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The recent case with Terri Schiavo, who has been in the hospital with no hope of recovery, has sparked an argument about whether to kill her off or keep her alive. They don’t have the guts to kill her directly. Instead, they are going to remove the feeding tube. She will likely die a few days later of dehydration and thirst.
Some have made the case that she has the right to die with dignity. I will leave aside whether or not her true wishes are being followed. No one knows for certain.
But die with dignity. Give me a break. In my world, death rarely comes with dignity. In fact, death is the ultimate indignation.
But there are those that have died with dignity. Let me give you the story of one that did “die with dignity.â€
Sergeant first class Randall d. Shughart, United States Army, U. S. Army Special Operations Command, distinguished himself on 3 October 1993, while serving as a Sniper Team Member attached to TASK FORCE RANGER in Mogadishu, Somalia. Sergeant Shughart provided precision sniper fires from the lead helicopter during an assault on a building and at two helicopter crash sites, while subjected to intense automatic weapons and rocket propelled grenade fires.While providing critical suppressive fires at the second crash site, Sergeant Shughart and his team leader learned that ground forces were not immediately available to secure the site. Sergeant Shughart and his team leader unhesitatingly volunteered to be inserted to protect the four critically wounded personnel, despite being well aware of the growing number of enemy personnel closing in on the site. After their third request to be inserted, he and his team leader received permission to perform this volunteer mission.
When debris and enemy ground fires at the site caused them to abort the first attempt, Sergeant Shughart and his team leader were inserted one hundred meters south of the crash site. Equipped with only his sniper rifle and a pistol and while under intense small arms fire from the enemy, they fought their way through a dense maze of shanties and shacks to reach the critically injured crewmembers. Sergeant Shughart pulled the pilot and the other crewmembers from the aircraft, establishing a perimeter, which placed him and his fellow sniper in the most vulnerable position.
Sergeant Shughart used his long-range rifle and side arm to kill an undetermined number of attackers while moving around the perimeter, protecting the downed crew. Sergeant Shughart continued his protective fire until he depleted his ammunition and was fatally wounded. His actions saved the pilot’s life.
On second thought, Sergeant Shughart did not die with dignity he died with honor.
Hat Tip to Black 5.
Posted by Ted at March 19, 2005 9:27 AM