CDR Sal: You said: "I cannot find out anything else about this man … but there has to be one hell of a story, not just about the man, but the journey of the Army and the nation he served from the 1930s to the 1960s - serving at the front at age 52...I don’t know his story, but in a way, I don’t need to." A powerful, and IMO, fitting tribute. The nation he served had a lot of men like him throughout its history. We honored them with medals and parades, because, (I think) while many appreciated what they did, they (we) were not comfortable thinking about "what" they actually did while fulfilling George Orwell's words: “We sleep safely in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm.” RIP Master Sergeant Robert Cyrill Donald, USA...I sincerely hope you have found it.
I'm not sure Orwell ever said those exact words, but it resonates with me as does this Heinlein:
"The most noble fate a man can endure is to place his own mortal body between his loved home and the war's desolation."
Lt. Col. Jean V. Dubois (Ret.), p. 91; this quote pays homage to the beginning of the 4th stanza of The US National Anthem: "Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand/Between their loved home and the war's desolation!"
I get to the DC area every other month, I always make a stop to the Lincoln Memorial and Vietnam Memorial. When you go, you should use the Wall of Face site Sal mentions. When I go I don't go with anyone in mind, but I find 3 or 4 names that call to me and look them up at that site.
I have never gotten past 4 names without getting a serious gut punch. It might be a small, a shared b-day or the guy played football at the high school next to mine out in the sticks. Usually it's the remembrances from a friend or comrade. Reminiscing about that beer the night before the deceased shipped out, from a fellow Marine went looking for and found him after he didn't come back from looking for wounded, from a guy who loaded his body on the chopper.
I think they should not only Pentagon denizens but all the DC swamp creatures who send out our people in harm's way to make a monthly pilgrimage to the Memorial and read the names and their stories
CDR Salamander, you said what I was thinking, I didn't know Master Sargent Robert Cyrill Donald, USA, but I knew him, and I know him, and life is all the more richer for it. The photo of Master Sargent Donald in what looks to be Southeast Asia (somewhere, anywhere) is epic. It reminds one of the photos of Bull Simons or Charlie Beckwith, men who asked for no quarter and gave none. Hard as tempered steel. We can juxtapose Master Sargent Donald against say oh I don't know, that desk warrior Mark Milley, and ask how it is so, that Milley et al live with themselves, one would think that broad yellow stripe down the back of their Pink and Green blouses would get heavy after while. While it would be astounding for Netflix or HBO to do a series on Master Sargent Donald, the story of SF actions in Southeast Asia would enormously interesting. Personally, having served with Marines who fought at Khe Sanh and Hue' I would not mind a Netflix or HBO series on those two seminal fights.
As always thanks CDR Salamander for finding the very interesting material that you bring forward with such regularity. We few, we happy few. We knew him, and know him, and maybe in Valhalla we will meet and Master Sargent Donald with humor and some distain will teach us how to start a fire in the sopping wet jungle and BBQ a local snake.
Sorta like “A boy named Sue.” Those A teams…hunters, hunted, ambassadors, insurgents, counter insurgents, plain old tough, no brag, no going off Bragg to brag or write books. Amazing men. Still hero’s to us, they only get forgotten if we let them be forgotten. We need a movie!
What an amazing personal story! A great reminder that there are many such important stories of noble service to the nation that go untold.
Master Sargent Donald's story reminds me of WEB Griffin's Brotherhood of War series, a fictionalized account of a cohort of Army officers that served through WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. It's been a couple of decades since I've read them, but there are some interesting parallels.
Did you say Netflix mini-series? Allow me to summarize: "Transitioning Master Sargeant Roberta "CeeCee" Donald overcomes gender stereotypes and bullying in high school to lead our nations's first gender-queer special forces outfit, the "Pink Berets," in this inspiring story of heroism and hair-dos in Vietnam's Central Highlands."
dol o7
CDR Sal: You said: "I cannot find out anything else about this man … but there has to be one hell of a story, not just about the man, but the journey of the Army and the nation he served from the 1930s to the 1960s - serving at the front at age 52...I don’t know his story, but in a way, I don’t need to." A powerful, and IMO, fitting tribute. The nation he served had a lot of men like him throughout its history. We honored them with medals and parades, because, (I think) while many appreciated what they did, they (we) were not comfortable thinking about "what" they actually did while fulfilling George Orwell's words: “We sleep safely in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm.” RIP Master Sergeant Robert Cyrill Donald, USA...I sincerely hope you have found it.
