Are There Alleged Corporate and Institutional Cover-Ups in Concussion, dealing with the NFL, and the Yarnell Hill Fire Only the Brave Movies?
Aug 30
47 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
Authors Fred J. Schoeffler and contributing others
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Obsidian Finance Group, LLC v. Cox (9th Cir. 2014) precedentially holds that constitutionally protected free speech on a public concern by a blogger is judged by the same fault standard as the press. (Case Briefs, accessed 2026) and (US Courts.gov Opinions). "When a defamatory statement involves a private plaintiff and matters not of public concern, presumed and punitive damages are permitted without a showing of actual malice. Dun & Bradstreet, Inc. v. Greenmoss Builders, Inc., 472 U.S. 749 (1985). The 9th Circuit’s finding that Defendant’s statement concerned a matter of public concern meant that on remand Plaintiffs would have to either prove actual damages or, in order to recover presumed or punitive damages, would have to prove actual malice."
DISCLAIMER — READ FIRST (Posted February 24, 2026)
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This entire post, including all texts, images, figures, links, personal and professional opinions, historical interpretations, and conclusions, is authored solely by Fred J. Schoeffler and any contributing others named therein. The blog owner/administrator has had zero involvement in its research, writing, editing, approval, or endorsement. Due to illness, the administrator did not read the post at all and only ran the raw provided text through Grok (xAI) once - strictly to generate a neutral, factual recap of its content and a high-level “what can be learned” summary (see below). The YHFR administrator expresses no opinion on the accuracy, completeness, or viewpoints expressed. This is far short of legal advice. Consult your own attorney. All content is presented as the personal and professional views and research of the author(s) on matters of public concern (wildland firefighter safety, historical context of public lands and tragedies, free speech). Per the Ninth Circuit’s ruling in Obsidian Finance Group v. Cox (2014), such speech on public concerns receives full First Amendment protections for bloggers and non-journalists alike.
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Disclaimer- Read First
This entire post is the personal and professional opinion of Fred J. Schoeffler. It is commentary on a matter of public concern. It is not a finding of fact by a court, a board of inquiry, an agency, or this site. Where the author uses words such as cover-up, whitewash, fatally messed up, clearly predictable and preventable, Groupthink, rogue firing operations, or banality of evil, those phrases are his personal and professional characterizations, not established legal or official conclusions. Readers should treat every such phrase as such unless the sentence names a specific public report, FOIA record, map, radio log, or other cited source and quotes what that source actually says. Named individuals remain identified only as the author chooses to discuss them. Nothing here is a charge, a verdict, or a claim that any named person committed a crime. If a sentence reads as an accusation, it is still the author’s personal and professional opinion unless a cited record states the same thing in those words.
This website avoids adopting the author’s personal and professional conclusions. For official accounts, read the official SAIT/SAIR and the primary records the author cites. This disclaimer is not legal advice. It's a professional editorial risk review.
Abbreviations: Wildland Firefighters (WFs), Firefighters (FFs), Escape Routes (ER). Safety Zones (SZ), Yarnell Hill Fire (YH Fire), Prescott Fire Dept. (PFD), Granite Mountain Hot Shots, Granite Mountain, Granite (GMHS, GMIHC), Hot Shots (HS), Blue Ridge HS (BRHS), Serious Accident Team (SAIT) & Serious Accident Team Report (SAIR), Only the Brave (OTB), Facebook (FB), Colorado Fire Camp (CFC), Yarnell Hill Fire Revelations website (YHFR)
All emphasis is added unless otherwise noted.
Figure 1. Concussion and Only the Brave
Sources: Sports Illustrated, Rotten Tomatoes
The integrity of the righteous will guide them.
But the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them.
Proverbs 11:3 NKJV
Tell the truth! Tell the truth!
“My specialty is the science of death.”
Dr.Omalu (Will Smith)
“You sir, are the greatest athlete in the world.”
King Gustav V of Sweden (Re: Jim Thorpe)
"Wanna piece of my Carolina ass?"
Josh Brolin/Eric Marsh
Figure 1a. YH Fire-GMHS Death Bowl Source: FB, EMF
In this author's personal and professional opinion, this post alleges and argues that the movies Concussion and Only the Brave treat institutional failure differently: Concussion attacks the NFL’s handling of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE); Only the Brave, from its alleged narrow perspective, while honoring the GMHS falls short of examining wildland fire management command, leadership, timing, or the SAIT-SAIR findings the author disputes. And the half-Native American athlete Jim Thorpe and WW2 Veteran Joseph Longknife histories are also offered as analogues because WFs, like military veterans, are often referred to as warriors.
It also examines the documented history of the half-Native American athlete Jim Thorpe, who was brought up in the Sac and Fox Nation in Oklahoma under the name Wa-Tho-Huk, which means “Bright Path.” Thorpe played several sports at the highest level through the late 1920s. Before and after his Olympic exploits, he pursued a career in track and field, played baseball and basketball, and became one of the first major stars of professional American football, making a name for himself with the Canton Bulldogs of Ohio, who proclaimed themselves “world champions” in 1916, 1917, and 1919. Plus World War 2 Veteran Joseph Longknife, a full-blood Assiniboine Indian and the Great Grandfather of former Geronimo Hot Shot Supt. Michael Longknife, both raised on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation in Big Warm, MT.
Joseph Longknife was born May 15, 1915, in Harlem, MT, to Abraham and Susie “Red Dog” Longknife. Assiniboine name was “Skunk toga jakota,” meaning Gray Wolf. He was raised by his grandparents, Elbow and Old Old Longknife, in the “Indian-way.” He was also known as “Joe Geeb.” He enlisted in the United States Army at Fort Missoula on January 27, 1941.
After completing his training with the U.S. Army, Private First Class Joseph Longknife was sent to Angel Island near San Francisco, CA. He was deployed to Manila, Luzon Island in the Philippine Islands, then assigned to Company K in the 31st Infantry Regiment. On Dec. 10, 1941, Japanese forces landed on Luzon Island. PFC Longknife and his comrades received their first taste of tropical warfare in Bataan. He and the fighting forces left were the defenders of Bataan, known as the “Battling Bastards,” fighting an entire month without connection to the American forces in the region. They survived on monkeys, horses, and iguanas. During this defensive period, PFC Longknife made his presence known in Bataan as the fearless, sharp-eyed jungle fighter who searched the jungle for Japanese patrols. In the March 9, 1942, article in Time magazine, he was mentioned as one of the American Indian scouts with the 31st Infantry Regiment. The article stated, “... On a recent raid he rose up out of tall grass, killed 10 Japs with 16 shots, dispersed the rest with hand grenades. When he was a youngster, he listened to tales of raiding parties told to him by his father, (Abe) Longknife, and his grandfather, Old Old Longknife.” Shortly after, the Japanese circulated photographs of the U.S. Army in a comic book, including an image featuring PFC Longknife as the “Indian Joe,” who killed ten Japanese soldiers. He was considered an extreme threat to the Japanese forces. PFC Longknife survived the torturous Bataan Death March, a brutal nine-day trek of 55 miles to a prison camp in San Fernando.
On August 24, 1944, PFC Longknife was among 750 soldiers who boarded a Japanese freighter headed to Manila and arrived at the port of Zamboanga. After 10 days in Zamboanga, he and his comrades were transferred to the Shinyo Maru freighter on the second leg of their journey toward Liloy Point, Sindangan, Mindanao. The Shinyo Maru was torpedoed in Sept. 1944 by American forces and sank within minutes. PVT First Class Joseph Longknife's remains have never been recovered, along with the many souls lost on Sept. 7, 1944. He was posthumously awarded the Silver Star Medal, Bronze Star Medal, Prisoner of War Medal, the Purple Heart Medal, and the Combat Infantryman’s Badge. (FB, Connie L. Filesteel's post, accessed 2026).
