Episode-185- Survival Lessons from the Aguan River Valley
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In 1991-1992 at the age of 19 I took part in something called “Operation Furetes Caminos” as part of a detachment to the 536th Combat Engineers. From Dec 91 – June of 92 we worked to carve 10 miles of road into the Honduran interior in one of the harshest environments in the world. While there I learned a lot about life, survival and I learned how that which seems desolate and harsh can show you some of the most beautiful things the world has to offer.
Join me today on another time travel event back to 1992 as we recall together what the real power of man is all about. I will tell you lessons I learned and acted on at 19 that I could not articulate or even understand until more then a decade later. Today’ show notes are brief, just tune in the story speaks for itself.
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Jack you the man! great show friend! you do too much for us and we appreciate the time and effort you put into the show man. i always like hearing about your service. thank you for serving man.
LS
Jack having served in the Air Force during the Vietnam conflict. I tear up when we honor our vets and feel very unworthy of praise just as you said I was an Aircraft radar tech in Oregon. Never saw active fighting. Thanks for the show.
Bill
@Bill thanks for your service and your patriotism.
“I tear up when we honor our vets and feel very unworthy of prasie just as you said I was an Aircraft radar tech in Oregon. Never saw active fighting.”
My fellow vet, I must say BULLHOCKEY!!! You are a legitimate vet & should be proud of your service. I have had some bang-bang made at me & it doesn’t make me any better than anyone else.
Have had some folks get all worshipful when they see me in the “Starship Troopers Confederate Gray” ACU uniform & I quickly tell them 1. Thanks for paying my paycheck. 2. PLEASE drop the hero stuff. If I don’t lay out my clothes the night before, can’t find my drawers in the morning!!
Jack,
Great show today. I never served in the military. Thanks for your service, in the military and today.
Roger
Jack I would like to say that I am a volunteer martial arts instructor for the city of Tempe, AZ. I understand those people that jump to the conclusion that you are trying to make a buck off of everyone. I have been teaching martial arts for more than 20 years and have never taken one cent to teach anyone willing to put the effort in to train.
I have been listening to the show since you started and I have never felt like you did not care about your audience. As a mater of fact I choose to listen to your show and recommend it to many people on a daily basis because I truly feel like you are one of the few open minded people out there that really do care about the well-being of the people that listen to your show and are not trying to tell everyone that your way is the only way.
You’re doing a great thing with this show for many people. I hope that you keep up the great work.
In Faith and Friendship,
Vince
Thanks for a great show today – best I have heard yet! You are a great story teller and thank you for sharing your experiences. Your natives – I do not suppose many younger Americans today have really considered, or experienced even second hand, this sort of total freedom.
A man came to our school when I was young and gave a little talk on the coming dangers of Fabian Socialism. This some 45 years ago. I never forgot the message – your frog says it all. Great show!
This is an awesome Podcast. I just started getting into it about a week ago and I am listening to as many back episodes as I can, trying to catch up. I’m glad that I finally found out that there is a word for what I am… a “prepper”.
Thanks for all of the time invested to create such a wealth of knowledge. You’ve got a new loyal listener!
Don’t drive dump trucks in Honduras 🙂 Lucy isn’t the missing link, compassion is.
Wgy do you have moderation?
The security code is tough for those of us who have vision problems in contrast, I have to get someone to read it for me, just so you will know. No problems though, I will live throught it. 🙂
Ya’ll can honor vets, and that is OK, But you better start honoring your local farmers.
@Bill I am with Jimbo! I am a retired vet and was it does not not matter if you were there or not YOU ARE A VET! Be proud, stand tall and rememmber our bros!
I was with the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit in 2001. We were the first conventional forces to land in Afghanistan in November of that year. I feel the same way. I really did not do anything special. As a matter of fact, I feel I owe my country for allowing me to serve. To all vets on this forum, thank you for your service and God Bless you all.
Bill said “My fellow vet, I must say BULLHOCKEY!!! You are a legitimate vet & should be proud of your service.”
