American Valor Quarterly Issue 2 - Spring 2008 | Page 27

Joseph Galloway: A helicopter flew in, and they unloaded a
marmite can full of split pea soup, that was still warm. And you
know there for a moment, I thought if the U.S. Army could
actually get a can of hot soup out to a company of troops—
infantry—doing an operation, maybe we could win this goddamn
thing! But we didn’t.

American Valor Quarterly - Spring 2008 - 27

Peter Arnett/AP

Sitting next to Tony is one of my absolute favorite of all people,
I smile when I see him. He just lightens my heart. Lt. Col. George
Forrest, retired, Company Commander of Alpha Company 1/5
Cav., “Tail-End Charlie” of the company going to LZ Albany,
about to walk into one of the greatest disasters to befall an
American company in Vietnam. He did something remarkable:
the battalion commander—not Col. Moore, I might point out,
but another man—commanding the 2/7 Cavalry, as they were
Cyril Richard “Rick” Rescorla, a platoon leader at Ia Drang, in the famed approaching the clearing called Albany about three miles away
photo that appeared on the cover of We Were Soldiers Once...And Young. from X-Ray, he called all the company commanders in the column
Rescorla was decorated with the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, and the
to march forward. And they went forward with their first
Purple Heart, and retired a colonel.
sergeants and their radio operators, and they were a long way
from their men when the hammer went down on a fierce ambush,
His heroism did not end in Vietnam, as after retirement from the
and about 155 American boys were killed in the next six hours.
military, he would become Director of Security for Dean Witter (now
Morgan Stanley), based in the World Trade Center in New York City. He And most of the company commanders were away and trapped,
personally took charge of the evacuation of the building following the away from their men; they had been called to the head of the
1993 bombing, and was the last person to leave. Tragically, he was killed column. George Forrest’s men were at the back of the column,
in the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, again about 600 meters. And when the first mortar shells landed, George
while evacuating his fellow employees. The example of Rick Rescorla is
turned on his heel, his two radio operators behind him, and he
yet another demonstration of the concepts of duty and honor comran 600 meters through the middle of the enemy ambush to get
monly displayed among the veterans of Vietnam - then and now.
to his men, and save most of their lives. His two radio operators
running behind him were not so fortunate—they didn’t make it.
But when it comes to slaughter
But George ran the fastest 600-meter dash that’s ever been run in
You will do your work on water,
the history of mankind. George Forrest, the mic is yours.
An’ you’ll lick the bloomin’ boots of ‘im that’s got it.
Lt. Col. George Forrest: First of all let me say what an honor
And that was absolutely correct, because under the adrenaline- it is for me to be here with this group of long-time friends. But
pumping situation of battle, you become very thirsty, and you before I make my remarks, I want to just send a tribute to all the
drink all of your water very rapidly. By 5:00 we were out of young men and women who are fighting for what we believe is
water and all thirstier than hell. Plus, we’d been fighting all day freedom. And so my hat goes off to you, young men and women,
and had casualties. We had to go on an assault, and I knew the because you are doing what this country needs to have done.
troops were worn and tired, so I gathered them together at a
creek bed, and gave them a little speech that there was a platoon One of my recollections, or lessons learned, was never be attached.
out there that was our soldiers, and we have to go get them. I tell Attached is like being the red-headed stepchild. I was the company
this story because the reaction of the soldiers was superb. Their that walked into X-Ray, and walked out of X-Ray, because my
response was to say, “Yeah! Let’s go get them,