WEBVTT 00:00.360 --> 00:02.290 - Vietnam, I think the first few days, 00:02.290 --> 00:03.420 you're just waitin' to get shot. 00:03.420 --> 00:05.150 I don't know how other Marines feel that way, 00:05.150 --> 00:06.307 but I was just waitin'. 00:06.890 --> 00:09.683 And then, of course, you adapt. 00:10.210 --> 00:14.583 You have to adapt because you can't function being afraid. 00:15.060 --> 00:15.893 You have to act. 00:16.371 --> 00:19.204 (inspiring music) 00:24.790 --> 00:28.873 His reputation was that he never ducked, he never crawled. 00:29.380 --> 00:30.213 - Canley, 00:31.590 --> 00:33.810 he may not ever have 00:34.830 --> 00:37.230 even fully understood this himself, 00:37.230 --> 00:38.853 but Canley was a fatalist. 00:39.430 --> 00:41.743 Is, I suppose, but he certainly was then. 00:42.960 --> 00:46.513 And he clearly did believe that if today was your day, 00:47.080 --> 00:48.623 there wasn't nothin' you could do about it. 00:52.530 --> 00:55.963 - During firefights, when we'd be all huggin' Mother Earth, 00:56.808 --> 00:58.130 (gunshots) 00:58.130 --> 00:59.803 he'd be standing up directing us. 01:00.270 --> 01:02.710 - The result of that is he appeared to be fearless 01:02.710 --> 01:04.023 because he was fearless. 01:04.540 --> 01:07.030 And we all considered him 01:07.750 --> 01:12.080 totally, completely, and absolutely without fear. 01:15.290 --> 01:16.770 - He stood up in the middle of firefights. 01:16.770 --> 01:18.870 I don't know what else to say, but that's... 01:18.960 --> 01:22.133 And I know that might sound unrealistic to people listening, 01:22.680 --> 01:25.330 but you'll hear that from every Alpha Company Marine. 01:25.790 --> 01:27.263 - He gave them a chance. 01:27.430 --> 01:30.113 If they didn't get him in that first 30 seconds, 01:30.570 --> 01:32.253 then he said to himself, 01:33.010 --> 01:34.860 I don't have to worry about it today. 01:35.206 --> 01:37.340 (explosions booming) 01:37.340 --> 01:40.013 - Gunny Canley was quiet, 01:40.970 --> 01:43.790 and unlike most Marine NCOs, 01:43.790 --> 01:46.653 and gunnies, he spoke very softly. 01:47.330 --> 01:49.113 But the one thing I got from him, 01:49.320 --> 01:51.353 and I didn't have much contact with him, 01:51.610 --> 01:53.493 until Hue City, and then after, 01:54.360 --> 01:57.173 was he loved his enlisted Marines. 01:57.910 --> 02:00.420 And he never scolded us, he instructed us. 02:00.420 --> 02:03.650 But you could feel the love, you really could. 02:03.650 --> 02:06.860 I know that's maybe a tough word in combat Marines, 02:06.860 --> 02:08.493 but you could feel the love, 02:08.970 --> 02:13.050 and I would screw up or something, and it was never 02:13.050 --> 02:15.700 a chewing out, it was just, this is the way we do it. 02:16.230 --> 02:18.630 So you wanted to do it right for him after that. 02:19.180 --> 02:23.070 - He is individually and uniquely responsible 02:23.070 --> 02:27.020 for saving, saving and/or protecting 02:27.090 --> 02:29.823 the lives of a lotta good young Marines. 02:30.050 --> 02:33.783 Good young Marines of that day, old gray-haired turds today. 02:34.288 --> 02:36.371 (laughs) 02:37.550 --> 02:41.193 And all of us, all of us, 02:42.960 --> 02:44.243 the lieutenant included, 02:45.410 --> 02:49.443 literally worshipped the ground that he walks on. 02:50.480 --> 02:52.523 He's a special human being. 02:54.010 --> 02:56.113 A very, very special human being. 02:56.200 --> 02:57.793 Never takes any credit. 02:58.700 --> 03:00.313 Never wanted any credit. 03:00.880 --> 03:03.103 Just wanted to take care of his Marines.