MEETING THE TRUE HEROES
JM Ramos
I've searched for any sniper-related fanfiction, and all I've seen more than enough, the majority coming from Team Fortess 2. AND ONE MORE THING: THEY ARE NOT FROM THE SNIPER MOVIE SERIES, STARTING TOM BERENGER AND CHAD MICHAEL COLINS. ( I do not own this.)
Until today.
As a consequence of having watch Sniper: Legacy last All Saints Day and also having discovered the legendary movie series as a result, I've decided to do the impossible task of making the FIRST ever fan fic based on the Sniper movies, and I hope the Sniper Series fandom will be surely pleased of what I am going to do. This may be the first time I've done this.
DEDICATED TO THE REAL LIFE SNIPERS OF THE UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS, PAST AND PRESENT
PROLOGUE
MAY 23, 2014
3 DAYS BEFORE MEMORIAL DAY
Embassy of the United States of America, Athens, Greece
1340H
Just two weeks before Memorial Day, one USMC Reserve Officer returned to Athens to prepare for a summer trip to Santorini, with some US expats based in Athens who have been enduring the years of Greece's economic crisis, alongside US military personnel stationed at the local embassy, to take a holiday break after going to Constitution Square in Athens to celebrate Memorial Day. The reason: not just to spend the Memorial Day holiday but also to take a break from the heat of the Greek summer. But for that Marine Reserve officer, it's also a comeback to the very place where, just months ago, a Marine Special Operations Command squad arrived there to hunt down elusive terrorists who were leading a series of assassinations on various military personnel and civilians, and where he was a witness to it, in coordination with Greek military intelligence sources and US military personnel assigned to the US Embassy in Athens.
Only he knew what happened on that island on those days of November that previous year.
It was on that very island where 1LT Matthew Ridley-Hansen, of the US Marine Corps Reserve, met two of the greatest Marine snipers ever, and the local embassy staff could not be more anxious to ask who those two are, especially for those who did not know about it yet, including the military personnel and foreign armed forces attaches stationed there.
And then he told them this long testimony:
"It was on Santorini that I witnessed firsthand, when I was on duty as a Marine Corps Reserve officer in the Individual Ready Reserve, the very operation of several personnel from the 1st Battalion, Marine Special Operations Regiment, United States Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command, under the direction of the Central Intelligence Agency and in coordination, on my part and on my urging, of the Intelligence Division of the Hellenic Armed Forces National Defence Staff, as per the recommendations given to me by the Marine Forces Reserve and Marine Corps Forces Europe HQ, upon informing them via email that I have just finished receiving the report from the aforementioned personnel, led by First Lieutenant Bidwell himself, that no less than one of those being targeted by the very terrorists, which turned out to be retired Master Gunnery Sergeant Thomas Beckett, USMC, escaped, having been used as bait so that he would move out of their actions and find out who did these, that among those killed in the series of assassinations and planned killings by the terrorists (with links to Al-Qaeda and sympathies to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant plus other pro-Islamic terror groups) were military officers and senior NCOS from the US Armed Forces and several NATO nations' armed services, including from the Hellenic Armed Forces, plus high ranking civilians including government officials, and that those personnel included no less than Thomas' son, GySgt Brandon Beckett, from 1st Battalion, Marine Special Operations Regiment, MARSOC, USMC, and also a sniper as his father was before. I joined the mission as a representative of the Marine Forces Reserve, upon hearing the news of the assassinations, as an observer and as backup reserve, by orders of the MCR HQ and with permission from the Defense Department, the CIA and the Commandant of the Corps, together with my friends in the reserve, and to inform our Greek and Turkish military partners about the operation that was already taking place so that their respective special forces units would act as reinforcement in case the personnel undergoing are in trouble, as well as to tell MCFEA HQ via email and cellphone calls to prepare also to reinforce the personnel undergoing the mission in any case if the situation goes critical, together with our NATO partner countries. And upon arriving at the island with my friends not just for the mission but to spend the upcoming Christmas holiday season, I also made my contribution in the said mission by informing the local police of Thera Municipality in its capital town of Fira of the presence of terrorists in the island and its vicinity, and thus forewarning island residents to beware of suspicious activity in their very own communities, as well as to increase security for the holiday celebrations and for the tourists who will spend Christmas and New Year in this great island until the terrorists have been taken care of. I told them to inform the National Intelligence Service and the Ministry of Public Order and Citizen Protection about the report, in order to alert all Greeks on their presence, and thus after I left the police station I wrote a letter to the members of the NIS, the MPOCP, the Hellenic Police and the Hellenic Coast Guard of the Ministry of Shipping in both English and Greek on that matter which I sent to them on the way back to the station later on, with 5 copies made, 4 of which would be given to the concerned agencies mentioned.
My friends in the reserve, who are part of a reinforced sniper platoon of the 4th Force Reconnaissance Company of the 4th Marine Division, based in California, were surely pleased to be on board for this operation and they helped me in preparing for the arrival of the MARSOC team. Turns out that a Marine Corps Colonel, who was the one directing the mission, had stayed in the island for a few months, and we had the chance to meet him and to tell him that we have come to join the mission as backup for the coming team, and the people have been warned of the terrorists in the island and the other islands in the Aegean Sea, and he tell told us that a MARSOC team will be on the way, the very ones we were to support and reinforce if they would be in trouble.
