Joe Bacani has become the face of disabled American veterans

War hero shocked, humbled to be featured on veterans memorial
New York Post
By Maureen Callahan
October 5, 2014

The American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial, located south and west of the United States Capitol, will be dedicated on Sunday, October 5. New Yorker Joe Bacani is featured on the memorial.
Photo: Ron Sachs / CNP

Without ever meaning to, Joe Bacani has become the face of disabled American veterans.

He had been discharged from the Army in 2007 after taking sniper fire in Iraq and spending weeks at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in a wheelchair, learning how to walk again. A few years later, he got a package in the mail. Inside was a letter detailing the ongoing construction of a memorial dedicated to disabled vets. Also inside was a photo taken of Bacani in his wheelchair after he had just been awarded the Purple Heart. Would he allow this image to be used on a wall?

“I remember what I was thinking when that photo was taken,” Bacani says. “Half of me was like, ‘Hurry up and take this photo. I can’t wait till this ceremony’s over.’ And the other half of me was thinking, ‘What am I going to do? How am I going to move on?’ ”
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Vietnam Veteran With 3 Purple Hearts, Tugs Hearts of Community

He earned three Purple Hearts; now a community is rescuing his home
Pastor, Navy volunteers and Habitat for Humanity restore disabled vet's home in Orange Park
Jacksonville.com
By Clifford Davis
Posted: September 11, 2014

On the 13th anniversary of the day terrorists tried to tear the country apart, members of the military, state agencies, charities, a church and community volunteers came together to do what Americans have always done.

At the home of Vietnam veteran Joseph Gainer, a three-time recipient of the Purple Heart, workers buzzed around the home knocking out walls and tearing off shingles.

“I can’t believe it,” the 68-year-old Gainer said. “All my little money I get, I’ve put into the house already.

“I never could’ve done what they’re doing.”

Gainer volunteered for the Army in 1966 and continued to airborne training. He went to Vietnam as a squad leader with the 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division.

Wounded on three occasions, he returned home and eventually medically retired from the city of Orange Park.

Now mostly confined to a scooter, Gainer’s home on Miller Street fell into disrepair. The porch had rotted and the roof was sinking in. But a chance encounter with a stranger eventually changed everything.

“Joe Gainer is the reason that my church is here,” said the Rev. William Randall of St. Simon Baptist Church. “He and his buddies were out front barbecuing one Saturday afternoon while I was driving around looking for property to build my church.

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Ex-POW Veteran of 3 Wars Passed Away at 92

Brevard Vietnam veteran, POW dies
FLORIDA TODAY
Norman Moody
August 18, 2014

Retired Col. Larry Guarino was a POW for more than seven years. The Indian Harbour Beach resident died of natural causes at the age of 92.
(Photo: File photo)

MELBOURNE – Retired Air Force Col. Larry Guarino, a fighter pilot who in the Vietnam War was shot down near Hanoi in 1965 and held as a prisoner of war for more than seven years, has died.

He was 92.

Guarino, an Indian Harbour Beach resident, was a highly decorated veteran, who also served in World War II and Korea. He told the story of his captivity in Vietnam in "A POW Story — 2801 Days in Hanoi."

"That book inspired so many people," said Evelyn Guarino, his wife of 71 years.

She said a young private once wrote her husband to say that after reading about what Guarino went through in prison, he was ashamed of himself for complaining about not having his family with him in Germany where he was serving.

"He was a wonderful man," Evelyn Guarino said. "He had a great sense of humor."

She said he served for 33 years as a pilot and loved the plane he flew in World War II, the Spitfire.

His medals included the Air Force Cross, the second highest military award, Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross and two Purple Hearts.
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Three Tour Iraq Veteran, Critical Condition After Being Shot

UPDATE

Antioch: Community members raise funds for war vet shot near home

IRAQ VET WHO SERVED THREE TOURS OF DUTY, SHOT IN ANTIOCH
ABC7 San Francisco
By Laura Anthony
Friday, August 01, 2014

ANTIOCH, Calif. (KGO) -- Brandon Del Fiorentino is in critical condition after being shot on Golf Course Road in Antioch early Friday morning. It's the fourth shooting in Antioch in 48 hours.

"It's horrible that that would happen to him here. that he would survive his tours of duty and then come here and get shot," said Dorothy Harden, a neighbor who lives across the street from him.

