Not just another Grunt...

Serving in the U.S. military is uniquely different from any other experience one can have in life. It is a lot of things to those who have done it, and it is a lot of things to those who haven't. For some (like me) it was the kick in the pants that wakes you up and forces you to take charge of and responsibility for your life. For others it's the worst of all possible nightmares. And it often forges bonds that last as long or longer than most marriages.

It produced some really remarkable people like Dave (my former Command Sergeant-Major who probably knew more about soldiering than any 100 senior NCOs), and Bob (a real neat guy down the road and a great fisherman), or Gary (a super guy and a real fine mechanic), or Hank (one of my brothers-in-law who is a very kind and giving soul), and Fern (a neat older lady who served in WWII as a Navy nurse -- although I won't hold the Navy part against her). It also produced Kenny Humphrey.

I know you don't know Kenny. He was a Vietnam vet who joined the Army Reserve after Vietnam because he still wanted to serve his country. He was a genuine nice guy. He showed a lot of us non-experienced sergeants how NCOs were to act, take care of our troops and accomplish the mission. He wasn't all that gung-ho and probably appeared to some to be too laid back. But screw up something you shouldn't have because you knew better, and Kenny could open a can of "Alpha-Charlie" on you pretty quickly.

One particular memory I had of Kenny was on 2 August 1980. Our MP company was on duty guarding Cubans at Ft. McCoy, WI when a riot broke out in the maximum security facility which threatened to get beyond the confines of the facility walls. Kenny and I were the senior NCOs on duty that day and were called to the facility to restore order...yep, only two of us. There were a lot of Immigration and Naturalization guys and State Department lawyers there as they were actually running the facility, but they were not able to control the situation. Kenny and I arrived, put on our riot gear and prepared to enter the facility. Little did we know what we were getting in to. However, when the dust settled, order was restored.

Kenny was put in for an Army Commendation Medal for his actions and the citation read as follows:
"... for assisting the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service in quelling a violent disturbance in a detention facility at Ft. McCoy, WI on 2 August 1980. This soldier was assaulted with sticks, poles and hailed with chunks of concrete. During the entire operation, he displayed exceptional discipline, self-restraint and judgment in that he employed only enough force to accomplish the mission without further inciting the crowd. As a Military Policeman with the 342d MP Company (EG), he reflects the type of dedication to excellence and devotion to duty that far surpass the high standards set forth in the Military Police Corps." I don't have Kenny's citation in front of me, but I know what his said as it was identical to mine.

"Dedication to excellence" and "devotion to duty" may be just phrases to some, but were kinda the hallmarks I remember about him.

Kenny died recently. I don't know if his funeral was well-attended or not and I only found out about it last week after talking with Dave. I lost track of him after our days together in the 342d and don't know how he spent the rest of his life. But I do know that he loved his country and his troops. He was one of the good guys who made us that much better for knowing him.

“When you go home, Tell them of us, and say: For your tomorrow, We gave our today.” (Anon)

Hooah