LOADED QUESTION, BUT HOW ARE YOU?
I'M DOING GREAT. THE EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN VERY HUMBLING. YESTERDAY AT THE WHITE HOUSE WAS
REMARKABLE. JUST EVERYTHING, THE WAY IT'S SET UP, PRESENTED, BEING ABLE TO LOOK OUT
INTO THE CROWD AND TRY MY BEST TO LOCK EYES WITH AND LOOK AT EVERY PERSON THAT HAS HAD
AN IMPACT IN MY LIFE. THAT WAS REALLY SPECIAL. IT'S THE FIRST TIME THAT FROM EVERY ASPECT
OF MY LIFE WHERE SOMEBODY'S BEEN THERE, ALL SITTING IN THE SAME ROOM, AND TO SEE THAT
WAS - FELT VERY BLESSED.
TAKE ME BACK TO THAT PHONE CALL YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT WHEN SAID 'BE PREPARED TO GET A PHONE CALL SOMEBODY.'
THE PHONE CALL WAS IN DECEMBER AND I'D BEEN HEARING THE RUMOR FOR A LITTLE
BIT THAT THIS WAS POTENTIALLY GOING TO HAPPEN AND I'M KIND OF THE GUY THAT DOESN'T BELIEVE
UNTIL I SEE IT, SO WHEN THEY GAVE ME THE PHONE CALL THE WHITE HOUSE STAFF CALLS YOU AND SAY
'HEY CAN YOU RECEIVE A PHONE CALL FROM THE PRESIDENT AT THIS DAY AND THIS TIME?' MY INITIAL
REACTION RIGHT OFF THAT BAT WAS, DOES ANYONE ACTUALLY SAY NO TO THIS? BECAUSE HMM LET ME
CHECK MY SCHEDULE, I THINK ONE GUY MAYBE DID, BUT MY SCHEDULE WAS DEFINITELY OPEN. SO WHEN
THE PRESIDENT CALLS, HE WAS VERY FRIENDLY RIGHT OFF THE BAT AND CALLS YOU BY YOUR FIRST
NAME AND TRIES TO BREAK THE AWKWARDNESS WITH YOU AND TELLS YOU HOW PROUD HE IS OF YOU
AND THE GUYS YOU SERVE WITH AND WHAT THIS MEANS AND THAT HE READ OVER THE AWARD AND
THAT HE'S OFFICIALLY APPROVING IT AND THAT HE LOOKS FORWARD TO SHAKING YOUR HAND. WHAT I
THOUGHT WAS MOST INTRIGUING WAS PROBABLY WHAT THE MOST SPECIAL THING ABOUT THE PHONE
CALL WAS - HE MENTIONED HOW THE CEREMONY ITSELF WAS - IT EMBODIED WHY OUR NATION EXISTS
AND THAT'S WHY IT'S HIS FAVORITE CEREMONY TO BE A PART OF. THAT REALLY RANG HOME. THAT
MEANS A LOT, ESPECIALLY 15 PLUS YEARS OF CONTINUED WARFARE SINCE 9/11.
IT REALLY RANG HOME FOR ME SO.
WHO WAS THE FIRST PERSON IN YOUR FAMILY YOU LET KNOW WHAT WAS ABOUT TO HAPPEN?
I CALLED MY MOM AND SHE WAS OUT TO DINNER WITH MY SISTER AND I CALLED HER AND LET HER
AND LET HER KNOW THAT THIS WAS OFFICIAL AND THE FIRST THING OUT OF HER MOUTH WAS JUST HOW THE PRESIDENT
REMARKED THE OTHER DAY - YESTERDAY - WAS "DO YOU THINK I CAN COME TO THE CEREMONY?"
SO SHE GOT A LITTLE RIBBING FROM THE PRESIDENT YESTERDAY AND THAT WAS A GOOD LEVITY POINT
OF THE DAY.
THIS HAS GOT TO BE SO SURREAL RIGHT NOW.
IT IS SURREAL. YOU DON'T EVEN NOTICE IT BECAUSE YOU CAN'T SEE WHEN YOU LOOK DOWN.
THE MOST SURREAL PART OF IT IS BEING SURROUNDED BY YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS.