The Marine veteran and Purple Heart recipient was shot multiple times while walking near his Antioch home.

Del Fiorentino served three tours in Iraq as a scout sniper instructor. He received a purple heart after suffering a severe head injury from an IED explosion.
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Humor Helps Wounded Green Beret

Humor helps wounded Green Beret cope 
Lewiston Tribune, Idaho
By Elaine Williams
Published: July 27, 2014

Staff Sgt. Cody Ensley is awarded the Purple Heart, for wounds he received while performing his duties in Afghanistan, by Vice Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. John F. Campbell at San Antonio Military Medical Center on Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio Jan. 3, 2014.
PETER J. BERARDIU.S. ARMY

Laughter comes easily to U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Cody Ensley, less than a year after he nearly lost his life in Afghanistan when an improvised explosive device detonated.

Words are still a struggle, something that can be frustrating for the Green Beret who was fluent in Spanish and had mastered a smattering of an Arabic dialect used in the region where he was deployed.

Sitting close to his wife at the home of friends, Ensley, 26, a 2006 Lewiston High School graduate, answered questions, often with single words, during his first visit to Idaho since the attack.

"He knows what he wants to say, but that speech center is so damaged, he just can't get it out," said his wife, Ashley Ensley. "We play charades a lot."

The Ensleys planned to see his family, catch up with friends and attend a fundraiser at Canter's Inn in Lewiston. The trip is a celebration of how far Ensley has come.
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Iraq veteran robbed of medals given by Dick Cheney

Burglars steal priceless medals from Iraq war veteran
WHAS11.com
by Alex Schuman
Posted on July 15, 2014

BRECKENRIDGE COUNTY, Ky. (WHAS11) -- Ron Hinkle survived an IED bomb explosion on April 15, 2006.

He showed up at his house in rural Breckenridge County, and discovered someone kicked-in his front door.

Burglars stole several valuable family heirlooms, but the family is asking people to keep an eye for two specific items.

Hinkle lost his Purple Heart and a challenge coin which both were given to him by former Vice President Dick Cheney.
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Iraq War Veteran With TBI Sent to Psychologist?

Veteran files grievance, alleges VA psychologist practiced outside scope of expertise
Missoulian
By Martin Kidston
10 hours ago

A Purple Heart recipient from the Iraq War and his wife have filed a grievance against a doctor at the VA Medical Center at Fort Harrison, accusing him of practicing outside the scope of his expertise when evaluating the residual effects of traumatic brain injury.

On Nov. 8, 2013, a screening panel with the Montana Board of Psychologists found reasonable evidence that VA psychologist Robert Bateen caused retired U.S. Army Capt. Charles Gatlin unreasonable risk of mental harm and financial loss by using the incorrect panel of tools to assess the residuals of his traumatic brain injury.

The board also found cause that Bateen failed to consider Gatlin’s prior medical evaluations, and that Bateen erred by offering opinions in an area of psychology for which he was not qualified to practice.

“He’s a psychologist making neuropsychological observations,” Gatlin’s wife and caregiver, Ariana Del Negro, said last week. “It’s as if the VA sends a patient with cancer to an eye doctor for assessment.”

The state Board of Psychologists agreed in part when it found reasonable cause in November. The results are now being contested by Assistant U.S. Attorney Victoria Fancis, who’s representing Bateen before the Hearings Bureau with the Montana Department of Labor.
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Iraq Veteran Killed in Motorcycle Crash Expecting 4th Child

Army Veteran Killed in Motorcycle Crash
27-year-old Robert Zachary Firlan killed in Tuesday evening collision
KTUU Alaska
Austin Baird, Political, Rural Reporter
Apr 30, 2014

ANCHORAGE
Robert Zachary Firlan survived traumatic brain injuries he suffered during a tour in Iraq, where he was a forward observer for the Army. He was awarded a Purple Heart for his service.

But on a sunny, warm evening, a block from the downtown Anchorage park strip, Firlan died from injuries he suffered when a motorcycle he was driving collided with a van.

A minute after 6 p.m. Tuesday, the Anchorage Police Department received reports of a collision at the intersection of Eighth Avenue and C Street.

The 27-year-old died in a hospital. The driver of the van is not charged with any crimes and is expected to survive. APD spokesperson Jennifer Castro said Wednesday an investigation into what went wrong is ongoing.

