- Banned
- #1
It was 1968 and I was in Vietnam. I was in the USA Army Security Agency. 509th RRG.
Our job was to collect signal intelligence. I was in a detachment that went on missions in the field.
We had some additional personnel attached to help provide security while in the field.
One of them was named Jerome. He was an infantryman with the 4th ID.
Jerome was a Black from Chicago. He hardly spoke English. More like Ebonics. He never finished high school. He told us he was a draftee.
He was absolutely the bravest soldier I ever met. When we came under fire he was aggressive as hell to confront the threat. He was fearless. He saved our asses several times. I am alive today because of his courage.
He was killed on a mission in October of 1968. He was posthumously awarded a Silver Star. God bless you PFC Jerome!
A few years ago I went with my wife to Publix. While my wife did a little shopping I decided to wait for her on the little bench that all Publix stores have at the front of the store.
Sitting on the bench was an old guy with a WWII veteran cap on. I sit down and talked to him for a few minutes. He had Bastonge on his cap. He was in Bastonge during the Battle of the Bulge. He had a Purple Heart pin on.
I asked him what did he do and said "I was only a cook". I asked him if he did much cooking during the battle and he said none. This magnificant Battling Bastard of Bastonge claimed to "only being a cook". I was in awe.
Our job was to collect signal intelligence. I was in a detachment that went on missions in the field.
We had some additional personnel attached to help provide security while in the field.
One of them was named Jerome. He was an infantryman with the 4th ID.
Jerome was a Black from Chicago. He hardly spoke English. More like Ebonics. He never finished high school. He told us he was a draftee.
He was absolutely the bravest soldier I ever met. When we came under fire he was aggressive as hell to confront the threat. He was fearless. He saved our asses several times. I am alive today because of his courage.
He was killed on a mission in October of 1968. He was posthumously awarded a Silver Star. God bless you PFC Jerome!
A few years ago I went with my wife to Publix. While my wife did a little shopping I decided to wait for her on the little bench that all Publix stores have at the front of the store.
Sitting on the bench was an old guy with a WWII veteran cap on. I sit down and talked to him for a few minutes. He had Bastonge on his cap. He was in Bastonge during the Battle of the Bulge. He had a Purple Heart pin on.
I asked him what did he do and said "I was only a cook". I asked him if he did much cooking during the battle and he said none. This magnificant Battling Bastard of Bastonge claimed to "only being a cook". I was in awe.