YOU DON'T DO THIS ALONE. EVERYTHING WE DO IS WITH A TEAM AND IF WASN'T FOR THAT TEAM, I WOULDN'T BE SITTING
HERE TODAY. THE PEOPLE I WORK WITH ARE THE MOST REMARKABLE MEN ON THE FACE OF THE PLANET
- TOUGHEST MEN I'VE EVER SEEN AND THEIR WILLINGNESS TO KEEP GOING IN ADVERSITY, TO
NEVER QUIT, NEVER FAIL, TO ALWAYS ACCOMPLISH WHATEVER THE TASK IS - IS HUMBLING TO SAY
THE LEAST. I'M PROUD THAT I'VE BEEN ABLE TO KNOW MEN LIKE THAT AND TO SERVE WITH MEN
LIKE THAT. I THINK ONCE YOU LEAVE THIS COMMUNITY, THE LIKELY HOOD OF HAVING THAT OPPORTUNITY
WILL BE SLIM TO NONE.
WHAT DOES YOUR NORMAL LOOK LIKE NOW?
MY NORMAL LOOKS LIKE WHAT IT ALWAYS HAS, I'M GOING TO CONTINUE SERVING MY COUNTRY,
BEING IN THE NAVY AND BEING A SEAL AND WHEREVER THAT TAKES ME I'M GOING TO DO THE TASK AT HAND.
FROM THE FIRST TIME YOU RAISED YOUR HAND COMING OUT OF THAT MEPS STATION OR ENTERING FOR THE
FIRST TIME, IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME AND TALK TO THAT GUY KNOWING WHAT YOU KNOW NOW
AND EXPERIENCE WHAT YOU'VE EXPERIENCED WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?
DON'T LET ME CHANGE A THING. YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T KNOW IT AT THE TIME THAT CERTAIN EVENTS
HAPPEN IN YOUR LIFE AND THEY ULTIMATELY HAPPEN FOR A CERTAIN REASON AND I WOULDN'T CHANGE
ANYTHING. LIFE HAS BEEN VERY GOOD TO ME AND HAS BEEN VERY GOOD TO MY FAMILY AND I'M VERY
APPRECIATIVE OF ALL THE OPPORTUNITIES I'VE HAD.
WHEN ONE THINKS OF THAT PHRASE 'MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENT' WHAT DID YOU THINK OF BEFORE
THIS WAS EVEN AN OPTION FOR YOU? WHAT DID YOU THINK OF? WHAT DID THAT PERSON LOOK LIKE?
WHAT WAS THAT PERSON'S CHARACTER LIKE?
THAT PERSON WAS AN EMBODIMENT OF THE COUNTLESS SACRIFICES THAT OTHER PEOPLE, THEMSELVES INCLUDED, THAT HAVE MADE.
THEY DID AN EXTRAORDINARY ACT AND THEY JUST HAPPENED TO BE IN THE RIGHT
PLACE, AT THE RIGHT TIME TO BE RECOGNIZED FOR THAT. I'M NOT EXAGGERATING AT ALL THAT
WHEN I SAY THE MEN I WORK WITH HAVE DONE SO MANY HEROIC THINGS OVER THE COURSE OF MY
CAREER THAT I CAN'T COUNT THEM ON MY HANDS. THEY SAVED MY LIFE COUNTLESS TIMES AND A LOT
OF WHAT WE DO GOES UNRECOGNIZED. THIS BECOMES A REPRESENTATION OF EVERYBODY'S EFFORTS AND SACRIFICES.
AND HOW DO YOU CARRY THAT NOW?
I CARRY IT WITH ALL THOSE THOUGHTS IN MIND TO UNDERSTAND THAT PEOPLE FOUGHT AND DIED
FOR THIS COUNTRY - YOU KNOW TRUE HEROES LIKE NICK CHECQUE, HERO ON THAT MISSION, HE
WAS THE ONE WHO SACRIFICED EVERYTHING TO BRING BACK A FELLOW AMERICAN AND THAT IS THE
TRUE EMBODIMENT OF THE BROTHERHOOD IS THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY, IF WE HAVE TO, WE WILL LAY
DOWN OUR LIVES FOR YOU.
