Sgt. Klay South - Veterans of Valor

[indyjoe]

Our Toastmasters group were treated to a presentation from Marine Sergent Klay South. He left his successful sales career to join the Marines. As he told it, he was bored and found out that he was also stupid.

During his second tour in Iraq, he encountered an insurgent RPG crew and started to engage. A passing US Army group mistakenly thought he engaging them. In case you are wondering, getting a building dropped on you is what he calls "not fun." He was hit with a couple rounds in the butt and back. After getting patched up, he participated in Operation Phantom Fury.

In 2004, the insurgents took over Fallujah. I don't know how many remember this from the news, when bodies of contractors were captured and hung from a bridge and burned. The Operation was the largest urban assault since the Tet Offensive during Vietnam.

The Army rolled through too fast and left many insurgents occupying houses. House to house clearing started. His superiors were very clear on the fact the 1 in 4 would die in this offensive. The lead man in the door has a 98% chance to be KIA or seriously WIA after 7 days of close quarters combat and kicking in doors.

Since newer soldiers will often freeze after getting in the door, South took point. Knowing he was probably going to die, he just made his men promise to get the guys that get him.

He gets to a door inside a home that won't budge. Finally getting it open, he is greeted by a point blank AK-47 fire. He is stitched feet to head with full auto fire. He went down and the insurgent continued to unload in him. If you want to know how close, part of his treatment was for severe facial burns from the muzzle flashes. Trying to get his rifle into the action, he discovers that it had taken too many rounds to function. He decides that he is already dead, so he preps a frag grenade and tosses it into the room. It comes right back and blows up next to him.

A medic pulls him out, under fire and has to trach him, because he has a bullet lodged in the back of his throat. He has lost most of his teeth, his jaw is completely gone. Holes in his foot, legs, chest, head. Not good shape.

4 years later and 40-50 operations and he looks pretty good. He knows what it is like for minutes to take hours, when waiting on the next painful procedure. He knows what he would have loved to have to get through those many months of recovery. He started Veterans of Valor to provide this to fellow soldiers recovering from being wounded in battle.

When he researched the care packages being sent to the troops, he was annoyed by the crap going out. So he started Operation Care Package 24/7 to ship decent things to the troops. This organization also helps fund Veterans of Valor.

I really enjoyed the hour and came away with a even more respect for what the troops on the ground are doing over there. I may not agree with the war, but it is never the troops choice to go fight and they will get my support.

Which brings be to my favorite part of the speech. He was invited to speak at a group (wisely remaining nameless). They had banners and papers showing how the "Support the Troops." The lowest salary in the room was over $200k. The entire room consisted of millions of dollars of income per year. They told him proudly that they are providing $100 for his organization. He asked them all to stand. Then he asked anyone that had donated $10 or more or provided a gift basket for the troops within the last 5 years to sit down. One person did. He asked how could they justify hanging a "Support the Troops" banner when they have done nothing. He told them they were not even worthy of hearing him speak and walked out.

You go Marine.

Sorry for the long winded post, but I thought many on the board would be interested in this Marine from Greenwood, IN and might be interested in supporting the troops in a real way.

Veterans of Valor

Operation Care Package 24/7, Show A Soldier That You Care

[W9ZEB]

We are actually the Web host for Veterans of Valor, & Operation Care Package 24/7

Klay is an amazing inspiration.

http://ingunowners.com/forums/the_br...e_package.html

http://ingunowners.com/forums/the_br...html#post46229

&

http://ingunowners.com/forums/the_br...html#post62674

[Pami]

"he looks pretty good" has got to be the understatement of the century. I was stunned when Lars told me his story after meeting him when I ran by the office one day.

[Bhriindan82]

Wow, that's one heck of a guy.

[exar]

Thanks for posting.