A Special Breed of Man

Joseph W. Urbas, 1948-2008

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Presented is a picture of my friend 1LT Joe Urbas, 12th Special Forces Grp (Abn.) sent to me by his sister. The picture was featured on an Army recruitment poster for its "Special Breed of Man" campaign, and taken early-mid 1970's in Montana or Wyoming on a field training exercise.

Ranger especially liked this picture and the accompanying text. As stated in my previous post on Joe (DLIC), we grew up in the same ethnic neighborhood in Cleveland, later both attending Bowling Green State U. and enrolling in ROTC there. Joe was commissioned as a 2LT/Inf/OCS Ft. Benning, 1970, and served 1 CAV Div (Airmobile) RVN.

This photo is a proud testimonial and crawled into my dreams last night. The photo and letters from his sisters tell me a lot about Joe's life. He was not a fortunate son. His lifelong home was 72nd Place off St. Clair in Cleveland, Dennis Kucinich's old neighborhood.

No fancy digs there, but I know he was there because that is where he wanted to be. The picture makes me proud because I also know he wanted to be there, doing what he was doing.

Joe always wanted to be a soldier, but I also know that there were dimensions to his being that transcended that reality and level of existence. During my last two visits with Joe he knew he was dying and that he would eventually succumb to cancer, but he hadn't given up his attitude. He wasn't balls to the wall but rather accepting of his condition.

Ranger plans to attend Joe's memorial celebration, but if this doesn't happen let's hope these memories will suffice.

Goodbye, Joe. A salute to a fine soldier and friend.

DLIC

Joe, yestiddy ya saved my life
an' I swore I'd pay ya back.
Here's my last pair of dry socks.
--Bill Mauldin

And the summer's gone
All the leaves are dying
It's you, it's you
Must go and I must bide
--Danny Boy

In my own skin
in my own heart
wish you'd come in
but the place is blown apart
--A Better Place, Army of Anyone

Time is short and here’s the damn thing about it
You’re gonna die, gonna die for sure.
You can learn to live with love or without it
– but there ain’t no cure
--Slow Turning, John Hiatt
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Ranger is saddened to report the death of a fellow Vietnam veteran. Last month it was fellow blogger Lurch, now Joe, leaving Ranger to feel like the DLIC (Detachment Left in Contact).

Jospeh W. Urbas Jr., Cleveland, died 1/26/08 following a lengthy campaign with cancer. It was a heart attack, however, which ended his patrol base duties. A common saying in the Army of yore was, there were only two good assignments -- the one you are leaving, and the one you're headed to. Joe has PCS'd (had a Permanent Change of Station) to his next assignment.

It is hard to say you miss a man that you have only seen three times in the last 25 years, but Ranger misses Joe. He deserved a long life as do all surviving combat infantrymen, but that wasn't in his op orders.

Joe served as an Airborne Infantry combat officer with the 1st Cavalry ca. 1970. Ranger Urbas later served with the U.S. Army Reserve and donned the Green Beret with the 12th Special Forces Group.

During the middle 1970's, Joe served at Ft. Benning while attending the Infantry Officers Advanced Course. He was a frequent guest of mine at that time, and we had the opportunity to build on a friendship that began in ROTC. (Joe entered ROTC in 1965 and was commissioned through OCS, Infantry.)

Ranger Urbas didn't speak much of his personal life, but he was a loving brother, mate and stepfather. He was well-loved, and his patrol base was secure.

Ranger mirrors this love and respect by saluting a former friend and colleague. He was a fine cadet and officer, and a hell of a man. He was a soldier, which was all he ever wanted to be.

--Jim