Superheroes v. Actual Heroes

Fantasy clouds how we see reality

Jun 22, 2023

Reflecting

The Medal of Honor citation reads,

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty: First Lieutenant Ralph Puckett, Jr. distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty, while serving as the Commander, 8th U.S. Army Ranger Company during the period of 25 November 1950 through 26 November 1950, in Korea. As his unit commenced a daylight attack on Hill 205, the enemy directed mortar, machine gun, and small arms fire against the advancing force. To obtain supporting fire, First Lieutenant Puckett mounted the closest tank, exposing himself to the deadly enemy fire. Leaping from the tank, he shouted words of encouragement to his men and began to lead the Rangers in the attack. Almost immediately, enemy fire threatened the success of the attack by pinning down one platoon. Leaving the safety of his position with full knowledge of the danger, First Lieutenant Puckett intentionally ran across an open area three times to draw enemy fire, thereby allowing the Rangers to locate and destroy the enemy positions and to seize Hill 205.
During the night, the enemy launched a counterattack that lasted four hours. Over the course of the counterattack, the Rangers were inspired and motivated by the extraordinary leadership and courageous example exhibited by First Lieutenant Puckett. As a result, five human wave attacks by a battalion strength enemy element were repulsed. During the first attack, First Lieutenant Puckett was wounded by grenade fragments, but refused evacuation and continually directed artillery support that decimated attacking enemy formations, repeatedly abandoned positions of relative safety to make his way from foxhole to foxhole to check the company’s perimeter, and distribute ammunition amongst the Rangers.
When the enemy launched a sixth attack, it became clear to First Lieutenant Puckett that the position was untenable due to the unavailability of supporting artillery fire. During this attack, two enemy mortar rounds landed in his foxhole, inflicting grievous wounds which limited his mobility. Knowing his men were in a precarious situation, First Lieutenant Puckett commanded the Rangers to leave him behind and evacuate the area. Feeling a sense of duty to aid him, the Rangers refused the order and staged an effort to retrieve him from the foxhole while still under fire from the enemy. Ultimately, the Rangers succeeded in retrieving First Lieutenant Puckett and they moved to the bottom of the hill, where First Lieutenant Puckett called for devastating artillery fire on the top of the enemy controlled hill. First Lieutenant Puckett’s extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.

We get too much pop culture exposure to superheroes. These fantastical characters can defeat foes because their creators suspend reality at will. They make it harder to fully comprehend the courage, skill, and fortitude of actual heroes such as Col. Puckett. He couldn’t fly and he was neither invisible nor bulletproof. Yet according to Gen. Jay Hendrix somehow,

He feared no man, he feared no situation and he feared no enemy.

Col. Puckett was everything that a warfighter should be. In just this one battle, he not only exhibited extraordinary bravery but also revealed himself to be a leader that spread that bravery to his men. Soldiers wouldn’t have defied orders to rescue just any officer.

We need more Col. Pucketts. That means we need more West Point cadets. In addition to the usual combination of academics, sports, and leadership relevant to applying to any elite university, potential applicants should train for the candidate fitness assessment consisting of a basketball throw, pull-ups, shuttle runs, sit-ups, push-ups, and a 1-mile run. A good way to get a feel for the campus is to participate in one of the competitions open to civilians. I’ve competed in their annual rucking race and have heard good things about their orienteering competitions. Finally, go to the Summer Leaders Experience – it is like summer camp with grappling and guns:

Training

This morning’s whiteboard –

50-40-30-20-10
Row for Cals

50-40-30-20-10
Bike for Cals

30 seconds of hollow hold between rounds.

Then next run:

Fueling

Been loving trying all sorts of weird fungi from Seacoast Mushrooms.

Supplementing

It might only be a placebo but I like it! Beta-Alanine buffers acid build up in muscles. I can go longer and harder with 3 grams before working out.

It makes me feel like I have a third lung.

- 5x CrossFit Games champion Mat Fraser

Measuring

If you don’t have a convenient way to track percent body fat while you’re trying to both stay lean and build muscle, an easy alternative is to track your waist measurement. A body fat analyzing scale costs hundreds of dollars (100% worth it but expensive for a home scale) while measuring tape costs just a few bucks. If you’re gaining weight but losing inches around your waist, that’s probably muscle. Gaining inches? Probably fat.

Recovering

What do you do if you run out of time to both train and sleep enough? Ideally: don’t ever compromise either. That’s why I love 5 AM workouts – it is too early for work or family to get in the way. But if you are going to cut into your sleep, should you still lift? I wouldn’t. Prioritize consistent sleep, count it as a rest day, wake up energized, and train harder tomorrow.

Closing

I hope you liked the guest posts from friends who’ve most influenced me in various pursuits.