Knifeless Ex-Seal?

[rockquarry]

I just read a good story about US Representative Derrick Van Orden, a retired Navy Seal, witnessing a nasty auto accident on the highway somewhere in Iowa.
He stopped immediately to assist with any injured occupants of the destroyed van.
Turns out one of the occupants was a severely injured 10-year old boy bleeding profusely from an arm and leg. The arm had arterial bleeding, which would have been fatal within a very few minutes. A large part of the muscle on the back of the leg was almost completely separated from the bone.
Thinking fast, Van Orden retrieved a couple of socks from a a bag in his car, and used them for tourniquets on the damaged limbs. As he continued to deal with the kid's injuries he realized the needed to improvise additional bandage material, and asked the gathering crowd "Anyone have a knife?". Someone from the crowd offered him his knife.
The boy lived to make it to the hospital and will recover.
I have to ask- "What Navy Seal , active duty or retired, does not have some kind of knife on his person at all times?".
In the area where I live, in the SW MO Ozarks, almost all adult males over the age of 30 or so, and many that are younger, carry a pocket knife of some sort, ex-military/law-enforcement or not. I carry two, a Swiss Army knife and a Benchmade lock blade 365 days a year. A gun too, but that is another story.
The Good Samaritan is free to make his own choices on this sort of thing, of course.
It just struck me as a little odd.

"Free to make his own choices", as you mentioned, and saving the child's life are all that matters in the incident you cited. The "much better equipped" respondents here weren't there.

 

[DRankin]

This is a very timely post and made me re-check what I'm carrying in vehicles.

Can you be TOO safe?

In my 20+ years of off-roading and 4-wheeling in the outback and rock crawling trails of Arizona, California, New Mexico, Utah, and Sonora Mexico, my 4x4 pickup truck always carried a long list of spare parts and safety equipment.

Here in Arizona the summer temps can almost destroy much of the contents of a basic First Aid Kit in a few hot summers. I re-checked my auto and home First Aid kits. To both my auto kits and my home kits, I've added a tourniquet

https://a.co/d/5X2W8SS

and a chest wound seal

https://a.co/d/f1SH5Kw

In my passenger cars I carry water, a jacket, emergency medications, pocket knife, little flashlight, Leatherman multi-tool, blankets, towel, leather gloves, and jumper cables.. I just ordered a fire extinguisher that I can mount in the trunk.

https://a.co/d/5ULL0jo

I do carry, nearly every time I leave the house, a Kirshaw OTF Livewire.

Anyone who saves the life, or attempts to save the life, of another will always be an unquestioned, noncontroversial hero in my book.

Absolutely correct. No argument here. Be prepared. Bless you.

But, having walked in that Navy Seal's shoes I can tell you two things:

1) You can't let go of that artery for any reason until you have a medic there to relieve you, even if you have a tourniquet that appears to be working. Fishing out a knife is out of the question.

2) You can't walk in his shoes (or mine) because he/we had to throw them away, along with ALL exterior clothing.

I think I am getting a few flashbacks over this. I'm gonna go talk to my wife..................

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

"Monday Morning Quarterbacking" lets us examine-and learn from-other people's actions. And their mistakes.
Graduated High School in 1967, Central New Jersey. Always had my Boy Scout knife in my pocket, recall the blades most often used were the can opener and bottle opener. Nowadays I wear my Utility Belt-flip phone in holster, MiniMaglite in holster. folding knife in holster, multitool-currently a 30 year old Leatherman. Be Prepared ! When I went on my Deacon's hospital visit had to leave them and my car and house keys at the security desk.
Our SEAL was mentally prepared. he knew what he had to do and knew how to improvise.

 

[Farmer17]

I have 25 or 30 knives and about 4 or 5 of them in my truck but I don't carry one anymore. For 30 years I had the little Swiss Army Tinker knife and surrendered 6 or 7 at entrance metal detectors to court houses, concerts, government buildings, airports, etc. Last time I bought the TSA Traveler version of the Swiss Army Tinker that doesn't have a knife blade and went through several airports, court houses and government buildings no problem. But just 2 weeks ago I had an issue going in to the court house. I said "It doesn't have a bladed and I've been in here several times and they allowed it!" Then the deputy said the tiny scissors are not allowed here so I let him keep it without further arguing because I was running late to a court date.

 

[Golddollar]

I have one of those fold-up tools with pliers and screwdrivers but nothing remotely resembling a blade. One courthouse in Maryland that I have frequented for judge installations had security provided by the County Sheriff and I never had any issue with the deputies as far as letting that tool into the courthouse. But then this county turned over the security to private security and I get told "No tools of any kind" can come in. So I ended up having to go out and hide it in the garden of the courtyard and hope that nobody takes it. Luckily nobody did.

 

[Exaviator]

Carrying any kind of knife without a plausible reason, ie camping or hunting, is a chargeable offense in my neck of the woods...

 

[THE PILGRIM]

Actually I have one more Issued Knife.

 

[Mister Coffee]

I just read a good story about US Representative Derrick Van Orden,

Is it possible that a politician gets accustomed to not carrying weapons because his job requires that he go in and out of government buildings all day long where weapons are prohibited? In The Ozarks, or even in Iowa, it might be nice to have a Model 19, or a 1911, under your coat in case you have sort something out with some gentleman that you may happen to meet along the way, as it were, but it would be a nuisance if you had to ditch your piece every time you are pursuing your job responsibilities. Same with a knife. Where I work, I am prohibited from carrying weapons, including knives, so I do not carry on those days.

 

[Muss Muggins]

Geez. Dude does a solid and gets busted on for not living up to keyboard commando expectations . . .

 

[lihpster]

Another thing is awhile back he was cited for having a loaded gun in his luggage at an airport. Said it was a mistake. One that he takes great pains not to repeat, I'm sure.

 

[Rustyt1953]

Geez. Dude does a solid and gets busted on for not living up to keyboard commando expectations . . .

Here endeth the lesson.

 

[2500]

Carrying any kind of knife without a plausible reason, ie camping or hunting, is a chargeable offense in my neck of the woods...

Where is your neck of the woods? North Korea maybe?

 

[Rustyt1953]

Where is your neck of the woods? North Korea maybe?

He lives down under.

 

[2500]

He lives down under.

OK, let me add that to the list of places not to go.........oh wait.........it's already there.

 

[Exaviator]

OK, let me add that to the list of places not to go.........oh wait.........it's already there.

Well if you do visit Rusty, stay away from the state of Victoria, they have totally banned the ownership of machetes