This YHFR website post, as all others published there, must be read against the tried-and-true Rules of Engagement and Entrapment Avoidance Principles and all the other fatal and near-fatal wildland fires documented in the (WLF, LLC Incident Reviews) and our (YHFR website). It will blend the movie Concussion based on actual events, as a more accurate and truthful analogue to the fictional movie Only the Brave, albeit touted as the GMHS "true story." Knowledgeable, wise FFs and WFs like yourselves will surely benefit from this analogue post, which contains many of the facts as we know them, personal and professional opinions, and linked, documented sources.
"My tongue is the pen of a ready writer."
Psalm 45:1 (NKJV)
"It is difficult for you to tell the truth
if you profit from the lie."
Seneca (Roman Statesman)
“If you really want to communicate something, even if it’s just an emotion or an attitude, let alone an idea, the least effective and least enjoyable way is directly. It only goes in about an inch.
But if you can get people to the point where they have to think a moment about what it is you’re getting at, and then discover it, the thrill of discovery goes right through the heart.”
Farnum Street - Stanley Kubrick
The alleged respective YH Fire GMHS truth-telling and NFL lies will also be addressed here. In this author's professional opinion, the alleged cover-up, truth, and lies parallels are astoundingly similarly accurate regarding the Concussion movie and storyline followed by the Only The Brave movie! "While conducting an autopsy on former NFL football player Mike Webster (David Morse), forensic pathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu (Will Smith) discovers neurological deterioration that is similar to Alzheimer's disease. Omalu names the disorder chronic traumatic encephalopathy and publishes his findings in a medical journal. As other athletes face the same diagnosis, the crusading doctor embarks on a mission to raise public awareness about the dangers of football-related head trauma." (Concussion) Consider now an Only the Brave quote: "Through hope, determination, sacrifice and the drive to protect families and communities, the [GMHS] become one of the most elite firefighting teams in the United States. While most people run from danger, they run toward it, watching over lives, homes, and everything people hold dear, while forging a unique brotherhood that comes into focus with one fateful fire in Yarnell, Arizona." (Only the Brave). [Yes indeed, in this author's professional opinion (cited numerous times throughout our extensive YHFR website) (YHFR, accessed 2026) and this author's germane AHFE papers (Google Scholar, accessed 2026) and extensive (School of Hard Knocks) and (Academia.edu), they allegedly did much more than run toward danger; it is a documented fact noted in the (SAIT-SAIR, accessed 2026) that they were in the black [paradoxically mentioned 19 times! "BR Supt attempts to clarify, 'You guys are in the black, correct?' DIVS A responds, 'Yeah, we’re picking our way through the black,' in this author's personal and professional opinion, in their perfectly good Safety Zone! They fatally hiked downhill in a deadly chimney choked with explosively volatile chaparral right down into it - in this author's personal and professional opinion - and AT THE WORST POSSIBLE TIME! And their stated "unique brotherhood" allegedly likely led to the GMHS Groupthink (IRPG Hazardous Attitude) responsible for 19 out of 20 clearly predictable and preventable fatalities! In other words, being surrounded by agreement literally reduces your ability to think!]
Consider this highly successful, worthy advice from the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) Tenth Man Rule or Devil's Advocate concept. "The Tenth Man Rule: How to Take Devil’s Advocacy to a New Level." (The Mind Collection, Chris Meyer, accessed 2026). "In a group of ten, everyone is given the same information. If nine group members come to the same conclusion, the tenth person becomes the devil’s advocate. The tenth person is now responsible for disproving the others. The devil’s advocacy is triggered regardless of how improbable it may seem that everyone else is wrong."
Figure 1b. Mighty Oaks image. Source: Mighty Oaks
Please research and avail yourselves of this stunningly successful, most worthy free-of-charge opportunity for dealing with the inevitable, untold traumas associated with the numerous "inherently dangerous" fatal and near-fatal wildland fires we've all worked on and/or know families, friends, and loved ones that have and/or will; many of us reeling from internalizing versus dealing with those odious demons! Mighty Oaks is committed to serving military & first responder communities who have endured hardship around the globe through intensive peer-based discipleship Programs, outpost meetings, speaking, and resiliency events. We have Programs for Men, Women, and Married Couples at multiple locations nationwide and globally. Those who attend our Programs are fully sponsored, to include meals, lodging and travel, ensuring their sole focus is on recovery and empowering them to identify their purpose as they move forward. Statement of Faith - We believe in the transformative power of faith in Jesus Christ to bring healing, hope, and purpose to the lives of our Nation’s Warriors. Through our programs, we seek to share God’s love and guidance, empowering veterans to overcome life’s challenges with resilience and a renewed sense of mission. Our faith is the cornerstone of our work, grounding every effort in compassion and grace. (Mighty Oaks website, accessed 2026)
"There are three sides to every story: yours, mine, and the truth"
Robert Evans - Paramount Pictures Producer (1960s-1970s)
‘Truth is stranger than fiction. It has to be!
Fiction has to be possible and truth doesn’t!'
Mark Twain
"During times of universal deceit,
telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act."
George Orwell
In this author's personal and professional opinion, it will be important to consider now the following IM article (IM, 2015) titled: "After years of delay, the Granite Mountain Hotshot autopsy reports are finally released" because based on those "official" YH Fire and GMHS disaster records, (such as the official SAIT-SAIR, accessed 2026) where 19 GMHS perished, even though it allegedly disingenuously concluded there was "no indication of negligence, reckless actions, or violations of policy." So then, it's a permissible inference to state the GMHS did nothing wrong. And stating that in the positive, the GMHS did everything right. So then, we have to ask ourselves: How was it possible to do everything right and yet 19 Prescott Fire Dept. Firefighters died in one fell swoop on June 30, 2013? (YHFR, 2023, accessed 2026) Therefore, based on that logical conclusion, it's still permissible to compare and contrast what Dr. Bennet Omalu details in the movie Concussion, also extensively referring to autopsy reports in his conclusive, in-depth research. Therefore, in this author's personal and professional opinion, the GMHS autopsy reports should be required reading for all FFs and WFs engaged in wildland firefighting annual RT-130 Refreshers to reveal the documented fatal outcome of failing to know, recognize, follow, and heed the tried-and-true Rules of Engagement and mitigate the Entrapment Avoidance Principles! Caution: the detailed descriptions of the conditions of the bodies may be disturbing to some readers!
The wildland firefighting realm is akin to a Chess Game. Learn to play it. You'll never be the King or Queen unless you're an alleged Kool-Aid Drinker or Party-Liner. You'll want to avoid being a Pawn. So, you'll want to be one of the Shakers and Movers, e.g., Bishops, Knights, and Rooks.
The movie Concussion continues: This is Bigger Than They Are ... They Don't Want to Talk to You ... Dr. Julian Bailes: Tape, needles, Torodol, Vicodin, whatever it takes to keep them in the game. It's business. ... The NFL has known about the concussion issue for years. You've turned on the lights and gave their biggest boogeyman a name. ... As Julian says, the league is quite aware of this fact and is in no hurry to make the public aware of it too. ... I Have to Keep Going ...: What you think they're doing to you now, that's nothing. You have no idea how bad this could get. ... Omalu: I have to keep going. ... Discussing how the NFL is coming after Bennet as a method of intimidation to get him to keep his mouth shut, Julian warns Bennet that it can get much worse. The NFL has powers to do many things in this world, and that should scare Bennet enough to stand down. ... I Found a Disease That No One Has ... Dr. Bennet Omalu: I think I found a disease that no one has ever seen before. Repetitive head trauma chokes the brain! It turns you into someone else. ... By examining the brains of several deceased professional football players, ... discovered a disease no one yet had identified. He determined that multiple concussions caused horrific long-term brain injuries with tragic results. ... If You Don't Speak for Them, Who Will? ... Omalu: I am the wrong person to have discovered this. Prema Mutiso: If you don't speak for them, who will? ... As Prema reminds him, he can save lives by sharing his discovery. ... Drop It, or They'll Be Doing Your Autopsy ... Caller: Drop it ... Omalu: ... In just one of several acts of intimidation, Bennet receives a call from a man who threatens him over his findings. Thankfully, this, and the others, do not scare him or deter him from his mission. ... We Must Honor Our Warriors - ... Omalu: These men are not machines. We must honor our warriors! ... Everyone loves pro football players, and they should be honored as the warriors on the gridiron that they are. ... No Proof Was Presented Today - Dr. Elliot Pellman: No ... because there simply isn't any. An NFL-paid doctor tries to negate ... Omalu's findings about CTE by claiming there is no proof of his claims. With several deaths linked to CTE, proof is undeniable.
