I was saddened to read of the death of a true champion, Floyd Patterson--a champion both in and out of the ring. I was fortunate to serve as his escort officer when he visited Marines in Vietnam in the summer of 1967.

Three memories stand out:
1. His amazingly quick hands, picking flies out of the air.
2. His soft spoken "thank you" after being handed fresh towels to wipe the sweat from his face.
3. His sincere sorrow when he visited the field hospital outside of Danang.

Yes, Patterson was the heavyweight champion of the world, but, to me, his greatest contribution was lifting the spirits of one severely wounded Marine.

He was lying in bed with his eyes bandaged. When told that Floyd Patterson was standing next to him, the young lance corporal asked him if he'd scratch his feet because they itched. After getting the nod from the doctor, Floyd said, "Sure." Trouble was, this Marine had no legs.

Floyd scratched "stumps", wished the Marine well, and quickly went outside to unabashedly cry.

A true champion indeed.

Gary Nash, Chanhassen

This story is part of Civil Rights Movement and the War.
View the story collection.