Navy SEAL Founds Armored Vehicle Company
By Wyatt Earp | January 17, 2009
And he did it to honor his fallen friend. This is a great story.
Pilot Mountain, NC — For former Navy S.E.A.L. Christopher Berman, the mission to build a better armored vehicle is personal. Unlike his days as an elite Navy operative, he wasn’t responding to a command from his superior, but rather an inner calling.
Berman’s friend, Scott Helvenston, was working for private security contractor Blackwater in Iraq when tragedy struck in 2004. The car Helvenston was riding in was ambushed by insurgents as he and three other members of his security detail made their way through the dangerous streets of Fallujah.
During the attack, Helvenston’s body and that of one of his colleagues was pulled from their smoldering vehicle, dragged through the streets, and hung from a bridge. Graphic images of the atrocity were broadcast around the world, remembered now as one of the darkest days of the war.
The incident led to heightened conflict between U.S. Forces and the Iraqi insurgency. It also inspired Chris Berman to act on his own. Later that year he founded Granite Tactical Vehicles with the intent of building a better armored vehicle, to save others from the same fate as Helvenston’s.
“To this day, I believe that had they been in one of these vehicles, then the four of them would still be alive,” said Berman referring to the insurgent attack that killed his friend. (H/T – FOXNews)
Berman received a call from a friend in Iraq that survived an IED attack while riding in one of his vehicles. If that’s not satisfying, I don’t know what is.
For my money, Christopher Berman is not only an innovator and a life saver – he is a real American hero.
Topics: The Troops | 7 Comments »
January 17th, 2009 at 5:13 am
Went to their site. Looks good!
http://www.granitetacticalvehicles.com/
January 17th, 2009 at 11:17 am
Way cool! Too bad our own govornment can’t take care of our own like this.
By the way, TAG.
January 17th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
Wonderful. I hope many more lives are saved thanks to him.
January 17th, 2009 at 8:22 pm
My website stats led me to your site. I have to be honest, so many of the blogs are full of armchair quarterbacks that have lots of opinions. Some good ones and some not so good.
The words written on this site are encouraging and meaningful.
I want to thank you all for viewing my effort for what it is.
For those of you that wear a uniform, I salute you!! For those of you that wore a uniform, I salute you!! For those of you that support those that serve or have served, I thank you.
Chris Berman
January 17th, 2009 at 8:44 pm
Alan B – It’s tremendous. More people need to know about this man and his product.
Kim – I’m working on your tag.
RT – As do I. He is doing our troops a great service.
Chris – Sir, the thanks are mine to give. I have not worn the uniform – I am just a plain old run of the mill police detective – but I have friends who wear/have worn the uniform, and I meant every word. You’re the hero, Chris, and we all owe you a debt of gratitude.
I am honored by your comments here. Thanks!
February 11th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
Hey Chris,
Don’t know if u remember me but I used to be one of the wanna be seal kids that bugged u guys at Offut AFB back in 03′. I would expect no less than hearing about you doing this 6 years later – you where an inspiration to me (although I never became a SEAL) but now you are an inspiration to the world and your legacy of being a true hero in every way will be around for many many years.
March 11th, 2009 at 2:26 pm
Josh,
I think I remember who you are, you were in contact with Dan West I believe.
I hope all has turned out well for you.
Chris