Yesterday I Met A Hero

There a few heroes remaining in my hometown and yesterday I met one of them. His name is Leonard Richardson. He was a Medic with the 28th Infantry Division in World War II. The nickname of the 28th was the "Keystone Division". Their divisonal patch was red keystone, Mr. Richardson calls it "the bloody keystone."


The division went ashore on Utah Beach, Normandy, June 6, 1944. That is the date known in history as "D Day". For the next 285 days they were in combat. From the Normandy beaches to the Ardennes Forest to the Battle of the Bulge. They were assigned to the Third Army under Gen. George S. Patton. Mr. Richardson says, "it was hard, we had to keep pushing and pushing forward to keep the Germans from having time to regroup and move back on us." He related a close call when they came under fire from a German sniper. He and three other medics were carrying an injured man on a stretcher and two of the men were killed by the sniper. One of the men was across from Mr. Richardson and one was behind him. He had known both men since their training days.


One day soon when there is more time I'm going back for a visit and listen to a few more stories. Statistaclly World War II veterans are passing on at a rate of more than one thousand per day. Most of the men and women from that conflict are in their 80's. Their time is getting short. As of this date there are only two U S veterans of World War I still alive and they aare both well over one hundred years old.


If you read this and know a veteran from any branch of the military from any type of service. Talk to them, tell them "thank you" and listen to their stories. You will be glad you did.