Harold C. Agerholm had a quiet start to his life. After qualifying from school in Racine, Wisconsin, he worked as a multigraph operator for the Ranch Manufacturing Company. Then in July 1942, he joined the Marine Corps Reserve.
Upon completing his recruit training in San Diego, California, Agerholm was sent to the Headquarters and Service Battery, 4th Battalion, 10th Marines, and 2nd Marine Division. He received further training for eleven months with his battalion in Wellington, New Zealand. In January 1943, Agerholm was promoted to Private First Class.
In November 1943, a year and a half after first signing up, the young marine took part in the war, engaging with Japanese forces on Betio Island, Tarawa Atoll.
It was the first time American forces faced serious opposition to a landing. The 4,500 Japanese soldiers on the island were well prepared and fought to the last man. They extracted a high price for their deaths. Throughout the incredibly intense battle, which lasted for 76 hours, the defenders killed 1,696 and wounded 2,101 US servicemen.
The main Japanese defensive plan was to stop the attackers on the beach or in the water. To do so, a large number of pillboxes and firing pits had been constructed - all of them with an excellent field of fire over the shoreline. Despite the challenges and the fierce resistance put up by the Imperial Japanese forces, the Marines won the day.
Agerholm then traveled to Hawaii to train for the impending invasion of Saipan. On June 9, 1944, just days after the D-Day landings in Europe, he sailed for Saipan.
In the build-up to the invasion, 14 battleships had fired 165,000 shells at the beaches, although fear of mines had kept the craft 5 miles out to sea. Also, the inexperience of the artillerists resulted in the bombardment not being as efficient as it could have been.
On June 15, 3000 LVTs landed 8,000 Marines on the Island's west coast, while 11 boats gave fire support to cover the operation.
The battle to take the island raged for three weeks as the Japanese displayed the courage and fanatical approach to war as they had shown previously. The defenders launched counter-attack after counter-attack. On July 7, a battalion neighboring Agerholm was overrun.
As the Marines had been mown down by the Japanese attack, the 19-year-old offered to evacuate casualties. Single-handedly, Agerholm commandeered an ambulance Jeep and made repeated trips, under heavy fire, loading and unloading wounded men. For three hours, he battled through Japanese sniper and mortar fire to move 45 of his comrades to safety before he was cut down in the prime of his life by a sniper.
The final day of the battle on July 9 witnessed the largest banzai attack in the entire Pacific War. The suicide charge involved 3,000 of the remaining fighting Japanese and, incredibly, the walking wounded behind them.
The Soldiers surged over the front line of the Americans, killing or injuring 650 members of the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 105th Infantry Regiment. During the fifteen-hour attack, over 4,300 Japanese were killed. Three men of the 105th Infantry earned a posthumous Medal of Honor.
The victory was costly for the American forces, which lost 2,949 men killed and 10,464 wounded. It was much worse for the Japanese. The defenders, who fought so fiercely to resist the invasion, had almost their entire garrison of 30,000 killed. Among the dead were around 1,000 civilians who committed suicide. Emperor Hirohito ordered them to do so as he did not want the generosity offered to them by the Americans used as propaganda against Japan.
Agerholm was awarded a posthumous Medal of Honor. His citation read:
"Locating and appropriating an abandoned ambulance jeep, he repeatedly made extremely perilous trips under heavy rifle and mortar fire and single-handedly loaded and evacuated approximately forty-five casualties, working tirelessly and with utter disregard for his own safety during a grueling period of more than three hours. Despite intense, persistent enemy fire, he ran out to aid two men whom he believed to be wounded Marines but was himself mortally wounded by a Japanese sniper while carrying out his hazardous mission."
In the early morning hours of August 13, 1943, twelve US B-24 Liberators from the 380th Bombardment Group (also known as the Flying Circus), began a low approach over the harbor of Balikpapan, Borneo. They were about to break records for the longest bombing run in history. Their 17-hour non-stop flight would take the Japanese completely by surprise and result in destruction in Balikpapan.
Intelligence had suggested that Balikpapan refineries were producing half of Japan’s WWII aviation fuel.
Under the command of Lt. Col. William A. Miller, a risky plan was conceived for a bombing run to Balikpapan. Pilots would need to cover 2600 miles - roughly the distance between Los Angeles and New York City.
