[March 9, 2021] Jonathan “Jonny” Hancock spent his first year in the Army as a cook. He said it was a good time; plenty of food to eat, no forced marches, and the top brass left you alone. But it left him wanting more. When I interviewed Jonny, he was turning 75 but still had the vigor and figure of a young man. What was it about this tough Army Ranger dude that made him a real man?1
I recently had a chance to speak with Jonny, very much the military’s version of the most interesting man alive. After a storied career that spanned two and a half decades over multiple continents that saw him participating in some of the most intense combat operations from Vietnam to Panama, he now spends his retirement helping other vets.
I caught up with Jonny on a horse farm he runs in Virginia. He caters to combat veterans with special physical and mental injuries. Just his way of giving back, he claims. The farm is a change from his days as one of the most deployed soldiers in the U.S. military and a long serving member in Delta Force.
Sitting on his front porch, we smoked H. Upmann No. 2 Cuban cigars, drank Jack Daniel’s Single ‘Barrel Proof’ Whiskey, and reminisced on old friends and spirited girlfriends. I also asked some not-too-subtle questions about his service in the Army as a Ranger and Delta Force member..
Do you ever miss being in combat?
I miss the guys. I don’t miss being combat exactly, but I do miss the camaraderie of being deployed. I don’t miss the bad food. I don’t miss sleeping in the dirt. I don’t miss the heat, cold, and being tired. I don’t miss the sandbags. I don’t miss the flies, the stink, or the bodies. I don’t miss any of that stuff. But I do miss the people.
You miss the guys you were with, but not all the bullshit.
Yeah, better them than me but anything I can do to support them from here with cigars and whiskey I’m all for it, but I don’t want to go back out there and live in the sandbox again. My body took a beating and the optempo was brutal. You were never really off, because you always had to be ready to deploy in minutes
What’s the one thing to always remember in a firefight?
Keep your head. It’s never as good as it seems and it’s never as bad as it seems, but keep your head and there’s always a way out. That’s the most important thing: keep your head, don’t panic. Never ever panic, it’s the worst thing you can do.
What was it like in Delta Force?
The things that I look back on, when I was a young soldier contemplating going over to Delta, you know, I thought they’re gonna be these great athletes, and that’s kind of what separates them from the rest of the military. When I got over there what really set them apart, and what I think was the biggest adjustment that I had to make, was the work ethic that they have and the pace at which they operate. During my time there was never, ever, in the 22 years I spent with them, there was a never a day that I went home where I didn’t check to make sure my gear was packed, that my weapons were ready to go, because at any minute you could be called out.
Would you do it all again?
Yeah, in a heartbeat.
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- Jonathan Hancock rose to the officer rank of Major, after spending 15 years enlisted and serving six combat tours in Vietnam, and other areas from Columbia to Panama.
Great article on a great man. Thanks Gen. Satterfield for sharing this interview. Please pass along our thanks for his service to our nation.
Tough, old guy! Wow, this is the kind of man I want to meet as well.
I think most of us would like to meet him. I have found that many of our military veterans who fought in war are the most interesting of all. They truly understand what comradeship is all about because they can ‘feel’ it. Just talk to any of them, give them time to warm up to you, and you will be surprised at what happens.
Good article, so thanks Gen. Satterfield. This is the kind of real man the USA needs these days. We too often support the wimps and the nutjobs over real quality men. You can see real men everywhere, fortunately, but the wimps are taking over.
Keep your head in a firefight, uh, yeah! Loved today’s article. More like this would be okay with me. I know, Gen. Satterfield, that this is a leadership blog and that interviews don’t always hit that requirement but it is okay to have a few more of this type of article. These REAL MEN you talk to is awesome.
You don’t see “real men” like this anymore. Today, we just have a bunch of dweebs who think they are men but use perfume, have their hair styled, and wear tight-fitting jeans. ha ha ha ha ha….. F@#$%^ ’em all.
Delta Force. Maybe Gen. Satterfield could give us more info on these army units. That would be pretty neat.
This Jonny guy must have lived a truly interesting life. I’m also sure it was brutal, unexpected, and exciting. Some of us simply don’t have the stomach for doing this. Yeah, we might “wish” we could do what men like Jonny did. But given the chance, I’m sure most of us might just wet our pants and slither away. Too many men think they are heroes but in reality they are just basement-dwelling dweebs that should be embarrassed to call themselves real men. Maybe they have a picture of John Wayne on their wall but they have nothing in common with men like John Wayne or Jonny Hancock.
Great comment on a great article. I would too love to meet this Jonny fellow. Seems like a man I would like to have a beer with and talk the talk of combat soldiers.
Gen. Satterfield, keep up the great blog you have.
Camaraderie, that is the core of this blog post today. It makes us who we are, our buddies keep us on track, doing the right thing, and make us do more than we could ever think we could do. Gen. Satterfield, I think I can speak for all of us that are part of your regular readers and fans, that this is the kind of article that makes this blog what it is.
Got that right, Yusaf. I also keep coming back to Gen. S blog. It gives me a dose of real leadership. Each day is a surprise and a surprise worth waiting for. I only wish there were more articles.
I come here for my daily dose of leadership, that is for sure. My wife does as well. I have on occasion printed out and article and posted on the refrigerator at work. I get some great comments on it.
Yep, “camaraderie”, that’s what it takes. Too many think they can do great things alone. That is hogwash, so put it out of your mind now.
The firefight answer was a good one. Just don’t lose your head …… figuratively and literally. I have been told by those with experience in combat that it is those who can keep from panic and put fire onto the enemy, are those that win the day. This is, of course, nothing new, but always good to hear it from the mouth of someone who has been there and survived.
Here is the best part, “Would you do it all again? Yeah, in a heartbeat.”
Wow, good one. Gen. Satterfield, if you can get more interviews and give us more detail, I would appreciate it. Well done, thanks.
Agreed, more interviews from long-serving soldiers, sailors, Marines, and airmen (not to forget the coast guard), would be great.
Yes, more this way, good reading for a Tuesday morning. 😊😊😊😊
I must say that today’s article caught me off guard and so, yes, I agree with you fellows that more interviews of combat vets or …. any vet is good for reading. Imagine what you can learn from a few minutes here in Gen. Satterfield’s blog.
I agree, more interviews. Maybe, Gen. Satterfield could consider writing a book on those he has interviewed. Just a thought.