Not Vietnam Vets, but still these guys are getting way over due props.
---
Meet a 108-year-old World War II vet who helped break the Marines’ color barrier
He was also one of the first 300 Black recruits to break the Marine Corps color barrier, after then-President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued an executive order in 1941, which required all branches of the military to formally accept people of color.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Also
101-year-old vet receives medal for being one of the 1st Black Marines
Grace King didn’t realize until a few years ago that her cousin, George J. Johnson, was a Marine veteran. And she didn’t realize until January that he was part of the Montford Point Marines, the first Black men allowed to enlist in the Marine Corps.
I got a question. When I was deployed in Kuwait, I saved a guy from drowning in the Air Force Base pool, because of course the Air Force has a pool in a danger zone.
I'm 5'8 about 210, he was 6'3" about 240, but I didn't think about that. I heard him say, "Help me! Somebody help me," and I dove in.
I dove in first, Miller had already submerged and I pulled him up by his afro, had him belly to belly swimming with one arm.
We got Within 10 feet from the edge of the pool and he came to life, freaked out and began climbing up my body.
I struggled out of fear. When I got him to let go of me he sank like a sack of bricks.
No one on the side of the pool had reacted yet, so I swam down again to get him.
I pulled him up again, this time I had him Baywatch style behind his neck, again swimming with one arm. Again he came to life when we were within the edge of the pool and tried grabbing and holding me.
I was fucking terrified, so again I fought to keep him off me and taking me down with him.
Still no one had jumped in and I knew it was all on me so I went down to get him a third time.
I swam to the bottom again, pulled him up and before I could grab him I realized someone else was in the water.
Rather than grabbing him taking him to the pool's Edge about 10 feet away, and the other guy pushed him and looked at me. That non-verbal communication in just that Split Second I got it.
I pushed him and me and the other guy alternated and pushing him from the deep end of the pool into the shallows instead of toward the edge of the pool only a few feet away.
When we got out of the deep end and into 4 ft of water, Miller still couldn't stand up.
People on the outside of the pool we're reaching out with their hands to grab Miller and the other guy screamed at them telling them to back away. We returned to alternating and pushing Miller to the very end of the shallows.
When we got to the 2-ft area, Miller still couldn't stand. People were reaching again for him and the other guy screamed at them telling them to back away and they did. The two of us got on one knee and Miller sat on the makeshift chair that was our two knees until he was able to stand about 10 minutes later.
The other guy didn't have to explain. He pushed Miller because he didn't want Miller to grab him and risk drowning him like he almost drowned me twice.
He didn't push Miller to the edge of the pool because he didn't want Miller to pull someone else into the pool.
I still have nightmares and wake up feeling as if I'm drowning. I was graded for PTSD by the VA.
One of my fellow Sailors argued that about the two of us should have been awarded the Navy Marine Corps medal, the same metal that Kennedy was awarded for dragging a sailor through the ocean to shore holding a strap from that man's life jacket in his teeth.
One of our officers said, "That's the medal that Kennedy got. You think they deserve the medal that Kennedy got?"
To which my shipmate responded, "They saved a man's life from drowning in a war zone, did they not?"
The two of us were awarded the Navy Achievement Medal, though I, and many others argued, "What was the achievement?"
People are awarded this medal for doing well on an inspection.
The Achievement Medal is a military decoration of the United States Armed Forces. The Achievement Medal was first proposed as a means to recognize outstanding achievement or meritorious service of military personnel who were not eligible to receive the higher Commendation Medal or the Meritorious Service Medal
People told me that we weren't given a higher medal because we were Black (I'm Black. The other guy is Puerto Rican). Others said we weren't given the award because the higher ups would have had to write it up and they didn't want to bring any more attention to the event.
I Didn't Do It for the award. I did it because I couldn't have a guy die right in front of me if I could help. I went down the second time and the third time for the very same reason.
Still, that Khaki bastard saying, "You think they deserve the same medal that Kennedy got," plays in my head.
To hear that bastard make light of what the two of us did because he spat the words out as if they tasted disgusting - that bothers me.
I don't know if anything more terrifying then saving someone from drowning, especially someone bigger than you. And going back two more times even though they almost drowned you the time before...
Thank God I learned how to swim when I was 11. Thank God I still know how to swim
Am I Wrong to believe that we were not properly recognized because of our race?
Bout time they gave this man his flowers before passing. Most MOH recipients be awarded posthumously.