The planes and crews were readied at the Royal Australian Air Force Base Darwin in Northern Australia. Each plane was loaded with six 500-pound bombs, 3500 gallons of fuel, and weighed nearly 66,000 pounds.
The runway at Darwin was especially short and ground crews watched nervously as the planes, including one piloted by Lt. Col. Miller, took off. They cleared the tree line by just inches.
Approaching the harbor, the first plane dropped its load without encountering any resistance. A massive explosion ensued. The next 11 planes encountered flak but managed to successfully drop their bombs on refineries and ships. The harbor exploded into a ball of flame. Burning oil ran down the hillsides. Lt. Col. Miller found the heat so intense that he was forced to drop his load from 7,000 feet.
After the successful run came the challenge of returning to Darwin. The planes headed back to Australia but as they crossed over a Japanese base on Timor, a B-24 piloted by Capt. Doug Craig was engaged by enemy fighters. Craig was forced to take evasive maneuvers all the way back to the coast of Australia. He was short on gas and 100-miles off course when he touched down on a stretch of sand. As they deplaned, they found th
emselves surrounded by a large group of Aborigines. Craig tried to communicate using exaggerated sign language but was surprised when the Aboriginal leader asked him, "What are you trying to say?" The Aborigines protected the crew until a rescue party arrived.
Days later, the 380th participated in a risky daylight flight to Balikpapan to assess the damage. Another Liberator performed a high elevation photo run of the harbor before dropping his load. The element of surprise was gone, and the Japanese scrambled to engage the B-24. Though riddled with bullets and running on fumes, the plane successfully returned to Darwin. Photos revealed more ships in the harbor and a third bombing run was planned for August 18th. The Liberators successfully bombed the harbor again. They were under heavy attack that resulted in bullet-riddled planes and wounds but managed to return to Australia. The Flying Circus received a Distinguished Unit Citation.
A 30-year Army veteran who was the longest continuously serving Ranger in Vietnam and one of the war's most decorated enlisted soldiers died.
Patrick Gavin Tadina served in Vietnam for over five years straight between 1965 and 1970, leading long-range reconnaissance patrols deep into enemy territory - often dressed in black pajamas and sandals and carrying an AK-47.
The retired Command Sergeant Major died May 29, 2020, in North Carolina. He was 77.
"Early this morning, my Dad ... took his last breaths and went to be with all the Rangers before him," his daughter Catherine Poeschl said on Facebook. "I know they are all there waiting for him."
He is survived by his wife, two sisters, two daughters, four sons, six grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren, the family, said in a brief online obituary. A funeral had not yet been scheduled.
A native of Hawaii, Tadina earned two Silver Stars, 10 Bronze Stars - seven with valor - three Vietnamese Crosses of Gallantry, four Army Commendation Medals, including two for valor, and three Purple Hearts.
After the second Rambo movie release, he was profiled in Stars and Stripes, where he was contrasted with Sylvester Stallone's beefy - often shirtless - portrayal of a Vietnam combat veteran.
"The real thing comes in a smaller, less glossy package," wrote reporter Don Tate in December 1985. "Tadina stands just over 5-feet-5and swells all the way up to 130 pounds after a big meal." His small stature and dark complexion helped him pass for a Viet Cong soldier on patrols deep into the Central Highlands, during which he preferred to be in the point position. His citations describe him walking to within feet of enemies he knew to be lying in wait for him and leading a pursuing enemy patrol into an ambush set by his team.
In Vietnam, he served with the 173rd Airborne Brigade Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol, 74th Infantry Detachment Long Range Patrol, and Company N (Ranger), 75th Infantry.
Tadina joined the Army in 1962 and served in the Dominican Republic before going to Southeast Asia. He also served with the 82nd Airborne Division in Grenada during Operation Urgent Fury in 1983 and with the 1st Infantry Division during Operation Desert Storm in 1991.
A 1995 inductee into the Ranger Hall of Fame, he served with "extreme valor," never losing a man during his years as a team leader in Vietnam, a hall of fame profile at Fort Benning said.
Some 200 men had served under him without "so much as a scratch," said a newspaper clipping his daughter shared, published while Tadina was serving at Landing Zone English in Vietnam's Binh Dinh province, likely in 1969.
Tadina himself was shot three times, and his only brother was also killed in combat in Vietnam, Stars and Stripes later reported.