Consider now this MindRise quote and verbiage: "Being hated by idiots is the small price you pay for not being one of them." This quote reminds us that not everyone will understand your standards, your silence, your discipline, or your refusal to follow the crowd. When you choose to think differently, live honestly, and protect your mind, some people will hate you simply because your existence exposes their emptiness. Small minds do not hate you because you are wrong. They often hate you because you refuse to become like them. You refuse to laugh at what is cruel. You refuse to agree with nonsense. You refuse to lower yourself just to be accepted. And that kind of independence makes insecure people uncomfortable. Being disliked is not always a sign that you failed. Sometimes it is proof that you did not betray yourself. The wrong people rejecting you can be a hidden blessing, because their hatred creates distance between you and the life you were never meant to live. So do not fear being misunderstood by foolish people. Do not trade your dignity for their approval. Because sometimes the price of wisdom is loneliness. And sometimes the reward for not being one of them is finally becoming yourself." (MindRise, Facebook, accessed 2026)
He who walks with wise men will be wise,
But the companion of fools will be destroyed.
Proverbs 13:20 (NKJV)
When you fight through difficulties, you reveal your greatness. And since we have all had to fight through challenges at some point in our lives, we all have greatness inside of us. The measure of one’s greatness is found in the size of the challenges overcome and what we become ...
"I am only responsible for what I say, Not for what you understand.
Wisdom is found only in truth."
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
Fact vs. Fiction: Examining The Movie Concussion and the Reality of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. (Complete Concussions, 2025) "In 2015, the movie Concussion brought the issue of brain injuries in sports into the spotlight, telling the story of Dr. Bennet Omalu, a forensic pathologist who identified chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in NFL players. The film focuses on his groundbreaking discovery of CTE and the intense resistance he faced from the NFL while trying to raise awareness about the dangers of repetitive head trauma. While the movie Concussion sparked critical awareness about athlete safety and brain health, it may have oversimplified certain aspects of CTE. Movies and news articles often prioritize fear and drama to attract media attention, which can lead to one-sided views and misleading. In the case of CTE, much of the research that the movie was based on was a series of preliminary case studies that offer relatively weak evidence. Unfortunately, media portrayals often fail to report the caveats and limitations of these studies, leaving the public with an incomplete or exaggerated understanding of the issue. This article aims to provide more evidence-based and balanced insights into what we currently know about CTE, offering a clearer understanding of the progress and challenges in addressing this complex neurodegenerative disease."
Please consider this germane, informative Big Think article titled: How to Outsmart Misinformation (Big Think, accessed 2026) In a world overwhelmed by confident yet often misleading claims, research professor Alex Edmans emphasizes the importance of critical thinking and informed decision-making to combat misinformation and enhance our freedom. ... And then ten germane, informative video clips titled: (1) Cultivate Your Critical Inquiry Skills, (2) Why Misinformation Prevails, (3) Why We’re Prone to Believing Misinformation (4) Practical Framework for Dealing with Misinformation - The Ladder of Misinference, (5) A Statement Is Not Fact (6) A Fact Is Not Data, (7) Data Is Not Evidence, (8) Evidence Is Not Proof, (9) Considering an Author’s Credibility, and (10) Evaluating Scientific Studies.
Consider now the following somewhat germane linked (Lucidya, accessed 2026) article regarding responding to people who attempt to intimidate you, as it would allegedly apply to you FF and WF readers that would be dealing with the IRPG, page 19: "How To Properly Refuse Risk" discussing and utilizing the tried-and-true Rules of Engagement and Entrapment Avoidance Principles with some Overhead on a future wildland fire assignment. And the Communication prong is in every one of the hundreds of Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center (WLF, LLC) Incident Reviews sections! (Accessed 2026)
"Communication is hard. Though we’re wired to relate to others, we often get in our own way — misreading people, letting personal baggage cloud our perspective, or allowing roles and titles to block authenticity. And that’s before a conflict even begins. Jefferson Fisher’s simple-yet-effective communication framework is here to help. No matter what you need to say, he reminds you to say it with control, say it with confidence, and say it to connect." How to Argue Less and Talk More. (Big Think, Jefferson Fisher, accessed 2026)
Reading and rereading the following Dr. Bennet Omalu's comments, concerns, and suggestions is vital to his thoughts, Yarnell Hill Fire, e.g., they speak of inquisitorial evidence, trials, and truth! "Tell the Truth! ... They're Terrified of You ... Dr. Bennet Omalu: What do they want? Dr. Cyril Wecht: The NFL wants you to say you made it all up. ... Omalu: I made it up? ... Wecht: They're accusing you of fraud. Dr. Ron Hamilton: If you retract, you'll be fine. This all goes away. ... Omalu: Why? Why are they all doing this? ... Wecht: They're terrified of you. Bennet Omalu is going to war with a corporation that has 20 million people on a weekly basis craving their product the same way they crave food. The NFL owns a day of the week, the same day the Church used to own. Now it's theirs. They're very big. Dr. Omalu cannot understand why the NFL is battling his research so strongly. As Cyril explains, they're an insanely big company, and this could shatter their profits. ... If They Continue to Deny My Work ... Omalu: If they continue to deny my work, men continue to die. ... Wecht: Sometimes in life you're asked to leave it alone. But sometimes you can't. ... Wecht highlights, sometimes when people want you to do one thing, that nagging morality inside you prevents that. This is the case for Dr. Omalu, who knows that if this discovery is hushed, more will die. ... Goodell, I Asked You a Simple Question ... Congressman: Is there any link between head injuries and professional football players? ... The NFL, it's an entertainment product. Congressman: When did you become aware of the concussion issue? Commissioner Goodell: This is an evolving science. ... , "I asked you a simple question. ... In what is likely an unconnected set of declarations by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, the commish tries to weasel his way out of answering questions about CTE. One could argue that his lack of cooperation with Congress is conduct detrimental to the game."
New movie 'Only the Brave' honors the service and sacrifice of front-line firefighters. (Eyewitness News 7, 2017) LOS ANGELES - The new movie "Only the Brave" tells the true and tragic story of the "[GMHS]," an elite group of 20 firefighters who lost their lives while battling the Yarnell Mountain Fire in Prescott, [ Outlet error: the fire is the Yarnell Hill Fire, near Yarnell, not a “Yarnell Mountain Fire in Prescott.” Quoted as printed.] Arizona in 2013. Josh Brolin stars as the superintendent of the crew. Miles Teller plays a new recruit. The actors in this ensemble cast went through their own fire training "boot camp" to prepare for the film. "There wasn't a lot of ego, there wasn't a lot of bull," said Brolin. "Everybody had to kind of be stripped raw, it wasn't a necessarily comfortable situation all the time, but that's what we wanted to do. I think that's what it deserved. And I think the first responders and firefighters who have seen it have reacted very positively and are happy with the accuracy of the movie. ... We all bonded on this thing, we really formed our own kind of a brotherhood," said Teller. "I think if you assembled the cast, we would be able to be like a poor man's hot shot group. We absolutely learned some skills." The actors are proud to be able to pay tribute not only to the brave men they portray, but also their extended families. "You know we're not all perfect, we all have faults and fissures," said actor James Badge Dale, who plays one of the firefighters. "They loved each other and tried to navigate each other and to juxtapose that with these guys working up on the line. ... That balance is the relatability," added actor Taylor Kitsch. "This movie is for the first responders, and their families, and the Granite Mountain Hotshots. ... At the end of the day it was always about doing right by these guys," said actor Geoff Stults, who also plays a [FF].
