Luckily when I make mistakes as a trader, nobody gets shot at or killed.
I experienced a light mental ambush when I heard ECB President Jean Claude Trichet say that he didn’t believe the US was devaluing its currency. I calculated, as dollar bulls were capitulating around me, that Trichet had just cleared the path for further dollar debasement and Euro appreciation, knowing full well about the battles his currency was about to face. Obviously there is dissension among his ranks and holes in his armor. I thought I heard him shouting – “BERNANKE – TAKE ‘em OVER THE HILLTOPS!!” but it wasn’t quite clear with rockets going off all around me. I thought we should be prepared for the Battle of €1.45.
As it turns out the inherent issues in Europe have already manifest themselves with Portugal and Ireland trading record spreads from Germany on a daily basis, and the currency has gotten slaughtered. If it were war my troops wouldn’t have lived to see the light of day. But it’s only Wall Street where men come to compete at different levels every day. I get to live through all of those mistakes and keep trying my best.
On the right you will notice that the first man I pay tribute to is the warrior for having vastly more courage than I do and for protecting my way of life. At a time when the freedom to pursue your dream and the right to life are becoming more and more precious – we damn sure ought to take the time to honor these guys on VETERAN’S DAY. The lazy bond market and clumsily suited bankers get the day off today but merchants and warriors of trade are at their desks trying to make sense of global markets. If any of us had the courage and valor of a Staff Sergeant Salvatore Giunta in this business – they’d probably have been able to retire a long time ago.
Sergeant Giunta, is 25 years old and the first living recipient of the Medal of Honor – the highest accolade in our military system. In operation “ROCK AVALANCHE”, in an Afghan mountain ridge, his platoon walked into an L-shaped ambush where, as he put it, “There were more bullets in the air than stars in the sky” and they were being ferociously attacked at close range. His team was split up and Giunta began following his instinct – “I didn’t have time to think at all, and I didn’t even think about having to think – we were just going.” During the battle his buddy Josh Brennan went unaccounted for but Giunta had to press on. By the light of the moon he noticed two of the enemy carrying Brennan away. He shot one of them in the head, wounded the other, and eventually got Brennan airlifted out of the fierce battle, comforting his friend with eight bullet holes in his body “Dude, this time you’re really going home.”
Salvatore Giunta’s buddy Josh Brennan died the next day at a U.S. military base and shortly after receiving his medal of honor Giunta accepted no credit, rather reminded everyone of the valor of his fallen comrades.
“Every single person that I’ve been with deserves to wear it, deserves to…They are just as much of me as I am. This isn’t a one man show.”
Be a patriot, be a leader, and be a good teammate at your job and in life but most of all be thankful to our warriors today. Protecting our cozy way of life isn’t a one man show. It takes thousands of men like Salvatore Giunta.
