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May 30, 2005

Friday at the Museum...

A gimpy veteran in a motorcyle vest with his wife on his arm strolled by, circled around one of the airplanes on display and came back towards Major Dad, Grinch and myself. They returned our smiles and nods as they passed, but I was too stunned by the blue ribbon around his neck to do more than that. None of us had ever seen a real Medal of Honor, less mind a recipient wearing one. What an incredible moment and I'll never forget it, ever. The power of something so small and at once so indescribably beautiful and so terribly sad.
I saw that face again in the local fish wrap this morning, playing Shenandoah on his harmonica at The Wall South. I had a name now, so I looked for his story.
What a story it is. Sammy Davis, Private First Class.

Posted by tree hugging sister at May 30, 2005 11:54 AM

Comments

Oh My God.

How awe-inspiring.

Posted by: Mr. Bingley at May 30, 2005 12:30 PM

Tears!!

Posted by: red at May 30, 2005 03:14 PM

What they said.

Posted by: Ken Summers at May 30, 2005 08:33 PM

Just incredible. God Bless him!

Posted by: Crusader at May 31, 2005 09:13 AM

There's a reason you rarely see recipients wearing the Medal of Honor - you usually have to die to get one. God bless PFC Davis.

Posted by: Nightfly at May 31, 2005 02:37 PM

My sentiments exactly, Fly.

Posted by: tree hugging sister at May 31, 2005 02:53 PM

Thank you, THS. I know how you feel. One of my NCOs in the National Guard was a Medal of Honor recipient from Vietnam. Rest assured that he was accorded the fullest honors possible at all times.

Posted by: The_Real_JeffS at June 1, 2005 02:21 AM

Lucky you, JeffS! I know those guys get treated like the royalty they are anytime they're around our military. It's the ignorant, goon civilians working at the airport you have to watch out for.

I have a great second-hand story of a Medal of Honor winner, who was the company CO of one of our (former grunt) Intruder knuckledraggers (that would be a hydraulic mech~anyone not electronics is referred to as such, sniff). Would make us howl every time he told it.

Posted by: tree hugging sister at June 1, 2005 11:05 AM