Firlan leaves behind a wife, three boys, and another son is on the way.
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Vietnam Veteran Wounded Twice

Fla. man gets equivalent of 2 Purple Hearts in 44 years
The (Fort Myers, Fla.) News-Press
Chris Umpierre
April 25, 2014

(Photo: Courtesy of Richard Crawford)

Richard Crawford was injured in a war twice in his life, 40 years apart.

The Fort Myers, Fla., resident, now 67, was honored Friday at Camp Lejeune, N.C., with the civilian equivalent of the Purple Heart.

Crawford's acceptance of the 2014 Defense of Freedom Medal, given annually to civilians killed or wounded while serving with the U.S. military, adds a capstone to his military career. Crawford received a 1970 Purple Heart for his service in Vietnam.

"It's special because this makes it over 40 years between Purple Hearts," Crawford said. "There's an old adage: 'Once a Marine, always a Marine.' I think I raised the bar on that one."

At 61, the former Fort Myers Drug Enforcement Administration chief was talked out of retirement to serve as an embedded law- enforcement professional in Iraq. After a tour advising the Marines on investigating roadside bombs, Crawford was recruited again in 2010. This time, the military shipped the 64-year-old to Afghanistan.
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Vietnam Veteran finally receives medals after 44 year wait

Vietnam vet receives medals 44 years later
KXLY4
Author: Ian Cull
Multimedia Journalist
Published On: Mar 28 2014

COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho
A Coeur d'Alene man who participated in two combat tours in Southeast Asia with the 101st Airborne Division finally received awards for valor Thursday he earned more than 40 years ago in the jungles of Vietnam.

It was due to a paperwork mistake that former Army Sgt. Leon Strigotte had to wait 44 years to receive several medals he earned in Vietnam. The Idaho Army National Guard made sure to thank him for his service, with the state's Guard commander, Brig. Gen. John Goodale, on hand to present Strigotte his awards.

Guardsman and fellow combat veterans manned the hallways of the Idaho Army Guard armory in Post Falls Friday to welcome Strigotte, who served two tours in Vietnam between 1967 and 1969. During his service, he was wounded three times -- once during the Tet Offensive in March 1968 and in the Central Highlands in August and again in December of 1969.

During Tet, Strigotte was injured in a land mine explosion, was rehabilitated and then asked to go back. After his second wound in late 1969 he was sent home. He was later awarded three Purple Hearts for being wounded in combat, but the other medals he had earned were lost due to a clerical error.

He was told that after he was med-evaced from Vietnam his paper trail of what he did didn't quite follow him. One year turned into two years, then two decades. On Friday, 44 years later, that paper trail finally caught up to him. Strigotte finally received the medals he had earned, including the Bronze Star, Air Medal and the Army Commendation Medal.
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Fort Bragg Special Forces honors 8 heroes with Silver Stars

UPDATE

The Silver Star recipients are, from left, (1st row) Sgt. 1st Class David Blish; Master Sgt. Charles Ritter; Chief Warrant 2 Jason Myers; Chief Warrant 2 Robert Hinsley; (2nd row) Sgt. 1st Class Jonathan Drew; Sgt. 1st Class Matthew Brown; Staff Sgt. Robert Ashwell; and Staff Sgt. Nicholas Lavery. They received the awards Thursday at Fort Bragg, N.C..
(Sgt. Enoch Fleites / Army)

Read more on Army Times Special Forces soldiers honored for valor in Afghanistan

NC Special Forces soldiers who risked their lives to get valor awards
Fayetteville Observer
Drew Brooks
March 27, 2014

In one case, a soldier is being honored for catching a grenade in his hands and throwing it away before jumping on an Afghan soldier to shield him from the blast.

In another, a soldier physically pushed another away from danger and then stepped in front of him to shield him from bullets.

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — They risked their lives in Afghanistan to save their fellow soldiers, and now they'll be honored among their peers on Fort Bragg.

Soldiers of the 3rd Special Forces Group will receive dozens of medals during an award ceremony Thursday.

Lt. Gen. Charles Cleveland, commanding general of U.S. Army Special Operations Command, will present eight Silver Stars, 28 Bronze Stars for valor, 36 Army Commendation Medals for valor and 27 Purple Hearts to soldiers in the 11 a.m. ceremony, according to officials. The Silver Star is the military's third highest award for valor in combat.

