Day 130, July 30

We're going to skip ahead in time and talk about more recent events.

What really happened at the US embassy in Libya?  Ambassador Stevens and Foreign Service Office Sean Smith, along with admnistrative staff, were working out of temporary quarters due to the fact that in the spring of 2011 during the so-called Arab Spring, the United States cut ties with then president Mommar Gadhafi. Our embassy was lotted and ransacked, causing it to be unusuable.  It is till in a state of disrepair.

 

Security for embassies and their personnel is to be provided by the hostnation. Since Libyahas gone through a civil war of sorts in the past 18 months, the currentgovernment is very unstable, and therefore, unreliable.

A well-organized attack by radical Muslims was planned specifically targetingthe temporary U.S.embassy building. The Libyan security force that was in place to protect ourpeople deserted their post, or joined the attacking force. Either way, ourpeople were in a real fix. And it should be noted that Ambassador Stevens had mentioned on more than one occasion to Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, that he was quite concerned for his personal safety and the welfare of his people. It is thought that Ambassador Stevens was on a hit list.

A short distance from the American compound, two Americans were sleeping. They were in Libya's independent contractors working an assignment totally unrelated to our embassy. They also happened to be former Navy SEALs. When they heard the noise coming from the attack on our embassy, as you would expect from highly trained warriors, they ran to the fight. Apparently, they had no weapons, but seeing the Libyan guards dropping their guns in their haste in fleeing the scene,Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty snatched up several of these discarded weaponsand prepared to defend the American compound.

Not knowing exactly what was taking place, the two SEALs set up a defensive perimeter. Unfortunately Ambassador Stevens was already gravely injured, and Foreign Service officer, Sean Smith, was dead. However, due to their quick action and suppressive fire, twenty administrative personnel in the embassy were able to escape to safety. Eventually, these two courageous men were overwhelmed by the sheer numbers brought against them, an enemy force numbering between 100 to 200 attackers which came in two waves. But the stunning part ofthe story is that Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty killed 60 of the attacking force. Once the compound was overrun, the attackers were incensed to discover that just two men had inflicted so much death and destruction.

As it became apparent to these selfless heroes, they were definitely going to lose their lives unless some reinforcements showed up in a hurry. As we know now, because of selfishness, apathy, and laziness on the part of the Administration and State Department, that was not to be.  They knew they were going to die in this gunfight, but not before they took a whole lot of bad guys with them!

Consider these tenets of the Navy SEAL Code: 1) Loyalty to Country, Team andTeammate, 2) Serve with Honor and Integrity On and Off the Battlefield, 3)Ready to Lead, Ready to Follow, Never Quit, 4) Take responsibility for your actions and the actions of your teammates, 5) Excel as Warriors through Discipline and Innovation, 6) Train for War, Fight to Win, Defeat our Nation' s Enemies, and 7) Earn your Trident every day. 

 

Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty were true American heroes, sacrificing their own lives for fellow Americans and for a country who quickly forgot about them.