Guardian Angel Quotes

“If everyone is thinking alike, someone isn’t thinking. —George S. Patton Jr.”
― William F. Sine, Guardian Angel: Life and Death Adventures with Pararescue, the World's Most Powerful Commando Rescue Force

“If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead, either write something worth reading or do things worth writing. —Benjamin Franklin”
― William F. Sine, Guardian Angel: Life and Death Adventures with Pararescue, the World's Most Powerful Commando Rescue Force

“If your parachute doesn’t open you have the rest of your life to fix the problem.”
― William F. Sine, Guardian Angel: Life and Death Adventures with Pararescue, the World's Most Powerful Commando Rescue Force

“There is a Reaper, whose name is Death, And, with his sickle keen, He reaps the bearded grain at a breath, And the flowers that grow between. —Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, “The Reaper and the Flowers”
― William F. Sine, Guardian Angel: Life and Death Adventures with Pararescue, the World's Most Powerful Commando Rescue Force

“PJs use parachuting skills to raid into enemy territory to rescue and save lives; army rangers parachute onto the battle field to kill enemy soldiers and capture ground, while a Green Beret will infiltrate a remote, hostile area to teach the local populace how to fight and defend themselves against an enemy. Recon marines can sneak into enemy territory and learn all their secrets. SEALs are small direct-action-oriented teams that can infiltrate areas by sea air, or land to accomplish their objectives, such as capturing or destroying high value targets. Air force combat controllers call in airstrikes, help seize enemy airfields, and use their air traffic control skills to orchestrate everything from large-scale aerial invasions to small insertions of American planes and soldiers. All of these elite units consider themselves exclusive brotherhoods. Members of these outfits live at the most dangerous extreme of human experience and entrust their lives to each other. They focus on a common mission and share unique experiences of adventure and danger.”
― William F. Sine, Guardian Angel: Life and Death Adventures with Pararescue, the World's Most Powerful Commando Rescue Force

“Bullets chew up the earth on either side of the PJs sending gouts of dirt into the air. Rounds thwack into the wreckage behind them sounding like dull, muted bells. As bullets streak past them the PJs’ conversation mostly consists of short, disjointed exclamations like, “Holy Shit!” and “Can you fucking believe this?” Their situation is very unnerving and they squish against the rock, trying to get small.”
― William F. Sine, Guardian Angel: Life and Death Adventures with Pararescue, the World's Most Powerful Commando Rescue Force

“When you enter the shadow of the valley of death you need to be able to fight your way back into the light.”
― William F. Sine, Guardian Angel: Life and Death Adventures with Pararescue, the World's Most Powerful Commando Rescue Force

“Others May Live.”
― William F. Sine, Guardian Angel: Life and Death Adventures with Pararescue, the World's Most Powerful Commando Rescue Force

“That’s one bad thing about being a paramedic and a victim. You’ve seen it all and can diagnose yourself. He figures he doesn’t have long to live.”
― William F. Sine, Guardian Angel: Life and Death Adventures with Pararescue, the World's Most Powerful Commando Rescue Force

“We could not salvage our clothes; we threw them away and changed into fresh uniforms. We even abandoned our boots. Maggots had worked their way into nooks and crannies of our shoes and occasionally fell onto the floor.”
― William F. Sine, Guardian Angel: Life and Death Adventures with Pararescue, the World's Most Powerful Commando Rescue Force

“We continued with the necessary work of bagging bodies. We had one bag designated for body parts we could not match with a specific person. I dreaded that bag. I hated it because we had to keep opening it to add pieces. The bag contained so many maggots it moved and undulated, making faint rustling noises. The dead bodies were soft and came apart when we tried to pick them up. Our clothes were covered in putrid slime.”
― William F. Sine, Guardian Angel: Life and Death Adventures with Pararescue, the World's Most Powerful Commando Rescue Force