This author takes umbrage with the alleged OTB "true story" statement: "Only the Brave" tells the true and tragic story of the "[GMHS]," an elite
group of 20 firefighters who lost their lives while battling the Yarnell Mountain Fire in Prescott, Arizona, in 2013." All you have to do is visit our YH Revelations website, best viewed on a laptop or PC on a laptop, PC, or GTS for this author's name and Applied Human Factors and Ergonomics (AHFE), (Academia.edu), and Research Gate for a plethora of germane academic papers, PowerPoint presentations, and much more clearly indicating that the PFD GMHS leadership allegedly - and fatally - messed up, resulting in 19/20 dying!
Figure 1c. Only the Brave running bear. Source: OTB movie
The Fig. 1c. The OTB burning, running bear image is purely fictional and histrionics! And then there's Josh Brolin's remarks (playing GMHS Supt. Eric Marsh) about the fire: "Wanna piece of my Carolina ass?"
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil
walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
1 Peter 5:8 (NKJV)
Figure 1d. Retired USFS CA Hot Shot Supts. Source: InciWeb, Facebook
Pictured from left to right, former USFS Interagency Hotshot Crew Superintendents: Anthony Escobar - Kern Valley, Greg Overacker – Stanislaus, Tom Hatcher – Plumas, Barry Callenberger – Eldorado, Jim Jimenez - Lassen, Dave Conklin - Bear Divide, and Don Feser - El Cariso.
"The Men Who Built the Modern Hotshot Legacy - Thirty-five years ago, seven legendary Interagency Hotshot Crew Superintendents stood together for a photograph in Sacramento, California. It was more than a picture—it was a gathering of the men whose leadership, vision, and unwavering commitment to excellence helped shape the future of wildland firefighting. As the founding members of the U.S. Forest Service Region 5 Interagency Hotshot Crew Steering Committee, these superintendents established many of the standards, leadership principles, training expectations, and operational philosophies that continue to define Interagency Hotshot Crews today. Their influence reaches far beyond the fires they fought. They developed the culture of professionalism, discipline, accountability, and brotherhood that has become the hallmark of Hotshot crews across the United States. Every Hotshot crew that takes the line today stands on the foundation these leaders helped build. These men didn’t just lead crews—they shaped a profession. Their legacy lives on in every superintendent, every squad boss, every crewmember, and every mile of fireline cut in service to protecting lives, communities, and our nation’s wildlands. Their vision became our standard. Their leadership became our tradition. Their legacy continues every time a Hotshot crew answers the call." (InciWeb)
"Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom.
And in all your getting, get understanding."
Proverbs 4:7 (NKJV)
"You can never train too hard for a job that can kill you."
The Longest Month, US Army JRTC Apache Helicopter Pilot documentary
"It is said that wisdom lies not in seeing things, but in seeing through things. He who lives without discipline dies without honor."
Icelandic Proverb
'The child who obeys you out of fear will one day lie to you for freedom."
Niccolò Machiavelli
"Assembled in a crowd, people lose their powers
of reasoning and their capacity for moral choice."
Aldous Huxley
Figure 1e. The influence of crowds, beliefs, rulings, etc. Source: Huxley, FB
In the spirit of intellectual honesty and integrity, the following is based on an AI search as a machine summary versus evidence of the YHFR post title: The connection between the 2015 movie (Concussion), which dramatizes the NFL's denial of brain trauma, and the (Yarnell Hill Fire) tragedy is rooted in the structural clash between institutional self-preservation and the pursuit of truth. Both events serve as case studies of how powerful, multi-million or multi-billion-dollar organizations actively suppress facts, manufacture narratives, and weaponize bureaucratic compliance to dodge legal and financial liability. The core thematic and systemic intersections illustrate how "truth-telling" struggles against corporate and institutional lies: (1.) Institutional Gaslighting and Denial (1a.) NFL: As depicted in Concussion, when Dr. Bennet Omalu discovered Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), the NFL actively sought to discredit his medical findings. They engaged in systemic gaslighting, using their own hand-picked committee of scientists to publish papers asserting that "football did not cause brain damage," effectively prioritizing their bottom line over the lives of their players. (1b.)
Alleged Yarnell Hill Cover-up: Following the 2013 tragedy where 19 GMHS perished, official state and federal agency reports (such as the SAIT-SAIR, accessed 2026) concluded there was "no indication of negligence, reckless actions, or violations of policy." However, so-called fire experts and independent journalists aggressively criticized these findings as an alleged "whitewash." The official reports minimized or left out critical analysis of flawed human decisions, radio blackouts, and command failures that led the crew into a trap. (1c.) Silencing and Discrediting the "Truth-Tellers" (1d.) Dr. Bennet Omalu: In Concussion, Dr. Omalu (played by Will Smith) is treated as an uneducated outsider and a "nobody" trying to attack America’s favorite game. He faced professional ostracization, ridicule, and intense legal pressure to retract his valid scientific data. (1d.) Wildland Fire Whistleblowers: In the wake of the YH Fire, ADOSH investigators encountered significant pushback. The USFS actively blocked investigators from interviewing key witnesses, such as the neighboring BRHS. Meanwhile, critical whistleblowers who attempted to point out that the tragedy was entirely preventable - and allegedly driven by leadership flaws - faced professional peer backlash for speaking against the institutional status quo. (1e.) Protecting the "Brand" Over Human Lives. The Business of Entertainment: The NFL treated its players as expendable capital. Their goal was to "keep the show going" using cocktail drugs (like Toradol and Cortisone) to mask severe trauma so that their billion-dollar enterprise would remain untouched. (1f.) The Bureaucracy of Wildland Firefighting: Forestry agencies and local command structures were heavily incentivized to protect their institutional reputations and shield themselves from multimillion-dollar wrongful death lawsuits filed by the victims' families. By framing the tragedy as an unavoidable act of nature rather than an operational failure, they protected their agencies from severe liability. (1g.) The Narrative Shift: Real Life vs. The Hollywood Version - Interestingly, both events were adapted into major Hollywood films - Concussion (2015) and the YH narrative Only the Brave (2017). While Concussion takes direct aim at the corporate deception of the NFL, Only the Brave leans heavily into a standard Hollywood narrative of brotherhood, bravery, and tragedy. This difference highlights how media itself can either amplify institutional telling or soften it by focusing on the heroism of the victims rather than the systemic failures of the institutions that failed them. The fundamental parallel is that in both the NFL concussion crisis and the YH Fire, individual truth-tellers had to fight massive, entrenched systems that prioritized protecting their brand over acknowledging the devastating human costs of their operations. [End of YHFR post title AI search] Moreover, this author fully accepts and supports this as machine memory vs. evidence or proof, AI response comparing and contrasting what the NFL and YH Fire individual truth-tellers had to fight: massive, entrenched systems.
‘In returning and rest you shall be saved;
In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.’
Isaiah 30:15 (NKJV)
"A prophet is not a man who tells the future;
he is a man who tells the truth.”
Rabbi Harold S Kushner
In the spirit of intellectual honesty and integrity, as machine memory vs. evidence or proof, the following is based on an AI search of the Only the Brave movie quotes: "Only the Brave (2017) is an emotional biographical drama about the elite [GMHS] battling the 2013 [YH] Fire. Key quotes include Eric Marsh's honest admission to his wife, Duane Steinbrink's harsh wit, and Brendan McDonough's poignant reflection on survival. Memorable Quotes: Eric Marsh (Josh Brolin): "'Cause... you're smarter than I am, especially when we squabble. And it pisses me off". Duane Steinbrink (Jeff Bridges): "If you're looking for sympathy, the only place you're going to find it is in the dictionary, somewhere between shit and syphilis". Brendan McDonough (Miles Teller): "It is no longer the guilt of surviving that I carry with me, but the honor of knowing my brothers as you know them, as heroes". Eric Marsh: "You can use mistakes in your past to help people in the present". Audience and Critic Comments - Realism and Technical Accuracy: Viewers on the (r/movies Reddit Discussion) reach a consensus that the film offers a uniquely authentic and respectful depiction of wildland firefighting gear, jargon, and brotherhood. Emotional Impact: Professional reviewers on (Rotten Tomatoes) highlight that the stellar cast and tragic, fact-based narrative deliver an extraordinarily powerful and moving cinematic experience." [End of Only the Brave AI search]
"God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling. ... The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted. The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. ... Come, behold the works of the Lord, Who has made desolations in the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariot in the fire. Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge."
