Believe soldiers’ accounts of Benghazi

True accounts of war can only be told by our soldiers who have fought the battles and witnessed the horrors of war. Fighting alongside their fellow soldiers watching them fall, trying to comfort them from a wound we all knew they wouldn’t survive. Caring not for themselves, caring only for their fellow soldier, sometimes being wounded when doing so, this was more important than the mission, this was the mission at hand, bringing everybody home.

Many Hollywood movies would emerge to not only sell tickets but to tell the story of our brave soldiers fighting wars to protect the very freedoms we enjoy today. In an effort to portray wars, they can only rely on the true and accurate accounts from combat reporters and soldiers that were on the battlefield. Without these eyewitness accounts, no one could begin to understand the emotions and horrors of war.

In my opinion, as a combat vet, unless you have experienced combat, you cannot truly know war. Movies such as “Pearl Harbor” make it a love story between pilots. However, it does portray historical events and timing of the horrific attack that Sunday morning, Dec. 7, 1941, which launched this country into WW II.

“The Longest Day” was portrayed by many movie stars cast in roles of military heroes. Here too, true accounts by our fighting soldiers gave them the stories. They did not embellish the action, they told it as it was.

“Saving Private Ryan” was the first true account (no embellishment by Hollywood producers) to show the real horrors of war. It showed how fragile the human body is.

The mini-series “Band of Brothers” was another true account that can only come from those who have witnessed firsthand, and had the strength to tell their stories. Thank God for their strength. The truth, without it, who would know?

In “We Were Soldiers,” Hollywood showed the first helicopter war in our history. It did fairly well in its portrayal. We learned a lot from this crucial battle in the Ia Drang Valley, Vietnam. Then they went Hollywood the last 15 minutes.

Is the Benghazi film “Thirteen hours” exaggerated by Hollywood or a true account from soldiers who fought valiantly to save fellow Americans? Soldiers have moral fiber; “Truth is how we honor our fallen.”

To better understand “Benghazi” and why it failed, one needs to know of the assets that were available and how they should have been put to use.

I served in Vietnam in 1969 as team leader Darkhorse 4/2. The quickstrike force involved four seven-man teams, part of a hunter-killer unit in the 1st infantry division. Twenty-eight soldiers always at the ready. Boots on, weapons by our side, helicopters, Cobra gunships and scout helicopters ready to go when the alarm sounds, two minutes and we are airborne.

Not knowing the mission at takeoff, we are briefed en route. If we were certain of the situation, we engaged immediately. Uncertain, we landed outside the perimeter and worked our way in. Phantom jets, F-105s and helicopter gunships pounded the perimeter until our arrival.

The White House administration and State Department tells the American people they did not have the info, did not know the situation. They did not initiate any action while quick response teams were ready in Italy and other units closer to the fight who were ready to go.

Even if they arrived two hours late, this attack took thirteen hours. Combat contractors a mile away were given a “stand down” order, which the state department denies. If action would have been initiated immediately, all four of our Americans at the embassy, most likely, would be alive today.

At best they would have had a chance. You can believe the true accounts from those who defied orders and fought bravely to protect their fellow soldiers.

This story was originally published February 1, 2016 at 9:33 AM with the headline "Believe soldiers’ accounts of Benghazi."