Just 2 days after the Marine Corps birthday and a day after Veteran's Day, in which we all returned briefly to Athens to pay tribute at Constitution Square, we then returned to the island by plane, spent the night at a hotel in Fira, and upon reaching the old port at Skala by foot by morning the next day, was greeted by the very team I was told about, including Thomas and Brandon, who had just arrived 2 hours ago at the port, and there I introduced myself and informed them of my presence in the mission on behalf of the Marine Forces Reserve, that the Greek people have been informed of their presence in the island and on other Aegean islands through the Hellenic Police and the Hellenic Coast Guard, which posted warnings about suspicious persons and/or activities, not just there, but possibly on the Greek mainland, on official outlets, because of the recent letter I sent to them concerning the terrorists who have just landed there after weeks in Syria, and that we met the Colonel who confirmed the decision from higher authorities that I and my friends from that reinforced sniper platoon in the 4th FRC, 4th Marine Division, MCR, would be a backup reserve for the operation's final stage.
These two Marine snipers must have known that I was a Marine Corps Reserve officer doing my job to warn Greeks about the presence of terrorists in their country, and to coordinate with America's NATO partners in fighting against acts of terror. And I have long known of Thomas' service as a Marine sniper, having been told many times before taking NROTC and became a full officer of the Corps, moving to the reserve when I was promoted to First Lieutenant after 4 years of active service, of his exploits on various places in the name of the American nation, as well has having learned of Brandon himself who, after seeing his friends get shot, became a sniper himself in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Thomas then asked me about the decision I took to join the operation with my buddies from the Marine Corps Reserve, and I replied, "For among those who were targets in the attacks made were high ranking and superior officers not just from the US Armed Forces, but also from our NATO allies, and few of them had friends who we kept in touch and consoled in their time of grief. It was surely time that to let the world know that the memory of all those who fell in the line of duty must be remembered, and that we will surely be ready to serve and to protect the freedom of the American nation and the world, as per the traditions of the United States Marine Corps and its Reserve. That's why we reported for this mission, on behalf of the 4th Force Reconnaissance Company of the 4th Marine Division, US Marine Corps Reserve, to show our readiness whenever it is needed to join, reinforce and assist in the operations of the Marine Special Operations Command and the Force Recon units of the Marine Corps. I am a sniper platoon second in command in the company, and 2 squads has been called from that reinforced platoon for this operation, and will be ready to support what you will be doing. My platoon leader by the way is on leave and will soon hand over command to one of my friends, and I am the acting platoon leader. Tell the Colonel that a Marine Corps Reserve Force Reconnaissance sniper platoon, upon the orders of the Department of Defense through our Commandant, General James Amos, and the recommendations of the Marine Forces Reserve and Marine Corps Forces Europe, upon learning that several Marine Corps enlisted personnel, warrant officers and officers, both active and reserve, fell victim to these attacks while in Europe, will be ready to reinforce on his words when he senses that the team is in big trouble. I am very sure you were never attacked by the very terrorists your son is hunting down." He agreed, and he introduced himself and later on, did the same for Brandon. This was the first time I met a father and a son both serving the country in the Marine Corps as snipers. And I also introduced them and the MARSOC team to my friends who are members of the reinforced sniper platoon in service with the MCR's 4th FRC: 2nd Lieutenant Mike Bradley, acting platoon second in command, SSgt John Walter, who's also platoon sergeant, 2 other staff sergeants (Staff Sergeants Kelly and Valdez), 6 sergeants, 4 corporals, 4 privates first class and 5 privates, plus a radioman, 4 Navy Corpsmen from Naval Forces Europe, two more reserve Corpsmen from the US Navy Reserve and a Master-at-Arms from NFE headquarters. Most of the sniper platoon personnel were my friends from the West Coast with a few from Kansas.
Then Brandon introduced himself, "As my dad said earlier, I am GySgt Brandon Beckett from the 1st Battalion, Marine Special Operations Regiment, MARSOC, United States Marine Corps. It's a pleasure to meet you and your team from the Marine Corps Reserve who will be the backup for the operation which we are now doing." I then said, "Thanks, Brandon. By the way who's with you and your dad?" He responded by introducing to me and my platoon the other members of their team who are part of the operation: 1st Lieutenant Bidwell, their squad commander, CPL Simpson, and Yanna Sanna, who joined the team before their first battle.
After the introductions, Thomas then told Bidwell to inform the Colonel in charge, who was in the island ahead of us, of the presence of Marine Corps Reserve elements as a backup reserve in the operation that was on its final phrase through a cellphone call. And he did just that, and the Colonel responded that we were surely ready to help the team accomplish the mission if they could be under attack at any moment from the terrorists, and he ended wishing all of us, the MARSOC team and the MFR reserve element, good luck, as he will meet up with Thomas later on.