“snuck into the vacant copilot’s room next to our victim, carrying a bucket with the sea cucumber. I crept through the room, being careful not to make any noise. I removed the sea cucumber and slid it into our victim’s toilet, being careful not to splash any water. The sea cucumber looked like a world record, giant turd. It was jet black, about fourteen inches long and thick around as a coke can. Neither of our pilots was a scuba diver and I guessed they would never suspect the giant turd was really a sea creature. The humongous turd impersonator lay motionless in the bottom of the toilet bowl, leaking a faint reddish dye. When they discovered the state of the toilet the pilots began a heated argument, blaming each other for not flushing the disgusting mound of excrement. This was a serious breach of etiquette for an officer and gentleman. The hapless pilots finally tried flushing and the toilet backed up and flooded the bathroom. They had to summon a plumber who immediately recognized the turd for what it was, a sea cucumber, and said it must have somehow crawled up through the pipes. Neither pilot ever guessed they were the victims of a practical joke. The prank was flawless and I still have the picture of the cucumber in their toilet.”
― William F. Sine, Guardian Angel: Life and Death Adventures with Pararescue, the World's Most Powerful Commando Rescue Force

“I think that forgetfulness must be one of the human mind’s primary self-defense mechanisms. Women experience unbearable pain during childbirth and I’m told that afterwards they tend to forget the true depth of their suffering. If women had complete memories of their birthing ordeals, they might never be willing to become pregnant again and our species would become extinct. Without consciously trying I somehow forgot the true magnitude of my daily pain and suffering. A few miles into my next run my amnesia dissipates and the horror of past runs comes flooding back into my mind. It is just too painful to go on. I make a decision. I will quit after this one last run. Seconds after crossing the finish line I am already forgetting, “That wasn’t so bad.” Maybe the trainees who quit, the ones who nearly went insane, the ones who broke down in tears, maybe those guys couldn’t forget.”
― William F. Sine, Guardian Angel: Life and Death Adventures with Pararescue, the World's Most Powerful Commando Rescue Force

“Guardian Angel is made up of the trio of pararescuemen, combat rescue officers, and SERE specialists (experts in survival, evasion, resistance, and escape).”
― William F. Sine, Guardian Angel: Life and Death Adventures with Pararescue, the World's Most Powerful Commando Rescue Force

“Fentanyl is a painkiller eighty-one times as potent as morphine.”
― William F. Sine, Guardian Angel: Life and Death Adventures with Pararescue, the World's Most Powerful Commando Rescue Force

“An ironic bit of parachuting lore: If your parachute doesn’t open you have the rest of your life to fix the problem.”
― William F. Sine, Guardian Angel: Life and Death Adventures with Pararescue, the World's Most Powerful Commando Rescue Force

“Lives entwine, friendships shine, variety is the spice If I could relive my life, I would do it twice”
― William F. Sine, Guardian Angel: Life and Death Adventures with Pararescue, the World's Most Powerful Commando Rescue Force

“During the course of our conversation we started discussing internet lingo and acronyms. Billy made an off handed remark about LOL meaning “laugh out loud.” Debbie said, “You’re not serious are you?” We all looked at her wondering where this was going. “Of course he’s serious. LOL means laugh out loud.” I said. I watched in surprise as the blood drained from her face, and she became white as a sheet. I could tell by the expression on her face that her mind was racing. I didn’t know what was going on, but her distress was almost palpable. You could hear a pin drop as we all waited for her next words. “I thought it meant “lots of love.” Her pale skin and panic were the result of thinking back over all the occasions she improperly used LOL. The implications were staggering. Imagine that a good friend’s mother dies and you offer condolences on Face Book, “I’m so sorry for your loss. LOL.” Or, “I was so saddened to learn you have cancer. LOL.” We laughed for hours!”
― William F. Sine, Guardian Angel: Life and Death Adventures with Pararescue, the World's Most Powerful Commando Rescue Force

