Excellent adventure.

Thanks for telling the story.

You write a book and I'll buy it.
Robert | 01.12.05 - 10:05 am | #

I'd buy it, too. Would be really cool if you wrote that, Matt.

Too many people think (or don't think) of all the humanitarian work that gets done by our military. Case in point, some people complaining we sent a air craft carrier to SE Asia to help with Tsunami relief (as opposed, I think, to "more aid," in their view). When I read (Glenn Reynolds) say that those carriers convert 900,000 gallons of salt water to fresh water daily, have 90 helicopters to transport that water, and have four hospitals, I wanted to scream at the people who seem incapable of adding all of our support together at the same time. It's as though if there aren't endless world meetings on a subject before any work gets done, whatever gets done for that issue doesn't count some how.

I personally hope for more of a national discourse on the full contributions our people make and which other people benefit from, and which precludes them from having to do that work themselves. This goes for other countries and even non-military people, too. It's really necessary.

Great story, Matt. Thanks for telling it.
adele | 01.12.05 - 10:57 am | #

Thanks for a wonderful post that surely should be required reading for all our anti-military citizens and all anti-Americans everywhere. Not only am I shocked by some of the humanitarian things you did (OK, I admit the bull story utterly intrigues me) but also by what you went through to get to that point and the dangers you faced while trying to give aid and comfort to people in desperate need of it. The tragedy is that these kinds of stories could be told by the MSM but they don't fit the agenda.

You make me feel even prouder to be an American!
Peg C. | 01.12.05 - 12:31 pm | #

I'd definitely buy the book!
Peg C. | 01.12.05 - 12:32 pm | #

I'd buy it, too. It sounds like quite an adventure.

I have to admit that although I knew our military in general did a lot of humanitarian work, it had never occurred to me to think of SEALs in that context until I heard they were in Thailand after the Tsunami.
Beth | 01.12.05 - 12:35 pm | #

Good story, but it gives more response than Ms. Clift deserves. She has her head firmly up and and locked.
Eagle1 | Homepage | 01.12.05 - 1:02 pm | #

Wow, Froggy, you really have lived.
Joshua Chamberlain | 01.12.05 - 2:25 pm | #

Great story! Thank you for telling it.

I agree with adele. There should be more "...discourse on the full contributions our people make" to benefit others.
Barbara | 01.12.05 - 3:33 pm | #

What an awesome tale. I will buy at least 4 books, and that's a conservative estimate!

I hope you sent a copy to EC - I can't even stand to type her name. She'll never comprehend the majesty and heroic nature of what you and your team did, but maybe it will make her think twice next time she spouts such a vicious lie about our military. I doubt it, but she has to have a tiny conscience in there somewhere, doesn't she?

You're right, probably not.
Karen | 01.12.05 - 4:01 pm | #

Karen, I don't think so. Her and her ilk's loathing of the American military knows no bounds. Believe me, in these old leftists' minds, all military members are baby killers a la Vietnam, thanks to John F'n Kerry among others. This mindset will only die with its generation.
Peg C. | 01.12.05 - 4:25 pm | #

I work at a college, and I have to tell you that along with what you're all saying, some of the most purportedly "open minded" people in the world are the most closed minded. They completely disallow themselves from believing the military has any merit, much less does any good. It's so glaringly and outrageously hypocritical, I'm not sure my next job will or can be in higher ed. It's that bad. I've been doing this 12 years. I mean, at the very least, you'd think the prevailing thought would be that all things make a contribution, the military included. But no, you're right about the baby-killer mentality, Karen. It's crazy. I write to soldiers in Iraq and they are always sending pics of themsleves holding babies, immunizing them, posing with entire *smiling* villages. Fortunately for me, the staff I work with supports the letter writing and package sending, but I'd never ask the faculty for their help.
adele | 01.12.05 - 5:07 pm | #

Eleanor Clift???

Oh please, save us all from that screeching harpy! God, that voice of hers is the soul of nightmares. With her voice, she sould do all the voiceovers for Hollywood horror movies.

Can you imagine her using that voice of hers to read a children's book to kids right before they go to bed? Probably result in a permanent case of incurable Insomnia....

Back on topic, great story about your MEDCAP work in Africa. Thanks for sharing.
Art | 01.12.05 - 5:38 pm | #

What a tale. Amazing -- simply amazing. I'm still back at the airport where you had to lug over a hundred lbs of stuff a half mile. Wonder how many of those left professors could ever do that? Oh and the bull surgery story does sound interesting.
Toni | Homepage | 01.12.05 - 7:23 pm | #

some adventure. makes punching holes in the ocean with a submarine absolutely boring in comparison. well, actually, it was.
anyway, good on ya. we used to have a team of divers on board, and some of the stories the seals and udt guys told about going in and helping after disasters made me proud to serve with them. you sir, sound like a good guy to have as a shipmate.
bothenook | Homepage | 01.12.05 - 8:59 pm | #

Wow. Talk about 'been there and done that'! This story puts a whole new light on the life of a SEAL.

Please - write the book. I'd buy two copies - one for me and one for my local library.
al | Homepage | 01.12.05 - 10:41 pm | #

The military hates to do humanitarian stuff so much that they designed a medal for those who participate in HA ops. Damn them!

http://www.history.navy.mil/meda.../medals/ hsm.htm
Kevin | Homepage | 01.13.05 - 2:00 am | #

When Pinatubo blew up who was out there in Angeles City with snow shovels? I don't recall seeing Miss Priss Eleanor anywhere out there.
Ciggy | Homepage | 01.13.05 - 2:51 pm | #

With amazing experiences like that, you'd have an interesting autobiography. I'd buy one.

And not just to hear the bull story.
Tiffany | 01.13.05 - 7:21 pm | #

All I can say is "Wow." That was a great read.
Potter | Homepage | 01.14.05 - 1:13 pm | #

Excellent story. When I hear things like that it makes me regret not having the motivation to join a SoF. Fact is, I'm too lazy.

Keep up the good work....and yeah, I'd buy the book too.
BryanP | Homepage | 01.14.05 - 2:18 pm | #

heh.

Mathew "Capstick" Heidt I Presume?
puredata | 01.14.05 - 5:58 pm | #

I'll buy the book, too. More folks should hear about the sorts of things members of the US military are up to. And the tale itself is a pure delight.

I'm more than a little troubled, however, by assuming that Froggy's tale is inconsistent with the observation that the US military writ large is reluctant to get into the humanitarian assistance business in a big way. My lengthy comment on this score posted at Winds of Change, where Joe Katzman links to Froggy's tale.
nadezhda | Homepage | 01.15.05 - 11:30 am | #

Wow - sounds like fun! And about the book, I'll buy it too. Especially if you tell us about the tumor ;-P
inkgrrl | Homepage | 01.15.05 - 4:37 pm | #

Do it as an ebook and/or sell it in a binder on your blogspot. I'd buy a few copies too! You guys are AWESOME!!
Anne | 01.24.05 - 12:50 pm | #