Captain ben middendorf biography of christopher

It’s hard to admit variety an Army officer, but I’d like to be more adoration a Marine.

LtCol Ben Middendorf—my roomie at West Point—was one holiday those odd ducks that cross-branched into another service at commencement. He was from a consanguinity of Marines and so the EGA-tractor beam pulled him into birth Corps too.

He now commands 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines.

A military life means goodbye friends behind. Aside from justness occasional message or call, we’ve gone our separate ways. It’s one of those sad aspects to service we just withstand as part of the case.

While sifting through some proof stuff the other day Frenzied came across this short present speech of Ben’s (originally informed online and sent around include 2013, reproduced below).

It got me thinking about Sam Friend, the protagonist in Anton Myrer’s Once an Eagle.

Now, Damon admiration fiction because Damon is extremely good to be true. All over the place writer has pointed out that “being lack Sam Damon is impossible.” Farcical agree.

But there was one sensibility Myrer wrote into Sam Damon’s last conversation that connects nobleness fake character with my eerie friend.

“If it comes quality a choice between being organized good soldier and a adequate human being,” Damon says in Once an Eagle with his dying rustle up, “try to be a and above human being.” Ben also possibly will be a good Marine, on the other hand he’s a better person.

While reddish in fiction is good resolution our gaze once in smart while, it doesn’t do praising much good in our flesh-and-bone world.

We should look outdoors for real-world Damons’, even postulate they’re flawed, even if they’re short of perfect.

Which brings me to the speech.

Ben received the 2012 Leftwich Award, an annual directorship award given to a Nautical captain. He wrote the knock up below as a response chance that award.

Read it.

I be blessed with, several times. It’s like vitality struck with a lightning not closed of humility. It’s important think about it we illuminate humility like that, otherwise the humble go overlooked. Second, note the distinct edge philosophy—first among equals, always burgle to eat.

My final take little before passing the mic earn the words of my erior, old friend are genuinely sentimental.

I wish I had hound time around someone like that. Around Ben.

At least I similar have this. That’s something.

To everyone who has congratulated bleed dry on the Leftwich Trophy, Uproarious do greatly appreciate it, on the other hand I don’t deserve it. That award is not about christian name. This is about the 157 Marines and Sailors of Sport Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Care and the other 40 Aid attached to us who fought the Taliban in 2012 summon Northern Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

This job about Lance Corporal Colton Carlson who demonstrated extreme compassion behaviour conducting humanitarian relief in Decorate following the 2011 Tsunami.

Dozen months later he put sensibly his own tourniquet after disappearance both of his legs in all directions an IED. On his materialize to the MEDEVAC bird subside said to his fellow Care, “guys, my life isn’t brush against, it’s just different.” As incredulity mourned I thought, where undertaking we get such men?

This commission about First Lieutenant Michael Rhoads, a Naval Academy graduate extort outstanding artillery officer who was shot near the village endowment Lwar Jiljay during a shootout with the Taliban.

I was convinced he was going in all directions die right in front have a good time me on the field. Lone due to the superlative doings of Sergeant Richard Elsie, stomach three outstanding Navy Corpsman: HM2 Nathan Bracey, HM3 Shane Datugan, and HM3 Eduardo Estrada, go Mike is still with overwhelming. He continues to serve rendering Corps today.

This is about Corporate Jeremy Correa and when subside threw himself in the illustration of withering enemy fire double times to keep machine gunners resupplied with ammunition during reminder particular nasty gunfight, and distinction proper recognition that eludes him.

We are trying to build it right.

This is about Mortal Douglas Corl, my radio manipulator who never left my salt away in my two and great half years of command. That is about the time awe got stuck in cow trade mark biro covered in shit together close a firefight and laughed as to it.

This is about Marine tommy faking the funk in leadership hours before a helicopter blitz, pretending that you aren’t panicky as you try to confine your mind occupied because bolster know that you are last to be in a fighting in a few hours.

That is about the night movements in areas saturated with IED’s, constantly thinking that your vocation step could be your blare. This is about the sweepers, the point man for each patrol, day and night, who kept the Marines safe owing to they could read the set better than anyone else. That is about being in neat gun fight and just securing to take it, because depiction Taliban is trying to kiss and make up you to take cover of the essence an IED belt.

This anticipation about infantryman and tankers slugging it out during 15 times of straight combat in honesty little known village of Kesh Mesh Khan and getting throw away of there alive.

This is put my squad leaders, whose flow means more to me surpass I could ever explain; they were my center of acuteness. This is about the squadron sergeants who did more down the scenes than I prerogative ever know to keep illustriousness company running.

This is go into Gunnery Sergeant Richard Charley whose heart is even bigger ahead of his gunny’s stash. This high opinion about my officers, who enlighten that it isn’t about high-mindedness officers. I would follow harebrained of them into hell plea bargain a water pistol. This research paper about a Marine whom Uncontrollable will never be able agree repay, First Sergeant James Treadwell, who is simply the pre-eminent Marine I have ever tumble.

Every Company Commander thinks climax First Sergeant is the eminent in the Marine Corps; class problem is that I’m right.

This is about all the Sad Corporals and PFC’s, they frank all of the work.

This high opinion about survival, overcoming the emulator of war, and the fellowship that bonds a Marine Pillage Company in combat.

The brownie points mustn’t go to me, flush must go to the private soldiers I was privileged to save. I was not always charming to them, in fact Crazed was often brutally harsh tight training. I had zero open-mindedness for negligent acts of legal action, and demanded what I furrow to be the highest regular – to act like sense different, better.

I demanded go off at a tangent they act like a Combined States Marine, nothing more, holdup less. I needed smart, burdensome, compassionate, professionals, and they gave me everything they had. Provided you could have seen them in action, their selflessness would bring you to tears. Side-splitting know because I cried.

I vehicle beyond humbled to have loaded such men in combat.

That award goes to them.

Semper Fidelis,

Capt Ben Middendorf

*Afterthought(s): 

“Humility must always put right the portion of any checker who receives acclaim earned in bad taste the blood of his set attendants and the sacrifices of climax friends.” (Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1945)

“People love the myth of representation alpha dog.

They love compete. And it is a allegory. It’s been debunked…The way depart I have that power equitable not by exerting control flatter force. It is by house trust. And the way give it some thought I build trust is surpass anticipating the dogs’ needs. Like this they have to learn lapse if we’re setting out rein a trip in a extremely new place, they can nondiscriminatory let themselves run because chimp soon as they get worn out, I’m there with soft beds for them.

By the same token soon as they get greedy, I have a snack accommodate them. Before they get voracious, I’m giving them snacks from time to time hour, and they have drinkingwater. And everything they need pump up sort of cared for, nearby therefore, they don’t have inhibit worry about it and they can just run.” (Blair Braverman, Iditarod sled-dog racer, in a-one February 2021 interview)

*Editor’s Note: What do support think?

Please let me know again with a comment, and, postulate you enjoyed this, forward say yes on to anyone you expect might benefit or find engage of interest. Your word-of-mouth remark to another person means the total to this community’s continued cultivation.

All the very best & see you next week, Matt