- Joined
- Nov 20, 2008
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- 10,188
Scott Free's post on "Military Records" reminded me of an indendent from my past. I got out of the Army in '72, and after a few years, joined the local American Legion. It was a great place to hang out with vets from WW11, Korea, and Nam. One day while I was setting at the bar (yeah, we had a bar) I was joined by a guy about my age. We got to talking, and he said (para phrasing here) "you know, I got a purple heart?" "No shit?" "Yeah, I surely did." "So, what happened?" He gave a laugh and said "I was in Saigon with a bunch of buddies, drinking like a fish of course. "Of course" I said. "Yeah, you know. Anyway, we ended up in a house of ill repute.. The Mamasan asked us, you want Nunmmber One? Sure, we said. We all got nunmmber one's. Must'a been a hundred nummber one's that night. Later that night, I woke up to find my nummber one going through my wallet. I jumped up, and she stabbed me. A really nasty gash in the shoulder." "Aw, hell, man!" "yep, got me good. I grabbed my wallet and clothes and ran like hell, yelling for the guys to bail. They streamed out like ants, and we make it back to base. I was sent to the medic, who stitched me up. The next day, the CO. say to me. You got wounded, huh?" "Yeah, no big thing." Sure it is, you got wounded in a war zone, i'm putting you in for a purple heart." "Aw, Sir, No, it's okay" I said to him. But they gave it to me."
"So what happened?" I asked. He laughed. "I put it in the mail and sent it right back to the Pentagon."
I remember this conversation as clear as a bell. His name was Earl Michaels. I think it was an act of honestly and valor.
What a big difference between this man and the man Scott described in his post,i.e., a man who is falsely claiming to be a SEAL.
"So what happened?" I asked. He laughed. "I put it in the mail and sent it right back to the Pentagon."
I remember this conversation as clear as a bell. His name was Earl Michaels. I think it was an act of honestly and valor.
What a big difference between this man and the man Scott described in his post,i.e., a man who is falsely claiming to be a SEAL.
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