That last night at home you think about how you coulda been a better dad, a better husband, that bedtime story you shoulda read or that anniversary you forgot. Couldn’t really tell you much about him other than I’d rather take a knife to a gun fight than have to be interrogated by him. He kept a picture of his wife in his helmet, and a lock of her hair in his pocket, quiet as the breeze.Īnd finally, senior chief Miller. Mikey had 20 years in the teams, as humble as he was. He had been a Muay Thai fighter all his life, before that he grew up dirt poor in Trinidad. Sonny, he was made of granite, this guy didn’t even do push ups because he was afraid his chest was gonna get too big.Ījay joined the teams late in his 30’s. He had a silver star for pulling a wounded teammate out of a freight.

We had Weimy, our sniper, he grew up in the middle of the Mojave desert, most excitement he had as a kid was bowling frozen turkeys down the aisle at the grocery store. Tecumseh said although a single twig may break, a bundle of twigs is strong. There’s a brotherhood between us and we depended on each other more than a family. What we knew about each other’s traits and our bond as operators. Your father was my boss and I was his chief. He kept the liberator aloft just long enough for everyone to jump, and then he went down with the plane. Your father’s grandfather gave up his life flying a B24 in World War II.

There’s threats everywhere in a world that’s draped in camouflage. Look harder, your father would say, I always knew he wasn’t just talking about those boxy abstract paintings. He loved artists who painted people with bodies that looked like boxes. Your father was a reader, Churchill of course, but also Faulkner and books about Tecumseh. It’s what guides you home and trust me, you’re always trying to get home. Before my father died, he said the worst thing about growing old was that other men stop seeing you as dangerous…I’ve always remember that how being dangerous was sacred, a badge of honor.

Act of valor