Ordinary Players, Extraordinary Characters

[Robert Rath]

Ordinary Players, Extraordinary Characters

Meet two people with lives so extraordinary, they could star in Medal of Honor or Grand Theft Auto.

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[PoweD]

Great article.

Another example is Herman Cain, a Victoria Cross winner.Henry used his PIAT to attack head on 5 tanks all by himself, disregarding his safety, and continued to fight even after his face went black from the rocket clipping a wall.He was so enraged that he swapped his PIAT for a mortar when his ammo went dry.Henry even declined to be returned to allied land, just so he could destroy more Tiger tanks.

 

[Alssadar]

Daniel Inouye sounds like he should get his own page on "Badass of the Week." I'm happy that he is still alive, as well as serving in the Senate.

Really, some fantastic stories and a fantastic article.

 

[Robert Rath]

Daniel Inouye sounds like he should get his own page on "Badass of the Week." I'm happy that he is still alive, as well as serving in the Senate.

Really, some fantastic stories and a fantastic article.

You're Welcome: http://www.badassoftheweek.com/inouye.html

Dan Inouye is an incredible individual and I didn't even include half of what makes him so cool. He treated casualties during the Pearl Harbor attack as a 17 year-old Red Cross volunteer, won his promotion to Lieutenant during the rescue of the Lost Battalion, has been the head of most major Congressional intelligence and military committees at one time or another, and was even one of the principal investigators during both Watergate and Iran-Contra.

Plus, having met him twice I can personally attest that he's a really nice guy.

 

[Imp_Emissary]

Daniel Inouye sounds like he should get his own page on "Badass of the Week." I'm happy that he is still alive, as well as serving in the Senate.

Really, some fantastic stories and a fantastic article.

You're Welcome: http://www.badassoftheweek.com/inouye.html

Dan Inouye is an incredible individual and I didn't even include half of what makes him so cool. He treated casualties during the Pearl Harbor attack as a 17 year-old Red Cross volunteer, won his promotion to Lieutenant during the rescue of the Lost Battalion, has been the head of most major Congressional intelligence and military committees at one time or another, and was even one of the principal investigators during both Watergate and Iran-Contra.

Plus, having met him twice I can personally attest that he's a really nice guy.

Glad he didn't die. The world could use more people like him.

Grand read. Great article.

Thanks for writing this!

 

[Elf Defiler Korgan]

A great little piece, good closing that our views on what are realistic are defined by our boring day to day.

Live a life a little more exciting than the norm, even just a little and try to tell people about the things you have seen and done, and they will call you a liar!

 

[Gilhelmi]

Daniel Inouye sounds like he should get his own page on "Badass of the Week." I'm happy that he is still alive, as well as serving in the Senate.

Really, some fantastic stories and a fantastic article.

You're Welcome: http://www.badassoftheweek.com/inouye.html

Dan Inouye is an incredible individual and I didn't even include half of what makes him so cool. He treated casualties during the Pearl Harbor attack as a 17 year-old Red Cross volunteer, won his promotion to Lieutenant during the rescue of the Lost Battalion, has been the head of most major Congressional intelligence and military committees at one time or another, and was even one of the principal investigators during both Watergate and Iran-Contra.

Plus, having met him twice I can personally attest that he's a really nice guy.

Glad he didn't die. The world could use more people like him.

Grand read. Great article.

Thanks for writing this!

This was my favorite part of the BAOTW article.

From this point on in the battle, Lieutenant Daniel Inouye of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team went into Total Fucking Berserker Meltdown Mode. He doesn't even remember what happened next ? but his awestruck platoon members sure as fuck do.

While still bleeding profusely from the mangled stump that used to be his right arm, Daniel Inouye ditched the grenades, unslung the Tommy Gun, and started firing it one-handed while running all over the goddamned battlefield like a fucking maniac, blasting the holy living shit out of anything with a gray helmet. He cleared out the third machine gun position with the Tommy Gun, changed the magazine, and then started running towards the main body of the enemy position, by himself, shooting the machine gun with his off-hand, wasting Nazis left and right in a hail of gigantic bullets. Finally, after rampaging like a madman, Inouye was shot in the leg, lost his footing, and fell down a hill. Unable to move, but unwilling to back down, Inouye propped himself up against the nearest tree, kept firing, and refused to be evauated until his Sergeants had moved the unit into position and prepared defenses for the inevitable German counterattack. All told, he had killed 25 Germans and wounded 8 more, and he'd literally done it all single-handedly. When the men in his unit came to the hospital and recounted the events to Inouye, his exact words were, "No, that can't be... you'd have to be insane to do all that."

