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REFLECTION:
Col. Patrick N. Delavan, U.S. Army Ret.
I
don’t visit my former commanding officer in the Vietnam War – then Major,
now retired U.S. Army Colonel – Patrick N. Delavan as often as I used to.
Shame on me! However, I did recently; and as always it was rewarding.
Pat and his wife Ruth live in Montgomery, AL.
Pat’s accomplishments are legend, his experiences indescribable! He
was in Korea when hoards of Chinese Communists came south across the border
into Korea. He witnessed that slaughter. Maybe his Korean War
experience helped prepare him to be the giant of a leader that he was in the
Vietnam War. He was my leader; he was our leader. How great a
leader was he?
I
wrote him a note when I returned to Andalusia after our recent visit which
said in part: “Pat, you are the greatest leader the USA produced in the 20th
century. Many, many warriors agree with me on that point.”
Pat
Delavan is a shy, humble man. If he knew I was writing this for
publication he would order me to put my pen down. But, he wears seven
– yes seven – Purple Hearts. He was wounded twice in Korea and five
times in Vietnam. He is the bravest man I ever met.
Pat
Delavan calls a spade a spade. Maybe that is another reason I admire
him so much. We talked about the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the
current war. He spoke of the “dumbing down” of those wars by the
media. He said: “In Korea and Vietnam they called the bad guys
insurgents. They weren’t insurgents. They were Communists.
In this war they call the bad guys insurgents. They aren’t insurgents.
They are terrorists.”
How
right you are Pat!
When we were in Vietnam in 1963, I was twenty three; and Pat was thirty
four. Pat said to me: “John, we are getting old.”
Yes
we are Pat, but this we do know! There is no substitute for victory!
We will preach this to the grave! Many fine, brave men and women went
to their graves in Korea and Vietnam because politicians would not let the
troops win! I say again! There is no substitute for victory! |
2005
- 2009 MWSA