The eight soldiers receiving Silver Stars are

Sgt. 1st Class Matthew Brown

Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jason W. Myers

Sgt. 1st Class Jonathan B. Drew

Sgt. 1st Class David A. Blish

Warrant Officer Robert A. Hinsley

Staff Sgt. Nicholas C. Lavery

Staff Sgt. Robert B. Ashwell

Master Sgt. Charles P. Ritter

Myers and Ritter also will receive Purple Heart medals for being injured in Afghanistan, officials said.

Brown will also receive an Army Commendation Medal for valor and two Purple Hearts and Lavery will also receive a Bronze Star for valor and three Purple Hearts.
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Judge says time ran out to honor Lt. Garlin Murl Conner with Medal of Honor?

Judge: Technicality prevents decorated soldier from receiving Medal of Honor
The Associated Press
By Brett Barrouquere
Published: March 12, 2014

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Lt. Garlin Murl Conner left the U.S. Army as the second-most decorated soldier during World War II, earning four Silver Stars, four Bronze Stars, seven Purple Hearts and the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions during 28 straight months in combat.

But despite backing from congressmen, senators, military veterans and historians, he never received the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military distinction, awarded for life-risking acts of valor above and beyond the call of duty.

Now, a federal judge in Kentucky has ended his widow's 17-year quest to see that her husband received the medal.

U.S. District Judge Thomas B. Russell, in an 11-page opinion issued late Tuesday, said a technicality will prevent Pauline Conner of Albany, Ky., from continuing her campaign on behalf of her husband, who died in 1998. Russell concluded that Pauline Conner waited too long to present new evidence to the U.S. Army Board of Correction of Military Records, which rejected her bid to alter her husband's service record.

Conner's commander in World War II, retired Maj. Gen. Lloyd B. Ramsey of Salem, Va., filed an affidavit saying Conner's work, while injured, provided valuable intelligence.

"There is no doubt that Lt. Conner should have been awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions," Ramsey wrote. "One of the most disappointing regrets of my career is not having the Medal of Honor awarded to the most outstanding soldier I've ever had the privilege of commanding." read more here

Florida Vietnam "hero" fraud wanted more money from VA

This fraud was not caught for any other reason than he got too greedy and wanted an increase in his VA benefits.

February 28, 2014
Fraud Vietnam veteran claiming Purple Heart and Bronze Star pleads guilty
Veteran who lied about Purple Heart pleads guilty
Walter Eatman claimed to have PTSD, Purple Heart
WESH.com By Melissa Catalanotto
Feb 28, 2014

ST. CLOUD, Fla. —A veteran from St. Cloud has pleaded guilty to making false statements to receive benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and stealing government funds.

According to court documents, Walter Clarence Eatman, 68, of St. Cloud, a veteran of the United States Marine Corps, applied for and received VA benefits for five years. Court documents said he falsely claimed he suffered post-traumatic stress disorder, hearing loss and tinnitus.

Court documents also say he lied about serving in combat in Vietnam for two years and being awarded a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star. Officials said Eatman never served in Vietnam, nor did he earn a Purple Heart or Bronze Star.
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'War hero' admits lying to get government benefits
Walt 'Sandman' Eatman of St. Cloud never served in Vietnam, nor was he wounded, federal prosecutors say.
Orlando Sentinel
By Susan Jacobson
February 28, 2014

Walter Eatman of St. Cloud claimed that he suffered post-traumatic stress disorder after being haunted by memories of combat in Vietnam, where he was awarded a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star.

The trouble is, none of the claims were true, federal prosecutors said.

Eatman, 68, on Thursday pleaded guilty to theft of government funds and making false statements. Prosecutors say he stole about $106,000 in government money and benefits, including mental-health counseling and medication, by lying about his service.

Eatman, whose nickname is "Sandman," is a former Marine. But he did not serve in Vietnam from August 1965 to August 1967 as he claimed.

Eatman came to the attention of prosecutors after he tried to have his Veterans Affairs benefits increased in September 2010 by claiming that was suffering from PTSD.
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A friend sent Wounded Times a link to this story, which makes it all even worse.

Left to right- Don Smith, museum CEO, Art Schwabe, American Legion Florida Commander
and Walt Eatman, Vice Commander pause during their tour of the museum.

American Legion Commander Visits Museum of Military History

The Bringing Honor Home: Campaign 2013 raises funds to support educational exhibits, special events and programs.