He almost did not believe what he had done. The adrenalin, the rage at the Germans, the will to protect his men, All combined together into an unstoppable force.

Thank God, this man is now a US Senator. He is the kind we need leading our nation.

 

[ThunderCavalier]

That Whisky Bandit is officially the most badass criminal I've heard of.

I might start up Saints Row the Third again just so I can model the leader after him.

 

[Imp_Emissary]

Daniel Inouye sounds like he should get his own page on "Badass of the Week." I'm happy that he is still alive, as well as serving in the Senate.

Really, some fantastic stories and a fantastic article.

You're Welcome: http://www.badassoftheweek.com/inouye.html

Dan Inouye is an incredible individual and I didn't even include half of what makes him so cool. He treated casualties during the Pearl Harbor attack as a 17 year-old Red Cross volunteer, won his promotion to Lieutenant during the rescue of the Lost Battalion, has been the head of most major Congressional intelligence and military committees at one time or another, and was even one of the principal investigators during both Watergate and Iran-Contra.

Plus, having met him twice I can personally attest that he's a really nice guy.

Glad he didn't die. The world could use more people like him.

Grand read. Great article.

Thanks for writing this!

This was my favorite part of the BAOTW article.

From this point on in the battle, Lieutenant Daniel Inouye of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team went into Total Fucking Berserker Meltdown Mode. He doesn't even remember what happened next ? but his awestruck platoon members sure as fuck do.

While still bleeding profusely from the mangled stump that used to be his right arm, Daniel Inouye ditched the grenades, unslung the Tommy Gun, and started firing it one-handed while running all over the goddamned battlefield like a fucking maniac, blasting the holy living shit out of anything with a gray helmet. He cleared out the third machine gun position with the Tommy Gun, changed the magazine, and then started running towards the main body of the enemy position, by himself, shooting the machine gun with his off-hand, wasting Nazis left and right in a hail of gigantic bullets. Finally, after rampaging like a madman, Inouye was shot in the leg, lost his footing, and fell down a hill. Unable to move, but unwilling to back down, Inouye propped himself up against the nearest tree, kept firing, and refused to be evauated until his Sergeants had moved the unit into position and prepared defenses for the inevitable German counterattack. All told, he had killed 25 Germans and wounded 8 more, and he'd literally done it all single-handedly. When the men in his unit came to the hospital and recounted the events to Inouye, his exact words were, "No, that can't be... you'd have to be insane to do all that."

He almost did not believe what he had done. The adrenalin, the rage at the Germans, the will to protect his men, All combined together into an unstoppable force.

Thank God, this man is now a US Senator. He is the kind we need leading our nation.

Ha! It was so unbelievable even he didn't think it happened. That is awesome.

It still leaves me in awe what people can do if they are put into certain situations, or in some cases what they can do DESPITE the situations they are in.

As for him being a Senator. I am happy he is one,
:/ but I don't think he is liking it right about now. What with that U.N. treaty that could have helped people like him who have got really hurt in wars around the world....

All becasue some people complained that it may let the U.N. tell you what to do with your kids (even though we already have the rules that are in the treaty), and the fact the bill had no F@#King enforcement mechanism!
(Yes their complaints about the treaty was that it would let the U.N. tell you what to do, and wouldn't let them do anything, all at the same time.....UGH...)

 

[saintdane05]

Didn't Winston's Churchill son serve during World War II with a crossbow?

 

[Gilhelmi]

Daniel Inouye sounds like he should get his own page on "Badass of the Week." I'm happy that he is still alive, as well as serving in the Senate.

Really, some fantastic stories and a fantastic article.

You're Welcome: http://www.badassoftheweek.com/inouye.html

Dan Inouye is an incredible individual and I didn't even include half of what makes him so cool. He treated casualties during the Pearl Harbor attack as a 17 year-old Red Cross volunteer, won his promotion to Lieutenant during the rescue of the Lost Battalion, has been the head of most major Congressional intelligence and military committees at one time or another, and was even one of the principal investigators during both Watergate and Iran-Contra.

