1 00:00:03,049 --> 00:00:05,440 His name is Weldon Honeycutt 2 00:00:06,340 --> 00:00:09,119 Tiger is his nickname , Blackjack . 3 00:00:09,130 --> 00:00:12,949 Call sign . You know , he's , he's 4 00:00:12,960 --> 00:00:15,016 the true American dream is the way I 5 00:00:15,016 --> 00:00:16,960 think about it . He grew up in the 6 00:00:16,960 --> 00:00:19,071 Great Depression in North Carolina in 7 00:00:19,071 --> 00:00:21,290 the 19 thirties and grew up extremely 8 00:00:21,299 --> 00:00:23,860 poor , really searching for coal and a 9 00:00:23,870 --> 00:00:25,926 railroad track to give to his mom to 10 00:00:25,926 --> 00:00:28,020 heat up food on a stove that had no 11 00:00:28,030 --> 00:00:30,260 electricity dirt on the floor . And 12 00:00:30,270 --> 00:00:32,240 they had to decide of the seven 13 00:00:32,250 --> 00:00:34,528 siblings who was going to eat that day , 14 00:00:34,610 --> 00:00:37,979 whatever day it was signed up for the 15 00:00:37,990 --> 00:00:40,580 army at 16 years old by forging his 16 00:00:40,590 --> 00:00:42,939 mom's signature to get out of there and 17 00:00:42,950 --> 00:00:45,006 then pave a path for himself . So he 18 00:00:45,006 --> 00:00:46,894 went from growing up in the Great 19 00:00:46,894 --> 00:00:49,061 Depression to a general officer in the 20 00:00:49,061 --> 00:00:51,117 United States army . So it was a big 21 00:00:51,117 --> 00:00:53,172 deal . He became an eagle because of 22 00:00:53,172 --> 00:00:55,339 his contributions to air power in army 23 00:00:55,339 --> 00:00:59,049 aviation . But then also his tactical 24 00:00:59,060 --> 00:01:01,909 proficiency as infantryman throughout 25 00:01:01,919 --> 00:01:04,389 his time . So I was assigned to a unit , 26 00:01:04,400 --> 00:01:06,344 the 187 th infantry regiment , the 27 00:01:06,344 --> 00:01:08,959 Rocks and the 101st Airborne Division . 28 00:01:09,319 --> 00:01:11,486 When I was assigned , there was the 49 29 00:01:11,486 --> 00:01:13,541 50 th anniversaries of the battle of 30 00:01:13,541 --> 00:01:16,190 Hamburger Hill . And every year those 31 00:01:16,199 --> 00:01:18,421 veterans come back to Fort Campbell and 32 00:01:18,421 --> 00:01:20,477 we host them for a reunion . We take 33 00:01:20,477 --> 00:01:22,643 them out to the shooting range . We do 34 00:01:22,643 --> 00:01:24,588 a big event for them . Just really 35 00:01:24,588 --> 00:01:27,440 honor them for their sacrifices and 36 00:01:27,449 --> 00:01:29,616 really just pay credit to what they've 37 00:01:29,616 --> 00:01:31,616 done . They laid the legacy and the 38 00:01:31,616 --> 00:01:33,727 foundation for our unit and we wanted 39 00:01:33,727 --> 00:01:36,005 to pay it forward . So those two years , 40 00:01:36,005 --> 00:01:38,227 I got to meet him in person . The first 41 00:01:38,227 --> 00:01:40,338 time I met him , it was at the casual 42 00:01:40,338 --> 00:01:42,449 dinner and he was in the corner and I 43 00:01:42,449 --> 00:01:44,616 saw this crowd of people around this , 44 00:01:44,616 --> 00:01:46,838 you know , small older man , you know , 45 00:01:46,838 --> 00:01:49,005 he's five ft six , he's a little guy , 46 00:01:49,005 --> 00:01:51,309 but he packs a heck of a punch . So I 47 00:01:51,319 --> 00:01:53,541 walk over there to this small crowd and 48 00:01:53,541 --> 00:01:55,597 I start listening to the stories and 49 00:01:55,597 --> 00:01:57,819 these stories are mind blowing . You've 50 00:01:57,819 --> 00:01:59,819 never heard anything like it in the 51 00:01:59,819 --> 00:02:03,370 service . It was just , I was blown 52 00:02:03,379 --> 00:02:06,050 away just by meeting him , meeting the 53 00:02:06,059 --> 00:02:08,669 veterans there . My whole thought of 54 00:02:08,679 --> 00:02:10,949 service in the army changed after the 55 00:02:10,960 --> 00:02:13,309 day I met him . And for the next year , 56 00:02:13,320 --> 00:02:15,264 all I could think about was seeing 57 