Michael Strobl: Taking Chance

lieutenant colonel Strobel defines the character virtues of humility honor integrity patriotism and compassion of which the Center for American values as aspires every day to deliver to our youth Strobel wrote eloquently of his experience in his memoir taking chance please give a warm welcome to michael strobel not too long after we started deploying troops to Iraq and Afghanistan the Marine Corps put out a call for officers and staff noncommissioned officers to be escorts to go with the the remains of fallen Marines from Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to wherever their final destination was for their funeral services like so many Marines that I work with I had volunteered to be an escort and I saw that a PFC chance Phelps from Clifton Colorado had been killed and Barr province in Iraq I felt that our common bond to Colorado was sort of a sign for me that this was the marine that I was supposed to bring him home I had no intention of capturing the experience in a journal but as the trip progressed I kept observing these both small and large acts of kindness and gratitude I took out my little spiral notebook and I started writing and once I started it was it was like I couldn't stop it was almost as if the story were being dictated to me HBO heard of the story and they contacted me and with the blessing of chances family we we began working on the screenplay in the winter of Oh 506 and they began shooting the movie in the summer of o7 taking chance became the most watched original movie ever on HBO I don't point this out to brag what I want to do is have us all stop and think about why this movie resonated so strongly with people across the country it reminds us that well so much has changed since 9/11 really important things have our character as a nation has not changed and our willingness to sacrifice comfort and certainty in our nation's darkest hour has not changed our commitment to freedom justice courage and liberty certainly hasn't changed and my experience was a vivid reminder of all that is still good about America I'm sorry I look at these Gold Star Mothers and I I think of chances mom and it's it's really wonderful to have you here today chances family is they've continually tried to take the attention that they've received from the movie and the story and try to redirect it to efforts to help wounded warriors and gold star families this says a lot about this family it's one of those families that for better or worse is common in the military and a family that has certainly done more than its fair share of our nation's heavy lifting they definitely represent the best of America and of American values if you've seen the movie you might recall at the beginning you don't actually see it but you hear the ambush that led to chances death and chances actions during that ambush enabled his platoon to get organized to get out of the Killzone with no other ki azor killed in action I was able to get a hold of the summary of action for chances Bronze Star citation at approximately 1630 the convoy was attacked with an improvised explosive device Lance Corporal Phelps immediately began to suppress the enemy in order to relieve pressure from the Marines caught in the Killzone his fires were crucial to relieving pressure from those Marines caught in the Killzone Lance Corporal Phelps was killed saving the lives of his fellow Marines for his undisputed bravery and heroism during the heat of battle bravery that saved the lives of others and cost him his own he is awarded the Bronze Star with combat distinguishing device - asleep you you

Channel: Center for American Values

Views: 74,248

Keywords: Taking Chance (Film), Michael Strobl, Drama (TV Genre), Military Escorts, HBO Films (Production Company), Center for American Values, memoir, Wyoming (US State), Chance Phelps, US Marines (Armed Force), War On Terrorism (Literature Subject), War In Afghanistan (2001–present) (Military Conflict), War In Afghanistan (Military Conflict), Iraq War (Military Conflict), Heroes

Id: ebRprE1yxa4

Length: 5min 41sec (341 seconds)

Published: Fri Oct 23 2015