TAKE ME BACK TO YOUR CHILDHOOD, WHAT WERE YOUR HEROES LIKE THEN?
MY HEROES WERE WHAT I READ IN MILITARY BOOKS, THE PEOPLE THAT LIVED IN SECRECY THAT DID
HARD MISSIONS AND MY DAD KIND OF EMBODIED THAT. HE WAS A VERY TOUGH MAN. HE WAS IN THE
VERY END OF WORLD WAR II, HE NEVER TALKED ABOUT ANYTHING HE DID. HE DID MANY OTHER THINGS
IN HIS LIFE AND HE RARELY EVER TALKED ABOUT THAT. I WAS TALKING TO A REALLY GOOD FRIEND OF MINE THE
OTHER DAY AND HE HAD AN AMAZING QUOTE ABOUT HOW OUR COMMUNITY THINKS IN A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE
AND IT REALLY RINGS TRUE. HE SAID, "YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO LOOK BACK. WE'RE ALWAYS
LOOKING FORWARD." AND THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT, OUR COMMUNITY IS ALWAYS LOOKING FORWARD AND
YOU NEVER REST ON YOUR LAURELS. YOU KNOW YOU RECOGNIZE CERTAIN ACTIONS THAT HAVE HAPPENED
IN THE PAST, BUT THOSE ARE IN THE PAST AND NOW WHAT'S THE NEXT THING? WHAT'S OUR NEXT
MOUNTAIN WE HAVE TO CONQUER?
THIS SEEMS LIKE THIS WAS NOT THE GOAL TO OBTAIN THIS, YET HERE YOU ARE AND NOW THAT YOU'VE
BEEN BESTOWED WITH THAT TITLE A HERO. HOW ARE YOU GOING TO COPE WITH THAT? WHAT DO YOU
WANT TO DO WITH THAT? HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH FOLKS THAT ARE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT YOU
NOW AND SAYING 'HEY YOU'RE NOW THAT HERO?'
I DEFINITELY WOULD NOT DEFINE MYSELF AS A HERO. THAT'S DEFINITELY NOT A TERM YOU SHOULD
BESTOW UPON YOURSELF. A GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT I WORK WITH FELT THAT WHAT I DID WAS DESERVING
OF THIS AWARD. THE HEROES I THINK OF IS, AND I CAN'T SAY THIS ENOUGH, IS THE PEOPLE I
WORK WITH. THEY'VE DONE SO MANY THINGS THAT WILL NEVER BE RECOGNIZED DESERVING OF THIS
AWARD TEN TIMES OVER AND JUST FOR SOME REASON OR ANOTHER HE DID NOT HAPPEN. SO I CAN ONLY
HOPE THAT BEING A REPRESENTATIVE OF OUR COMMUNITY, THAT MY FELLOW BROTHERS WOULD BE PROUD OF
WHAT I'M SAYING AND HOW I'M HANDLING MYSELF.
DO YOU FEEL RIGHT NOW THAT IS HAPPENING? I MEAN HOW IS THE REACTION?
A LOT OF GOOD REACTIONS, LIKE FELLOW BROTHERS THEY'RE GOING TO GIVE YOU A JOSTLING HERE
AND THERE AND TAKE SOME COMMENTS IN THE NEWSPAPERS AND POKE FUN OF YOU, BUT THAT'S TO BE EXPECTED
AND THAT'S HOW YOU KNOW YOU'RE LOVED A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE IF THEY WEREN'T DOING THAT YOU HAVE A PROBLEM.
DO YOU NOW FEEL YOU'VE ESTABLISHED A STANDARD
THAT IS GOING TO BE SO HARD TO PASS?
YOU KNOW I THINK I'VE CARRIED A STANDARD THAT WAS TAUGHT TO ME WHEN I WAS FIRST CAME INTO
THIS COMMUNITY AND THAT'S THE UNIQUENESS OF GOING TO SEAL TRAINING IS - THAT FROM THE
VERY BEGINNING IT REMOVES ALL YOUR INDIVIDUALISTIC QUALITIES. YOU KNOW WE HAVE THE SAYING: 'TEAM
GEAR, YOUR GEAR, THEN YOURSELF' AND THAT'S THE PROCESS IN WHICH YOU LOOK AT THINGS AND
YOU DO THINGS AND AS LONG AS YOU KEEP THOSE IN FOCUS YOU CAN NEVER GO WRONG.
