David Thornton Maddux

West Point, 1968

Be Thou At Peace

Posted by John Blevins on May 17, 2003:

It must have been in the high 90's with and an equal humidity. It was so hot and humid it was an effort to move. It was Recon training. We'd being doing hand-to-hand all morning, and had to double time under arms to the next training station. We were running in a column of fours on a dirt road somewhere in the woods. No breeze, no relief, no breath. Dave was running right next to me, and he was struggling. He rasped, "Hold this!" and handed me his rifle. He immediately went to the road ditch and started to vomit. I kept struggling to run forward, trying to keep up, hoping we'd soon be there. Then I head Dave beside me again. "Give me rifle back!" All my life I have wondered how much effort it took to do what Dave did. Have you ever seen anyone in a race get sick, stop and vomit their guts out, then catch back up and complete the run. Many times in my life when I have felt like I physically could not go forward, I would remember Dave. If Dave could do it, so can I. It is so odd and powerful that an episode lasting mere minutes, an act of shear will-power, could inspire one for nearly 30 years. Thanks Dave. I'll not forget you. John

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