubt that Christmas will be a hard time for your daughter. Fortunately she’s got a solid support from her family.
Catie Rhodes said:
My thoughts and prayers are with your son-in-law. May he and his fellow Marines all return to US soil.
Interesting history on the Devil Dogs. I had never heard it before. Dogs from Hell. I like that. It sounds like a good rock-n-roll song.
As Angela says, our troops will be “over there” for a long time to come. That people are willing to serve our country is a blessing. They deserve our highest esteem.
Thanks for such a thought provoking post.
Rodger Clemons said:
Mr. O’Brian,
Enjoyed the read. As a guitar player, and a former member of Alpha 1/4,(RVN 68-69), it hit a lot of home bases for me.
Please thank your son-in-law for me, give him a Semper Fi for and all of my 1/4 brothers.
We have a reunion each year. Year before last we held it here in Norman, (I live here too).
Maybe we’ll have it again here someday. If we do I would like to extend an invitation to you, your family, and your returning warrior.
He’s doing serious work as you know. I’m still amazed by young men and women serving our great country. What would we do without them?
Best wishes,
Rodger Clemons
A 1/4 68 69
Doug Stephan said:
Please give Ryan and Riley my heartfelt thanks for serving our country. God speed to them both.
Pat Langley said:
Our thanks to Ryan and Riley for defending our country.
August McLaughlin said:
Thank you for honoring our troops! I’ve spent a couple of July 4th celebrations at Fort Bragg, where my brother-in-law was based…. I’ll keep your family in my thoughts. It boggles my mind what they all go through, though it’s also a remarkably close-knit community (much like Army Wives ;)).
Kristy K. James...Living, Loving, Laughing said:
I hope that Ryan, Riley…and all of the members of our military know how much most Americans appreciate their willingness to put their lives on hold to keep us, our country and citizens of countries safe. I will definitely be praying for your son-in-law, his brother and the rest of the brave men and women. And for their families. Please pass along my thanks to Ryan and Riley.
Sorry, but I have to ask. A League of Their Own fan? If you don’t know what I’m referring to, never mind. 🙂
Tim L O'Brien said:
Thank you for your nice comments and heartfelt appreciation for our men and women in the military and the continued sacrifices they make for us.
Yes, I loved the movie A League of Their Own. I guess you are referring to my comments to Sheila? I loved it when Tom Hanks stated that there is no crying in baseball. We still use that quote to different instances in our family.
Michael hamilton said:
Ahhh the good ol saunders brothers, im in 1/4 as well one of them is in bravo company with me in weapons plattoon and the other in alpha, every one knows them and mixes them up if they dont know them too well, but they are ridiculously funny at times and both good hard working marines!