Posted on Feb 17, 2020
Who was your greatest mentor or leader who helped shape your career or future success?
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I always think back to who made me the soldier I was to become. My mentor, who more than likely never knew, was SSG Harry Wimbrough, later to become CSM Wimbrough, a CSM of the Old Guard. As an Army Ranger, he taught me to be technically and tactically proficient. As a former member and later CSM of the Old Guard, he taught me the importance of Drill and Ceremony as it relates to military history. It was a privilege to have been in his squad.
Mentor
Training
Drill
Ranger
Infantry
Posted 6 y ago
Responses: 15
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SGT (Join to see)
CPL Douglas Chrysler You are right! But for me, there was that one who just stood out.
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Some of yall know him. SSG Gray type still hangs out around fort hood!
Challenged me to stay on top of my game when I was enlisted, and has always offered great insights into motivation and training.
Challenged me to stay on top of my game when I was enlisted, and has always offered great insights into motivation and training.
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LTC Stephen F.
Thank you CPT (Join to see) for honoring SSG Gray who challenged you "to stay on top of my game when I was enlisted, and has always offered great insights into"
By the way the author of this post SGT (Join to see) died last year. He left behind his widow Barbara.
FYI CDR Andrew McMenamin, PhD SSG (Join to see)
By the way the author of this post SGT (Join to see) died last year. He left behind his widow Barbara.
FYI CDR Andrew McMenamin, PhD SSG (Join to see)
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SFC Aubrey Smith who we met getting off the bus that rainy night at Ft.Lewis Wa.Nov 1965,Basic training NCO and Platoon Sergeant for Alpha Co.3/8 Inf.4th Inf.Div.for the next ten months of training then just to make sure we didn’t screw up he continued his duties as our Platoon Sergeant in Vietnam in the field with us on every operation (easily could have used his rank to get out of the boonies at any time) a professional in his craft ,his kind are rare and unequaled and we were lucky to have had him.
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CWO3 (Join to see)
That reminds me of Gardens of Stone movie. The SFC wanted to go with his Old Guard troopers to Nam.
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SGT Philip Roncari
CWO 3 William McIntosh- SFC Smith was certainly not James Caan and he could have had many chances to avoid going out to the boonies with us,believe me many of his peers did just that ,but he was old school straight leg Infantry,those rare old breed guys that are hard core grunts you only get to meet once in a life time.
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My mom- gave me everything I ever needed. She yelled louder than my TI as well.
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SSGT Hall, after walking in the desert for 1 month, he offered to carry my M-60 thinking I needed the help, but I declined, it wasn't that hard or heavy for me. Carrying wood logs with my grandfather out of the jungles was harder.
What it showed me was, he was concerned for his men, and that as a leader, he took care of his men. When I made E-5, he gave me a set of his old Buck Sargent pins he had saved, and told me, it was traditional that your first NCO stripes were hand me down stripes from another Sargent.
What it showed me was, he was concerned for his men, and that as a leader, he took care of his men. When I made E-5, he gave me a set of his old Buck Sargent pins he had saved, and told me, it was traditional that your first NCO stripes were hand me down stripes from another Sargent.
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Oh god, I can never mention her name -- which is sad in and of itself. It's been 50 years and I think of her nearly every day. She was a Captain (O-3) when she became my nurse, and I was an SP4 (E-4). She gave me a reason to live -- she taught me that I was worthy, there was still life ahead when I was ashamed to let anyone, even her, see me. I looked and felt like Frankenstein's Monster, only the villagers certainly weren't flocking to see me. I hope she had as great a life as she gave me and I salute her, wherever she may be.
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SGT Robert Pryor
MAJ Ken Landgren - Absolutely. She was an angel in every way. She shall always have a special part of my heart for so many reasons. But nearly at the cost of her military career. No, we didn't date date or have sex, but we most definitely violated the UCMJ when it comes to fraternization -- and we got caught. Then she took all the blame and heat from her superior as I stood at her side with neither of us trying to defend our actions. I should have defended her, but I was convinced anything I said would have made things worse for her. Maybe some day I will find away to accurately describe what happened without incriminating her, and post it on RP as a fraternization thread to get input from you and others who have held positions of leadership in the military.
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SGT Robert Pryor
MAJ Ken Landgren - Timing is indeed everything. We had a couple of other impediments, in addition to timing. She was at least five years my senior (I never asked her age) and a college graduate, while I hadn't yet been to college, nor was I old enough to drink or vote. She fought the fraternization thing as best she could, but failed. Hey, as a Captain, she should have known we "Enlisted men are stupid, but extremely cunning and sly, and bear considerable watching." Like you, I wonder if she remembers what we did, or who the guy was. She'd be in her late seventies now. Probably still one of the most beautiful women to grace our planet.
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CWO3 (Join to see)
Angels walk among us. Or I'm still on low numbers if you're a stats guys, because I've had many close calls in my life, time stands still example : pulling a 540 on interstate @65 in lincoln navigator, slow motion and just hold the wheel. steer into it or flip/roll. Springtime with light mist/sheen on asphalt of on ramp. Slalom style onto hard ball. I'm sure we can all remember similar events. The part I could not have learned was that as you spin you have to rotate the wheel axis to correspond with your position in the current 180, three times for a 540. It made me think of those license plates that say jesus is my co pilot.
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I so wanted to answer this...but the guy who I thought was the best Sergeant in the Army ...well he is also the most private person I ever met. So I won't tell his story, but just know that soldiers like that, who don't want any attention or credit brought upon themselves- are the ones that leave a legacy. That old Army Saying: " A lot can be done if you don't care who gets the credit." Well, it belongs to this man.
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My BN S3. I was an unassuming 20 year old supply clerk in iraq till they took me in and let me have a flushing toilet and air conditioning and turned me into the iraq war's first documented drone dispatcher.
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Early on it was CWO4 Nagazyna, the MMO of my first unit. He had been a Capt in Korea, reverted back to WO and had tons of TIG as CWO4. No CWO5s in 78-79. He used to wrap an arm around our LtCol Sqdn Co and they'd walk and talk, as if mentoring him, but with all due respect. He had a daughter that was a USMC Corporal I believe. He was also a great shooter. Word around Quantico was that he actually died on the firing line after retirement on Quantico. No proof, so unknown. Later it was CWO4 Marine Gunner Bolton at SOI Camp Pendleton. A remarkable leader, with combat and a Silver Star. He got promoted from SSgt to 2Lt for actions in Nam, and also reverted, but back to Marine Gunner. https://www.marines.mil/News/News-Display/Article/1470318/gunner-gilbert-h-bolton-a-marine-through-and-through/
Gunner Gilbert H. Bolton: A Marine through and through
“The more you sweat in peace the less you bleed in war,” said Silver Star recipient Gilbert H. Bolton during a recent presentation to students of the School of Infantry-West on Camp Pendleton, Calif.
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I just had to write another comment. I absolutely loved this thread. I read every single comment...and man they were powerful stories. Of course those of us with Good Mothers' mentioned them too. And the stories of not quite sex, but chemistry that made us overcome - and maybe luck out and not get thrown out. It is just a marvelous thread.
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