Let me tell you about a real badass.
This site’s called Get To The Chopper! for a few reasons (click this here link for the full skinny on the site’s name) but the most obvious one is due to my love of Arnold Schwarzenegger movies.
“Get to the chopper!” is a quote from PREDATOR, of course… but the first Arnold movie I ever experienced?
It was COMMANDO. And the first time I saw it? I didn’t see it. I heard about it. The movie was ’spoken’ to me – recounted verbally almost line for line from beginning to end – by my cousin Sean.
I remember hanging at his house, and Sean bursts in, all excited. I asked him what flick he’d gone to.
He said it was COMMANDO. He said it was with the dude who was the Terminator, it was rated R, and it was rated awesome.
And then he just told me the movie. Even now, I don’t think he left out any details – I got so caught up in what I was hearing, it didn’t matter.
Distinctly, I remember him retelling me one of my favorite moments:
Here’s the moment – watch it and love it.
Get the Flash Player to see this player.
Sean even imitated the guy’s scream for me. He made the whole movie come alive in my head, and I was completely into it. And right then, Sean was my hero for telling me that story.
LT. COL. SEAN DAVIS (on right) RECEIVING ANOTHER BRONZE STAR
That’s my cousin now. Lt. Col. Sean Davis, Army. Former member of the 101st Airborne. Returning from his fourth (or fifth?) tour in Iraq. Wrote a chapter about logistics for General Petraeus about how to conduct war in places such as Iraq. In this recent picture, he’s back on American soil, returning from his fourth (or fifth) tour in Iraq, and receiving (I think) his 2nd bronze star for his service. (has since received a total of five bronze stars, or one for every tour he’s done in the Middle East – Ed.)
Looking back, his path to the Armed Forces was obvious.
When we were younger, he’d come up with missions like rappelling out of the second story window of my Aunt Luane’s bedroom – he’d do it, but I was too chickenshit.
One winter weekend, he and his friends had set up a bike ramp in a cul-de-sac by his house. They lit some paper bags on fire and would jump it with their bikes. My Aunt Laura went nuts. I felt like a rebel just for watching it.
Another time Sean and I crawled on our stomachs for about a mile and half across this field nearby my house. Why? So we could evade detection. We ended up going into these hills or forest or mountains or I don’t know what it was. He said he saw bear tracks, and then said we had to be careful. We came back home – dirty as all hell – but our ‘mission’ was a success.
Other times, we’d just be walking in my grandma’s neighborhood, and Sean would randomly yell out ‘GET DOWN!’ And we’d have to drop to the ground because someone non-existent was trying to sniper us or something.
But don’t get the wrong idea. Reading this, you might think to yourself that he was the kind of guy who’d end up shoving M-80s up a squirrel’s butt and blowing it up.
One hundred percent incorrect.
Sean’s a great big brother to his two sisters, and a terrific uncle. Married a high school sweetheart (Camille) – her parents live less than a few miles from his in the tiniest town Maryland has to offer. He’s got a girl (Alex) and a boy (Josh).. and let me tell you, those kids are smart as as whip, unexpectedly funny, and endlessly entertaining. When I see Sean with Josh… I see Josh in Sean, and I’d cancel cable instantly if I could just have The Josh Show.
But if you really want the purest example of what my cousin is like, here’s an itty bitty… and considering the name of this little site we’re on… it’s pretty appropriate.
To set it up:
I used to have hair. On my head. Lots of it. And a beard. Long and hippie-like. I don’t know why. Just ’cause, I guess. I came home on the train once from college, and my mom drove past me twice thinking I was homeless.
My cousin went from high school to Valley Forge. He graduated, and then went over to the Virginia Military Institute (or VMI). A terrific institution for training soldiers and educating them before they go into the service fulltime. He liked to exercise. A lot. Dude was so strong, he could crack a walnut by looking at it and saying ‘crack yourself.’ And it would. Willingly.
On my way to a college interview, we drove to VMI to visit Sean. Sean was one of the higher ranking students there. A big ceremony was going to be taking place that day, and a lot of military vehicles were already there or currently arriving.
