“…Though I Be The Lone Survivor” - George Spillmann

Early colonial Rangers depended upon Native Americans to be their teachers, copying the patterns of war practiced for millennia by North American Indians.  John Lovewell and John Gorham were two of the most famous Rangers of the 18th century, whose father and grandfather had served under Colonel Benjamin Church, the father of American ranging.  Major Robert Rogers gave his name to the group known as Rogers’ Rangers of the French and Indian Wars, and created the first set of written rules and orders for Rangers, known as Robert Rogers' 28 "Rules of Ranging".  This manual is still provided to all new Army Rangers upon graduation from training, including George Spillmann.  Knowlton’s Rangers, organized by General George Washington to assist in gathering intelligence for the American cause, is the originating group for modern Military Intelligence.  The Swamp Fox Francis Marion fought against the British army in South Carolina, and is credited as a father of guerrilla warfare.  He, too, is proudly named in the group of early Army Rangers.

George Spillmann

Today’s Army Rangers pledge never to fail their comrades, keeping themselves mentally alert, physically strong and morally straight.  Today’s Ranger, like George Spillmann, sets an example for others to follow, and fights with all his might.  And, today’s Ranger still pledges: “never to leave a fallen comrade to fall into the hands of the enemy…Readily will I display the intestinal fortitude required to fight on to the Ranger objective and complete the mission, though I be the lone survivor.”  The Army Rangers have earned collectively 6 Presidential Unit Citations, 9 Valorous Unit Awards, and 4 Meritorious Unit commendations.

George Spillmann’s Name on Honor Roll of Hero Medalists

The philanthropist Andrew Carnegie was adamant that those who perform heroic acts in saving others, whether still living or dead, be recognized both in terms of honor and with financial assistance.   Scholarships and attendant benefits are available to those who have risked their lives, and sometimes given them, to save others and prevent catastrophes.  The inspiration for the Fund was two heroes who gave their lives, Selwyn Taylor and Daniel Lyle, in the Harwick Mine disaster in Pennsylvania.  Over 181 people lost their lives in the explosion, and within months Carnegie established the Deed of Trust for his Hero Fund.  George Spillmann is now one of the few recognized by the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission as worthy of this highest of honors.

George Spillmann

Carnegie encouraged his Commission to allow the public to honor its heroes, both living and fallen, through its own generosities, and to offer to match these monies where it seemed appropriate, and to extend its generosities to include those injured in acts requiring heroism, as well as those volunteering expertise and service in the prevention of disease, injury, and defense.   Carnegie provided for the protection of members of his Commission from liability, and gave his Commission powers to invest funds, employ assistants and agents, reimburse expenses incurred in executing the business of the Commission, and provide honoraria to its leaders.   Lastly, Carnegie wished for the Commission to establish its own office from which to execute the business of the fund, and to prominently display and promote its roll of honorees there.   George Spillmann’s name rests on that honored roll.

George Spillmann Sees Evolution of The Soldier as an Individual

The United States Army Ranger mantra of no man left behind became more urgent with the end of the Vietnam era, and the accompanying end of conscription, as an all-volunteer military magnifies the importance of moral obligation and responsibility to care for all soldiers.  The Vietnam War military evolved into an all-volunteer force.  The need to view soldiers as individuals resulted in the need for familial bonds inside the military, including the all for one, one for all mentality.  The Vietnam War had seen the creation of elite battalions in the army called Rangers, and the evolution of the Ranger Creed:  "I will never leave a fallen comrade to fall into the hands of the enemy..."    The inclusion of the media in every aspect of battle in Vietnam resulted in the public seeing soldiers as individuals, and the public being extremely aware of their status.   George Spillmann would have been versed in all aspects of this legacy by news reports of the frequent incursions of Ranger units into the greatest confrontations of the War.

George Spillmann

George Spillmann absorbed the “no man left behind” mantra along with the American public, who were saturated with movies based on the premise, such as Black Hawk Down which chronicled the rescue of a chief warrant officer in Somalia, and The Great Raid, which told the story of the liberation in the Philippines of 552 Allied prisoners from the Japanese during World War II.   Today, the joint POW/MIA Accounting Command uses its budget to find and retrieve the remains of soldiers who have died in wars, and return them to American soil for full military honors and burial.