- Joined
- Apr 5, 1999
- Messages
- 460
Dear Members,
Here is something I want to make you guys aware of. I have known Dave for more than a decade and he is one of the more legendary members of the NSW community.
This was an email Dave CCd to me and was a replay to Fox Knives. I have copied it here because it explains everything better than I could. You can go to the front page of our website for the actual auction info, www.emersonknives.com.
Please get involved in any way you can.
My Best Regards,
Ernest Emerson
Thanks for your interest. I am a retired career SEAL Operator who was also combat wounded in Iraq. I was a SEAL sniper, as well. A friend and former teammate of mine, Jay Redman, has a charitable organization called Wounded Wear ( www.woundedwear.org). Jay was very badly wounded in combat in Iraq in 2007. His tenacity to return to duty has been reported in the past and is a true testament to his dedication and character.
Last summer I decided to do something significant with my talents to:
1) Raise awareness of the ultimate sacrifice that our teammates and their families in Naval Special Warfare have made for our Nation since 9-11.
2) Raise funds to assist the loved ones left behind by our NSW fallen, as well as assist recently injured service members through the services provided by Wounded Wear and The Navy SEAL Foundation.
3) To redirect the negative energy associated with the 9-11 Anniversary and ultimately do something that is tangibly positive and commemoratively lasting. In short, to steal back the day.
I arranged to shoot a bullet in honor of each of the 79 NSW personnel killed in training or combat since 9-11-01 into a black humanoid target from 911 yards away on September 11, 2012. The range and range safety officer were generously donated to us by Academi in Moyock, NC. Only bullets that impacted the black counted. I fired the first shot at exactly 8:45::30 to signify the moment the first WTC tower was impacted, and thus when America and NSW effectively went to war. SO1 Neil Roberts was the first NSW member killed after 9-11 and therefore the first bullet impact was in memory of him. That's how it went all morning. I fired for each guy in order of their death. The misses did not count and with each hit the target was pulled and the name of the person for whom it was fired for was written next to the hole. We carefully saved each piece of brass for the rounds that hit black and marked the name of the man it was fired for on the bag.
I represented the SEALs in our community. My wife represented our NSW families. Two NSW support personnel represented our NSW Support Personnel.
I fired without a spotter and called my own wind holds. It was extremely challenging. It took me 115 rounds fired to accumulate the 79 needed in the black. My rifle was built by a friend and former teammate who was also a sniper, SOCS (SEAL) Chris Higgins, USN, Ret. who owns Red Bull Armory. It was a .308 Remington 700 with a fixed 10 power scope and an Obermeyer 5R barrel.
I sent the target overnight to artist Ellwood T. Risk in Los Angeles,CA (www.ellwoodtrisk.com). He was raised in Virginia Beach in a Navy family and his brother who was working on my house got us talking to each other. "Woody", as he is known, threw himself into the project at no cost and produced an amazing one of a kind piece of art entitled "Until it Hurts". The art work is in Virginia Beach, VA and is now able to be bid on online until the auction associated with Wounded Wear's Third Annual Toast to the Heroes event held in Norfolk, VA closes out Saturday, February 9, 2013. Currently the highest bid is $7,000. The piece incorporates original newspaper front pages owned by Woody from 9-11-01. On the sides "Long Live the Brotherhood" is spelled in Latin.
I would really like to draw national attention to the auction. If you can help us that would be fantastic. The process took all of my skill and all of Woody's skill and was very emotional in a positive way. Some NSW family or wounded soldier will directly benefit from the proceeds generated by this effort.
After the original piece is auctioned we will produce high quality prints. The sale of those will continue to benefit both Wounded Wear and The Navy SEAL Foundation.
We have been trying to get the artwork displayed at both the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art and the Virginia Beach Aviation Museum between now and February 9th. We were rejected by the air museum and are waiting word from MOCA as of now.
I would love for the piece to be displayed at the National Navy SEAL Museum for some reasonable period after the auction so the public can enjoy it, but the main thing is the help our families and teammates.
We have video of the target being shot and video of Woody making the artwork as well as many photos.
Please feel free to contact me for any additional information. I will be happy to comment publicly about this effort if that helps but want to be sure that the emphasis is on the effort and a positive connection to our fallen. It's not about me.
To bid on the work or follow the bidding go to www.woundedwear.org and click the Toast the Heroes event link and then the auction link.