And the final phase of the operation began that very same day, November 14, 2013, with the MARSOC team leading the way and the Marine Corps Reserve sniper platoon, the very on I was leading, behind the team as backup. Long story short: even though the team was almost hurt (and even the Colonel was wounded) by the terrorists, the team did their job, and we stood behind them every step of the way. Thanks to the Navy Corpsmen that joined us, plus personnel from local medical centers in the area, no one among us, and the MARSOC team, was seriously wounded. And when the time came to liquidate the terrorists, we began to aim the sniper rifles as the order was given to kill them, which the team did, that afternoon the same day.
And when it was all over, we came to the Colonel's lodge the following morning, informing him that the role of the MCR has been finished, and it was time to rest in time for Thanksgiving in a few weeks for all of us. And he responded, "Thanks for your cooperation, without your efforts this operation would have been a failure and the team would be hurt badly. You've all shown the brave traditions of the Marine Corps Reserve in your actions, and I am sure you've one more proven to be battle ready for the operations to come with the Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command in the defense of our freedom and for the future of our world." I replied, "Colonel, it is my gratitude, and of my entire platoon. Not only did I help avenge the losses of these attacks, and helped this operation be a success, I and my platoon have also met two of the world's best snipers, and am surely privileged to have showed the Greek people the bravery and determination of the US Marine Corps Reserve to be the backup team for the whole United States Marine Corps, as well as in helping to fight terror all over the world with our partner nations and allies." Indeed, after a few hours, we met Thomas, Brandon, and his team while at rest, and then... Thomas asked me about the meeting with the Colonel and I answered,"Great. Its mission accomplished for all of us, and I and my friends in the Marine Corps Reserve will thank you and Brandon for your service. It has been an honor for us to fight with two of the best snipers in the world, and we are proud to live these words: One shot. One kill. No exceptions." Then Brandon replied, "These are the very words my Dad and I have lived on and you... and your platoon from the Marine Corps Reserve, have now lived on to these as well. My father and I hope to fight with you again, and we truly are honored to have met you." The next day, we all had fun indeed spending in the tropical climate with the team at Kamari's long pebble beach at the southeastern end of the island, and the whole platoon, me included, showed their skills in open water swimming to the team, and Thomas and Brandon could not be more prouder of those Marine Corps Reserve snipers, including myself, and so did the rest of the team. We truly had a great swim."
One of the Marines stationed, a Staff Sergeant, then asked him about what happened next, and he answered, "It's been long, and now I know what happened afterward and that's what I'm going to be telling all of you: Brandon and Sanna then took into the water in their swimsuits, and afterwards the whole platoon, including myself, Brandon and Sanna, were all swimming and doing breath holds underwater, perfecting what we were taught as Marine snipers to brave any element possible to do our duty to the nation and to our people, and even risking to drown only to do our mission! And after all of us returned to shore, Brandon and I swam one more time, perfecting our swim routines in the surface and underwater, practicing safe breath holding to avoid drowning and shallow water blackouts, and.. the two of us did had our first freedive there together, Marine Corps style, and after swimming to shore Thomas met us and asked why Brandon and I swam more longer and even deep underwater, and I answered that Marines, active and reserve, are trained to be in land, air and sea fighting for the honor and freedom of the American nation, and what we just did is perfecting our skills and improving them, so that in the future, we can be more ready enough to fight for the country we all love and live for. "I'm very sure proud you fought for this, our United States, for a long time", I said to him, and I finished by saying that he surely served with dignity, and raised a great son who will, one day, take the mantle he has as a legendary sniper, and by thanking him for his great service to the nation and the Marine Corps. Brandon responded by saying he's forever grateful that me and my friends have joined their mission and he and Thomas will forever cherish what we did together with them." Then US Ambassador to Greece David Pearce appeared while the talk was going on, and asked, "What's all the fuzz about?" He answered," I have just finished my talk to all the staff and our military attaches and personnel here about the events last year I which I joined as a member of our Marine Corps Reserve, the very operation that resulted in the deaths of several terrorists who have caused the deaths of many military personnel and civilians in several European countries, the very one that saw me meet and work with two of the world's best snipers, Master Gunner Sergeant Thomas Beckett, USMC, and his son Gunnery Sergeant Brandon Beckett, USMC, with their team and a reinforced sniper platoon from the Marine Corps Reserve in which I was a part of. And I am truly grateful for all the help you extended, and for your prayers. I'll be joining the Memorial Day ceremony in a few days, and I hope to be there in thanksgiving for a very successful mission with the Marine Special Operations Command, and to offer the prayers of a grateful Greek people in thanksgiving for the killing of these terrorists which have threatened this very nation still recovering from its economic woes." After saying these words, Ambassador Pearce then shook his hand in gratitude for his service and for his courage, and everyone gave a rousing applause.
He would be more excited for Memorial Day and for his Santorini vacation more than ever before. He sure is ready to go back there, spend the summer, and relish the memories of that great mission. He left the Embassy later on, very thankful for having his story told, and more happy than the usual.