Danny was one of my Operations Sergeants-Major when I was the Executive Officer and later the Commander of the 391st MP Battalion. The OPNS SGM position is an extremely difficult one as this section is the hot spot of a tactical unit. I say difficult because the OPNS SGM is the second most senior Non-Commissioned Officer in the battalion, and often has to represent the commander in the field. He has to be organized, he has to be the second most absolute expert on MP doctrine, operations, and tactics in the unit, and he has to have the political savvy to exercise control even though he is not an officer and not the Command Sergeant Major. In his own unorthodox style, Danny was one of the absolute best at handling all of these duties that I have ever seen. He took the pressure head-on and diffused tense, combative situations with a sheepish smile and calming "aw- shucks" mannerism. The first time you would see him in action, you'd say to yourself - "who is this rube." Then when you watched him do his thing, you would wonder how the heck did he do that.
Oh, by the way, did I mention that Danny was also a qualified special forces Soldier. That had a lot to do with his effectiveness and professionalism.
Strange as it may sound, Soldiers sometimes get jobs for which they are not qualified. I've had lots of Sergeants-Majors work for me over the years -- some have been just outstanding tactical leaders, some have made their mark in how they handled personnel matters, and some (two in particular) have been absolutely terrible at all aspects of their job. SGM Whitcomb was one of those guys who had the complete package in all operational aspects, got Soldiers to do their job to the best of their ability, and made a mark on the officers (experienced and not-so-much-so) he served under.
I had lots of Danny Whitcomb stories and memories, but one that really stood out was the time he and I went to Ft. Bragg to represent our battalion at a retirement ceremony for the Brigade Commander of the 16th MP BDE (ABN). We were wartraced to them at that time and this retirement ceremony was a big deal because this was the first time a Reserve MP unit was directly linked to an active duty brigade, especially one so high-powered as the 16th. The Brigade was going to do a brigade jump (yep, from perfectly good airplanes) as part of the weekend's festivities. I told SGM Whitcomb that I was going to jump with them. Well, Danny gave me that sometimes goofy look he had when he heard something that bordered on being the absolutely dumbest thing he had heard a commissioned officer say, and then in a gentle voice said, "Uh, Sir, you haven't jumped from an airplane before have you?" I replied, "Well, no SGM, but it can't be that hard." That was the closest I have ever seen Danny come to doing a full-fledged imitation of SGM Plumley in the movie "We were Soldiers once, and young." He just looked at me and said "You ain't going, Sir" I knew that was the end of that, and even if I ever thought being a Major (at that time) and a battalion commander meant anything or had any pull, I quickly remembered how much clout and wisdom a Sergeant Major had. The rest of the weekend went just fine, thank you.
Danny and his wonderful wife, Judy, came to all of our battalion dinings-out (military dress-up parties) even when he was no longer a member of the unit. It was always a great time having them there. I'm sure she knew a lot about the man she married, but each time we had one of these get-togethers, I'm sure she learned a little more.
There is an old Irish proverb that goes something like this: "Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, and love leaves a memory no one can steal." Sergeant Major, Danny, my friend, you will be missed.On thy grave the rain shall fall from the eyes of a grateful nation!
Hooah
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