DO YOU KIND OF FEEL THAT TRAINING THEN HAS EQUIPPED YOU NOW FOR WHAT'S GOING TO BE AN
AVALANCHE OF ANGULATION, ADMIRATION, SINGLED OUT? DOES THAT AT LEAST PREPARE YOU FOR THAT?
ABSOLUTELY. EVERYTHING WE TAKE, EVERYTHING, EVERY ACTION WE HAVE IS IN EFFECT A MISSION.
IT'S A TASK YOU HAVE TO ACCOMPLISH. ANYTHING YOU DO IN YOUR DAY, SO AS LONG AS YOU BREAK
IT DOWN AND DEFINED INTO THOSE BOXES, YOU GO AT THE SAME WAY YOU GO AT EVERYTHING ELSE
IN LIFE.
HOW ARE YOU GOING TO TAKE THIS NOW AND APPLY IT TO THAT NEXT GENERATION OR FOR THOSE BRAND
NEW SAILORS COMING IN THAT SAY: "I WANT TO JOIN THIS COMMUNITY OR I WANT TO DO THIS OR
I WANT TO END UP LIKE THAT GUY?"
THE ONLY YOU CAN SAY TO THAT IS IF THAT'S WHAT YOU TRULY BELIEVE IN YOUR HEART GO AFTER
YOUR DREAMS DON'T WORRY ABOUT WHAT ANYONE ELSE SAYS, FOLLOW THAT, WORK HARD, NEVER QUIT
AND YOU CAN BE PART OF THAT BROTHERHOOD.
WHAT WERE YOUR THOUGHT GOING INTO THAT PARTICULAR OPERATION THAT YOU LOOK BACK NOW THAT TELLS
YOU WHAT CARRIED YOU THOUGH THIS?
FOR MY ENTIRE CAREER, EVERY DEPLOYMENT, EVERY SINGLE MISSION I'VE BEEN ON I'VE ALWAYS WORE
ST. MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL PATCH. I GOT IT OFF OF A SEAL THE FIRST TIME I EVER WENT TO IRAQ
AND I'VE ALWAYS SAID THAT PRAYER BECAUSE IT'S A WARRIORS' PRAYER. GOING INTO EVERY OPERATION
WE'VE EVER DID. AND I WOULD TAKE THAT PATCH AND I WOULD PUT IT ON OUR TEAM HUT WHEN WE
WEREN'T GOING OUT AND THEN I WOULD TAKE IT OFF AND PUT IT ON MY BODY ARMOR WHEN WE WOULD
LEAVE FOR THAT MISSION. SO THAT WAS A SUSTAINING GRACE WHICH GIVES YOU A SENSE OF -
GAVE ME A SENSE OF CALM. THE TRAINING THOUGH IS - AFTER THAT IS THE INSTINCTUAL TRAINING.
WE'VE REHEARSED THIS STUFF SO MUCH THAT IN THOSE MOMENTS OF SPLIT SECOND LIFE AND DEATH
DECISIONS YOU JUST REACT AND I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT IF THERE WAS ANYONE ELSE IN MY POSITION
AT THAT TIME THAT ANYONE OF MY TEAMMATES THAT WOULD HAVE DONE THE EXACT SAME THING.
DID YOU FEEL NOW READING THE CITATION THAT PLAYING IT BACK IN YOUR MIND THAT WAS A MEDAL
OF HONOR MOMENT? I MEAN THAT'S GOT TO BE HARD TO PROCESS.
SOME THINGS ARE HARD TO PROCESS. TO ME I WAS JUST DOING MY JOB. ONCE AGAIN WHY WE DON'T
AWARD OURSELVES THINGS, THAT'S WHY THERE'S OTHER PEOPLE THAT ARE THERE TO DO THAT TO
HAVE AN OUTSIDE LOOK AND OUTSIDE PERSPECTIVE.
