by: Jason McCarthy, 10th Special Forces Group, 2006-08 What does the backwards American flag mean? The backwards flag (formally and officially known as the Reverse Flag), dates back to the Army’s early history when both cavalry and infantry units would charge ahead as the Stars and Stripes streamed backwards. When assaulting forward, the star field …
I remember how I felt on 9/11/2001, as I watched in horror as the twin towers burned and collapsed. I remember wanting revenge. Plain and simple I wanted to bring justice to those responsible for such evil and cowardly acts of terror. Then, a short time later, on the ground in Afghanistan, we were …
Last week I was on vacation with my family in Hawaii. For the first time in 14 years my wife and I had five days all to ourselves while our kids attended a Navy SEAL Foundation overnight camp on the island. This was such a rare and welcome opportunity for us to unplug …
A few years ago, I was at a fundraising dinner seated next to a Vietnam veteran who self-admittedly suffered from severe PTSD. While discussing his condition, he said to me, “that stuff never goes away.” My response wasn’t what you might expect. I told him that while the memories bothering him won’t disappear, the …
For those of you who did the D-Day Heavy in DC with me, many of you got to hear about this man right here. For those of you who didn’t, I am excited to tell you his story. This is my neighbor John. He just turned 100 this year and he is a World War …
Do You Have a Personal Mission Statement? You are probably familiar with the concept of a mission statement. Many organizations have one. As an example, ours at the Navy SEAL Foundation is “to provide immediate and ongoing support and assistance to the Naval Special Warfare community and its families.” For a company, especially a non-profit, …
