Not really a "Halloween" history lesson, but interesting history just the same.
Let me tell you a little about another combat veteran. Just the other day I was talking to this rather interesting gentleman (I speak with him frequently) and I thought I might relate a bit about him.
He is a "plank-holder" in the 502nd PIR. He made the D-Day and Market Garden jumps and was at Bastogne. He was wounded twice and won the Purple Heart and Silver Star. He was injured in a parachute jump late in the war and medivac'd to the states.
After the war, he ended up being assigned to the 7th Inf Div on occupation duty in Japan and in Sep of 1950, made the Inchon landing with them. After fighting their way through Seoul they were withdrawn (along with the 1st Marine Div) and sent around to the other side of Korea where they made the landing at Hamhung and marched up to the Chosin Reservoir. He was the Adjutant for LTC Don Faith who commanded 1/32 as part of Task Force MacLean as they moved to the east side of the Chosin on 27 Nov 50.
After COL MacLean was captured and died, Faith took over the Task Force (now renamed "Faith" and, after Maj Crosby Miller was wounded, Jones (a newly-promored Maj at this time) took over the Battalion and as "Exec" of the TF. He and LTC Faith led the TF in the withdrawal from the P'ungnyuri Inlet, and when LTC Faith was killed, Jones assumed command of the TF and got them safely to Hagaru-ri. He continued to lead them all the way down to Hamhung, where they were evacuated. During this fighting, he earned another Purple Heart and Silver Star. He also won a Distinguished Service Cross (some say he should have been awarded LTC Faith's Medal of Honor).
That wasn't enough for him and he stayed in the Army and served two tours in Vietnam, one as advisor to the Vietnamese National Police. He was close to, and unsuccessfully tried to stop, Vietnamese Chief of Police BG Nguyen Ngoc Loan, who shot the Viet Cong prisoner in the head during the Tet offensive (captured in a much-published photos and on video).
He continues to remain active in the 101st Association and has made a couple trips to Kosovo during the 101st deployments to boost their spirits. He is a terrific gentleman and, if you look up hero in the dictionary, you should find his picture there. He's my dear friend, COL (ret) Robert Jones.
-- -- -- -- -- "We sleep safe in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm." George Orwell
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