Alex Quade is a remarkable person; she has earned a rare reputation within the Special Operations community as an incredibly courageous war correspondent. Alex is definitely one of us. She gets into the thick of it and is willing to go where and do what few will do.
Alex's work in presenting the story of the Horse Soldier's of 9/11 came to my attention last Labor Day weekend, when I learned of my SF brothers escorting the incredible Horseman statue to Ground Zero in New York City:
Alex received American Legion's 4th Estate for her original reporting on the Horse Soldiers/Statue etc from last fall. Alex expanded their story into a documentary that she herself directed & produced - narrated by Gary Sinise.
It was an incredible gathering; an assortment of ex-Green Berets (I say ex- meaning 'out of' but I never say 'former'), members of the OSS Society, other worthy notables, and four distinguished ranking New York firefighters in dress uniform - representing the first veterans of 9/11, here on domestic soil. Alex was excited at the showing of her film and - understandibly - showing the effects of adrenalin at the end of a week of high-energy output (She'd just returned from Fort Carson on the red-eye yesterday morning where she'd been doing rapelling and fastroping with the team guys). At one point I turned to Colonel Andy Anderson - a former battalion commander of mine - and remarked, "Alex is bouncing up and down like a ping-pong ball in a popcorn machine!" but I meant this in a good way. It was her night - as much as it was a night of honor to the heroes of 9/11 - and with her film, she hit the ball right out of the park.
After the screening we bolted the reception and repaired to an eatery where words were spoken and toasts were made. When it was my turn I raised my glass to the constellation of heroes around our table; the original Horse Soldiers of 9/11, the Hero FireFighters of Ground Zero; Alex - our generation's Ernie Pyle and of course this generation's Michelangelo; sculptor Douwe Blumberg the man who honored the horse soldiers in bronze.
I am not a hero, but I served in the ranks of heroes. There was much honor present last night, and I thank Alex Quade for bringing it all together.
STORMBRINGER SENDS
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