Monday is Memorial Day. We must never forget that if it were not for our veterans, we would have no freedom.

This newspaper delights in sharing stories of veterans. This past week, we found two outstanding ones. Here is the first:

94-Year-old Gets Medal of Honor 70 Years After Heroism, Making Him One of the Most Decorated Soldiers in US History

Seventy years ago, on a frozen hilltop deep in what is now North Korea, a young First Lieutenant acted with bravery that earned him the Distinguished Service Cross, the military’s second-highest honor.

On Friday, Ralph Puckett, Jr. was hosted at the White House where he received the Medal of Honor, the U.S. government’s highest and most prestigious military decoration.

Ralph’s first response was to ask, “Why all the fuss? Can’t they just mail it to me?”

But, after his lifetime of service to the nation, President Joe Biden said at the medal ceremony, “Rather than mail it to you, I would’ve walked it to you.”

Ralph’s wife of 68 years, Jeannie Puckett, was in the audience, too, as Biden described how the couple met—while the brave Army Ranger was recovering from his wounds.

They were married two years to the day after the battle in November 1950, for which he was honored this week with the following citation: “For acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as the commander 8th U.S. Army Ranger Company…”

51 of Puckett’s Rangers and 9 Korean enlisted soldiers set out in a daylight attack to take Hill 205, just 60 miles from the border with China, which drew mortar, machine gun, and small-arms fire against them. First Lieutenant Puckett mounted the closest tank, exposing himself to the deadly enemy fire. Leaping from the tank, he shouted words of encouragement to his men and began to lead the Rangers in their offensive.

To make their charge, they had to cross about half mile of frozen rice paddies under fire.

“Almost immediately, enemy fire threatened the success of the attack by pinning down one platoon. Leaving the safety of his position, with full knowledge of the danger, First Lieutenant Puckett intentionally ran across an open area three times to draw enemy fire, thereby allowing the Rangers to locate and destroy the enemy positions and to seize Hill 205,” continued the citation.

When the Rangers finally reached the top of the hill, they found it abandoned, but Puckett knew the fight wasn’t nearly over.

“During the night, the enemy launched a counterattack that lasted four hours. Over the course of the counterattack, the Rangers were inspired and motivated by the extraordinary leadership and courageous example exhibited by First Lieutenant Puckett.”

Even though Puckett’s Rangers were outnumbered almost ten to one, five attacks by a battalion-strength enemy were repulsed.

During the first wave, First Lieutenant Puckett was wounded by grenade fragments, but refused evacuation and continually directed artillery support. Over the course of the next several hours, four more waves of assaults came.

“He repeatedly abandoned positions of relative safety to make his way from foxhole to foxhole, to check the company’s perimeter and to distribute ammunition amongst the Rangers.”

When the enemy launched a sixth attack, two mortar rounds landed in his foxhole, inflicting “grievous wounds” in both his feet, his backside, his left arm and shoulder.

“Knowing his men were in a precarious situation, First Lieutenant Puckett commanded the Rangers to leave him behind and evacuate the area. Feeling a sense of duty to aid him, the Rangers refused the order and staged an effort to retrieve him from the foxhole while still under fire from the enemy.

Ultimately, the Rangers succeeded in retrieving First Lieutenant Puckett and they moved to the bottom of the hill, where First Lieutenant Puckett called for devastating artillery fire on the top of the enemy-controlled hill.

First Lieutenant Puckett’s extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.”

Biden said in his remarks, “Korea is sometimes called the “Forgotten War.” But those men who were there under Lieutenant Puckett’s command — they’ll never forget his bravery. They never forget that he was right by their side throughout every minute of it.”

Puckett at the White House

“And the people of the Republic of Korea haven’t forgotten, as evidenced by the fact that the President of Korea is here for this ceremony. I doubt this has ever happened before.”

President Moon said, “I learned that I’m the first foreign leader to ever attend a ceremony of such kind. As President of the Republic of Korea, it is a great honor and pleasure.

“Colonel Puckett is a true hero of the Korean War… Without the sacrifice of veterans, including Colonel Puckett and the Eighth Army Ranger Company, freedom and democracy we enjoy today couldn’t have blossomed in Korea.”

