My father was born in 1925 and was raised by a single mom during the depression. At age 17 in 1942 he enlisted in the US Navy and became a corpsman (the S is silent Barack). He ended up in the South Pacific assigned to the Marine Corps medical service and was in the battle for Iwo Jima among other postings. He spent 20 years in the Navy/Marines and was part of helping evacuate our forces from the Chosin Reservoir in Korea. I was raised to support and defend this country and until about ten years ago I strongly did that. My dad died in 1993 and I am glad he can’t see the shit show it has become and all the lives we have wasted at home and abroad in the last 20 years.
Reading "Ordered Disobedience" finally convinced me to pitch in for an annual membership. Although this piece was not an editorial per se, it impressed me how much Chris Bray understands the value of Freedom, Bravery and Americanism. This has been apparent in his other writings but compelling in this referential article. Also, I thought my donation might finally provide him the money he needs to jump out of the dumpster fire known as California... (Kansas beckons)
I would be curious as to why. Social pressure I'm sure. But I wonder if testosterone being half of what it was for the greatest generation has anything to do with it?
And I wonder if the effects of "social pressure" (men being pussified) had a ratcheting effect on testosterone?
What a treeeemendous story. As a reader of military history I’ll look for that book. Lt. Lupo, wow. If you believe in what’s right, you won’t be wrong.
Feb 10, 2023·edited Feb 10, 2023Liked by Chris Bray
When I was a young Infantry Officer going through training at Ft Benning in 1979, every class started with a very short story of an enlisted man or officer who had won a valorous award (SS, DSC, CMH) in combat, many times at the cost of their lives. It may have been rote to some of my comrades, but what it said to me was that Americans of every background are capable of incredible feats under the worst possible conditions. You never know who will step up when it gets really bad. Great lesson we should continue to teach.
Great story making a great point. My father-in-law had 4 battle stars from the Pacific on the Raleigh, a light cruiser, ending up at Guam. He never bragged or felt he did anything particularly special, even when, as he explained it, he was cutting open capsized or sunk ships at Pearl to rescue trapped sailors. We have men and women like this now: we just don't have many leaders worthy of them.
Thank you Chris. Mindful disobedience...what the resisters of all-things Covid practiced, steeling us with grit and resolve for the next challenge. We are strong, and we are ready.
Great book. Enjoyed it very much. Brave men who understood the Churchill adage:
“It is no use saying, 'We are doing our best.' You have got to succeed in doing what is necessary.”
The right thing is usually the hard thing.
We are living through historical times.
Nobody is coming to save us. We either save ourselves or we become slaves. In many ways we already are slaves to our government. We aren’t safe by being silent. They’re already killing us. COVID wasn’t an accident. The “vaccines” were made before the outbreak. The ongoing push to give them to children in spite of myriad safety signals tells you all you need to know about the group behind the virus. They’re already making a mockery of the nation over and over. They’re already dragging us into a completely unnecessary and unjustified war against Russia. They got richerfrom COVID. They’ll get richer from another pointless war. You lose- freedom, income, loved ones. It’s not that ambiguous at this point as to what’s going on. It’s been a problem for longer than must of us realized, and at a level we could not have imagined. Standing up doesn’t mean being stupid or gratuitously foolhardy. It does mean fighting for what you believe. Those sailors did what was necessary. They were all afraid. They did it anyway. We all have that capacity inside of us, but most will not rise to the occasion. Sometimes you have to defy authority, especially when the authority is based on false pretenses and is regularly abused. Otherwise you’re a doormat for every bully and thief. Courage.
Bill Whittle wrote and narrated a 7 episode podcast series titled America's Forgotten Heroes, produced by Daily Wire. One episode featured the story of Taffy 3 and Ernest Evans.
Ernest Evans Orders Left Full Rudder
America's Forgotten Heroes
As a young officer on an obsolete destroyer in the opening days of World War Two, Ernest Evans had watched a combined American, British and Australian fleet get decimated by the seemingly unstoppable Imperial Japanese Navy. Forced to cover the humiliating retreat, he swore if given a fighting ship of his own he would never run from enemy forces again. Made captain of a brand-new Navy destroyer, the USS Johnston, this full-blooded Cherokee drilled his crew endlessly, turning his command into a finely balanced, well-oiled fitting ship. On October 24th, 1944, Evans found himself confronted with a force of 19 Japanese battleships, heavy cruisers and destroyers. Without orders, he turned his unarmed Tin Can around and sailed directly at the Yamato, the most powerful warship ever created, any one turret of which weighed more than his entire ship. Following his example, the remainder of the unarmored destroyers and destroyer escorts guarding Task Force Three —callsign Taffy 3 — turned into utterly overwhelming odds, and fought so ferociously that the Japanese fleet abandoned their mission and turned around. For his actions that day in the Battle Off Samar Island, Ernest Evans was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor and the story of Taffy 3 would enter the history books as the most amazing David vs. Goliath battles ever fought. and produce the most glorious two hours in the history of the United States Navy.
Nimitz’s signal (with the appendage still erroneously (sic?) attached) still applies in our covid age when looking for leadership: “Where is Task Force 34? The world wonders”.
Those were different men in a different time.
But we'll see.
Beautiful read nonetheless. Thanks.
My father was born in 1925 and was raised by a single mom during the depression. At age 17 in 1942 he enlisted in the US Navy and became a corpsman (the S is silent Barack). He ended up in the South Pacific assigned to the Marine Corps medical service and was in the battle for Iwo Jima among other postings. He spent 20 years in the Navy/Marines and was part of helping evacuate our forces from the Chosin Reservoir in Korea. I was raised to support and defend this country and until about ten years ago I strongly did that. My dad died in 1993 and I am glad he can’t see the shit show it has become and all the lives we have wasted at home and abroad in the last 20 years.
