This is Jocko Podcast number 529 with Echo Charles and me, Jocko Willink.

Good evening, Echo.

Good evening.

All that I knew of this war was that America was fighting communists, and it was my duty

to help my country.

At age 21, I believe that I was seven feet tall, bulletproof, invisible when needed,

and that Vietnam was to be the greatest

adventure I could ever hope for I had three years of service but not a minute in combat

my troops were very young many still in their teens like me most had enlisted or been

drafted straight out of high school.

A few had several months of combat under their belts, but even they could not have been prepared for what awaited us in late October, 1969.

And so we went, more or less happily onto the isolated hilltop called Kate, ignorant of the misaligned forces

that controlled our fate, never expecting a bloody five-day monsoon of steel and fire.

And that right there is an excerpt from a book called abandoned in hell written by

william bill allbrack and Marvin wolf and bill our brak call sign hawk served as the

youngest green beret captain in v, where he experienced significant combat,

not only at Firebase Kate,

but later as a Mike Force leader.

He is the recipient of three silver stars,

five bronze stars,

several of those with the combat distinguishing V,

three Purple Hearts, and most important, the combat distinguishing the three purple hearts and most important the combat

...