Subdeacon Joe Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 Soldier Who Returned To Base With Taliban Commander's Head, Cleared For Duty In July of 2010 Gurkha soldiers conducted a raid in Helmand province to kill or capture a high value individual. The troops killed their man, but the mission had very specific instructions to bring back proof that they had gotten the right guy. Initially, the Gurkhas attempted to retrieve the entire body for identification, but soon found themselves engaged in an intense Taliban counter attack. The Gurkhas needed to break contact, but they also needed to complete their mission. The soldier made the heat-of-the-moment decision to pull out his traditional Kukri knife and take only the Taliban commander’s head, allowing his men to remain mobile and complete their objective. Rather than acknowledging the soldier for placing the mission first and his quick initiative under hostile fire, POG commanders who place public relations in a higher priority bracket than mission, went on a CYA campaign of shaming the individual to the media as they rushed him out of country. Eventually, common sense won out, and now the soldier is finally being commended for his dedication to duty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172 Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 Wiser and more prudent heads would have lauded praise on this individual. As far as we know, he still has that knife. He may harbor a grudge. I would not want to be that individual. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sedalia Dave Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 I don't care how bad @$$ you think you are..... Gurkha soldiers are in a class way above the rest of us mere mortals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dusty Balz, SASS#46599 Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 I'm glad that soldier got ahead Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdeacon Joe Posted July 9, 2014 Author Share Posted July 9, 2014 2nd Gurkha Light Infantry. ca 1901 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdeacon Joe Posted July 9, 2014 Author Share Posted July 9, 2014 No kidding: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner Gatlin, SASS 10274L Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-10782099 GG ~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sedalia Dave Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 No kidding: Wonder how many of the 8 were injured running over themselves trying to get away from that knife Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noz Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 My father returned from the occupation of Japan in 1946 with many very violent stories about the gurkas who were a part of the occupational forces. He was impressed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sedalia Dave Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 Also in the news A Gurkha soldier has received one of the highest awards for bravery for single-handedly fighting off up to 30 Taliban trying to storm his position in Afghanistan. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/industry/defence/8405932/Afghanistan-Gurkha-honoured-for-lone-fight-against-Taliban.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172 Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 They make better allies than opponents Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smuteye John SASS#24774 Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 They make better allies than opponents That's what the British decided back about 200 years ago. They started recruiting Gurkhas to serve in their army before there was even an official peace treaty! (A treaty that specified that the British had the right to recruit Gurkhas, by the way.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudgeBagodonuts Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 All in all, taking a head is actually easier than you might think. Human heads are mostly held in place by gravity, muscles, and some skin. No big bones there. The spinal cord isn't as strong as you might think. It's harder to take off an arm, because of the large bones and joints, or a leg for the same reason. Men have lived with the other appendage taken off. So, the logical proof of death was to take the head. That the soldier was a Gurkha and equipped with the most wicked knife in the war theater, was plain good luck. Give the man a medal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yellowhouse Sam # 25171 Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 Found this interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Utah Bob #35998 Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 All in all, taking a head is actually easier than you might think. Human heads are mostly held in place by gravity, muscles, and some skin. No big bones there. The spinal cord isn't as strong as you might think. It's harder to take off an arm, because of the large bones and joints, or a leg for the same reason. Men have lived with the other appendage taken off. So, the logical proof of death was to take the head. That the soldier was a Gurkha and equipped with the most wicked knife in the war theater, was plain good luck. Give the man a medal. I think I know a couple of fellers that could probably live with their heads cut off. Just sayin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Harley, #14153 Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 Yup, I know a few guys (and gals for that matter) for whom their head is pretty much a useless appendage, other than for giving them a place to wear their hat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chantry Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 Two sources for decent new production khukuri's are: http://www.himalayan-imports.com and http://www.khukurihouseonline.com Much of what shows up at gunshows and the like is tourist quality and is not meant for serious use. The are also numerous quality ones made by various US companies, while perfectly useable, they aren't "authentic" if that is important Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clueless Bob Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 I know a few folks who's head could not be removed without a full body dissection. If it wasn't up their own rear, it was up their bosses rear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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