THREAD: A day late - but wanted to share the stories of the 12 @82ndABNDiv paratroopers inducted into the #AllAmerican Hall of Fame at @FtBraggNC this week. 1/13
SFC Obie Wickersham served in WWII where he was injured during the Battle of the Bulge. Wickersham chose to continue fighting on the front lines - despite a chance to move back. Years later, he was taken prisoner during the Korean War and spent 2.5 years in captivity. 2/13
In 1918, Captain William Cunningham continued to push his men through a WWI battle after being severely wounded in the face by shrapnel. He earned the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions in France. 3/13
Col. Julian Cook’s third combat jump was the storied Operation Market-Garden in 1944. His leadership later helped capture the town of Herresbach, taking down 100 German soldiers and capturing 180 more. Not a single paratrooper life was lost that day. 4/13
As a chaplain during WWII, Col. Delbert Kuelh ministered to wounded and dying soldiers. But his heroic actions also rescued stranded paratroopers in Sicily when he secured a Jeep under enemy fire and returned them to the fight. 5/13
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THREAD: This is SSG Jason Lowe. He was 27, a top performer within his @82ndABNDiv unit and had just graduated 2nd in his class in the Army's Advanced Leader Course.
Four days after graduation, he took his own life inside his Fayetteville, N.C. apartment.
SSG Ryan Graves found him.
"He wanted to be the best," he told me. "He probably was one of the best."
The @82ndABNDiv has lost ten paratroopers to suicide this year. That number stood at four 2019 and six in 2018.
COMING HOME EARLY: 200 @82ndABNDiv paratroopers arrived back to @FtBraggNC this morning after announcement of US troop drawdown in Iraq. They’ll be heading straight into a mandatory two week quarantine.
This has to be an incredible surprise for families this morning. @2BCT_FALCONS wasn’t expected home till at least the end of the year - but this is only a small part of the brigade.
.@PeteButtigieg talking Fort Bragg and the issues facing NC military families right now during a Biden campaign virtual town hall.
Retired SGM Sean Baker: “It is unacceptable that we have veterans ending their lives in VA parking lots... That’s what failure looks like.”
SF wife @MargoDrakos discussing the challenges facing active-duty families, particularly finding affordable child care: “Our community is stretched so so thin.”
Spent my Friday with Gene Herrick - the legendary @AP photojournalist who captured some of the most iconic images of the civil rights movement. From Dr. King leaving court to Rosa Parks being fingerprinted, the stories he can tell are endless.
Eager to put together the story next week. But one thing I’ll share until then is his response when I asked if this current movement feels different. For the first time Gene said he has hope that real change might happen for Black Americans.
And one more random Gene moment that stood out to me... After the interview, we talked about how he’s watched our business change over the years. When Gene was working for @AP, he was so committed to unbias coverage that he didn’t even tell his wife who he voted for.
For the 2nd time in 6 months, the @82ndABNDiv's Immediate Response Force is being activated - to respond to current unrest. Soldiers at Fort Bragg were officially alerted this afternoon.
Paratroopers on IRF rotation were given an unofficial heads up over the weekend through a phone tree - but that isn’t unusual in the 82nd. And *very* different from an official activation. Plenty at Bragg told me they didn’t expect to go.
Tonight, the cat escaped and led us on an hour long foot chase through the neighborhood. At one point I heard @NickOchsnerWBTV say “I have eyes on the suspect.” It was the closest I’ve ever felt to an episode of Cops.
Said suspect was apprehended - but now @HeidiWigdahl thinks I should purchase a stroller so she can get more time outside.
She also suggested @NickOchsnerWBTV take said cat and stroller along on his investigations. Could it disarm the corrupt public officials he’s going after?