“Like many in his generation, Billy had grown up playing first-person-shooter video games. He decided to take that experience a few steps further and resolved to join a SWAT team and shoot bad guys for real. He visited the local police station to find out what requirements and training were necessary to become a SWAT team member. He found out that the process was a lot more involved than he expected. He first needed to attend a police academy and become a police officer. Afterwards he would have to work his way onto a SWAT team over time. There were no guarantees. During his visit to the police station he learned that many SWAT members were former Marine Corps snipers. During that same visit the cops ran Billy’s plates through their criminal database and learned that he had outstanding warrants for speeding tickets. They unceremoniously arrested him and tossed him into jail.”
― William F. Sine, Guardian Angel: Life and Death Adventures with Pararescue, the World's Most Powerful Commando Rescue Force

“The memories of a man in his old age Are the deeds of a man in his prime. —Roger Waters, Pink Floyd, “Free Four”
― William F. Sine, Guardian Angel: Life and Death Adventures with Pararescue, the World's Most Powerful Commando Rescue Force

“Nothing is so exhilarating in life as to be shot at with no result. —Winston Churchill”
― William F. Sine, Guardian Angel: Life and Death Adventures with Pararescue, the World's Most Powerful Commando Rescue Force

“I turned and entered the airport with my escort. Suddenly, I had a horrible realization: in order to return to the flight line I needed to move through a modern international airport complete with metal detectors and X-ray machines and I had a loaded pistol in my fanny pack. And, because of the ongoing civil war, security was beefed up and the guards were extra wary. Before we reached the first checkpoint, I pretended that I needed to use the restroom and told my escort to go on ahead. I needed to think. One option was to drop my pistol in a trash can and exit the airport, later claiming I lost the gun somehow. The lost-gun option had serious flaws. I couldn’t ditch my pistol because I had signed it out by serial number. Police could easily trace the gun back to me. My personal interpretation of the, “no weapons” order would probably not be an effective defense at my court marshal. My other option was to try and sneak through the airport onto the flight line, somehow avoiding a gauntlet of security checkpoints. This was the ninja option. This daunting course of action was fraught with serious danger. If guards confronted me and caught me with a loaded pistol I knew I would not have a pleasant day. There was no telling where that situation would lead; there was a real possibility I could spend time in a Yemeni prison. Despite the risks I decided on the ninja option. I figured I might have one slim advantage. Maybe the guards would remember me coming through the airport from the flight-line side with the embassy official and not pay me much attention. I was sweating bullets as I approached the first checkpoint. I tried to act casual and confident, not furtive and suspicious like a criminal. I waited until the guard looked away, his attention elsewhere and boldly walked behind him past the checkpoint. When I approached the X-ray and metal detectors I strode right past the line of people, bypassing the machines. I had to play it that way. I could not hang out near the detectors waiting for guards to look the other way and then sneak past; there were just too many. As I brazenly strode around each checkpoint I feared to hear a sudden barked command, rushing feet behind me, and hands spinning me around to face angry guards with drawn weapons. The last part of my mission to get on the airfield was tricky and nerveracking. Imagine being at an American airport in the gate area where people board the airplanes. Then imagine trying to sneak out a Jetway or access door without being stopped. I remembered the door I had used to enter the terminal and luckily it was unlocked. I picked my moment and quickly slipped out the door onto the airfield. I boldly strode across the airfield, never looking behind me until I reached my plane. Finally, I turned and looked back the way I came and saw … nothing. No one was pursuing me. I was in the midst of an ongoing civil war, surrounded by fresh bomb craters and soldiers carrying soviet rifles, but as scary situations go, so far Tiger Rescue was a relaxing walk in the park compared to Operation Ninja Escape.”
― William F. Sine, Guardian Angel: Life and Death Adventures with Pararescue, the World's Most Powerful Commando Rescue Force

