To be a successful soldier, you must know history. George S. Patton Jr.
Last Saturday in Virginia a Navy SEAL Commander fell to his death from a helicopter he was fast roping down from. Cmdr. Brian Bourgeois, 43, leaves a wife and 5 young children. He was the commanding officer of SEAL Team 8.
One thing is 100% certain. America is in a worse place with his passing. It is missing a patriot, a true son of this Constitutional Republic. A man who put this country first every time. A man who fought for our freedoms and liberties. A man, who despite the current Commander in Chief, put honor and flag before all. A man who unlike most politicians and political military leadership put 100% faith and belief in the Oath he swore and lived it daily.
This man gave just over 20 years of selfless service to this nation, doing the work 99.99% of people could not nor would do.
Many of you know I have friends in Special Operations forces. I served in Rhodesia in a Spec Ops group on operational service from 1973 – 1980. We were good but couldn’t hold a flame to these guys. America is blessed to have such fine men ready to drop everything in a second to defend us.
The Special operations community is small. It is tight. They are all mourning today.
A friend of mine was the CO of SEAL Team 8 and knew him personally. At that time Cmdr. Brian Bourgeois was his Lt. in Iraq. I want to quote my friends words here as they are heartfelt and need hearing by you all.
“He was a hell of a good guy. He was one of my LTs in Iraq. No job too hard, he exemplified “Message to Garcia.” It was a privilege to have known and worked with him. He represented the best of all uniformed service members and was highly regarded as one of our best SEALs.”
I lost friends in Rhodesia in the war and understand what my friend is going through. We feel guilt. Guilt that it was not us. A realization that it also very well could have been. A realization about immortality.
For some it takes days. But a real man will never lethis fear of death overpower his honor his sense of duty to his country and his innate manhood. Battle is the most magnificent competition in which a human being can indulge. It brings out all that is best and it removes all that is base.”. ― George S. Patton Jr.
Today I ask all of my readers to please put their hands in their pockets and donate at the link I have placed below. There is no amount of money that will help heal the pain his family is going through. Money however, is a necessary evil when a bread winner is removed suddenly. Show your support for this man and your appreciation for all he achieved and did on your behalf.
To all his brothers I am reminded of this expression. “How can the dead be truly dead when they still live in the souls of those who are left behind?” From a poem called “The Heart is a Lonely Hunter”, by Carson McCullers.
Fred Brownbill at the Save America Foundation.
Fred Brownbill 2021