YOU'VE MENTIONED YOU'VE GOT YOUR FAMILY KIND OF IN TOW ON THIS WHIRLWIND THAT KIND
OF - THAT CARRIES WITH IT - HAS ANY OF YOUR FRIENDS OR FOLKS FROM YOUR OLD HOMETOWN
START RISING UP AND SAY "WAIT A MINUTE" HAVE YOU HEARD FROM ALL THE FOLKS BACK HOME YET?
I HAD A LOT OF FRIENDS FROM BACK HOME AND THROUGHOUT MY PAST THAT ACTUALLY CAME HERE,
SO IT'S A VERY INTERESTING MIX OF BRINGING OLD FRIENDS WITH NEW FRIENDS AND LISTEN TO
OLD STORIES WITH NEW STORIES, SO I'M SURE THERE WILL BE A LOT MORE HECKLING IN MY LIFE
WITH THAT I'LL TAKE WITH THESE NEW STORIES AND THAT'S A GOOD THING.
THERE'S AN INTERESTING SHOT AT THE CEREMONY THAT CAMERA KIND OF PANNED OVER AND THERE
WERE THE OTHER RECIPIENTS STANDING THERE AND I DON'T KNOW HOW TO ARTICULATE OR EXPLAIN
IT BUT YOU GUYS HAD THE SAME LOOK ON YOUR FACE HOW IS THAT BROTHERHOOD NOW? HAVE YOU
HAD THE CHANCE TO KIND OF SIT DOWN WITH THOSE FOLKS AND GO 'WOW'?
I HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO SIT DOWN WITH SOME OF THEM AND THEY'RE TRULY REMARKABLE MEN.
WHAT THEY DID FOR THEIR NATION AND DEFENSE OF OUR FREEDOMS IS HEROIC AND IF PEOPLE HAVE
THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET THEM I SUGGEST THEY SIT DOWN AND TO LISTEN TO THEIR STORY BECAUSE
THEY'RE INSPIRING AND THEY HAVE A LOT OF GOOD INSIGHT INTO LIFE.
YOU'RE NOW ONE OF THEM, HOW DOES THAT FEEL?
I'M NOT SURE I'VE PROCESSED THAT YET. RIGHT NOW I'M JUST SAME OLD ED, YOU KNOW CONTINUING
TO DO MY JOB AND WANTING TO GET BACK TO MY BROTHERS.
IS THERE ANY PART OF THE STORY, NOW KEEP IN MIND THAT THERE WILL BE SAILORS LOOKING AT
THIS - JUST SAILORS OF EVERY WALK OF LIFE - WHAT DO YOU WANT THEM TO TAKE AWAY FROM THIS?
THIS COMMUNITY IS TRULY UNIQUE. EVEN SITTING HERE AND TRYING TO DESCRIBE IT IS COMING NOWHERE
CLOSE TO DOING IT JUSTICE AND IF IT'S SOMETHING THEY WANT TO DO, THAT THEY SHOULD GO AFTER
THEIR DREAMS. NO MATTER IF IT'S THIS OR ANYTHING IN LIFE IS THEY NEED TO WORK HARD. THAT IS
TO CORE ESSENCE OF OUR COMMUNITY IS HARD WORK, UNRELENTING HARD WORK. THE SACRIFICES WE MAKE,
THE SACRIFICES YOU KNOW MY WIFE, MY DAUGHTER MAKES. EVERYONE THAT'S BEHIND THE SCENES THAT
DOESN'T GET ANY OF THE CREDIT. THIS REALLY IS A COMMUNITY OF BROTHERS AND THE FAMILIES
THAT GO BEHIND IT AND SUPPORT THAT IS WHAT KEEPS US DOING THAT JOB BECAUSE WITHOUT THEM
WE COULDN'T. SO THEY HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT THAT SUPPORT NETWORK IS STRONG AS LONG AS
THEY DO THAT AND DEVELOP THAT SENSE OF TEAMWORK, THAT'S WHAT IT TAKES TO ACCOMPLISH
THINGS IN LIFE.
I WANT TO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING THIS TIME AND SITTING WITH US AND JUST CHATTING
AND AGAIN CONGRATULATIONS IS NOT A BIG ENOUGH WORD.
THANK YOU.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THANKS.