Screaming Eagle Song
The Official Version:
We have a rendezvous with destiny
Our strength and courage will strike the spark
That will always keep men free.
Jump right down through the sky so blue
Keep your eye on the job to be done
We are men of the 101st
We will fight till the battle is won.
The Soldiers Version:
We have a rendezvous at O dark thirty
Our blood and guts provide the strength
That will keep AMERICA free!
Jump right down through the sky so black
Pray like hell we have surprise
We are the men of the 101st
We will fight until it is time to reposition.
At my retirement ceremony I felt like an old horse going to the glue factory and had to find another reason for living, fast.
So I'm happy my skills are not needed by this generation. The guys I taught are over in Iraq and Afghanistan right now. If my skills were needed again it would be because we are losing… badly. I’m hoping the guys I taught are teaching the Iraqis and Afghans how to follow a lawful order. Because believe you me, they already know how to kill for their own reasons.
I enjoy your writting not only because I can recongized the hardship and pain in your writing, but because you know how to find the pleasue in a hard life. I think we both know where our humanity comes from.
So, I executed my command and gave this speech to my squad.
Men, you don’t have to be in the Army long to get some duty that is distasteful. I think the usual record is five minutes. However, it might take awhile for you to get duty that is not only distasteful in and of itself, but makes you hate yourself for performing your duty. If that day has not yet arrived for you, then feel yourself lucky that it has taken this long for that day to come.
Now repeat after me. “We have a rendezvous with destiny…
When the battalion command heard our new version of the 101st song he moved our platoon behind the regimental band in the hope it could drown us out during the retirement ceremony. Like my Platoon Sgt., he also refused my request to hum or sing the song so we could have the tune right.
Note: There are two types of command, the preparatory command and the command of execution. “Attention,” is a preparatory command and it meaning is for all subordinates to cease whatever they are doing and prepare to receive a command of execution.