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SilverMark -> RE: Male role models and heroes (9/5/2008 2:09:11 PM)
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I had an uncle, quiet man, career military and always pleasant to be around. My Grandmother told Me one day did you know Bill is the most decorated soldier ever from our state....at the time I was all of 12 or 13 and said no and left it at that.I retained the fact but, he never liked talking much about his career although stayed in the military until I was grown and married etc. He finally retired and within a couple of years had a quite devastating stroke. Watched him struggle to speak, revert to some "child like" behaviors, try to re learn to walk and he never got much better. About 8 years ago I got a call from My Father and he told Me Bill was to be inducted into the Airborne Ranger Hall of Fame at Ft. Benning in Columbus,Ga., which is a couple of hours South of My home in Atlanta and asked if I would like to go and of course I wanted to do so. I was never really involved with anything military, off to college after high school, too young for Viet Nam too old for the new draft registration etc. I was amazed at the proceedings, standing there they talked of the history of the Rangers, from the revolution through present day and then one by one they called the inductees forward and told the tales of their heroism. Finally they got to My uncle....sitting in his wheel chair, his beret on...My cousin a Chief Warrant Officer/helicopter pilot, former Ranger and part of the mountain brigade standing formally next to him and finally the I hear what this unassuming man had done as his "job" and for that job fought in the Korean War and the Vietnam War, and he was a trainer for operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield. He earned two Silver Stars and two Purple Hearts 2 Bronze Stars One,
In Vietnam, his six-man team was ambushed by a company-size unit -- more than 60 men. During fierce fighting, the Rangers killed or wounded 34 enemy soldiers. Butler was wounded and earned his second Purple Heart.When he returned in 1969 from Vietnam, he was recognized as Indiana's "Most Decorated Soldier."He took his final parachute jump at age 59 over Camp Atterbury near Indianapolis.When he retired,he was inducted into the Indiana Hall of Heroes, and was recognized by then-Gov. Evan Bayh as a Sagamore of the Wabash.In 2000,he was inducted into the Ranger Hall of Fame at Fort BenningHe had hoped to attend the Aug. 29 dedication of Camp Butler, the National Guard Warrior Training Center on 40 acres at Fort Benning, Ga.but died 2 weeks prior.Never had to look to far for a Role Model.....and he always considered himself lucky to have the job!
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