March 25th - National Medal of Honor Day - Have you met any of the living Medal of Honor recipients?

SGT Ben Keen — Wed, 25 Mar 2015 12:17:16 -0400

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?

National Medal of Honor Day - March 25th - VAntage Point

National Medal of Honor day commemorates 3,493 individuals who performed with conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity during 26 conflicts

Response by SPC Elijah J. Henry, MBA made Mar 27 at 2015 7:52 PM

SPC Elijah J. Henry, MBA — Fri, 27 Mar 2015 19:52:22 -0400

Unfortunately, I have not had that honor. I know that PO3 Private RallyPoint Member has.

Response by SSG Keith Cashion made Aug 4 at 2016 12:59 PM

SSG Keith Cashion — Thu, 04 Aug 2016 12:59:46 -0400

Yes I have. It was great and to see how even though he is a MOH recipient, that he is still a humble individual.

Response by CPL Sharry Starbuck made Jun 1 at 2017 12:53 AM

CPL Sharry Starbuck — Thu, 01 Jun 2017 00:53:48 -0400

I met 2

Response by COL Greg Lowe made Jun 14 at 2017 4:03 PM

COL Greg Lowe — Wed, 14 Jun 2017 16:03:30 -0400

Earnest Kouma was in my MP Company in the early 70s. Also served with MG Charles Rogers in Germany and LTC Kern Dunnigan at the Presidio of San Francisco. Was the Commander of Troops for COL Roger Donlon's retirement ceremony at Ft Leavenworth. Met Dakota Meyer in Elizabethtown, Ky. Also met MSG Roy Benevides and MG Pat Brady at Ft Leavenworth, KS

Response by LTC Charles T Dalbec made Jun 15 at 2017 10:47 AM

LTC Charles T Dalbec — Thu, 15 Jun 2017 10:47:05 -0400

We have met General Ray Davis a Georgia Tech Engineer and his wonderful family whose son in law is Dr Wayne KERR an exceptional dentist author and public speaker

Response by COL Greg Lowe made Nov 28 at 2017 9:07 PM

COL Greg Lowe — Tue, 28 Nov 2017 21:07:13 -0500

I was Commander of Troops for Colonel Roger Donlon’s retirement ceremony. Met MSG Roy Benevides and MG Pat Brady at the ceremony. Also met SGT Dakota Meyer. Previously served with now deceased MOH recipients LTC Kern Dunnigan, MG Charlie Rogers, and MSG Ernie Kouma.

Response by LTC Jason Mackay made Nov 28 at 2017 10:49 PM

LTC Jason Mackay — Tue, 28 Nov 2017 22:49:19 -0500

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

Lewis Millett - Wikipedia

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.

Response by Kenn Evans II made Apr 6 at 2021 3:48 PM

Kenn Evans II — Tue, 06 Apr 2021 15:48:44 -0400

Jay Vargas is our home town hero and a copy of his uniform and medal are in our community museum Winslow Historical Society, Old Trails Museum, Winslow, AZ . Jay is a very humble man and leads and teaches with unconditional love and patience. He has also been honored with a US Postage Stamp in 2015. Marine Maj. (then Capt.) Jay Vargas,of Winslow, AZ, now living in Scripps Ranch. He was decorated for valiant leadership during a three-day assault in 1968 on the heavily fortified village of Dai Do. Among other heroic acts, Vargas, who had been wounded three times, risked death as he dragged his seriously injured battalion commander to cover.

He says he shakes every time he puts on his medal because he can’t stop thinking about the troops… “but I wear it with pride in honor of them.” for the image below " Jay Vargas, pictured at left, third photo down from top, and Robert Modrzejewski, top far right, are among 48 living Vietnam Medal of Honor recipients being honored on sheets of stamps to debut on Memorial Day.( / © 2015 USPS)"

From our museum: Jay Vargas was born in 1938, graduated from Winslow High School in 1956, and joined the Marine Corps in 1963. While serving in Vietnam in 1968, Vargas’ company engaged in fierce combat with the enemy at the village of Dai Do. It was for his actions in that battle that, in a May 1970 ceremony at the White House, President Richard M. Nixon presented (then) Major Vargas with the Congressional Medal of Honor for “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty . . .”

Through a special partnership, the Old Trails Museum has loaned several items donated to our collections by Colonel Vargas to the AHS exhibit, including his uniform, medals, and childhood baseball glove.