A Real American Hero

We often focus on heroes with a noble start.  Heroic soldiers and firemen and police officers.  But the other night, I could a show in DiscoveryID.  They have a show that looks at Undercover work.  The focus of this particular episode was Dave Hall.

Dave did not start out trying to be a hero. He was biker, going to jail on a drug charge.  But a detective thought he might be able to help their investigation of the neo-Nazi organization the Arayan Nation.  We have forgotten about the threat this terror organization presented in the early 90’s.  Dave was looking at reducing his sentence…and he knew some neo-Nazi bikers, which the Detectives thought would give him an in.  It was a three month gig.

Three years later, Dave was tormented by nightmares, a functioning alcoholic (he was drinking a bottle a night just to try and get to sleep).  And he was the right hand man of one of the Arayan Nation’s upper Priests (Ray Redfeairn)-and being told he was on his way to advancing that high as well.  Listening to Dave describe what it was like…it was gut wrenching.  He spoke of how hard it was when his dog died.  Now, the loss of a pet is rough as is…but I gotta beliieve it is an extra rub in a situation like that.

Dave risked his life to bring an end to the Arayan Nations, and without it, it is likely we would have seen another incident like the Oklahoma bombing.  While his original reasons were pretty selfish, he stepped up to the plate.  And when Dave said he would suffer it all again, after all, what is three years of his life to help end what could have been more and more senseless violence at the hands of the Arayan Nations?  I call that heroic.

I do not know when Investigation Discovery will air it again, but it is definitely worth catching if you can.