The Museum of Military History was honored with a visit by current American Legion, Department of Florida, Department Commander Art Schwabe on August 15th. Commander Schwabe was accompanied by Steve Shuga 6th District Vice Commander and Assistant Commander Walt Eatman. Commander Schwabe’s entourage was escorted by the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office motorcycle police unit.
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Fort Campbell Soldier killed trying to get help on highway

Fort Campbell soldier killed on Interstate 24 trying to flag down help
Leaf-Chronicle
Written by
Tavia D. Green
February 3, 2014

CLARKSVILLE, TENN. — A family is grieving the loss of a Fort Campbell soldier who was killed Sunday night while trying to flag down help on Intestate 24.

At about 11:43 p.m., Tyler Carl Wilsdorf, 23, of Dadesville, Ala, was riding as a passenger in a car that was traveling east on Interstate 24 from Exit 4, when the driver became lost and tried to make a u-turn in the eastbound lanes near the six mile marker, according to wreck report by Trooper Todd Pitts of the Tennessee Highway Patrol.

The driver began driving west in the median while still on the eastbound side of I-24. The car got stuck in the median, the report said.

Wilsdorf was deployed to Afghanistan and received a Purple Heart. Caddell said he was a Christian who had re-dedicated his life to Christ about three months ago.
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Indiana National Guardsman gave away Purple Heart

Soldier surrenders 'Purple Heart' to WWII veteran at his funeral
Greene County Daily World
By Nick Schneider, Co-Editor
Friday, January 31, 2014

Rural Bloomfield resident Leonard Wayne McIntosh was a World War II hero and on Wednesday afternoon he was buried in possession of one of the nation's highest military decorations that can be awarded to any soldier.

First Sgt. Gregory Swanson

The Purple Heart didn't come the usual way from the United States government.

It came more than 50 years late, but the honor and recognition was shining brightly on the cold day at the rural Greene County church.

The long-due award came as a precious gift from a young family friend, who had earned his Purple Heart while a member of the Indiana Army National Guard's 387th Military Police Company unit out of New Albany in Afghanistan for injuries sustained in 2012.

Minutes before McIntosh's funeral service began at Tulip Church of God, First Sgt. Gregory Swanson, of rural Bloomfield, walked to the casket where he was greeted by his close friend, Kenny McIntosh, the youngest child of Wayne and Oaklene McIntosh.

The two embraced and Swanson handed him the Purple Heart he had earned. It was a gift to the McIntosh family in honor of their deceased father and husband.

It was his personal gift of love and respect to a war-injured veteran who deserved to be honored by his country, in his opinion.

It was a selfless gift, thinking only of his elder soldier comrade -- wanting to give him the well earned honor that had eluded him.
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Disabled Vet Finally Gets Purple Heart Keeps Empty Wallet

Retired staff sergeant receives Purple Heart, still no VA disability benefits
KCTV News
By Laura McCallister, Multimedia Producer
By Dave Jordan, News Reporter
Posted: Jan 10, 2014

FAIRWAY, KS (KCTV)
It's been more than two years since Staff Sgt. Ezekiel Crozier nearly died when his helicopter crashed in Afghanistan.

He underwent rehabilitation, got a Purple Heart and an outpouring of support from his community. What Crozier doesn't have is his Veterans Administration disability benefits.

Crozier was 41 days into his second tour in Afghanistan when a Chinook Helicopter went down in July 2011.

"You have to put it in perspective. The ones that aren't lucky, the ones that aren't here. I think about that every day," he said.

Crozier suffered a severe brain injury that required rehab. This week he received a Purple Heart.

"That gives me closure. It actually feels like I'm recognized by the government," he said.

But at the same time Crozier feels ignored by the same country he fought for, after failing to receive his disability benefits, causing a financial hardship that weighed heavily on his family.

"Now I've got to suck up my pride and ask for help at times and who wants to do that, you know? It's been a struggle," he said.

He officially retired from the military in July 2013. Processing of his claim was expected to take just two months, but that claim was part of a huge backlog caused in part by increased filings and not enough staff to process them all.
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Vietnam Vet Marine shares courage to heal old wounds

Purple Heart donation to bar inspires help for others
Northwest Herald
Jeff Englehardt
Published: Saturday, Dec. 28, 2013

CRYSTAL LAKE – For the small fraternity of Purple Heart recipients, the award is often seen as a symbol of courage and pride.

