Adorable Little Kid Writes To U.S. Admiral Asking If Navy SEALs Are Quieter Than Ninjas, Gets Response

Rob Fox11 years ago

Today’s most adorable news comes from some of the deadliest people on Earth, the Navy SEALs, who are apparently as adept at capturing hearts as they are terrorist leaders.

Walker Greentree, a 6-year-old from Virginia and son of two military members (the father is currently deployed, the mother is no longer active duty), was playing a bit too loudly with a friend when his mom instructed him to “be quiet like a SEAL.” Walker’s 6-year-old friend, presumably a communist, retorted to the boy’s mother that “ninjas are quieter.” What ensued was a heated argument over which elite military personnel were in fact quieter, SEALs or ninjas. Walker’s mother, who was in the Navy, finally told Walker that the only way to know for sure was to write a letter to the very man who runs the Navy SEALs, Admiral William McRaven, who heads the U.S. Special Operations Command and is credited with leading the Osama bin Laden raid.

So Walker grabbed a pencil and wrote to Admiral McRaven to settle the debate once and for all.

Dear Admiral McRaven,
When I grow up, I want to be a SEAL too but can you tell me who is quieter — SEALs or Ninjas? Also how long can you hold your breath for? v/r Walker Greentree.

Here’s a picture of Walker with the letter, courtesy of Blue Star Families, a non-profit organization that helps out military families and happens to be the employer of Walker’s mom. The organization put together a whole series called, “How to find out if a SEAL is quieter than a ninja.”

Apparently Walker was anxious to receive a response, and spent every day excitedly checking his mailbox. Finally, much to the fine young American’s delight, McRaven’s response arrived.

Walker,
Thanks for writing me! You did a great job drawing the Trident, it looks just like my personal coin, which I’ve sent you along with this letter. I only give this to very special kids, so I hope you like it.

To answer your questions: I think ninjas are probably quieter than SEALs, but we are better swimmers, and also better with guns and blowing things up. I can hold my breath for a long time, but I try not to unless I really have to.

Remember, if you want to be a SEAL, you must do two things: listen to your parents and be nice to the other kids. If you do that then you can probably be a SEAL too.

McRaven’s response is, quite simply, amazing. I especially enjoyed the whole “better at blowing things up,” part. Granted, Walker’s unAmerican friend may have been right, ninjas are quieter than SEALs, but McRaven leaves no doubt as to who is more awesome. SEALs by a mile.

To ratchet up the adorable factor by about a thousand, Walker’s older brother read his baby bro McRaven’s letter.

The coolest part of all might be that McRaven gave Walker his own person Challenge Coin. That’s a hell of a souvenir, kid. Though Walker was told to keep the coin safe (he now stores it under his pillow), at first he had the totally understandable urge to take it to school and show it off, dropping a power move the likes of which most first graders have no ability to even comprehend. Suffice it to say, Walker wins show-and-tell forever.

Just a cool story all around.

[via The Huffington Post]