“During the mission, we dressed in civilian clothes to emphasize the humanitarian nature of the evacuation. One disturbing aspect of the operation were our orders not to carry weapons. This went against my instincts as an operator, especially since we were working on an airfield pockmarked with bomb craters and surrounded by Yemini soldiers carrying AK-47 assault rifles. I chose to interpret our instructions to mean we could not openly carry weapons. I carried my 9mm pistol in a fanny pack around my waist and, just in case, we had some rifles broken down and stored in backpacks. I think it’s unwise to walk around unarmed in a combat zone.”
― William F. Sine, Guardian Angel: Life and Death Adventures with Pararescue, the World's Most Powerful Commando Rescue Force

“I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned to see who it was. My jaw dropped! Ralph and I exchanged looks of dismay and resignation. Standing behind us were our three top PJ bosses. Somehow they had tracked us down. We were caught red-handed and there was no escape. The air went out of my emotional sails, and I felt deflated. I didn’t even begin to try to talk my way out of this. I said, “OK. You got us. What can I say?” The PJ bosses looked at me funny and started to laugh. Then a long line of PJs streamed into the bar. The bosses were just the vanguard of a boisterous posse of PJs. Cabin fever had become unbearable and apparently almost every single PJ had decided to sneak off base! Everyone was loud, animated, and ready to do some serious drinking. Thus began a spontaneous and epic night of partying. Somehow, everyone made it back onto base afterwards without incident.”
― William F. Sine, Guardian Angel: Life and Death Adventures with Pararescue, the World's Most Powerful Commando Rescue Force

“Everyone has a plan until they’ve been hit. —Joe Louis”
― William F. Sine, Guardian Angel: Life and Death Adventures with Pararescue, the World's Most Powerful Commando Rescue Force

“Somehow my guys always survived, although not entirely unscathed. Unlike normal humans with one guardian angel attending, God appears to assign each PJ a team of guardian angels—concrete evidence of His infinite wisdom.”
― William F. Sine, Guardian Angel: Life and Death Adventures with Pararescue, the World's Most Powerful Commando Rescue Force

“To boldly go where no man has gone before. —Star Trek”
― William F. Sine, Guardian Angel: Life and Death Adventures with Pararescue, the World's Most Powerful Commando Rescue Force

“passes out. When he awakes, the drama repeats with Trisco arguing against morphine and Houghton’s unbearable pain arguing for the drug. It’s as if Sergeant Houghton has a little Trisco angel perched on one shoulder and a horned morphine devil perched on his other shoulder. They both whisper into his ears, each making their case.”
― William F. Sine, Guardian Angel: Life and Death Adventures with Pararescue, the World's Most Powerful Commando Rescue Force

“A torn aorta is almost always fatal He sets his stop watch; if his aorta is torn he only has a short time to live. Five minutes tick by, and he’s still alive. He shifts his attention to his leg which is painful and tingling and begins to check his lower body for injuries. Something about his leg looks weird. It takes him a few seconds to figure out what he’s looking at. Somehow he is sitting on his own leg, impossible even for a circus contortionist. The thigh bone, or femur, is the strongest bone in the body, and it takes a tremendous amount of force to break it. The PJ finally figures out his femur is snapped in half, and his leg is folded back underneath him.”
― William F. Sine, Guardian Angel: Life and Death Adventures with Pararescue, the World's Most Powerful Commando Rescue Force

“Things are so relaxed and uneventful that he thinks to himself in passing, “It is times like these that Murphy strikes.” The PJ is thinking about Murphy’s Law: “If anything can go wrong it will.” Murphy’s Law is particularly notorious for rearing its ugly head during complex military operations. Seconds later, Dan’s thoughts of Murphy prove prophetic. Even though he is wearing a noise-canceling headset, Sergeant Houghton hears a loud pop. He is a trained aircrew member and the unusual noise sets off internal alarm bells in his head. He looks around; the rest of the passengers remain oblivious, but Sergeant Houghton notices flight engineers moving around, nervously referring to their checklists. And then he hears the ominous sound of an engine winding down and losing power. He flips up his night vision goggles and mentally takes stock of his situation. Word quickly circulates around the cabin—hold on!”
― William F. Sine, Guardian Angel: Life and Death Adventures with Pararescue, the World's Most Powerful Commando Rescue Force