Psalm 46: 1-11
"It's hard to imagine a more stupid or more dangerous way of making decisions than by putting those decisions in the hands of people who pay no price for being wrong."
Thomas Sowell
The following are seventeen (Brian Dodd on Leadership, Oct. 2017) Leadership Quotes And Lessons From (Only The Brave): (1) It Is A Mistake For Leaders To Not Trust Those Closest To The Information - Leaders should gather information at one level and THEN make decisions at another. Early in the movie, team captain Eric Marsh, played wonderfully by Josh Brolin, was on the ground giving advice to leadership about how to combat a forest fire. He was ignored, costing hundreds of homes and millions in damage. (2) Everyone Gets Better With A Coach – Duane Steinbrink, played by the soothing Jeff Bridges, serves as Marsh’s mentor, coach and guide throughout the movie. He continually gave him great perspective and advice. (3) You Cannot Microwave Success. It Must Be Crockpotted – Steinbrink said, “Doing something that’s never been done before takes time.” (4) Your Attitude Determines Your Altitude – When picking between two equally matched candidates, always pick the one with the best attitude. Your attitude will determine how high you can go in an organization. Steinbrink gave Marsh some good career advice, “Attitude costs you friends.” (5) Steinbrink said, “Two things make a man move – fear and greed.” (6) Leaders Must Always Prepare For The Unknown By Building In Margin - Steinbrink’s wife, Marvel, played by Annie McDowell, told Eric’s wife Amanda, played by Jennifer Conley, “Having your eyes wide open doesn’t mean you can see everything that’s coming.” (7) Desperation Is A Gift - [it] forces us to make difficult decisions. ... causes us to sacrifice. ... causes us to grow up. After having a baby, getting arrested for larceny, and getting kicked out of his house because of drug use, Brenden McDonough, played by Miles Teller, grew up fast by taking a job as a firefighter. (8) You Can Use Mistakes In Your Past To Help People In The Present – As you discover later in the movie, Marsh was a recovering addict himself. Therefore, he could relate to McDonough and gave him a job. (9) Great Leaders Give Their Teams Hope - Marsh told his trainees, “If you can breath (sic) you can survive.” (9) Great Teams Train With Real-Life Situations – The [GMHS] were an elite and nationally-recognized group of firefighters. They developed these skills through intense, real-life training scenarios. (10) Leaders Must Be Willing To Make Hard Decisions – When being evaluated for certification, Marsh put the entire team at risk by firmly standing his ground on a difficult decision. He turned out to be right, but it could have cost him and his team their careers. If you are going to make an unpopular leadership decision, just make sure you are right. (11) Everybody Loves A Winner – Earlier in the film, bouncers threw McDonough out of a bar for drug use. After the Hotshots rescued the town of Prescott from a fire, people were buying McDonough drinks in the very same bar. (11) Your Family Is Your Top Priority, Not Your Job – Amanda told Eric, “You are 90% Hotshot and 10% mine, and that’s not enough.” (12) Addiction Has Long-Term Effects – Eric and Amanda were both recovering addicts. While clean, they were still dealing with marriage issues because of the difficulties in their past. (14) Smart Leaders Determine Their Proper Priorities – Steinbrink said, “What can I live with? What can I die without?” (13) Trouble Can Arrive In An Instant – While they thought they had planned well, a shift in the weather conditions caused the Yarnell Hill Fire to reach historic conditions in an instant. This instant shift ultimately cost the firefighters their lives. (14)
Heroes Are Still Desperately Needed – The world needs people who will run into fire while the rest of us are running away from it. This movie does an incredible job of honoring these brave men and their families. We should all do the same. [Except, this author strongly alleges there is no mention of the rogue firing operations in the Shrine-Sesame Street area].
"Gird Your sword upon Your thigh, O Mighty One, ...
And in Your majesty ride prosperously because of
humility, and righteousness;
And Your right hand shall teach You awesome things."
Psalm 45:3-4 (NKJV)
"There's a curious thing about truth, isn't there? It’s often not a gentle breeze but a sharp gust, capable of ruffling feathers and overturning carefully constructed realities. And if that gust makes you mad, if the unvarnished truth stings and infuriates, then by all means, stay mad. Cling to that anger, because sometimes, it's the very resistance to truth that keeps you tethered to what you need to shed. The discomfort, the outrage even, can be a sign that something significant has been touched, something that perhaps needed to be stirred. ... For those who let the truth curdle into bitterness, hardening their hearts against its light, they are only imprisoning themselves. The human spirit, in its purest form, yearns for liberation, for growth. But when you build walls around your feelings, when you choose to remain indignant rather than introspective, you deny yourself the very freedom you inherently seek. That anger, that stubborn refusal to acknowledge what is, becomes a self-imposed chain, binding you to ignorance and preventing you from evolving. ... The paradox, of course, is that the truth, no matter how uncomfortable, holds the key to release. If you allow it to truly penetrate—to seep into your heart, mind, and soul - it acts as a powerful solvent. It dissolves the illusions, exposes the blind spots, and illuminates the hidden corners of your being that cry out for awareness. It's a painful process, perhaps, but it's in that revelation, that raw exposure, that you finally see what you weren't aware of before. And it is in that seeing, that understanding, that the true path to freedom and self-improvement finally unfolds."
Consider now the Effectivology (July 21, 2026 article) re: Monitoring Progress comments related to the HFL goal comment above. "People often bury their heads in the sand by intentionally avoiding or rejecting information that could help them monitor their goal progress, a phenomenon called the (ostrich problem). [The ostrich effect is a (cognitive bias) that causes people to avoid information that they perceive as potentially unpleasant. ... Information avoidance can lead to detrimental outcomes in a variety of situations, so it’s important to understand it.] This is mainly due to the desire to avoid unpleasant emotions, for instance if relevant information would reflect poorly on us, conflict with our self-image, or remind us of a stressful commitment. Accordingly, this problem occurs when short-term (proximal) concerns, like the desire to avoid feeling bad right now, override long-term (distal) goals, like success and self-improvement."
Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD,
but those who deal truthfully are His delight.
Proverbs 12:22 (NKJV)
They're terrified of you. This is bigger than they are.
They don't want to talk to you.
Concussion movie quotes
Many of the problems I hear don’t require me to offer solutions.
I solve most of them by just listening
and letting the involved party do the talking.
Mary Kay Ash (Farnum Street)
Figure 2. Emerson's new ideas and dimensions quote. Source: Facebook
“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
2 Timothy 2:15 (NKJV)
In war, truth is the first tragedy.