“From the ashes of the Korean War, we rose, we came back. And that was thanks to the Korean War veterans who fought for Korea’s peace and freedom. And now, thanks to their support and efforts, we are enjoying prosperity. On behalf of the Korean people, I express deep gratitude and respect to them. Through the war veterans, the Korean people saw a great soul of America that marches toward freedom and peace. Their acts of gallantry, sacrifice, and friendship will forever be remembered.”

Puckett’s military service did not end in the Korean War. He also served in the Vietnam War, where he earned a second Distinguished Service Cross, two Silver Stars, and two Bronze Stars, adding to his five Purple Hearts for injuries suffered in combat.

You can read about his life story in his published book, Ranger: A Soldier’s Life (from the American Warrior Series).

The Good News Network

Here is the second:

Pulling Back the Curtain on the Unsung Heroes

Late last year, I was invited by a friend to come along for an official county visit to honor a 100-yearold veteran of World War II. His name was George Kaleel. The county commissioner had decided to surprise him with a certificate of appreciation for his service and to commemorate the fact that he had reached the century mark.

I drove up to a quaint home located at the end of a long street. His daughter and granddaughter greeted us and introduced us to a man who couldn’t have been more than 5-foot 6-inches. He appeared most definitely shorter with the hunch of age. His mind, however, was still crisp and his personality full of life.

The relatively quick introduction would turn into a documentary project about his experiences in the war that would span several months. I sit here writing this article in honor of Memorial Day and of all those who have now passed on, which now, as of this April 19, includes Kaleel.

I was about a week away from showing a rough draft version of the documentary to him, his daughter, and granddaughter when I received word that his heart had given out and he was gone. To know the project was so near completion and that he wouldn’t get the chance to see it was heartrending. Friends and colleagues, even his family members themselves when I attended his funeral, said that it was enough to have captured his story before he passed. And I’m certain, in the grand scheme of things, it is.

Kaleel was a truck driver for the First Army’s 7th Corps. His first day of the war was June 6, 1944 0D-Day and his journey sent him through the beaches of Normandy, through war-torn Belgium, across the Rhine River, and into the heart of Germany. He was part of the capture of 8,000 Germans on the shore of Utah Beach. He had his front teeth knocked out by German soldiers disguised in American uniforms, shortly before he shot both of them. He interacted personally with Gen. George Patton in order to obtain much-needed trucks for the crossing of the Rhine River. He was there when the First Army attacked, liberated, and ventured into a Nazi underground facility in the Harz Mountains. He experienced the results of the Hitlerjugend (the Hitler Youth), where young boys were given guns and, as he put it, were told to “kill. Everything was kill.” He helped liberate Jewish people who were being slaughtered in a small town. He and his corps were on a ship headed to Japan to continue the fight until the radio announced Japan’s surrender.

The human elements of courage, pain, heartbreak, camaraderie, and horror can hardly be found in a more powerful setting than through the stories of our war veterans. They are the simplified, yet complex versions of humanity’s plot: triumph and defeat. It is war. As much as we hate it, and as much as we fear its arrival and are left grieving in its wake, it is the most defining of all fires.

It’s soldiers like Kaleel who are called upon by their country to fight a war and to defeat an enemy in the hopes of restoring peace, or something at least resembling it. He is an example of the willingness to do what is needed. He is an example of love of country. He is an example of the unsung hero. His job wasn’t on the front lines. His job was to ensure soldiers could reach those front lines, that the wounded could be taken to safety, and that the supply lines didn’t run dry. War is the great drama. And at times, those behind the scenes ensuring the drama continues are unintentionally overshadowed.

If one is willing to look around, you will be able to find men and women who have served valiantly for their country and for the cause of freedom. From Korea to Vietnam to Serbia to Iraq to Afghanistan to other places around the globe and even here at home, our men and women of uniform do have stories to tell. Stories of fear and courage, joy and sorrow, triumph and defeat.

I have interviewed numerous veterans of various ages, including those in their 80s, 90s, and now 100s. The stories differ in their perspectives, because war, regardless of size and scale, is an incredibly personalized experience. As I was told shortly after Kaleel’s passing, it was enough to capture his story. For many veterans, it’s enough to simply pull back the curtain and ask them to tell theirs.

Dustin Bass

The Epoch Times