I'm not sure Orwell ever said those exact words, but it resonates with me as does this Heinlein:
"The most noble fate a man can endure is to place his own mortal body between his loved home and the war's desolation."
Lt. Col. Jean V. Dubois (Ret.), p. 91; this quote pays homage to the beginning of the 4th stanza of The US National Anthem: "Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand/Between their loved home and the war's desolation!"
I get to the DC area every other month, I always make a stop to the Lincoln Memorial and Vietnam Memorial. When you go, you should use the Wall of Face site Sal mentions. When I go I don't go with anyone in mind, but I find 3 or 4 names that call to me and look them up at that site.
I have never gotten past 4 names without getting a serious gut punch. It might be a small, a shared b-day or the guy played football at the high school next to mine out in the sticks. Usually it's the remembrances from a friend or comrade. Reminiscing about that beer the night before the deceased shipped out, from a fellow Marine went looking for and found him after he didn't come back from looking for wounded, from a guy who loaded his body on the chopper.
I think they should not only Pentagon denizens but all the DC swamp creatures who send out our people in harm's way to make a monthly pilgrimage to the Memorial and read the names and their stories
Nine children.
In a way, at least 'tis good to have that legacy...who knows what great contribution his progeny will make over generations?
Too many were, and are, and will be, taken too soon.
That man loved the last, best hope on planet Earth and was willing to pay any price for her…
God Speed. Fullbore for certain.
CDR Salamander, you said what I was thinking, I didn't know Master Sargent Robert Cyrill Donald, USA, but I knew him, and I know him, and life is all the more richer for it. The photo of Master Sargent Donald in what looks to be Southeast Asia (somewhere, anywhere) is epic. It reminds one of the photos of Bull Simons or Charlie Beckwith, men who asked for no quarter and gave none. Hard as tempered steel. We can juxtapose Master Sargent Donald against say oh I don't know, that desk warrior Mark Milley, and ask how it is so, that Milley et al live with themselves, one would think that broad yellow stripe down the back of their Pink and Green blouses would get heavy after while. While it would be astounding for Netflix or HBO to do a series on Master Sargent Donald, the story of SF actions in Southeast Asia would enormously interesting. Personally, having served with Marines who fought at Khe Sanh and Hue' I would not mind a Netflix or HBO series on those two seminal fights.
As always thanks CDR Salamander for finding the very interesting material that you bring forward with such regularity. We few, we happy few. We knew him, and know him, and maybe in Valhalla we will meet and Master Sargent Donald with humor and some distain will teach us how to start a fire in the sopping wet jungle and BBQ a local snake.
I'll give it a name:
"Forgotten Heroes"
PS: I wonder if having Cyrill as a name toughens a man in a certain way:
Richard (Rick) Cyrill Rescorla
Sorta like “A boy named Sue.” Those A teams…hunters, hunted, ambassadors, insurgents, counter insurgents, plain old tough, no brag, no going off Bragg to brag or write books. Amazing men. Still hero’s to us, they only get forgotten if we let them be forgotten. We need a movie!
What an amazing personal story! A great reminder that there are many such important stories of noble service to the nation that go untold.
Master Sargent Donald's story reminds me of WEB Griffin's Brotherhood of War series, a fictionalized account of a cohort of Army officers that served through WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. It's been a couple of decades since I've read them, but there are some interesting parallels.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brotherhood_of_War
Mac MacMillan: Not the brightest of bulbs, but never a quitter
He was an old man in a job few men grow old in. The Army was his life, and he was true to it.
52 years old and on the front line. Quite an achievement in any era.
and I bet he went down swinging
We can hope he did so.
The only way Netflix would be interested in this is if they could make him black and trans.
Nine kids.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/17603837/robert_cyrill-donald
Did you say Netflix mini-series? Allow me to summarize: "Transitioning Master Sargeant Roberta "CeeCee" Donald overcomes gender stereotypes and bullying in high school to lead our nations's first gender-queer special forces outfit, the "Pink Berets," in this inspiring story of heroism and hair-dos in Vietnam's Central Highlands."
a Mash! vibe for sure
These stories and men are the reason I enlisted. Consider them unremembered, unappreciated but always unvanquished.
Haven't had time to dig into this, but could be valuable info here...
https://history.army.mil/html/books/090/90-23-1/CMH_Pub_90-23-1.pdf
He definitely had that Dad energy.
💯