Plus, having met him twice I can personally attest that he's a really nice guy.

Glad he didn't die. The world could use more people like him.

Grand read. Great article.

Thanks for writing this!

This was my favorite part of the BAOTW article.

From this point on in the battle, Lieutenant Daniel Inouye of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team went into Total Fucking Berserker Meltdown Mode. He doesn't even remember what happened next ? but his awestruck platoon members sure as fuck do.

While still bleeding profusely from the mangled stump that used to be his right arm, Daniel Inouye ditched the grenades, unslung the Tommy Gun, and started firing it one-handed while running all over the goddamned battlefield like a fucking maniac, blasting the holy living shit out of anything with a gray helmet. He cleared out the third machine gun position with the Tommy Gun, changed the magazine, and then started running towards the main body of the enemy position, by himself, shooting the machine gun with his off-hand, wasting Nazis left and right in a hail of gigantic bullets. Finally, after rampaging like a madman, Inouye was shot in the leg, lost his footing, and fell down a hill. Unable to move, but unwilling to back down, Inouye propped himself up against the nearest tree, kept firing, and refused to be evauated until his Sergeants had moved the unit into position and prepared defenses for the inevitable German counterattack. All told, he had killed 25 Germans and wounded 8 more, and he'd literally done it all single-handedly. When the men in his unit came to the hospital and recounted the events to Inouye, his exact words were, "No, that can't be... you'd have to be insane to do all that."

He almost did not believe what he had done. The adrenalin, the rage at the Germans, the will to protect his men, All combined together into an unstoppable force.

Thank God, this man is now a US Senator. He is the kind we need leading our nation.

Ha! It was so unbelievable even he didn't think it happened. That is awesome.

It still leaves me in awe what people can do if they are put into certain situations, or in some cases what they can do DESPITE the situations they are in.

As for him being a Senator. I am happy he is one,
:/ but I don't think he is liking it right about now. What with that U.N. treaty that could have helped people like him who have got really hurt in wars around the world....

All becasue some people complained that it may let the U.N. tell you what to do with your kids (even though we already have the rules that are in the treaty), and the fact the bill had no F@#King enforcement mechanism!
(Yes their complaints about the treaty was that it would let the U.N. tell you what to do, and wouldn't let them do anything, all at the same time.....UGH...)

Ya, I agree. It seems like everything is coming around again, and again. If you read the politics of WW2, it is the same as today (just different players on different sides, but same issues). If you read the politics of WW1, it is the same as today (just different players on different sides, but same issues). If you read the politics of "insert world history here", it is the same as today (just different players on different sides, but same issues). Same issues, different tools of War.

On another note, You should read "On Killing" and "On Combat". Interesting look into the physiology of a soldier and the nations that send them to war.

 

[DrunkenMonkey]

Wow, just wow. It's amazing what a combination adrenaline, a cause, an a person's determination can make. Seriously who ever says that life is boring has been corrected. This Dan Inouye is living proof of this, not to say that other people in the world haven't pulled amazing feats of superhuman ability, but yeah you get the idea.

 

[Imp_Emissary]

Spoiler: :D I hid it.

Daniel Inouye sounds like he should get his own page on "Badass of the Week." I'm happy that he is still alive, as well as serving in the Senate.

Really, some fantastic stories and a fantastic article.

You're Welcome: http://www.badassoftheweek.com/inouye.html

Dan Inouye is an incredible individual and I didn't even include half of what makes him so cool. He treated casualties during the Pearl Harbor attack as a 17 year-old Red Cross volunteer, won his promotion to Lieutenant during the rescue of the Lost Battalion, has been the head of most major Congressional intelligence and military committees at one time or another, and was even one of the principal investigators during both Watergate and Iran-Contra.

Plus, having met him twice I can personally attest that he's a really nice guy.

Glad he didn't die. The world could use more people like him.

Grand read. Great article.

Thanks for writing this!

This was my favorite part of the BAOTW article.

From this point on in the battle, Lieutenant Daniel Inouye of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team went into Total Fucking Berserker Meltdown Mode. He doesn't even remember what happened next ? but his awestruck platoon members sure as fuck do.

