In1898,warbrokeoutbetweentheUSandSpain.BuckeyO'Neill,UScowboyandcongressman,enlistedasCaptainofTroopAintheRoughRiders,avolunteercavalryregiment.Hehadatheorythatanofficeroughtnevertotakecoverinbattle.
Oneday,asergeantnoticedO'Neillstandingandsmokingacigarettewhilehejokedwiththesoldiersincompletedisregardoftheintensefirecomingfromanearbyridge,andadmonishedhimtotakesomecover."Captain,"hesaid,"abulletissuretohityou."
"Sergeant,theSpanishbulletisn'tmadethatwillkillme,"O'Neillrepliedbeforeturningtoanotherofficer.Ashebegantospeak,abulletstruckhiminthemouthandcameoutatthebackofhishead.
"Iheardthebullet,"aprivaterecalled."Youusuallycanifyouarecloseenough.Hewasdeadbeforehehittheground."
一八九八年，美國和西班牙開戰。美國牛仔兼國會議員巴克基．奧尼爾入伍，任志願的莽騎兵團第一隊上尉。他認為，軍官在戰場上絕對不應藏身躲避戰火。
有一天，一名中士看見奧尼爾完全不理附近一座山上射來的連綿彈雨，站着一面吸煙，一面和士兵談笑，就勸他躲躲，說：「上尉，你會被子彈打中的。」
奧尼爾回答說：「中士，取我性命的西班牙子彈還未製成呢。」他轉身對着另一名軍官，正要說話，一顆子彈射進他嘴裏，從腦後飛出。
一個士兵回憶說：「我聽到那子彈的聲音。只要相距不太遠，通常都可以聽到。他還未倒地，已經死了。」