Aeschlus
When you have the truth, the thing you are told you cannot do is the thing you must do. ... The dead are my patients. I treat them with respect. .. God did not intend for us to play football. ... But I am telling you that playing football killed Mike Webster. And I am certain that there are others. And how can you possibly know that? Common sense. But they are either dead or lost in the way that Mike Webster was lost. I'm not interested in common sense. I'm interested in science. And science is knowing. And the League concluded unequivocally that football players do not get brain damage. What do they want? Your head on a spike. ... They want you to retract your findings. They want you to say you made it all up. ... I made it up? They're accusing you of fraud. If you retract, you'll be fine. This all goes away. Why ... Why are they doing this? They're terrified of you. ... What did you think they were gonna say? Thank you? ... Yes. ... What the hell for? For being told. For knowing. ... Oh, I understand. ... You think you're being a good American. ... So, the city of Pittsburgh spent $233 million to build their glorious Steelers a new stadium. All the while, they were closing schools and raising taxes. These people are not out to change the world. And this is not some quaint academic discovery stuck in the back of an obscure medical journal. Bennet Omalu is going to war with a corporation that has 20 million people, on a weekly basis, craving their product, the same way they crave food. The NFL owns a day of the week. The same day the church used to own. ... Now it's theirs. They're very big. Then I'd be lying if I didn't tell you how important your next move is. ... By the time Terry Long committed suicide, his brain had been consumed by chronic traumatic encephalopathy. And it is probable, perhaps even likely, that a larger percentage of professional football players have and will die from CTE. ... This was the Pittsburgh Medical Examiner's own Dr. Bennet Omalu, who today threw down the gauntlet at the feet of the [NFL]. Thank you. ... What do you think? I think you're gonna be an American hero. I'm not even an American. That's even better. That's so f**king American. ... Dr. Omalu. You're in trouble, but you're not wrong. I'd like to talk with you. The NFL has known about this concussion crisis for years. And what you have there is the research that forms the basis for the League's concussion guidelines. ... In this study, some academics put helmets on monkeys and shook them real hard. They threw dogs and pigs and human cadavers down elevator shafts. Helmets on crash-test dummies and bashed them together. And their conclusion? "No striking player experienced neck injury or concussion." So, a concussion's no more dangerous than a hangnail. And that was it? Oh, no, no, no. The NFL did what every organization does. They put together a commission to study the study. Dr. Elliot Pellman's Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Committee. You know who else was on that committee? Dr. Maroon. Joe, yeah, he was on there. Plus a couple of other team doctors, an equipment manager, and two trainers, guys who tape knees for a living. ... Now, do you know how many Pittsburgh Steelers, just Steelers, now, have died in the last few years? And I'm not talking about the older guys. I'm talking about men that I worked with, and just the ones that I know about. Twelve. And I don't want to see any more of these men vanish in the back of a pickup truck. I know them. I was them. And I think you're doing this wrong. As long as the NFL continues to deny the truth, nothing changes. ... It's only true if they say it's true. And they've got to say it out loud. ... Get me a meeting with the Commissioner. I want to sit with him, man to man, face to face. I will make him say it out loud. They don't want to talk to you. Football does not want to talk to you. Like my daddy, a Louisiana judge, always used to say to me, "Son, God is number one and football is number two." Besides, to them you're not even American. You're not even African-American. You're ... A doctor? Okay. Look. The League has kept everyone in the dark. And you turned on the lights and gave their biggest boogeyman a name. What's happening now, what you think they're doing to you, that's nothing. I've done my own research on this NFL Brain Injury Committee. You know what Dr. Elliot Pellman is? He's a rheumatologist. He's a specialist in arthritis and joint pain. ... Can you tell me what a rheumatologist knows about the brain and brain disease? Corporate men like this, in this country, usually go to Harvard or Yale. He went to medical school in Guadalajara. Mexico? Yes. I did not know that. That's beautiful. Now, two cases does not meet the scientific burden of proof. You have to keep going. Just so you understand, this does not show up on a CT scan. Which means there's no diagnosis before death. In order for me to keep going, more have to die. Unfortunately, that's already happening. ... Look, something's wrong with me, man. I can't sleep. ... I mean, my eyes get crossed. It just weirds me out. Hey, hey! Look at me! ... Get your shit together! You used to be a f**king sellout. ... Remember when we were kids? Playing's what we lived for. Huh? I need your help. I need your help, Dave, help me!"
Concussion movie quotes
Victorious warriors win first and then go to war,
while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.
Sun Tzu
The Legend of Warrior Joseph Longknife - [He] was born May 15, 1915, in Harlem, Montana, to Abraham and Susie “Red Dog” Longknife, one of three siblings to be raised on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation in Big Warm, and a full-blood Assiniboine Indian. Before enlisting in the U.S. Army, Joseph worked for the Irrigation Department for the Fort Belknap Agency in Harlem. His Assiniboine name was “Skunk toga jakota,” meaning Gray Wolf. Joseph was raised by his grandparents, Elbow and Old Old Longknife, along with many other family members aside from his two living siblings. His sister in the “Indian-way” was Florence Longknife Capture, who remembers vividly the winter of 1940, when “Joe Geeb,” as he was often referred to by close friends and family, arrived at her home by the Milk River dressed in a long, heavy coat and rubber overboots. Following their visit, Joe turned to bid farewell with his final words to Florence: “Well sister, I might not come back. I’m going to join the Army.” Joe hitchhiked to Missoula, Montana, where he enlisted in the United States Army at Fort Missoula on January 27, 1941. After completing his training with the U.S. Army, [he] was sent to Angel Island near San Francisco, California, where he boarded a ship and sailed to the Far East. He arrived in Manila, Luzon Island in the Philippine Islands by mid-1941 and assigned to Company K in the 31st Infantry Regiment. It was just hours after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, when the U.S. Army Air Forces were attacked at their bases in the Philippines. On December 10, 1941, Japanese forces landed on Luzon Island. [He] and his comrades received their first taste of tropical warfare in Bataan. They not only fought the invading Japanese forces, but also dealt with diseases such as hookworm, beriberi, dysentery, and malaria, to name a few. [He] and the fighting forces left were the defenders of Bataan, known as the “Battling Bastards,” fighting an entire month without connection to the American forces in the region. They survived on monkeys, horses, and iguanas. During this defensive period, [He] Longknife made his presence known in Bataan as the fearless, sharp-eyed jungle fighter who searched the jungle for Japanese patrols. In the March 9, 1942 article in Time magazine, [He] was mentioned as one of the American Indian scouts with the 31st Infantry Regiment. The article stated, “Another is tall, lean Joe Longknife from a Montana reservation. On a recent raid he rose up out of tall grass, killed 10 Japs with 16 shots, dispersed the rest with hand grenades. When he was a youngster he listened to tales of raiding parties told to him by his father, (Abe) Longknife, and his grandfather, Old Old Longknife.” Shortly after, the Japanese circulated photographs of the U.S. Army in a comic book, including an image featuring [He] as the “Indian Joe,” who killed 10 Japanese soldiers. [He] was an extreme threat to the Japanese forces. He was mentioned by World War II radio personality, Tokyo Rose. [he] was first captured by the Japanese and made a sucessful attempt at escape. While the Japanese were searching for [Him], Tokyo Rose broadcast over the radio waves, saying, “Indian Joe, they’re going to get you. You can run but you can’t hide.” He was recaptured and held prisoner by the Japanese in April 1942. [He] survived the torturous Bataan Death March, a brutal nine-day trek of 55 miles on crushed rock and loose sand to a prison camp in San Fernando. On August 24, 1944, [He] was among 750 soldiers who boarded a Japanese freighter headed to Manila and arrived at the port of Zamboanga. After 10 days in Zamboanga, [He] and his comrades were transferred to the Shinyo Maru freighter on the second leg of their journey toward Liloy Point, Sindangan, Mindanao. The Shinyo Maru was torpedoed in September 1944 by American forces and sank within minutes. [He] was only 29-years-old at the time of his death, and his remains have never been recovered along with the many souls lost on September 7, 1944. He was awarded the Silver Star Medal, Bronze Star Medal, Prisoner of War Medal, the Purple Heart Medal, and the Combat Infantryman’s Badge. His “In Memory Of” upright headstone is currently settling in the Sacred Heart Cemetery along Highway 2 near Harlem, Montana. Rest in Peace [He] and thank you for your sacrifice.
Figure 3. Thucydides Warriors vs. Cowards quote Source: Facebook
"Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith."
Romans 12:6 (NKJV)
We Must Honor Our Warriors
Loyal Source
"Victorious warriors win first and then go to war,
while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win."
Sun Tzu (Art of War)
“The soul has no secret that the behavior does not reveal.”
Lao Tzu..
Consider now this germane article: (News Decoder, Ruel, 2024). What it took to cover an unpopular war. In 1962, reporters arriving in Vietnam found an increasing U.S. military presence that wasn’t supposed to exist. Reporting what was happening took courage. He had listed “foreign correspondent” as her career goal on a personnel form. By that time, four AP photographers had been killed in Vietnam, and the wire service was leery of sending women overseas, even more so to war. Management overcame their qualms, and Lederer took up her new post in October 1972. To capture the human side of the conflict, Lederer developed feature stories on the horrendous toll the war was taking on ordinary Vietnamese. Traveling to a nearby village, she talked with a woman whose husband and three adult sons had been killed in battle, leaving her to support five young children in a one-room shanty. Some of the hardest battles in life happen where nobody else can see them.
“Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.”
John 17:17 (NKJV)
Tell the truth. You sure you want to do this?
Concussion movie quote
"Leadership isn’t about giving orders - it’s about setting the standard. The most effective leaders don’t ask others to do what they’re unwilling to do themselves. They demonstrate integrity through their actions, earn trust through consistency, and inspire confidence by leading from the front. Whether on the fireline, in the workplace, or in everyday life, people are always watching. Your example becomes your legacy. The standard you set today shapes the leaders of tomorrow."
(Beckett, Spyrison)
If you don't speak for the dead, who will?
(Concussion speaker quotes)
[See also our astute (YHFR Pt. 1., 2023) and (YHFR Pt. 2). Speaking Ill of the Dead By Lying About Them? Or Honoring the Dead By Searching For The Truth If They're Considered as Public Figures? Parts 1 & 2]
Figure 3a. It's okay to be different image. Source: Facebook
“Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.”
John 17:17 (NKJV)
When you have , the thing you are told you cannot do is the thing you must do. Embrace that and nothing created by man can bring you down.
Dr. Bennet Omalu
Jim Rohn on remembering the basics
“Success is neither magical nor mysterious. Success if the natural consequence of consistently applying basic fundamentals.”
Writer Leo Rosten on the purpose of life
“The purpose of life is not to be happy at all. It is to be useful, to be honorable. It is to be compassionate. It is to matter, to have it make some difference that you lived."
Athlete Eileen Gu on the power of sport:
“As far as trusting yourself… the power of sport is unparalleled because it is evidence over affirmation. You don’t tell yourself, ‘Oh, I can handle the pressure. Oh, I’m so great.’ You do it time and time again. Sports are really honest because you can’t lie to yourself. You know when you stayed late, and other people weren’t there. You know when you showed up early and other people weren’t there. You know when you gave 100% in training, day in and day out, for months and months. So it’s not about, you know, at the last second telling myself a chipper little line and calling it a day. It’s the fact that I look back on quite literally years—like, a decade—of hard work, of pouring my heart and soul into this sport.
So, yeah, it’s trusting myself, but it’s building that trust every day. And so that’s a big reason why I encourage more young girls to get into sports, because I think the power it has to build and instill that confidence in people is a really special and unique thing."
Farnum Street (7/7-26)
Figure 4. Rattlesnake Fire image. Source: Facebook
On July 9, 1953, the Rattlesnake Fire was ignited on the Mendocino National Forest, California. The fire crew from New Tribes Mission, under the direction of U.S. Forest Service overhead, was deployed on the fire in brushy Powder House Canyon. The handcrew was suppressing a spot fire in 40-year old chaparral brush when another spot fire made a rapid run under the influence of a wind shift, pushing the fire down the canyon toward the crew. The crew attempted to escape the advancing flames through the thick brush. Fifteen firefighters perished; nine other crewmembers barely escaped. Those firefighters lost on the Rattlesnake Fire: Allan Boddy, Sergio Colles, Benjamin Dinnel, Paul Gifford, Harold Griffis, Glenn Hitchcock, David Johnson, Robert Mieden, Darrel Noah, Robert Powers, Harold Rowe, Raymond Sherman, Daniel Short, Stanley Vote, and Hobard Whitehouse. (RiP) (WLF, LLC, accessed 2026)
Figure 4a. 2001 Thirty-Mile Fire image. Source: Natl. Fires ROC
The Thirty-Mile Fire was detected on Monday, July 9th, on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, WA. Initial suppression activities began that evening. The Northwest Regulars No. 6, a 21-person Type 2 crew from the Okanogan-Wenatchee NF, was dispatched to the Thirtymile Fire in the early morning hours of July 10th. By late afternoon, 14 crewmembers were actively suppressing spot fires between the river and the road when they were informed of the worsening situation that threatened their escape route. Finding they were cut off from escaping back down the road, these 14 became entrapped in the canyon. Crewmembers deployed fire shelters in multiple locations, including in a rock scree above the road. Four crewmembers perished in the rock scree deployment site, while another crewmember received serious burn injuries. Lost on the Thirty Mile Fire: Tom Craven, Karen FitzPatrick, Jessica Johnson, and Devin Weaver. (RiP). (WLF, LLC, accessed 2026)
Consider now the Swiss Cheese Model concept specifically relevant to the YH Fire and GMHS debacle: (The Decision Lab, 2026)
Figure 4b. YH Fire-specific Swiss Cheese model image. Source: FJS
Human Factors Influenced the 30 June 2013 Yarnell Hill Fire Fatalities, Central Arizona Wildfire Response Team Refresher Training, March 23-24, 2016, Glendale Regional Public Safety Training Center, Fred J. Schoeffler, Sheff LLC PowerPoint (https://www.academia.edu/27105483/Human_Factors_Influenced_the_30_June_2013_YH_Fire_Fatalities_pptx)
2013 ID Salmon-Challis NF Cramer Fire Staff Ride - "This video - a tribute to firefighters Shane Heath and Jeff Allen who lost their lives on the 2003 Cramer Fire - tells the story of the learning and healing that occurred on the 2012 Cramer Fire Staff Ride." (YouTube, WLF, LLC, 2012)
Figure 5. Brain cells and self-talk image. Source: Astrophilez, Facebook
Science has proven what the Bible has said for years: "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit." (Proverbs 18:21, NKJV). Proving that what you say out loud will actually grow new brain cells. And conventional science as well. The Power of Positive Self-Talk: How Changing Your Inner Dialogue Can Rewire Your Brain. (Nurture Therapy, accessed 2026)
"We may think there is a safe road. But that would be the road of death. Then nothing happens any longer- at any rate, not the right things. Anyone who takes the safe road is as good as dead."
Carl Jung - Swiss psychiatrist and psychologist who founded analytical psychology
Consider now an AstroPhilez's insightful post: "The voice inside your head is not just commentary. Over time, it helps shape the physical wiring of your brain. The science behind this is called neuroplasticity, and it is one of the most important discoveries in modern neuroscience. For a long time, people believed the adult brain was essentially fixed. We now know that is wrong. Your brain constantly rewires itself, strengthening the connections you use often and weakening the ones you neglect. Neurons that fire together wire together. Here is where your inner voice comes in. Every time you repeat a thought, you activate a specific pattern of neurons. Repeat that pattern enough, and the connection between those neurons grows stronger and more automatic, like a footpath worn deeper with every step. Constant self-criticism trains your brain to travel the anxious, negative route by default. Steady, constructive self-talk helps carve calmer, more resilient pathways instead. This does not mean thinking positive thoughts magically rewires your brain overnight, and it is not a cure for real mental health conditions. That is where a lot of internet claims go too far. But the underlying principle is genuinely supported. Repeated mental habits leave physical traces. Therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy are built on exactly this idea, deliberately practicing new thought patterns until they take hold in the brain. There is even evidence that chronic stress and relentless negative rumination can affect brain regions tied to memory and emotion, while learning, reflection, and healthier thinking patterns support new connections. So the way you speak to yourself is not trivial. It is a slow, quiet form of self-construction. You are, in a very real sense, helping to sculpt the brain you will live with tomorrow. If your inner voice becomes a habit your brain learns, what is one kinder sentence you could start repeating to yourself more often?" (Astrophilez, Facebook, accessed 2026)
Figure 5a. Suffering imaginatively vs. Realistically. Source: Facebook
He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; The Lord is your shade at your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day, Nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul.
The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore.