The last time he was shot was during an enemy ambush in which he earned his second Silver Star, and the wounds nearly forced him to be evacuated from the country, the LZ English story said.
As the point man, Tadina was already inside the kill zone when he sensed something was wrong, but the enemy did not fire on him, apparently confused about who he was, the article stated. After spotting the enemy, Tadina opened fire and called out the ambush to his teammates before falling to the ground and being shot in both calves.
He refused medical aid and continued to command until the enemy retreated, stated another clipping, quoting from his Silver Star citation.
"When you're out there in the deep stuff, there's an unspoken understanding," he told Tate in 1985. "It's caring about troops."
He was not one to boast of his experiences, his daughter said in a phone interview Monday.
After retiring from the Army in 1992, he continued working security jobs until 2013, Poeschl said, including stints in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.
In recent years, he'd been struggling with dementia and other ailments, she said, and he often believed he was back in the Army with his buddies.
He always seemed most at home with his "Ranger family," his daughter said. She was trying to get word of his death to as many as she could.
"He was my dad, but he belonged to so many other people," she said.
It could have been the third deadly shooting on a naval base in a six-month span. But thanks to a dozen brave Naval Security Forces personnel, it never got that far.
This month, 11 sailors and one civilian attached to Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas, were recognized with commendations and awards for stopping an armed suspect who tried to gain access to the base on May 21.
In an Oct. 8 ceremony at the base, two sailors received the Navy and Marine Corps Medal, the service's highest non-combat lifesaving award. Seven more received Navy Commendation Medals for heroic service under fire; another two were recognized for responsiveness to the scene; and the civilian security officer, Federal Officer Stuart Levitt, received the Distinguished Civilian Medal for Valor.
"I am honored to be able to present these awards today," Gregory Slavonic, acting undersecretary of the Navy, said, according to a Navy news release. "Five months ago, these individuals' rapid, decisive actions, and their courage under fire, ensured no loss of life. This surprise assault could have been deadlier, but they utilized their training and responded swiftly and exceptionally thwarting the nefarious intent by the intruder."
For these security personnel, the call to action came around 6:15 a.m., May 21, when the suspect tried to force his way into the base at the Naval Air Station Ocean Gate. He was in his personal vehicle and began firing a handgun at the gate guard as he accelerated toward the entry point.
Master-at-Arms Yaisa Coburn, a Petty Officer 2nd class, was hit, taking bullets in her protective vest, but still managed to activate a "final denial barrier" to stop the vehicle from getting through the checkpoint.
She also radioed dispatch and began firing on the vehicle. Another gate guard, Petty Officer 3rd Class Levi Milligan, got into a chase vehicle, risking incoming rounds so that he could go after the gunman's car if it got through.
"When the barrier stopped the vehicle, the gunman got out of his car and started shooting at Milligan with semi-automatic rifle fire," Navy officials said in the release.
Other members of the security forces team arrived on-scene in response to Coburn's call, and they began firing at the gunman, even as he continued shooting with his semi-automatic rifle. Coburn and Milligan were ultimately to kill him; his attempt to do harm was an utter failure.
The gunman would later be identified as Adam Alsahli; FBI investigators would confirm the attack was terrorism-related. Coburn was taken to a medical facility and examined but quickly released.
Coburn and Milligan received the prestigious Navy and Marine Corps Medal on Oct. 8, signifying lifesaving heroism at personal risk.
Those who earned Navy Commendation Medals include:
Petty Officer 1st Class Candace Dickson, watch commander/incident commander; Petty Officer 2nd Class Jamie Moore, patrol supervisor/on-scene commander; Petty Officer 3rd Class Daniel Wallace; Petty Officer 2nd Class Lorne Mayfield; Petty Officer 2nd Class Robert Delgado; Petty Officer 2nd Class Franko Hunter; and Petty Officer 2nd Class Gregory Listman.
Petty Officer 3rd Class Colby and Seaman Edmond Cristales also received recognition for assisting with lockdown procedures and creating an emergency entry for responders.
Levitt, the civilian security officer, identified a package in the gunman's passenger seat that looked like it could have been an improvised explosive device and directed the evacuation of all personnel to safety.
"I am extremely proud of our Security personnel," Capt. Chris Jason, NAS Corpus Christi commanding officer, said in the release. "The Sailors who first encountered the shooter displayed tremendous courage and took immediate action under fire that allowed Naval Security Forces to respond quickly and effectively. The NSF team promptly contained the situation and prevented the suspect from gaining access to the base, its employees, and residents. They definitely saved lives."
