Evidence for The Purple Heart

While stationed in Chu Lai, Republic of Viet Nam Americal Division 196th 4/31 Inf. I was wounded on October 1970.

My unit was involved in a fire fight, with the Viet Cong. Also wounded was one of two sister's which I dropped off at hawk Hill Medical Center. During the fire fight I along with three member's of my unit chased one of the Viet Cong through the jungle, where he jumped into a tunnel. As I approached the opening, I yelled for him to surrender which he didn't. I started to get down on my left knee to throw a grenade into the opening when I felt a bamboo spike puncture my left knee cap. As I fell, I dropped the grenade into the tunnel opening.

Our Medic bandaged my knee, but he was also treating the older sister knee which had be hit during the fire fight. We called in for a medevac for her but due to a strong storm we were told to treat her in the field. Then we heard over our radio someone asked if we had someone needing to go on Emergency leave. The Helo crew picked me up and the two sister's and dropped us off at Hawk hill. The medic at Hawk hill took the young girl from me, then cleaned and dressed my wound.