While still bleeding profusely from the mangled stump that used to be his right arm, Daniel Inouye ditched the grenades, unslung the Tommy Gun, and started firing it one-handed while running all over the goddamned battlefield like a fucking maniac, blasting the holy living shit out of anything with a gray helmet. He cleared out the third machine gun position with the Tommy Gun, changed the magazine, and then started running towards the main body of the enemy position, by himself, shooting the machine gun with his off-hand, wasting Nazis left and right in a hail of gigantic bullets. Finally, after rampaging like a madman, Inouye was shot in the leg, lost his footing, and fell down a hill. Unable to move, but unwilling to back down, Inouye propped himself up against the nearest tree, kept firing, and refused to be evauated until his Sergeants had moved the unit into position and prepared defenses for the inevitable German counterattack. All told, he had killed 25 Germans and wounded 8 more, and he'd literally done it all single-handedly. When the men in his unit came to the hospital and recounted the events to Inouye, his exact words were, "No, that can't be... you'd have to be insane to do all that."

He almost did not believe what he had done. The adrenalin, the rage at the Germans, the will to protect his men, All combined together into an unstoppable force.

Thank God, this man is now a US Senator. He is the kind we need leading our nation.

Ha! It was so unbelievable even he didn't think it happened. That is awesome.

It still leaves me in awe what people can do if they are put into certain situations, or in some cases what they can do DESPITE the situations they are in.

As for him being a Senator. I am happy he is one,
:/ but I don't think he is liking it right about now. What with that U.N. treaty that could have helped people like him who have got really hurt in wars around the world....

All becasue some people complained that it may let the U.N. tell you what to do with your kids (even though we already have the rules that are in the treaty), and the fact the bill had no F@#King enforcement mechanism!
(Yes their complaints about the treaty was that it would let the U.N. tell you what to do, and wouldn't let them do anything, all at the same time.....UGH...)

Ya, I agree. It seems like everything is coming around again, and again. If you read the politics of WW2, it is the same as today (just different players on different sides, but same issues). If you read the politics of WW1, it is the same as today (just different players on different sides, but same issues). If you read the politics of "insert world history here", it is the same as today (just different players on different sides, but same issues). Same issues, different tools of War.

On another note, You should read "On Killing" and "On Combat". Interesting look into the physiology of a soldier and the nations that send them to war.

True. Perhaps that's really why it's called "The Circle of Life"?
Also, thanks for the book recommendations.

 

[The Rogue Wolf]

And, of course, the sniper so damn scary that Death itself didn't dare try to get close to him until he was 96: Simo Häyhä [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simo_Häyhä], aka "The White Death", aka "Why you don't screw around with Finland". One lucky Russian bullet hit him in the mouth, but didn't kill him- and the day he regained consciousness, peace was declared. Obviously the Russians were terrified he'd go back out in the snow and start shooting again.

[small]505 kills in less than 100 days, only using iron sights, in temperatures that reached -40 degrees C. Let's see you pull that off in CoDBlops, kids.[/small]

 

[aceman67]

What with that U.N. treaty that could have helped people like him who have got really hurt in wars around the world....

Sorry... but What treaty are you talking about?

You do realize that the UN, regardless of what treaty it signs, what ever resolution it enacts, it all comes down to this simple fact: Any member nation of the UN can refuse to abide by any resolution or treaty, because it is their sovereign right as a nation to self-govern.

The prime example of this is the host nation itself, The good ol' U S of A. Since its founding, the States has not paid its UN Member Dues on quite a number of occasions in order to get what it wanted out of the UN, then there's the second Iraq war, which did not have approval of the United Nations security council. But the US, as a sovereign nation, went ahead and invaded anyways. It all makes for some quite interesting reading if you ask me. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_and_the_United_Nations]

The United Nations does not carry the force of law of any kind. It requires its member nations cooperation to do anything.

So, don't like what the UN is doing? Call your local politician, and ask him/her if they still want your vote.

 

[vxicepickxv]

Well, sometimes truth is stranger than fiction.

 

[The Last Melon]

Don't get me wrong, I liked the article, but I didn't find it particularly insightful. "Some people are amazing" isn't exactly a contentious thesis. That said, the fact that I can label this the worst article while still calling it excellent says a lot about this column in general. I do hope The Escapist keeps it.