We drive in and, as a joke, ask a random student for Sean Davis, thinking for sure that with all those students there’s no way they’d know him.
Instead, very matter-of-factly, the student said “Lt. Davis is busy – he’s currently coordinating the landing of several Blackhawks.”
They knew him. Knew his rank. Knew him because he was ‘of weight.’ 
And he was landing Blackhawk helicopters.
Blackhawks. Bringers of pain, maim, and the American Way.
Like a valet parking cars. Except these cars will park you if you look at them funny.
Me? Long hair, scruffy face, black shirt, jeans, homeless impersonator… walking into VMI… tanks and jeeps and cannons and M-16s and soldiers in formation…. even the grass had crew-cuts.
Sean? He saw his cousin, the homeless impersonator, walking up with his family. He came right up to me with a smile, and without a concern as to what anyone might think, gave me a huge hug in front of all the fighting men at VMI.
That’s who my cousin is.
And I know it’s ridiculous to think that COMMANDO is the inspiration for Sean becoming a soldier. Of course, I know that. I mean, come on, really? COMMANDO? Inspiring? Absurd. Totally. There’s got to be a ton of other reasons why he chose to serve. Couldn’t just be COMMANDO. Really, I know that. Ridiculous. Right?
Maybe even he can’t pinpoint the exact moment that made him choose to devote over twenty years to the Armed Forces.
Maybe it’s a private, more noble reason. A reason of honor.
Maybe it was just something as simple as duty, or simply it was something he was good at.
Maybe he liked to challenge himself – physically and mentally.
Maybe he was a fan of rocket launchers (who isn’t?).
Maybe it’s a reason too personal to share.
Or maybe it was just a son wanting to make his dad proud (if so, mission accomplished).
I never really asked him why… I probably should.
But until I know for sure – the way I’M telling this story?
COMMANDO made him do it. COMMANDO made him want to be a soldier. COMMANDO made him want to be an action hero. And turned him into a real-life badass.
Our country’s better for it. So am I.
Welcome back, cuz. And thanks.
Disclaimer: No Blackhawks were harmed during the making of this post.
Is it his fourth or third bronze star now?
I think it’s only his second. Davis family… please correct me if I’m misinformed on any of this…
Hell, even if it’s two and not three or four… it’s still two more Bronze Stars than I’ve got. AND since he was in charge of logistics at Tent City… well, let’s just say I’ll never know what it’s like to write checks for a quarter of a million dollars… but Sean does.
Nice work.
Nick,
Aunt Laura and I just now read your tribute to Sean. Let me tell, you are a terrific writer and highly talented story teller! You do it all. You had us laughing out more than just a few times and left us with warm, happy, grateful tears. Yes, grateful for Sean, but grateful for you, too. In pursuing script writing you are not just following your heart, you’re following your talent. Someone, somewhere has to make a movie of one of your scripts! (The Legend of Cast Iron Jack still awaits your pen!)
To clarify a few points raised. Sean has served “over there” five times. First in Afghanistan (101st Airborne under Patreaus) and four in Iraq (once again with 101st and three with 1st Cavalry). He has gotten a Bronze star each time he has served in the Mid-East.
Sean is who he is for many reasons. He is his own man, first and foremost, and there are many complex reasons people like him choose their calling. But, for sure, we are all influenced by our family. Sean would be the first to say it was also due to Good guys, like you, like his cousins, his uncles aunts, people, first and foremost, all who are good guys. That’s how Badasses are made. Good guys don’t turn away from the bad guys. They insist on the right and know their own values. So, in a sense, yes, Sean is a “badass.” But, just like Arnold the Badass is really the good guy.
Sean wrote a poem to his mother and me when he was in high school. The last two lines would be his answer to your journey as a script writer:
[They] “Have inspirted in me the love
to carry on, ever on, and beyond.”
Carry on, Nick, carry on.
love
Uncle Rande and Aunt Laura
Thanks Uncle Rande. Thanks Aunt Laura.
That was a very thoughtful comment to leave… thanks… I didn’t expect that… miss you guys.