Comments on: Concussions, Mild Brain Injury May Land You A Purple Heart

By: Fraser007

Fraser007 — Sun, 22 May 2011 05:30:46 +0000

Thanks Mike:
I heard that Mr. Dan Bates has put this Honor Guard together at his own expense. Just a way to salute our honored dead.

By: mike_brewer

mike_brewer — Sat, 21 May 2011 21:23:56 +0000

I will do that Fraser. Terry Byron works for Southlawn and just happens to be the Adjutant for the Marana Marine Corps League; Nighthawk 72 Detachment where I am a charter member. Thanks for the complimentary notion that I might be in the Color Guard. Can’t be a member if you have a beard!

By: Fraser007

Fraser007 — Sat, 21 May 2011 10:04:24 +0000

Mike:

Hope you run an article about the Southlawn Memorial Day Service. There will be a flyover by Az Air National Guard, Marine Corp League Honor Guard ( I bet you are in it!) and the Museum of the Horse Soldier’s Mounted Memorial Color Guard (in 1930’s Cavalry uniforms). Southlawn has a press release they can send you. Call 520-295-8407 Thought you would like to know.
God Bless out troops.

By: Rich

Rich — Fri, 20 May 2011 16:59:43 +0000

I and happy for the newer service folks, but saddened that older vets are not covered perhaps some day this injustice will be corrected.

By: mike_brewer

mike_brewer — Tue, 17 May 2011 17:33:52 +0000

God bless your son for serving Fraser. And I surely do understand the male psyche when it comes to wounds. The corporate culture of the Armed Forces sort of trains us that way. Tons of men in my Company in Nam had shrapnel wounds but would not accept Purps. Of course the officers did. We sort of prided ourselves on this machismo. The Marine Corps had a category too, called "WIANE." Wounded in Action Not Evacuated." But with all do candor. A Quad can still go to College. A soldier with seriously TBI may never be able to learn the same way again for his or her entire life. You cannot put loss of memory and an internal sense of identity in a wheel chair. It is unseen but eternal. That is certainly a wound.

By: Fraser007

Fraser007 — Tue, 17 May 2011 17:12:11 +0000

While in Iraq my son had an IED go off a few feet from his Humvee. (155mm Soviet artilery shell). It melted the tires and caved in the side of the vehicle. He was in the top gunner position, exposed. The blast threw him to the side then down ito the vehicle. His fellow soldiers were also tossed around but not woulded. He had large shrapnel skipping off of his back armor and his helmet.
He had a facial wound from the rock debris hitting the side of his face. Bandaged and he went to work the next day.
His Sgt wanted to put him in for a Purple Heart. He refused because the word among the soldiers there was that the Purple Hearts are, “for the guys in Walter Reed”.