But for Lakewood’s Pat Fimon, the medal was nothing more than a trinket in the bottom of a cardboard box in an attic. For decades he buried it as far as he could. His parents died without ever knowing he received the honor.

Fimon served as a machine gunner in the Marines during the Vietnam War on two tours. The last thing he wanted to do was to revisit the memories he had from 1967 to 1971.

“I hated the Marine Corps. It ruined my life,” Fimon said. “May 28. I didn’t go to work on that day for 30 years for a reason.”

But now Fimon is proud of the Marines and his medal. He donated it to Brink Street Restaurant and Bar, where it is displayed prominently behind the bar. It has helped bolster donations for the restaurant’s Toys for Tots drive and, more importantly to Fimon, brought awareness to the services that restored his life.

Three years ago, Fimon met people such as Ted Biever at the Woodstock Armory and counselors through Veterans Affairs who helped him realize there was a better way to deal with post-traumatic stress disorder and receiving help was OK.

The services even saved his life after a doctor’s visit revealed he had cancer, which was attributed to Agent Orange exposure during the war. He will begin radiation treatment next year.
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Florida Afghanistan vet struggles to get his life back from PTSD

Afghanistan vet struggles to get his life back
An Afghanistan veteran overcomes disillusionment and anger to reclaim his life back home
Pensacola News Journal
Written by
Rob Johnson
Dec. 21, 2013

Colin Savoie joined the Army in 2008 as a young American idealist. But like so many who fought in Afghanistan or Iraq, he survived physical wounds only to find his biggest battle loomed back home: to save his tortured soul.

The 23-year-old Milton resident enlisted in search of a cause, an honorable mission in the tradition of the storyline in “Saving Private Ryan.” The 1998 epic focuses on a fictional World War II Army squad assigned to rescue a soldier whose three brothers had been killed in combat.

Watching the movie on television at age 10, Savoie recalled, “I remember seeing Tom Hanks and thinking how he didn’t care about himself and how he wanted to save that kid. I wanted to be that person, to have that feeling: It’s not about me. It’s about everyone else.”

Honorably discharged in August 2012, the Purple Heart recipient represents an all-too-common statistic as one of about 500,000 combat veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder or depression.

That’s about twice the number of troops in the legendary Third Army commanded by one of World War II’s most famous generals, George Patton, who was quoted as saying he wouldn’t allow what was then known as “battle fatigue” to excuse a soldier from combat.

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Senate Supports Purple Heart for Fort Hood Victims

Senate Supports Purple Heart for Fort Hood Victims
Military.com
by Richard Sisk
Dec 13, 2013

The Senate has backed a proposal that could lead to the issuing of Purple Hearts to victims of the Fort Hood massacre and an attack on a Little Rock recruiting station.

The proposed National Defense Authorization Act legislation included a section directing the service secretaries to review whether the Fort Hood and Little Rock victims rated the Purple Heart, the nation's oldest military award.

Under the bill, the secretaries would have to report back within six months and specifically address the question of whether the victims were "killed or wounded as a result of an act of an enemy of the United States," a requirement for the award of the Purple Heart.

Thirteen people, including a pregnant soldier, were killed and 32 were wounded in the Nov. 5, 2009, gun rampage by Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, an Army psychiatrist, at Fort Hood, Texas.
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HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO DO THE RIGHT THING?

Vietnam veteran receives 'long overdue' hero's welcome

Vietnam veteran receives 'long overdue' hero's welcome
Montgomery News
By Dutch Godshalk
December 5, 2013

When Army 1st Lt. Ed Sasinowski came home from Vietnam 43 years ago, there were many things he didn’t receive. He didn’t receive his Purple Heart. He didn’t receive his Bronze Star. He didn’t even receive a proper hero’s welcome home.

But on a recent Saturday morning, roughly 100 of Ed’s friends and family righted that wrong. Gathered at his home in Maple Glen Nov. 30, a crowd gave Ed the homecoming party he never received after his tour of duty.

As state Rep. Tom Murt, R-152, put it as he stood before a backyard full of Sasinowski’s loved ones, “Guys like Ed had to go into combat, and after surviving, they had to come home to a country that wasn’t always that grateful for their sacrifice and their service. Let’s face it — back then our country didn’t even want to hear about your stories and injuries.”

Sasinowski’s was among the untold stories.
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