Psalm 121: 3-8 (NKJV)
"In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity"
Sun Tzu (Art of War)
Figure 5b. Necessity to express, process, release emotions. Source: FB
Consider now this intriguing Mind Box Facebook self-description and post: We uncover DARK psychology secrets they don't teach you! Manipulation tactics, subconscious triggers, mental mysteries - content that'll haunt you! - "What happens to emotions you never let out? Your mind remembers, and sometimes your body feels the weight too. Psychology shows that constantly suppressing emotions can place the mind and body under ongoing stress. When people repeatedly hide sadness, anger, fear, or disappointment instead of processing those feelings in healthy ways, the body's stress response may stay active for longer than it should. Over time, chronic stress has been linked to changes in sleep, mood, energy, immune function, and overall mental wellness. However, it is important to remember that emotional suppression alone does not cause autoimmune diseases. These conditions are complex and involve genetics, the immune system, and environmental factors. Many people grow up believing they must always stay strong or keep their feelings to themselves. Eventually, that emotional pressure can show up as burnout, anxiety, irritability, or constant exhaustion. Self-awareness and emotional intelligence help us recognize these patterns before they take a greater toll on our well-being. Talking with someone you trust, writing your thoughts down, practicing mindfulness, or seeking professional support are healthy ways to process difficult emotions. Your brain and body work as a team. Taking care of your emotional health is just as important as caring for your physical health. Healing begins when you stop ignoring what you feel and start giving those emotions the attention they deserve. What healthy habit helps you release stress?" (Mind Box, accessed 2026)
Figure 6. Jim Thorpe's Olympic Journey. Sources: YouTube, WVIA
Jim Thorpe's Journey: Olympic Dominance to Football Pioneer
As America approaches its 250th anniversary, VIA Short Takes explores the people and stories that define the American experience. This episode tells the remarkable story of Jim Thorpe — the Native American Olympic champion widely considered one of the greatest athletes of all time. Born into the Sac and Fox Nation, Jim Thorpe rose to international fame at the 1912 Olympics, winning gold medals in both the pentathlon and decathlon. King Gustav V of Sweden famously called him “the greatest athlete in the world.” Despite personal tragedy and the controversial loss of his Olympic medals, Thorpe went on to become a professional football and baseball player and a pioneer of modern American sports. His legacy lives on in the Pennsylvania town that bears his name and in his enduring status as an American icon. This film is part of Season 10 of VIA Short Takes, WVIA Public Media’s award-winning short documentary series. Created in honor of America 250, the series highlights powerful local stories that reflect the nation’s history, resilience, and identity.
WHY THIS HISTORY MATTERS
"Every incident in this history reinforces the same fundamental lessons:
• Maintain situational awareness
• Establish and continually reevaluate LCES
• Recognize the effects of fatigue and extended operations
• Respect steep terrain and limited escape routes
• Anticipate sudden wind and fire-behavior changes
• Maintain awareness of rolling material and overhead hazards
• Never underestimate aviation, transportation or heavy-equipment risks
• Speak up when conditions change or the assignment no longer appears safe
Fire shelters have saved lives, but they remain a firefighter’s last resort—not a substitute for sound tactics, adequate escape routes and timely decisions.
This history is dedicated to the firefighters who lost their lives, those who survived burnovers and serious injuries, and the families, crews and coworkers forever affected by these incidents.
We remember their service by learning from what happened and carrying those lessons forward.
Stay alert. Maintain LCES. Watch the weather, the terrain, the fuels and each other. No assignment is worth a firefighter’s life." (Will Spyrison, InciNotes)
Figure 6a. Mistakes are lessons vs. losses. Source: Facebook
Before delving into the "official" WLF LLC 2026 Week of Remembrance, please consider reviewing our extensively detailed website post (YHFR, 2022, accessed 2026), always best viewed on a laptop or PC, titled: Why Has the Wildland Fire LLC Lost Its Ethical Compass Defending The YH Fire SAIT-SAIR?
The 2026 Week of Remembrance. (June 30, 2026 / wildfirelessons)
The 2026 “Letter to Leadership” from NWCG’s 6 Minutes for Safety Subcommittee begins: “(The Week of Remembrance (WOR) was established in 2014 based on the 7 days between June 30 and July 6 - the respective dates of the Yarnell Hill Fire and South Canyon Fire tragedies. ... the formal partnership between the Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center and the 6 Minutes for Safety Subcommittee by recognizing fireline fatalities that occurred in the fire season 10 years prior. 2026 pays tribute to incidents from 2016 as follows: ... the Granite Mountain Hotshots who perished on the Yarnell Hill Fire and, this year, will also list the names of all [WFs] who died in the line of duty in 2016. ... a closer look into the details and lessons of a specific event from 2016. ... to those who perished on the South Canyon Fire and then offer final thoughts to close the week. ... The [WLF LLC] is proud of the work with NWCG honoring the fallen in the annual Week of Remembrance.
This is a Japanese saying: "If you miss the bus, perhaps you avoided an accident. If you were rejected, perhaps you were spared the wrong path.
If someone left your life, perhaps they made room for someone who belongs in it. Sometimes what looks like bad luck at first turns out to be life’s way of redirecting you. Trust the detour."
Threads
[This author was a Line Safety Officer on the following tragic Strawberry Fire and filed three separate SAFENETS in 2016, all on SJs (included here) which also detailed the SJ's alleged arrogant reluctance to follow PPE protocols.] The (Justin Beebe (Aug 13, 2016 – NV). He was hit by a tree on the Strawberry Fire fatality [is a must-view and read due to the alleged typical "conclusion first, then facts to prove it" protocol].
"This year’s Week of Remembrance was preceded by the loss of three firefighters in an entrapment on the (Knowles Fire) on June 27, 2026. As we grieve our lost brothers and sisters, we also pause to remember the lives lost and the lessons available from our past. The combination of the Knowles Fire entrapment and the Week of Remembrance means a potentially heavy week emotionally for all of us in the wildland fire community. The first priority in this week should be our shared and individual health and wellbeing. This week always triggers memories and difficult emotions – this year perhaps even more so. Look out for each other. Talk to each other. Take care of each other."
Figure 6c. Blowup to Burnover image. Source: WFSTAR
Please note Fig. 6c. Blowup to Burnover, June 30, 2013, YH Fire "58 minutes" where the GMHS had safely sat in their perfectly viable SZ.
Figure 6d. Fighting battles saying Source: Facebook, Sun Tzu's Art of War
"For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?"
Mathew 16:26
“The soul has no secret that the behavior does not reveal.”
Lao Tzu
“People also feel important when they’re given responsibility. But responsibility without authority can destroy a person’s self-esteem.”
Mary Kay Ash
And now to answer the YHFR post title: Are There Alleged Corporate and Institutional Cover-Ups: Concussions, the NFL, Native Athlete Jim Thorpe, and the Yarnell Hill Fire Only the Brave Movies?
All the Figures, Bible verses, quotes, germane images, sources/links, the "Concussion, Jim Thorpe, and Only the Brave movie excerpts. The Mighty Oaks worthy free-of-charge opportunity for dealing with the inevitable, untold traumas associated with the numerous "inherently dangerous" fatal and near-fatal wildland fires we've all worked on and/or know families, friends, and loved ones that have and/or will; many of us reeling from internalizing versus dealing with those odious demons!
This author takes umbrage with the alleged OTB "true story" statement: "Only the Brave" tells the true and tragic story of the "[GMHS]," an elite
group of 20 firefighters who lost their lives while battling the Yarnell Mountain Fire in Prescott, Arizona, in 2013." [Outlet error: the fire is the Yarnell Hill Fire, near Yarnell, not a “Yarnell Mountain Fire in Prescott.” Quoted as printed.] All you have to do is visit our YH Revelations website on a laptop, PC, or GTS for this author's name and Applied Human Factors and Ergonomics (AHFE), (Academia.edu), and Research Gate for a plethora of germane academic papers, PowerPoint presentations, and much more.
[See also our astute (YHFR Pt. 1. , 2023) and (YHFR Pt. 2). Speaking Ill of the Dead By Lying About Them? Or Honoring the Dead By Searching For The If They're Considered as Public Figures? Parts 1 & 2]
‘Truth is stranger than fiction. It has to be!
Fiction has to be possible and truth doesn’t!'
Mark Twain
"During times of universal deceit,
telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act."
George Orwell
"And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."
Matthew 10:28 (NKJV)
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