Posted on Mar 25, 2015
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Following up on SGM Matthew Quick's post from last year, every year on March 25th, we take a second to remember all of those that received this nation's highest award for valor. Throughout my work as a Veteran Advocate, I've had the great honor to meet a few of the living recipients.
My question to the RP community is have you had a chance to meet any of the living recipients and/or their families? For those that aren't here to stand and be recognized, how can we ensure their memory and scarf ices continue to be counted?
My question to the RP community is have you had a chance to meet any of the living recipients and/or their families? For those that aren't here to stand and be recognized, how can we ensure their memory and scarf ices continue to be counted?
Medal of Honor
Honor
Valor
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 8
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Yes, that was definitely one of the top highlights of my time there. (USN Ceremonial Guard)
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I met Colonel Lewis Millet when he was still alive. Korea 1998. He received it for action about ten miles from where we were sitting (now the back gate of Osan AB) in 1951. He was a bear of a man with catchers mitts on the end of his wrists. Shaking hands with him was like grabbing a bunch of bananas. I am 6'4" and a large mammal by any standards....dwarfed. Larger than life guy. I believe the only deserter to be awarded the MoH. He deserted in 1940 because he wanted into WWII, he fled to Canada and joined the British Army. Led what is arguably the last bayonet charge in US history against dug in Chinese forces on hill 180 Osan South Korea. Left out of the official account:
- he replaced CPT Desiderio, who was leading a charge taking another hill by Camp Humphreys. The airfield is named after him on Humphreys.
- they took a barrage of fire from the hill, everyone took cover in ditch including the two tanks attached to him. Everyone was pinned down.
- he never intended to be a hero. They fixed bayonets out of spite. Chinese captured documents told of Americans being too soft to use them. He yelled follow me and started yelling, running and shooting. He hit the first position and bayoneted them all. Then the next. Then the next. Then the next.
- what he did not realize until he reached the top was that he was all alone. Everyone was still hunkered down. Once he got to the top, the company followed and mopped up.
- COL Millet got counseled by his Battalion Commander on he tail gate of a jeep afterward. He told him he'd kill him himself if he did that again. He couldn't replace him if he went down. Of course....he did it again and was awarded the DSC.
I also met SGT Peter Lemon at Ft Carson in the last few years. Held off a VC human wave attack with an M60 to keep them from rolling the fire base. Very humble guy.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Millett
- he replaced CPT Desiderio, who was leading a charge taking another hill by Camp Humphreys. The airfield is named after him on Humphreys.
- they took a barrage of fire from the hill, everyone took cover in ditch including the two tanks attached to him. Everyone was pinned down.
- he never intended to be a hero. They fixed bayonets out of spite. Chinese captured documents told of Americans being too soft to use them. He yelled follow me and started yelling, running and shooting. He hit the first position and bayoneted them all. Then the next. Then the next. Then the next.
- what he did not realize until he reached the top was that he was all alone. Everyone was still hunkered down. Once he got to the top, the company followed and mopped up.
- COL Millet got counseled by his Battalion Commander on he tail gate of a jeep afterward. He told him he'd kill him himself if he did that again. He couldn't replace him if he went down. Of course....he did it again and was awarded the DSC.
I also met SGT Peter Lemon at Ft Carson in the last few years. Held off a VC human wave attack with an M60 to keep them from rolling the fire base. Very humble guy.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Millett
Lewis Lee Millett Sr. (December 15, 1920 – November 14, 2009) was a United States Army officer who received the Medal of Honor during the Korean War for leading the last major American bayonet charge.
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