Bruce McQuain from Blackfive joined us once again for Someone You Should Know, our weekly tribute to the troops. Bruce spent 28 years in the U.S. Army and he is a veteran of the Vietnam war. He brings a perspective and understanding to these stories that we could never match.
This week Bruce to went to the wayback machine to tell us an amazing story from Vietnam, some 45 years in the making.
ARLINGTON, Va. — “Working in pitch darkness with only the occasional flickering illumination from aircraft dropped flares above and suffering a leg and hand wound from mortar fire, Lance Cpl. Seath expertly crafted an operational M-60 machine gun from the pieces of two disabled weapons. Immediately and with devastating effects, he directed deadly accurate fire at the onrushing enemy, ultimately repelling the enemy’s assault.†– Navy Cross citation.
Former active-duty Marine Ned E. Seath’s fellow Marines said the citation is almost a mere understatement of what the man did in his deployment to the Vietnam War. By eliminating countless enemy threats, he saved almost an entire company of fellow Marines.Lance Cpl. Seath was serving as a machine gun team leader with Company K, 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, when he halted an assault of North Vietnamese soldiers July 16, 1966, from using an M-60 he reassembled from spare parts. Like most memories from Vietnam, his story of heroism was tucked away when his service in the Marine Corps ended.
Seven years ago, his story resurfaced during a battalion reunion celebration and the movement, started by Bill Hutton who served with Seath, to be recognized and awarded for his actions that day began.
Seath was awarded the Navy Cross, the second highest award for valor in the Marine Corps, in a ceremony at the National Museum of the Marine Corps Feb. 11, nearly 45 years after the battle during Operation Hastings ended. He was presented the award by Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus.
The Someone You Should Know radio collaboration began as an extension of Matt Burden’s series at Blackfive. Bruce does an incredible job with the series every week. The Pundit Review Radio Podcast RSS feed can be found here.
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On Boston’s Talk Station WRKO since 2005, Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week we give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Called “groundbreaking” by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best of the blogs to the radio every Sunday evening from 6-9pm on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.