That statement is underscored by recent events; the Navy suffered two deadly shootings at service installations in Dec. 2019. On Dec. 4, a sailor at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, Hawaii, killed two men and wounded a third before turning the gun on himself.
And on Dec. 6, a Saudi officer training at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, went on a shooting rampage, killing three and injuring eight others before being killed by law enforcement officials. That attack would also be deemed terror-related.
"We constantly train to ensure the safety of our base," Master-at-Arms Chief Petty Officer Scott Fiske, NSF senior enlisted advisor, said at the award ceremony this month. "Our drills are varied so that we may prepare for any contingency. And the training paid off in stopping the perpetrator. I am very proud of their actions."
Dorothy Cole, the oldest living Marine, proudly wore the service's Eagle, Globe, and Anchor as she celebrated her 107th birthday.
Cole was born on Sept. 19, 1913, in Warren, PA. A service video showed her wearing her Marine Corps League attire from Detachment 1175 in Concord, N.C.
Cole enlisted in the Marines immediately after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. Everyone was out doing something, the women helping the Red Cross or even in churches they were knitting things," said Cole in the video released Sunday. "So, I decided that I wanted to do something and I would go into the Marine Corps."
At the beginning of the U.S. involvement in World War II, the Marine Corps was reluctant to accept large numbers of women, according to the National WWII Museum's website.
This changed with the establishment of the Marine Corps Women's Reserve and by the end of the war more than 18,000 women had joined up.
Initially, the response from women wishing to enlist was so overwhelming that the service could not provide them with adequate uniforms during training.
Many of them like Cole, who was stationed at Quantico, served in administrative roles.
Cole was part of a program the service called "female integration" into some fields to allow more men to serve in combat roles in the Pacific.
The first woman to join the Marine Corps was Opha Mae Johnson, who joined during World War I in 1918 - two years before women had gained the right to vote nationally, according to the World War One Centennial Commission.
Currently, about 8.4% of the 185,000-strong Corps are women.
2021 DFC SOCIETY REUNION - 'RIDERS ON THE STORM - DESERT STORM'
Book the Dates: 23 - 26 September 2021, with Departure Date of 27 September (Please Note: Thursday - Sunday)
GENERAL INFORMATION: We’re going to the Washington, D.C. area, hosting at the Sheraton Pentagon City Hotel in Arlington, Virginia. The room rate is $139 + tax; doubles and kings available. Breakfast will be included. Group rate available 3 days pre and post based on availability. Group members staying three days pre and post after the main event days will be given breakfast vouchers to be redeemed at the hotel restaurant. The hotel has a free shuttle to and from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
Book the dates: 23-26 September 2021, with departure date 27 September. Note that this is a Thursday – Sunday time frame in contrast to the Sunday – Wednesday schedules of prior Reunions. We are doing so for lower hotel rates over the weekend compared to the start of the week.
MAKING HOTEL RESERVATIONS: Book your hotel reservations by clicking HERE.
14th Cavalry Regimental 2021 Reunion, September 1-5, in Crystal City (Arlington), Virginia. - A "not-to-be-missed" event!
Highlights
Tours of The Old Guard’s stables and Sentinels’ Quarters at the Tomb of the Unknowns, and a wreath-laying at the Tomb.
Visits to monuments dedicated to wars from WW II to Desert Storm/Desert Shield.
Visits to the National Archives, Smithsonian museums, and, on the final day, to the new National Museum of the U.S. Army.
A completely free day to do as you please.
Plus a Welcome Stable Call, Watering Hole gatherings every night, and a concluding Regimental Honors Banquet.
Arrive and register Wednesday, September 1st. Depart Monday, September 6th (Labor Day).
Host Hotel
The modern, finely appointed Crowne Plaza Hotel is our host. Just 15-minutes from Ronald Reagan National Airport, the hotel offers a free shuttle service from and to the airport.
Crowne Plaza Crowne Plaza Hotel in Crystal City (Arlington), Virginia
The hotel’s Veranda Cafe and Potomac Bar & Grill serve three sumptuous meals and a variety of drinks daily. It also has a Starbucks with breakfast and lunch offerings, an indoor fitness center, an outdoor pool, and underground parking ($20/day; a 50% discount).
