General McChrystal's Farewell: What Rolling Stone Didn't Tell You

Greg Hengler | September 08, 2010 11:43 AM

We all know about General McChrystal's very swift fall from grace as a result of some comments he made to a Rolling Stone reporter. We are not here to rehash that episode. What we are here to do is celebrate a great American soldier. C-SPAN televised his retirement ceremony at Fort McNair in D.C. During this ceremony, McChrystal was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal by Gen. George Casey and the Defense Distinguished Service Medal by Defense Secretary Gates.

His speech reminded all of us who saw it of the nature and character of the US soldier. And General Stanley McChrystal was a GREAT SOLDIER. He graduated from West Point in 1976 and his 1st assignment was to the 82nd Airborne Division, followed by a stint in Special Forces School at Fort Bragg. The distinguished officer rose up the ranks to become Commander of U.S. Forces Afghanistan. Like so many of our great soldiers, he comes from a family of soldiers.

McChrystal is the son of Major General Herbert J. McChrystal, Jr. and was the fourth child in a family of five boys and a girl, all of whom would serve in the military or marry military spouses. His older brother, Colonel Scott McChrystal, is a retired U.S. Army Chaplain.

The mainstream media covered the controversy, but cared little about this man's life, or his remarkable final speech to his friends, family members, and fellow soldiers. It was an extraordinary speech.

HT to HABEEB & Benjamin Rush.