Greatest generation to be sure.
Always had the highest respect for my grandfathers and uncles who fought.
Yeah some of them weren't the greatest civilians. But hey, none of us are perfect
Reading "Ordered Disobedience" finally convinced me to pitch in for an annual membership. Although this piece was not an editorial per se, it impressed me how much Chris Bray understands the value of Freedom, Bravery and Americanism. This has been apparent in his other writings but compelling in this referential article. Also, I thought my donation might finally provide him the money he needs to jump out of the dumpster fire known as California... (Kansas beckons)
Awesome essay Chris.
Sadly we have a shortage of real men these days.
I would be curious as to why. Social pressure I'm sure. But I wonder if testosterone being half of what it was for the greatest generation has anything to do with it?
And I wonder if the effects of "social pressure" (men being pussified) had a ratcheting effect on testosterone?
What a treeeemendous story. As a reader of military history I’ll look for that book. Lt. Lupo, wow. If you believe in what’s right, you won’t be wrong.
When I was a young Infantry Officer going through training at Ft Benning in 1979, every class started with a very short story of an enlisted man or officer who had won a valorous award (SS, DSC, CMH) in combat, many times at the cost of their lives. It may have been rote to some of my comrades, but what it said to me was that Americans of every background are capable of incredible feats under the worst possible conditions. You never know who will step up when it gets really bad. Great lesson we should continue to teach.
This caused many tears for me.
My father, who was born in 1918, served in Europe during WWII.
He never talked about it much, until he was older, but I have SO much respect for all those who served, whether they really wanted to or not.
Almost everyone he started with died, so I was blessed to be born!
Great story making a great point. My father-in-law had 4 battle stars from the Pacific on the Raleigh, a light cruiser, ending up at Guam. He never bragged or felt he did anything particularly special, even when, as he explained it, he was cutting open capsized or sunk ships at Pearl to rescue trapped sailors. We have men and women like this now: we just don't have many leaders worthy of them.
Danny Huckabee
Thank you Chris. Mindful disobedience...what the resisters of all-things Covid practiced, steeling us with grit and resolve for the next challenge. We are strong, and we are ready.
Made me cry, their heroism.
Thank you; I’m buying the book today and praying for modern-day heroic insubordination everywhere. 🇺🇸
Brilliant piece! Just bought the book.
Great book. Enjoyed it very much. Brave men who understood the Churchill adage:
“It is no use saying, 'We are doing our best.' You have got to succeed in doing what is necessary.”
The right thing is usually the hard thing.
We are living through historical times.
Nobody is coming to save us. We either save ourselves or we become slaves. In many ways we already are slaves to our government. We aren’t safe by being silent. They’re already killing us. COVID wasn’t an accident. The “vaccines” were made before the outbreak. The ongoing push to give them to children in spite of myriad safety signals tells you all you need to know about the group behind the virus. They’re already making a mockery of the nation over and over. They’re already dragging us into a completely unnecessary and unjustified war against Russia. They got richerfrom COVID. They’ll get richer from another pointless war. You lose- freedom, income, loved ones. It’s not that ambiguous at this point as to what’s going on. It’s been a problem for longer than must of us realized, and at a level we could not have imagined. Standing up doesn’t mean being stupid or gratuitously foolhardy. It does mean fighting for what you believe. Those sailors did what was necessary. They were all afraid. They did it anyway. We all have that capacity inside of us, but most will not rise to the occasion. Sometimes you have to defy authority, especially when the authority is based on false pretenses and is regularly abused. Otherwise you’re a doormat for every bully and thief. Courage.
Bill Whittle wrote and narrated a 7 episode podcast series titled America's Forgotten Heroes, produced by Daily Wire. One episode featured the story of Taffy 3 and Ernest Evans.
Ernest Evans Orders Left Full Rudder
America's Forgotten Heroes
As a young officer on an obsolete destroyer in the opening days of World War Two, Ernest Evans had watched a combined American, British and Australian fleet get decimated by the seemingly unstoppable Imperial Japanese Navy. Forced to cover the humiliating retreat, he swore if given a fighting ship of his own he would never run from enemy forces again. Made captain of a brand-new Navy destroyer, the USS Johnston, this full-blooded Cherokee drilled his crew endlessly, turning his command into a finely balanced, well-oiled fitting ship. On October 24th, 1944, Evans found himself confronted with a force of 19 Japanese battleships, heavy cruisers and destroyers. Without orders, he turned his unarmed Tin Can around and sailed directly at the Yamato, the most powerful warship ever created, any one turret of which weighed more than his entire ship. Following his example, the remainder of the unarmored destroyers and destroyer escorts guarding Task Force Three —callsign Taffy 3 — turned into utterly overwhelming odds, and fought so ferociously that the Japanese fleet abandoned their mission and turned around. For his actions that day in the Battle Off Samar Island, Ernest Evans was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor and the story of Taffy 3 would enter the history books as the most amazing David vs. Goliath battles ever fought. and produce the most glorious two hours in the history of the United States Navy.
Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/americas-forgotten-heroes/id1553324105?i=1000527859448
The whole series is well worth a listen and I highly recommend it.
Which is why I have always had a healthy contempt for unearned authority. And no authority extant today has earned respect.
Nimitz’s signal (with the appendage still erroneously (sic?) attached) still applies in our covid age when looking for leadership: “Where is Task Force 34? The world wonders”.