And it offers a free shuttle service to and from the many nearby restaurants and Metro stop for the Blue & Yellow lines (about a five-minute walk away).
How to Reserve a Room
Make your reservation BEFORE August 2, 2021, to assure the special room rate of $89.00 plus fees and tax single or double occupancy. After this date, the rate cannot be guaranteed or may increase.
Call toll-free 1-800-2-CROWNE (or, 1-800-227-6963).
Tell the respondent you are a member or guest of the 14th Cavalry Association and give him or her Group Code “CAV.”
How to Register
To Be Published When costs verified
Click here for updates.
Coast Guard Combat Veterans Association
Announcing A Change In Venue! Check Out The Next Quarterdeck Log For Details
CGCPOA/CGEA Reunion/Convention
June 9-13, 2021
Holiday Inn
Virginia Beach/Norfolk
Hotel & Conference Center
Convention Dates: June 9, 2021 To June 13, 2021
Here's the new link for the AFRI registration for this new hotel!
https://afr-reg.com/CGCVA2021/
CPOA 52nd ANNUAL CONVENTION & CGEA 20th ANNUAL CONVENTION
CPOA/CGEA Convention To Be Held in Muskegon/Grand Haven, MI August 2021 During Coast Guard Festival Week!
We're all sad to have missed out on our Seattle Convention this year but we're hoping to make up for it by scheduling our 2021 Convention at the Shoreline Inn & Conference Center, Muskegon, MI, during the 2021 Coast Guard Festival. Just minutes away from Grand Haven, we'll be able to conduct our business 2 – 5 August and attend the Coast Guard Festival main activities 6th & 7th of August. Make it a family event and ensure to enjoy all that Grand Haven has to offer, and enjoy the Festival as well!
National Convention Committee Chairman
CWO2 Amy Ponce (Ret)
amyponce@aol.com
cpoaconvention@gmail.com
More Info Coming soon! Click here for updates.
Veterans Last Patrol
Mission Statement
Last Patrol: Serving veterans by bringing new friends to veterans in hospice.
Purpose
America’s veterans served their country. They protected us and our way of life. We must stand by them.
Our veterans know about patrolling land, sea, and air. Veterans in hospice are on their final fight and in their last patrol. Whether it goes by the name “battle buddy” or “shipmate” or “wingman” - all veterans understand that tough assignments are best faced together.
How We Make A Difference
Last Patrol connects veteran volunteers to veterans in hospice. We cooperate with medical providers of hospice care to connect volunteers to the patients so that their last patrol isn’t alone. It’s hard to underestimate the importance of friendship during end-of-life care. Last Patrol brings new friendships when friendship matters most.
When America’s veterans go into hospice care they often lose contact with family, friends, and with the military community. Some are alone. Some sit quietly in nursing homes. Many families are loving and attentive to their hospice patient but appreciate getting the support, connection, and information that a friend from the military community can provide. Last Patrol helps provide that support.
Some stories are only shared between veterans. The exceptionality of military experience is such that a special bond of service results. Many veterans describe their military service as a singularly unique period of their lives. As many veterans approach death, meeting a new supportive friend, sharing stories, and reawaking memories of “patrolling” with their buddies can be richly rewarding for both the patient and their families, as well as veteran volunteers. Last Patrol brings that service.
How Can You Help?
Be a Friend to a Patient in Hospice
Tell Us About a Patient in Need
Provide Financial Support
Click HERE to find out more about this organization.
After only a week of basic combat training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, two privates stepped up and saved a buddy's life, according to a Sept. 17 release from the U.S. Army.
Pvt. Carlos Fontanez, originally from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, said he had noticed something was off with his fellow trainee over the previous few days.
"He slept to the right of me. With previous events that had happened, I kind of realized maybe I should talk to him," he said.
Fontanez said he walked into the latrine and found the trainee using a PT belt as a noose.
"In the latrine, I saw what was going down, and I was just telling him, 'C'mon, think about what you're about to do.'"Pvt. Ari Tilla, native of Rochester, New York, walked in soon after.
"On Thursday morning [Sept. 3], I entered the latrines," he said. "I was doing some cleaning, and I heard a commotion off to my side. I saw Fontanez helping his battle buddy, who was in a mental health crisis, and we stepped in and got him the help that he needed."