Agreed and what I think many civilians need to understand and many vets need to allow themselves to accept is that as a servicemen you do and go where you are told. Every vet pledged a number of years, some few and some many, to their nation. They signed away a large part of their freedom during that time and told Uncle Sam, send me where you need me.
When Uncle Sam sends the vet to New Jersey or Oregon or what have you it does NOTHING to reduce the sacrifice the man or woman willingly made usually at the age of 17-19 for most. There are not many people left who at that age will make such a sacrifice in today’s world.
Billy Ray Cryus is not my favorite singer by any means but I love the words,
“All gave some, some gave all, some stood true for the red white and blue and some had to fall. If you ever think of me, think of all your liberty and recall, some gave all.”
The man in this song (Sandy Kane) was a hero but his words say what I was trying to explain today, if you ever think of me, recall some gave all. In other words simply someone deserves it more then me.
There is this humility in all men and women who have served, you see it every time you try to thank one, they always turn away and just really can’t accept it is due to them personally, and that, that is why you should do it every time you get the chance.
We just saw a young solider in BDUs at the bar we go to most Fridays eating dinner alone. We paid his bill and told him a soldiers money was of no use in our presence. He was younger then my son, off to who knows where in the mid east and the look, the humility was already there.
“All gave some”, yea you bet, All The Way!
Joel said,
“I feel I owe my country for allowing me to serve.”
Well yea you do owe your nation for allowing you to serve, it is a privilege and an honor afforded to the few who answer the call. That doesn’t mean for one second your nation does not owe you for your service as well, the two are not exclusive!
Eqqus Palladus:”Ya’ll can honor vets, and that is OK, But you better start honoring your local farmers.”
Most of the National Guard troops & a good number of Active & Reservists are from rural/farm backgrounds, FYI 🙂
Jack, Awesome show! I’ve been listening since the start of the year and have caught up on all your back shows (even with the crappy audio).
I agree with a lot (not all) of what you say, but as a British national, living in the UK you sure did P me off with what you actually said in the previous episode although I suspected you didn’t mean the words literally. I nearly commented yesterday, BUT….I feel I’ve gotten to know you a little through listening to your shows and I was pretty sure you’d clarify the point in the following show – and you did! 🙂
Passion and strong belief are great things, and you’ve got them in spades! Fantastic show, thanks for all your advice and opinions. Keep on Keepin’ on.
Cheers
Most of the farmers in my area are corporate, growing thousands of acres at a time of corn or soybeans that they’re selling to companies that turn them into products, not food. And that’s one of the main reasons we’re a net importer of food. We’re growing products, instead.
Jack,
It was great to hear both your passion and the emotion in your voice today throughout the podcast. Not that it’s not there normally, but there was an extra note to it today.
I salute what veterans and active members of the military (both in Canada and the US) do for those of us who do not serve; that being, you have and do defend our right to freedom and democracy. I maynot like what a government edict or direction causes the military to do, but the active and former service people are to be thanked for doing what many of us either can’t or don’t want to do.
So, thank you.
Also, thank you for the podcast and the work you and the forum mods do.
Jack, I have a buddy who went to Honduras around 91-92 also. We were MPs. Hearing your show was just like what he had told me. All the stories were almost the same! He said he could not believe that people could survive in that place. Yall must have been around the same place cause he told me about the engineers making a big road through the mountains. He did some MSR patrol, showed my the pics, looks nasty. He also talked about the kids in their army, he said their training was a joke, but those kids were tough.
Thanks again
Bob, we had a Platoon of MPs with us who sort of managed the Honduran guys, I was good friends with their SSG we lifted weights together often and practiced martial arts with each other as well. I can’t remember his name but he was big guy, real into fitness and a great guy to work out with.
Sounds to me like your friend and I were in the same exact place at the same time. I just can’t believe there was another operation like this at this time. What is his name, could you give him my contact info please? I would love to reconnect with anyone who was there.
Sure will!!