I met a true hero tonight...a Congressional Medal of Honor winner.

I went to my friends restaurant to meet friends. While I hobbled across the street I observed a Ct. license plate with a MOH medal on it and the #1. Now its not everyday one finds one of these since there are only 124 living holders of our nations highest honor. As a few of us gathered I pointed it out to them and even they got excited. A young Lt. assigned to West Point was with our group and I had him look at the license plate. He located a member of this persons party who happened to be the MOH's wife. She gladly said she would send him out to talk with us. I found it was a real privilege and so did the others. This man was the soul of the earth. I told the young Lt. he would not even pretend to have earned the honor, he would claim it was his guys that did. I was right, he was in Vietnam with the 101st. He talked a bit with us and went back to his party. We never asked for specifics but talked about common day issues and of course Army Football. I mentioned the old Army/Navy Special trains I used to take and his eyes gleamed...." ah the days when men were men", we both agreed. He told us about trying to buying football tickets for the games for some down & out Vets. and the BS he went through. It got so Army football became so high and mighty...and indeed costly for common folk. He ended up calling the Sup (Soup) of the Academy and got the tickets to distribute. When he was leaving he brought his young grandson over to meet the Lt. (poor guy was embarrassed) the boy gave him the "ooh ra" and we all laughed. The Lt. was assigned to Army Athletics after he was injured after Ranger school. We all said our good nights and our new friend left with his family. I made sure the young LT. got his business card and we all said we would see each other again here. Yup, you just don't meet real heroes any more especially those that don't claim to be so. I later recalled seeing his picture in the paper numerous times doing charity events for our veterans groups.

I went to find his MOH citation and found this:

Rank and organization: Captain, U.S. Army, Company D, 3d Battalion. 187th Infantry, 3d Brigade, 101st Airborne Division. Place and date: Near Phuoc Vinh, Binh Duong Province, Republic of Vietnam, 16- 19 March 1968. Entered service at: U .S. Military Academy, West Point, N.Y. Born: 1 August 1943, Washington, D.C. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Capt. Bucha distinguished himself while serving as commanding officer, Company D, on a reconnaissance-in-force mission against enemy forces near Phuoc Vinh, The company was inserted by helicopter into the suspected enemy stronghold to locate and destroy the enemy. During this period Capt. Bucha aggressively and courageously led his men in the destruction of enemy fortifications and base areas and eliminated scattered resistance impeding the advance of the company. On 18 March while advancing to contact, the lead elements of the company became engaged by the heavy automatic weapon, heavy machine gun, rocket propelled grenade, Claymore mine and small-arms fire of an estimated battalion-size force. Capt. Bucha, with complete disregard for his safety, moved to the threatened area to direct the defense and ordered reinforcements to the aid of the lead element. Seeing that his men were pinned down by heavy machine gun fire from a concealed bunker located some 40 meters to the front of the positions, Capt. Bucha crawled through the hail of fire to single-handedly destroy the bunker with grenades. During this heroic action Capt. Bucha received a painful shrapnel wound. Returning to the perimeter, he observed that his unit could not hold its positions and repel the human wave assaults launched by the determined enemy. Capt. Bucha ordered the withdrawal of the unit elements and covered the withdrawal to positions of a company perimeter from which he could direct fire upon the charging enemy. When 1 friendly element retrieving casualties was ambushed and cut off from the perimeter, Capt. Bucha ordered them to feign death and he directed artillery fire around them. During the night Capt. Bucha moved throughout the position, distributing ammunition, providing encouragement and insuring the integrity of the defense. He directed artillery, helicopter gunship and Air Force gunship fire on the enemy strong points and attacking forces, marking the positions with smoke grenades. Using flashlights in complete view of enemy snipers, he directed the medical evacuation of 3 air-ambulance loads of seriously wounded personnel and the helicopter supply of his company. At daybreak Capt. Bucha led a rescue party to recover the dead and wounded members of the ambushed element. During the period of intensive combat, Capt. Bucha, by his extraordinary heroism, inspirational example, outstanding leadership and professional competence, led his company in the decimation of a superior enemy force which left 156 dead on the battlefield. His bravery and gallantry at the risk of his life are in the highest traditions of the military service, Capt. Bucha has reflected great credit on himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army

especially meeting a Congressional Medal of Honor winner .

Not onyl wow that you met one, but wow on that citation!

I think most of us would have been shitting our pants and babbling incoherently. What an amazing guy - defending people, risking his life to get people on helicopters, going back for the dead... shit!!

I could imagine Kerry doing that, even Clinton - maybe even papa Bush - but I can't imagine Shrubbie McAWOL doing that for any reason whatsoever. And that's sad - I think presidents should be the kind of guy you would trust to go back and help the trapped and wounded.

His wife brought in the medal and others he and she earned during WWII.
Another one of my patients, who recently died, survived the Battan Death March.
Its interesting to meet these people who seem do ordinary but have survived and experienced the extraordinary.
Cool!

when I was a chaplain. And that was in 2003.

Amazing people, and such incredible stories. Also met a woman who wasn't in a camp - she left her family when she was 16 and came to America because she felt something was gonna happen, and tried like hell to convince her familyto come over once she was here, but they woldn't.

Her entire family was eventually murdered.

Such incredible stories from the WWII vets and others of old age.

WVa names bridges after CMH recipients and I am always looking up the citations.