The two worked together to save their fellow trainee.
"I lifted him up so he could breathe, and Till unclipped the PT belt, and we just got him down and stayed by him until he got help," Fontanez said.
Drill Sergeants and cadre took over after Till and Fontanez had gotten the trainee out of immediate danger, the release states. The trainee is now safe and receiving professional medical care, it added.
According to the release, both Fontanez and Till have had friends or loved ones attempt or die by suicide.
Till said it's important not to ignore warning signs. "If they're normally a social person and you see a distinct change in their mood or the way they interact with the people around them," those can be warning signs, he said.
If someone isn't getting enough sleep, food, or other basic needs, that can be a sign that they are in crisis, Fontanez added. "Really, just pay attention to everything that's going on," he said.
Lt. Col. Mark Larson, commander of 1st Battalion, 19th Field Artillery, presented the two with a unit coin.
"On the first day, I didn't know if I wanted to keep it here with me because of my personal relationship with people who have had problems with that. I didn't want a reminder," Till said. "But the longer time has passed, I like having it because it is a reminder that [he] is OK, and there are people out there that will do the right thing."
Fontanez agreed. "I like having it. I see it every day, realize what Till and I did, and it kind of just brings me to the point where it's like, you know, he's still here with us," he said.
When Marine sniper Jake Wood arrived in the States after two bloody tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, he was not leaving war behind him - far from it. Ten years after returning home, Jake's unit lost more men to suicide than to enemy hands overseas.
He watched in horror as his best friend and fellow Marine, Clay Hunt, plunged into depression upon returning, stripped of his purpose, community, and sense of identity. Despite Jake's attempts to intervene, Clay died by suicide, alone.
Reeling, Jake remembered how only one thing had given Clay a measure of hope: joining him in Haiti on a ragtag mission to save lives immediately following the 2010 earthquake. His military training had rendered him unusually effective in high-stakes situations. What if there was a way to help stricken communities while providing a new mission to veterans?
In this inspiring memoir, Jake recounts how, over the past 10 years, he and his team have recruited over 130,000 volunteers to his disaster response organization Team Rubicon. Racing against the clock, these veterans battle hurricanes, tornados, wildfires, pandemics, and civil wars while rediscovering their life's purpose along the way.
Once a Warrior provides a gut-wrenching account of the true cost of our Forever Wars - and more importantly, a glimpse of what might become of America's next greatest generation.
Reader Reviews
Once A Warrior is the book that America needs right now. Jake Wood's life-changing experience is a reminder of the greatness of the American spirit and how, now more than ever, we need to activate that spirit for the common good."
~Tom Brokaw, journalist, and author of The Greatest Generation
"One veteran's call to action can change the world. A must-read for anyone who wants to better understand the struggles and opportunities that our warriors experience upon returning from combat.”
~Marcus Luttrell, author of Lone Survivor
"Once you taste the joy and fulfillment that comes from service, you'll want to continue to serve, and Jake Wood proves it. Once A Warrior will inspire you to want to be a better human being."
~Simon Sinek, optimist and author of Start with Why Leaders Eat Last, and The Infinite Game
"An inspiring, true story of combat, courage, and commitment. Jake Wood did what warriors must and came away from the experience a builder; building Team Rubicon, rebuilding lives, and creating hope.”
~General Stanley McChrystal, author of Team of Teams
"Anyone who wants to better understand the veteran experience - or anyone who has a pulse - should read this gut-wrenching, paradigm-shifting book. Jake Wood offers one of the most soaring definitions of service I've ever seen."
~Maria Shriver, award-winning journalist and author of I've Been Thinking
"Once a Warrior is a book full of wisdom learned the bloody hard way. Taking us from Iraq to Afghanistan, to the truly incredible organization he built in the wake of his service, this is a roadmap for engaged, serious citizenship of the most inspiring kind."
~Phil Klay, author of Redeployment
"Ever notice that the best business books aren't business books? This is one of those books."
~Chris Sacca, investor, self-made billionaire, and frequent co-host of Shark Tank
Just got the book and can't put it down! What an eye-opening account of what our military and veterans experience at war and back home. It's a must-read!
~Meghan R
Inspiring story of service and dedication to duty. I also recommended the audiobook to hear it directly from the author.
