This One Fought Like San Miguel Himself

On August 9, 2005, a detachment of U.S. Army soldiers from 1st Battalion, 76th Regiment, 3d ID was in the middle of a critical mission as part of America’s efforts to get Iraq back up on its feet after Saddam Hussein’s disastrous reign. They were escorting a group of Embassy personnel and Coalition VIPs to an extremely important meeting for the future of the long-suffering nation. The convoy would pass through some of the most dangerous zones in all of Baghdad. There was just no other way.

One of the U.S. Army soldiers protecting the dignitaries that day was Miguel Carrasquillo, a tough Puerto Rican who had grown up in Chicago. Like so many other Michaels, Miguel was a leader and symbol of strength for his family and friends his whole life.

Predictably, there were many malignant groups in the country who did not want that meeting to take place, and they were prepared to go to any lengths to stop it.

Throughout human history, many armies and nations have turned to suicidal troops as a desperate bid to stave off defeat. And it’s no wonder- as westerners we may recoil from the thought, but suicide bombers can have a devastating effect tactically as well as psychologically in war. In one form or another, Militant Islam has always taken advantage of weak-minded souls in this manner to advance their aims, and on this day they would do so again.  

As the convoy rolled onto a main road, one of Miguel’s fellow soldiers spotted a vehicle bearing down on the embassy limousine surrounded by Humvees. 

The vehicle refused to stop, and it’s intent was clear. Despite the danger to himself, Miguel unwashed a torrent of machine gun fire at the vehicle as it sped past.

Instantly the automobile exploded, far short of it’s intended target, The Embassy Personnel, but right next to Miguel’s vehicle, killing him instantly. 

The Protector is an ancient and eternal role for the Spirit of Michael and Miguel Carrasquillo shall always be known as a True Michael, un Miguel Verdad. 

Here are some very touching letters attesting to Miguel’s importance to his family and to his combat heroism.

The Guy SEAL Team 6 Relied On

Even though he fought side by side with one of America’s most elite and aggressive counter-terrorism Units, Michael Strange wasn’t some Terminator-dude chiseled from Mount Rushmore who loved the smell of napalm in the morning. According to those who knew him best, he was a funny guy, and above all else, a loyal and dependable guy. 

Michael Strange deployed with SEAL Team 6 and underwent the training and learned his skills out of a simple sense of duty. Not everyone can be a cryptographer. Not everyone can be strong enough and fast enough and smart enough to go on direct action missions with a Tier 1 Unit. But Michael Strange was, and he knew it. And so he went.

He performed his extremely complex responsibilities flawlessly on dozens of missions around the world, tracking terrorist communications in-close with the assaulters and snipers of SEAL Team 6. on  August 6, 2011 Michael went on his last mission with those legendary fighters. 

Around midnight, the call came in. A Ranger mission had put the enemy on the run- SEAL Team 6, along with Michael and his spy gear, were tasked with hunting them down. Michael would be needed to intercept and track the enemies communications as they attempted to escape and coordinate a counter-attack. This was real Mission:Impossible stuff, and it required the ability to utilize complex communications and encryption technology in the middle of intense firefights and other high-risk combat operations. 

Tragically, as they flew through the night to support the Rangers, an enemy rocket shot down their chopper and Michael and 37 other U.S. servicemen made the ultimate sacrifice. No one is saying Michael Strange was a Saint, but he is surely by St. Michael’s side now. 

For his incredibly valuable contribution to our nation’s defense Cryptologic Technician (Collection) First Class Michael Strange was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with Valor, Purple Heart Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal with Valor, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, Presidential Unit Citation, and other campaign and unit decorations. 

For more information on this extraordinary young man and his legacy, check out these websites:

https://www.facebook.com/MichaelStrangeFoundation

http://www.michaelstrangefoundation.org

https://www.facebook.com/pages/RIP-Hero-Michael-Strange/213091625406268

and for more inspiring stories of the Spirit of Michael in action:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Spirit-of-Michael/319058918294735

A Hero From The Old School

The village of Landres-et St. Georges is a typical farming villages in the North of France, an area also known as “The Argonne” for its dark forests. Here, near the borders of Belgium and Germany, well-maintained fields and orchards encircle ancient towns built of stone, and even today daily life is dictated by the seasons and the crops. 

However, this otherwise nondescript locale has been witness to some of humanities mightiest armies and fiercest battles. Julius Caesar, Joan of Arc, Napoleon, and generations of other soldiers have all fought here. 

In the fall of 1918, in the heart of World War I, history was again repeating itself. 

The orchards had long been blasted to splinters, and the green fields had been carved into black trenches. Now both the Allies and the Kaiser’s forces were moving troops into the area in anticipation of some very large battles.

On October 14, 1918 The US Army’s Company I, 165th Infantry, 42d Division was moving position towards the village in preparation for a major advance. One of the men in I Company was a former boxing instructor from New York City by the name of Sergeant Michael Donaldson. According to the 42d’s official history, repeated gas attacks, very high casualties, and rumors of a coming armistice had all worn down the soldier’s morale. Things got so bad that the 42d’s very active and decisive Chief of Staff, Colonel Douglas Macarthur, had recently issued orders forbidding the use of colloquial terms in officer’s official reports such as “Company shredded to pieces”, and any talk of peace or an end to hostilities was strictly forbidden. Against this backdrop of despondency and desperation, I Company followed orders and headed down the road. As they approached Landres-et St. Georges, they turned off the road, and began ascending a hill to take up a position on the crest.

     

Unknown to them however, a detachment of Germans had already taken possession of the hilltop. The German troops were dug in with their usual tactical precision. Several machine guns had a commanding view of the road and interlocking fields of fire. 

As the Americans approached the ridge, the Kaiser’s men unleashed the ambush. The Germans achieved total surprise and the assault was extremely effective. I Company was forced to hurriedly fall back to a safe position down the road to reorganize. 

In the confusion I Company left six men wounded on the hill amongst the dead. 

On his own initiative Sergeant Michael Donaldson, the former boxing instructor, now ran back through the ambush in plain sight of the enemy. 

As the machine guns blazed down at him, he sprinted back up the hill to the first injured man. Grabbing his wounded comrade by the shirt collar, he dragged the soldier back down to safety as bullets kicked up everywhere around them. 

Not content with just one incredible act of heroism, Sergeant Donaldson ran back up the hill five more times, each time in the face of withering enemy fire. Incredibly, he successfully rescued all six wounded men. 

This was truly the Spirit of Michael in action. For his selfless and outstanding bravery Sergeant Michael Donaldson was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor and the Medaille Militaire, France’s highest Military Award.

Michael would go on to live a long and happy life, counting several U.S. Presidents as friends. He was well-known and well-regarded around New York City as he always remained active in Veteran’s groups.

Here is a slice of Sergeant Michael Donaldson’s extraordinary life in his own words: http://army.togetherweserved.com/army/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=ShadowBoxProfile&type=Person&ID=278620

Greetings!

Greetings! I am establishing this blog to explore and document my interest in the Archangel Michael. Through his own acts as The Soldier of God as well as his ability to inspire incredible heroism and sacrifice in us mere mortals, I believe Saint Michael is a true and awesome force for good on earth. If any readers have examples from their families or communities of people acting in the Spirit of Michael, please let me know so I can share them through this blog.