00:02:15,264 --> 00:02:17,264 these people again , these veterans 58 00:02:17,264 --> 00:02:19,320 from Vietnam when they were going to 59 00:02:19,320 --> 00:02:21,153 come in the 50 . And we did , we 60 00:02:21,153 --> 00:02:23,320 planned a huge celebration , a welcome 61 00:02:23,320 --> 00:02:25,431 home ceremony . We did a whole lot of 62 00:02:25,431 --> 00:02:27,542 events for them and then we took them 63 00:02:27,542 --> 00:02:29,764 back to Vietnam , a group of them , but 64 00:02:29,764 --> 00:02:31,820 I got to see General Honey cut again 65 00:02:31,820 --> 00:02:33,931 once again . And at this time , he is 66 00:02:33,931 --> 00:02:36,098 just a legend to me , you can't really 67 00:02:36,098 --> 00:02:38,376 spend too much intimate time with them . 68 00:02:38,376 --> 00:02:40,690 You just know him as blackjack call 69 00:02:40,699 --> 00:02:42,699 sign blackjack , you know of him as 70 00:02:42,699 --> 00:02:44,810 that he was the commander . Every one 71 00:02:44,810 --> 00:02:46,921 of those veterans today . Look at him 72 00:02:46,921 --> 00:02:48,977 like he is the commander that he was 73 00:02:48,977 --> 00:02:51,940 then . And so , you know , after 74 00:02:51,949 --> 00:02:53,616 leaving there , I knew how to 75 00:02:53,616 --> 00:02:55,727 unfinished business , I wanted to see 76 00:02:55,727 --> 00:02:57,616 him again . I wanted to have that 77 00:02:57,616 --> 00:02:59,616 intimate time where I could ask him 78 00:02:59,616 --> 00:03:01,838 questions and really hear his stories . 79 00:03:01,850 --> 00:03:03,683 And then when I got to Air Staff 80 00:03:03,683 --> 00:03:05,906 College , they said , hey , we're doing 81 00:03:05,906 --> 00:03:08,017 a gathering of the Eagles and you get 82 00:03:08,017 --> 00:03:10,239 to interview someone who contributed to 83 00:03:10,239 --> 00:03:12,600 air power . And I was like , hm , I 84 00:03:12,610 --> 00:03:16,130 know just the guy and he was in my mind 85 00:03:16,139 --> 00:03:19,699 the whole time . He is a gritty 86 00:03:19,729 --> 00:03:22,399 commander . He is a true infantry man . 87 00:03:22,410 --> 00:03:26,240 He is a warrior , a war fighter . And 88 00:03:26,259 --> 00:03:28,259 in this time right now , we're in a 89 00:03:28,259 --> 00:03:30,259 peacetime environment preparing for 90 00:03:30,259 --> 00:03:32,370 large scale combat operations . In my 91 00:03:32,370 --> 00:03:34,309 opinion , he is the last living 92 00:03:35,399 --> 00:03:37,949 infantry commander that has faced 70% 93 00:03:37,960 --> 00:03:39,682 casualties in combat and led a 94 00:03:39,682 --> 00:03:41,990 formation through that time and he did 95 00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:45,119 it and they won . It was a significant 96 00:03:45,130 --> 00:03:47,297 victory . It was proof of the American 97 00:03:47,297 --> 00:03:49,750 soldiers . Will them taking Hamburger 98 00:03:49,759 --> 00:03:51,981 Hill and he's lived through that . He's 99 00:03:51,981 --> 00:03:54,092 seen it and I got to hear his stories 100 00:03:54,092 --> 00:03:56,259 and I understand what it takes to lead 101 00:03:56,259 --> 00:03:58,426 in crisis just from hearing how he did 102 00:03:58,426 --> 00:04:02,110 it . And so not only that his 103 00:04:02,119 --> 00:04:04,679 standard of excellence , it , he made 104 00:04:04,690 --> 00:04:06,912 it clear that it takes a while to build 105 00:04:06,912 --> 00:04:08,912 culture . It takes time to set your 106 00:04:08,919 --> 00:04:11,250 culture . It takes zero time to set a 107 00:04:11,259 --> 00:04:13,370 high standard of performance . That's 108 00:04:13,370 --> 00:04:15,850 what he was all about . And I'm taking 109 00:04:15,860 --> 00:04:17,760 that with me when I go to my next 110 00:04:17,769 --> 00:04:19,491 assignment is that standard of 111 00:04:19,491 --> 00:04:21,713 excellence . From day one , you set the 112 00:04:21,713 --> 00:04:22,779 bar , people will find it .