~Paul Kehoe
So excited to receive this from a Marine Corps brother on our birthday. Semper Fi. Following Jake Wood, since @TeamRubicon, I have read his other books and truly enjoyed the way he instills leadership skills in our daily lives. This country needs this book right now, and I hope you buy it, read it and enjoy it as much as I did.
~Bloodstripe75
A truly fascinating, inspiring read - this book needs to be read by everyone. It's a story about resiliency, facing uncertain challenges head-on, and most importantly, hope. The author's passion and dedication for this story and the greater mission comes through 10 times over in the audible version. I couldn't stop listening.
~Kevin Kaiser
Wood shows himself to be a steady, experienced voice of reason in a time of great confusion in the US. He holds the tension between politics and humanity, resulting in a sense of unity, hope, and humbleness that reminds Americans who we want to be at our core. Wood articulates personal accounts of human connection that break the barriers of language and even culture in the most extraordinary - and often excruciating - of circumstances.
He dignifies those closest and farthest from him, showing the capacity of the human spirit for respect, love, and connection (even in war). This is a fascinating read that is restorative to who we are as Americans and what type of leaders we have in our country, currently serving the front lines of our humanitarian efforts through disaster relief response.
About the Author
Jake Wood is an entrepreneur, author, combat veteran, and former college football player. He is the co-founder and CEO of Team Rubicon, one of the fastest-growing nonprofit organizations in America. Team Rubicon serves communities by mobilizing veterans to continue their service, leveraging their skills and experience to help people prepare, respond, and recover from disasters and humanitarian crises.
Jake has authored two books: ONCE A WARRIOR (2020) and TAKE COMMAND (2014). He is a sought-after keynote speaker and recognized expert on topics of leadership, organizational culture, and crisis management.
In a prior life, Jake served in the Marine Corps as a scout-sniper from 2005 to 2009, with deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. In an even earlier existence, he played college football for the Wisconsin Badgers.
Upon completing his recruit training in San Diego, California, Agerholm was sent to the Headquarters and Service Battery, 4th Battalion, 10th Marines, and 2nd Marine Division. He received further training for eleven months with his battalion in Wellington, New Zealand. In January 1943, Agerholm was promoted to Private First Class.
On June 15, 3000 LVTs landed 8,000 Marines on the Island's west coast, while 11 boats gave fire support to cover the operation.
The Soldiers surged over the front line of the Americans, killing or injuring 650 members of the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 105th Infantry Regiment. During the fifteen-hour attack, over 4,300 Japanese were killed. Three men of the 105th Infantry earned a posthumous Medal of Honor.
Under the command of Lt. Col. William A. Miller, a risky plan was conceived for a bombing run to Balikpapan. Pilots would need to cover 2600 miles - roughly the distance between Los Angeles and New York City.
emselves surrounded by a large group of Aborigines. Craig tried to communicate using exaggerated sign language but was surprised when the Aboriginal leader asked him, "What are you trying to say?" The Aborigines protected the crew until a rescue party arrived.
Patrick Gavin Tadina served in Vietnam for over five years straight between 1965 and 1970, leading long-range reconnaissance patrols deep into enemy territory - often dressed in black pajamas and sandals and carrying an AK-47.
Tadina joined the Army in 1962 and served in the Dominican Republic before going to Southeast Asia. He also served with the 82nd Airborne Division in Grenada during Operation Urgent Fury in 1983 and with the 1st Infantry Division during Operation Desert Storm in 1991.
This month, 11 sailors and one civilian attached to Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas, were recognized with commendations and awards for stopping an armed suspect who tried to gain access to the base on May 21.
Master-at-Arms Yaisa Coburn, a Petty Officer 2nd class, was hit, taking bullets in her protective vest, but still managed to activate a "final denial barrier" to stop the vehicle from getting through the checkpoint.
Coburn and Milligan received the prestigious Navy and Marine Corps Medal on Oct. 8, signifying lifesaving heroism at personal risk.
Initially, the response from women wishing to enlist was so overwhelming that the service could not provide them with adequate uniforms during training.
14th Cavalry Regimental 2021 Reunion, September 1-5, in Crystal City (Arlington), Virginia. - A "not-to-be-missed" event!
CPOA 52nd ANNUAL CONVENTION & CGEA 20th ANNUAL CONVENTION
Veterans Last Patrol
"He slept to the right of me. With previous events that had happened, I kind of realized maybe I should talk to him," he said.