words.pen.ready.writer
@ready_pen
>I have learned a lot about Falconers last two days & something caught my eye…John Denver as a Bird Handler…interesting…
https://twitter.com/ready_pen/status/1316572902922256385
>2.) Interesting his last name was Henry John Dutschendorf JR.born in Roswelll, NM,..his father was Airforce pilot who is in Hall of Fame for breaking speed records w B-58!…interesting … John has ties to military- planes-& falcons/birds!
https://twitter.com/ready_pen/status/1316574442982699009
>3.) His father was actually present at the Roswell events and promoted to Lt Col afterwards…
https://twitter.com/ready_pen/status/1316576487248625664
>4.) But here’s the kicker…John Denver served in Vietnam ….as a SNIPER…his record remained until broken by Seal Kris Kyle…
https://twitter.com/ready_pen/status/1316577464076951554
John Denver: The Untold Story of a Vietnam Sniper
From late 1966 through early 1968, Denver recorded over 105 “kill,” a record that was not broken until Navy Seal Chris Kyle’s 150 unconfirmed shots in Iraq.
He Saved Countless Lives
Although violence followed John Denver, he saved countless American lives because of his efforts. But he was mostly known by his fellow soldiers as a quiet introvert who liked to sing to pass the time.
“John really could shoot his rifle,” said retired Captain James “Dusty” Straka (74), who served one tour with Denver. “He saved my life. But he was known for his performances, which calmed the guys down in some terrible situations. He never went anywhere without his M21 [sniper rifle] and that beat-up guitar. He always used to say, ‘if I get out of here, I’m gonna make the world a better place with song, not guns.’ And damn if he didn’t.”
Of course, such revelations of such a gentle pop singer being a vicious and calculating killer are a shock to some. Still, in context, Denver’s later life was an attempt to work out and exorcise the demons he felt he gathered during his tours in Southeast Asia.
“I’ve got a gift,” Denver once told pop star Elton John, who once visited him in Colorado during the recording of the English singer’s Caribou album, “and it’s more than shooting the enemy. I want to bring peace to this troubled world, and I’m doing everything I can to heal Mother Earth.” Elton John’s song “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” is dedicated to Denver.
Denver’s New Life
Mr. Denver spent much of the 1980s fighting for environmental causes, often with much success. However, his past would not let go.
Two years ago, it was revealed that the 1990 thriller Jacob’s Ladder starring Tim Robbins was loosely based on private interviews with John Denver. Screenwriter Bruce Joel Rubin brilliantly crafted Mr. Denver’s re-occurring nightmares into what has become the de facto psychological horror film of the 1990s and beyond.
The film’s protagonist, Jacob, is a Vietnam veteran whose experiences before and during the war result in strange, fragmentary flashbacks and bizarre hallucinations that continue to haunt him. As his ordeal worsens, Jacob desperately attempts to figure out the truth. The film’s themes are a religious allegory of Denver’s life and songs.
Denver was killed on October 12, 1997, when his experimental plane crashed into Monterey Bay off the California coast. Although he had over 2700 hours of flight experience, and notwithstanding his long family pedigree with flight, he was not legally permitted to operate the vehicle at the time.
During this period, it was also widely publicized that he had an alcohol problem, an affliction common with people who have PTSD. Authorities concluded that alcohol was not a factor in his crash, but determined that Mr. Denver had carelessly failed to refuel his aircraft correctly.
He received many posthumous awards, but not until recently was he recognized for his bravery on the battlefield.
https://www.gishgallop.com/john-denver-the-untold-story-of-a-sniper/