 

[Imp_Emissary]

What with that U.N. treaty that could have helped people like him who have got really hurt in wars around the world....

Sorry... but What treaty are you talking about?

You do realize that the UN, regardless of what treaty it signs, what ever resolution it enacts, it all comes down to this simple fact: Any member nation of the UN can refuse to abide by any resolution or treaty, because it is their sovereign right as a nation to self-govern.

The prime example of this is the host nation itself, The good ol' U S of A. Since its founding, the States has not paid its UN Member Dues on quite a number of occasions in order to get what it wanted out of the UN, then there's the second Iraq war, which did not have approval of the United Nations security council. But the US, as a sovereign nation, went ahead and invaded anyways. It all makes for some quite interesting reading if you ask me. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_and_the_United_Nations]

The United Nations does not carry the force of law of any kind. It requires its member nations cooperation to do anything.

So, don't like what the UN is doing? Call your local politician, and ask him/her if they still want your vote.

(It was the U.N. treaty for people with disabilities, not so very sure if it had a different name, but it's dead now anyway. It was just killed last week.)
I don't see how that changes things much. Well maybe it makes it worse. (Also, I was for the treaty.)

I never said the treaty made people have to obey its rules. In fact in my post I talked about how the treaty was killed not only because "it would give the U.N. power to tell people what to do with your kids" (this was bull by that way), but also the people who voted against this treaty complained that "the treaty had no reinforcement mechanisms".

Good to know that even if there was a reinforcement mechanism that the U.S. could just say they don't want to follow the treaty rules (again we already have about the same rules in the U.S. anyway so, yeah.)

Also, just a curious question, but how did I come off as anti-U.N.?
I don't mean to be rude, I just want to know how that happened. Sorry if I confused/offended you. I did not mean to.
I hope you have a nice day, and thank you for the reading material ideas.

 

[Imp_Emissary]

Spoiler: :) I hid this one too.

What with that U.N. treaty that could have helped people like him who have got really hurt in wars around the world....

Sorry... but What treaty are you talking about?

You do realize that the UN, regardless of what treaty it signs, what ever resolution it enacts, it all comes down to this simple fact: Any member nation of the UN can refuse to abide by any resolution or treaty, because it is their sovereign right as a nation to self-govern.

The prime example of this is the host nation itself, The good ol' U S of A. Since its founding, the States has not paid its UN Member Dues on quite a number of occasions in order to get what it wanted out of the UN, then there's the second Iraq war, which did not have approval of the United Nations security council. But the US, as a sovereign nation, went ahead and invaded anyways. It all makes for some quite interesting reading if you ask me. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_and_the_United_Nations]

The United Nations does not carry the force of law of any kind. It requires its member nations cooperation to do anything.

So, don't like what the UN is doing? Call your local politician, and ask him/her if they still want your vote.

(It was the U.N. treaty for people with disabilities, not so very sure if it had a different name, but it's dead now anyway. It was just killed last week.)
I don't see how that changes things much. Well maybe it makes it worse. (Also, I was for the treaty.)

I never said the treaty made people have to obey its rules. In fact in my post I talked about how the treaty was killed not only because "it would give the U.N. power to tell people what to do with your kids" (this was bull by that way), but also the people who voted against this treaty complained that "the treaty had no reinforcement mechanisms".

Good to know that even if there was a reinforcement mechanism that the U.S. could just say they don't want to follow the treaty rules (again we already have about the same rules in the U.S. anyway so, yeah.)

Also, just a curious question, but how did I come off as anti-U.N.?
I don't mean to be rude, I just want to know how that happened. Sorry if I confused/offended you. I did not mean to.
I hope you have a nice day, and thank you for the reading material ideas.

The funny thing is that the treaty wouldn't have changed any laws, it just endeavors to bring other nations up to the United States standards. It was based on our Americans with Disabilities Act.

Funny enough, another WWII Vet and former Republican presidential candidate, Bob Dole, was on hand to urge congress to sign on to the treaty, but every Republican in the senate voted against it.

Ahhhh, Republicans, what a bunch of bile-spitting mutants.

Yes I know about that too. So really there was no reason at all to be against it(that isn't dumb as hell!).
I feel bad Bod Dole had to be right there in his wheelchair to see that crap go down.