Respectfully,
SOCS (SEAL) David Hall, USN, Ret.
Here is something I want to make you guys aware of. I have known Dave for more than a decade and he is one of the more legendary members of the NSW community.
This was an email Dave CCd to me and was a replay to Fox Knives. I have copied it here because it explains everything better than I could. You can go to the front page of our website for the actual auction info, www.emersonknives.com.
Please get involved in any way you can.
My Best Regards,
Ernest Emerson
Thanks for your interest. I am a retired career SEAL Operator who was also combat wounded in Iraq. I was a SEAL sniper, as well. A friend and former teammate of mine, Jay Redman, has a charitable organization called Wounded Wear ( www.woundedwear.org). Jay was very badly wounded in combat in Iraq in 2007. His tenacity to return to duty has been reported in the past and is a true testament to his dedication and character.
Last summer I decided to do something significant with my talents to:
1) Raise awareness of the ultimate sacrifice that our teammates and their families in Naval Special Warfare have made for our Nation since 9-11.
2) Raise funds to assist the loved ones left behind by our NSW fallen, as well as assist recently injured service members through the services provided by Wounded Wear and The Navy SEAL Foundation.
3) To redirect the negative energy associated with the 9-11 Anniversary and ultimately do something that is tangibly positive and commemoratively lasting. In short, to steal back the day.
I arranged to shoot a bullet in honor of each of the 79 NSW personnel killed in training or combat since 9-11-01 into a black humanoid target from 911 yards away on September 11, 2012. The range and range safety officer were generously donated to us by Academi in Moyock, NC. Only bullets that impacted the black counted. I fired the first shot at exactly 8:45::30 to signify the moment the first WTC tower was impacted, and thus when America and NSW effectively went to war. SO1 Neil Roberts was the first NSW member killed after 9-11 and therefore the first bullet impact was in memory of him. That's how it went all morning. I fired for each guy in order of their death. The misses did not count and with each hit the target was pulled and the name of the person for whom it was fired for was written next to the hole. We carefully saved each piece of brass for the rounds that hit black and marked the name of the man it was fired for on the bag.
I represented the SEALs in our community. My wife represented our NSW families. Two NSW support personnel represented our NSW Support Personnel.
I fired without a spotter and called my own wind holds. It was extremely challenging. It took me 115 rounds fired to accumulate the 79 needed in the black. My rifle was built by a friend and former teammate who was also a sniper, SOCS (SEAL) Chris Higgins, USN, Ret. who owns Red Bull Armory. It was a .308 Remington 700 with a fixed 10 power scope and an Obermeyer 5R barrel.
I sent the target overnight to artist Ellwood T. Risk in Los Angeles,CA (www.ellwoodtrisk.com). He was raised in Virginia Beach in a Navy family and his brother who was working on my house got us talking to each other. "Woody", as he is known, threw himself into the project at no cost and produced an amazing one of a kind piece of art entitled "Until it Hurts". The art work is in Virginia Beach, VA and is now able to be bid on online until the auction associated with Wounded Wear's Third Annual Toast to the Heroes event held in Norfolk, VA closes out Saturday, February 9, 2013. Currently the highest bid is $7,000. The piece incorporates original newspaper front pages owned by Woody from 9-11-01. On the sides "Long Live the Brotherhood" is spelled in Latin.
I would really like to draw national attention to the auction. If you can help us that would be fantastic. The process took all of my skill and all of Woody's skill and was very emotional in a positive way. Some NSW family or wounded soldier will directly benefit from the proceeds generated by this effort.
After the original piece is auctioned we will produce high quality prints. The sale of those will continue to benefit both Wounded Wear and The Navy SEAL Foundation.
We have been trying to get the artwork displayed at both the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art and the Virginia Beach Aviation Museum between now and February 9th. We were rejected by the air museum and are waiting word from MOCA as of now.
I would love for the piece to be displayed at the National Navy SEAL Museum for some reasonable period after the auction so the public can enjoy it, but the main thing is the help our families and teammates.
We have video of the target being shot and video of Woody making the artwork as well as many photos.
Please feel free to contact me for any additional information. I will be happy to comment publicly about this effort if that helps but want to be sure that the emphasis is on the effort and a positive connection to our fallen. It's not about me.
To bid on the work or follow the bidding go to www.woundedwear.org and click the Toast the Heroes event link and then the auction link.
Respectfully,
SOCS (SEAL) David Hall, USN, Ret.