Last night while I was watching the State of the Union, I was moved by President Trump describing the heroism of a member of the Delta Force team that participated in the successful apprehension of Venezuelan dictator Nicholas Maduro. When he mentioned the name Eric Slover I thought for sure I knew that name but I couldn’t tell from where. Nonetheless I continued listening to the president speak of this soldier’s valor and how he piloted a Chinook helicopter into a military base full of hostile fire. The president spoke about the many hits that he took to his legs and how determined he was to land the helicopter and complete the mission. At one point he was bleeding out so badly that the crew members towards the back of the helicopter couldn’t help but notice. Eric was on the verge of passing out but he would not let go of the aircraft until it was in another pilot’s hands. His commitment to the mission was his Highest priority. Not only that, but the entire crew depended on him. Once he was able to be relieved of piloting the aircraft his replacement was able to fly everyone out. Although there were no casualties during the operation, many helicopters took direct fire. When the president asked Eric to come out with his wife from one of the balconies, he looked very familiar. At that point after a series of very loud and enthusiastic standing ovations, the president instructed a general to award Eric the Congressional Medal of Honor. the absolute highest honor that can be bestowed upon a United States citizen. And it was only then that it struck me.
I interviewed Eric 11 years ago. I interviewed him at a show in Ohio, but it had been so long that it didn’t hit me at first. Nonetheless I remembered his name, and I remembered what he looked like, but I just couldn’t put it together. And then I started getting the notifications on my phone from my StrengthAddicts YouTube account. People were leaving comments, they were ecstatic. And the comments came both from very grateful Americans, but also very grateful Venezuelans. Because Venezuela has been under a dictatorship for a quarter of a century and had it not been for brave soldiers like Eric, the dictator might still be in power.
I’ll be honest I’m not super crazy about us intervening in other countries or the United States being the policeman of the world, but when you are called upon to defend your country, guys like Eric are the ones that keep us safe. They don’t hesitate, they act. Men and women in uniform are standing ever vigilant, anywhere and everywhere in the world, they are ready and they will fight like there’s no tomorrow for the red, white, and blue. Thank God Eric didn’t pass away, but I don’t think that death was anything he was scared of. He wanted to ensure the safety of his crew and he wanted to make sure that he gave everything possible so the mission could be accomplished. There are not many warriors like this man. And at the same time, he looked so humble receiving the accolades and even the medal of honor, that it truly moved me. Perhaps in mind and in his heart, he did what he was called to do. Although he didn’t say a word, his body language, his posture, and his facial expression, spoke volumes.
When I watched the interview again for the first time in over 11 years, I knew there was something very special about this individual. But there’s something very special about all bodybuilders. In this sport I have met so many amazing people that I couldn’t even begin to tell you about. I’ve also interviewed a former Navy SEAL which I thought would be the absolute highest honor until this. To be able to say that I interviewed a recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor is huge. I don’t know if he was in the military at the time and even if he had been, it’s not something he could have talked about anyways. Some argue that Delta Force is even beyond the Navy Seals. but even if they’re at parallel, we are talking about the most elite special forces in the United States military. These guys are just on another level. They’re like the British SAS, or the French Foreign Legion, or Russia’s Spetsnaz. These guys are the real deal.
And it should be noted that they did not land these helicopters in the middle of nowhere or in the dead of night. They landed these helicopters in a fortress. Fort Tiuna, the most militarized, most defended, most technologically savvy military installation in Venezuela. That is where the dictator was living. And that is where they landed. At the end of the day no matter how much technology was used it’s still essentially a mission of a fleet of helicopters landing on extremely hot, extremely hostile territory. Some might describe that as a suicide mission, but something tells me this is what Delta Force lives for – this is what the Navy Seals live for. This is Special Forces all day every day. But like I said, seeing Eric receiving the Medal of Honor, standing there beside his wife in the United States Capitol, spoke volumes to me. Eric Stover is why America is great!
I have to say that I’m extremely proud of Eric. His courage and commitment have truly inspired and countless others. We need to be mindful of the sacrifices made so we can live as freely and happily as we do. This is what I think is so important about honoring our men and women in uniform. It’s not something reserved for Memorial Day or 4th of July, it should be celebrated year-round. Because without these brave men and women who currently serve, who have served in the past, who fell in service and for those who are missing in action – we owe it all to them. We’re not the greatest country in the world because we have the strongest economy, we’re the greatest country in the world because we have inalienable rights that are protected to the death by our men and women in uniform. We live in a country where we can question our government, where we can speak out against it, where we can vote or not vote – it’s all up to each individual citizen what they do. There’s a reason why everybody wants to come here. There’s a reason why this is the greatest country in the world. And we owe it all to men like Eric Slover, men and women who walk amongst us, but probably never get the recognition they deserve.
In fact, the men that accompanied Eric will be honored at a separate, private ceremony at the Whitehouse per President Trump. We know who Eric is because Eric received the Medal of Honor and unfortunately because he fell injured in combat, but what about all the other operators? We will never know who they are. So that’s why it’s so important to think about every active duty solider/officer or veteran as the heroes they are. Something tells me that the guys who served alongside Eric are not going to go out and write books or give interviews. No one will ever know who they are, where they’re from, or how much they sacrifice. Because in true special forces nature, what they do is not public record. Their missions are secret; it’s like they were never there. That’s the way that it should be with special forces, but at the same time, their honor, their valor, and their commitment to fighting for our country should not go unnoticed.
You never know if the soldier at the airport or the soldier waiting in line at the supermarket or the soldier that you see at a sporting event is in fact a member of Delta Force. Perhaps their MOS is that of a mechanic or an accountant or maybe a rifleman, but they could just as well be in Delta Force as the next guy. You just don’t know, so why not treat them all like the heroes they are?
Although it may seem redundant by this point, let it be redundant. I am so proud of you Eric, so proud of our military, and grateful to you all for the sacrifices you make to keep us safe.
I hope you enjoyed reading my article, here, at IronMag. I look forward to reading your feedback in the comments. Please be sure to copy and paste a link to this article on all your social media feeds. I have a very strong feeling it’s going to generate very lively conversation. God Bless America!
Interview link: https://youtu.be/K0tCASia-9o
Author Bio:
Christian I. Duque is the owner of StrengthAddicts.com, a physique and strength website founded in 2008. He has worked for a number of bodybuilding websites, including RX Muscle and Muscular Development. Christian has written nearly 1,000 published articles for IronMag Blog, as well as articles for StrengthAddicts, RX Muscle, and others. By day, he is also a licensed attorney practicing in the areas of family law, immigration, and criminal defense.
