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The Christy Collection

Military Stories and Articles

Sgt Henry Johnson, U.S. Army (1918-1919) – America’s First World War Hero

Sgt Henry Johnson, U.S. Army (1918-1919) – America’s First World War Hero

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Henry Johnson was a World War I soldier who singlehandedly beat back a German assault while critically wounded. He was a great American hero and received the highest military honor of two different countries. One of those countries, however, his very own, didn't bestow that medal until nearly 100 years after his service in WWI. The honor this man deserved was not awarded by the U.S. government upon his return home, because he was black. But that racism was eventually overcome, if only by the...

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Cpl William Thomas Perkins Jr., U.S.M.C. (1966-1967) – Vietnam War Combat Photographer

Cpl William Thomas Perkins Jr., U.S.M.C. (1966-1967) – Vietnam War Combat Photographer

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The only Medal of Honor to be awarded to a combat photographer is now on display in the Medal of Honor Gallery in the "Price of Freedom" exhibition at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. William Perkins Jr’s Medal of Honor at the Smithsonian Marine Cpl. William Thomas Perkins Jr. died at the age of 20 on Oct. 12, 1967, when he flung himself on a grenade to preserve the lives of three other Marines during Operation Medina, a Marine search and destroy operation in Quang Tri...

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Service Reflections of Capt Frank Farr, U.S. Army Air Corps (1943-1945)

Service Reflections of Capt Frank Farr, U.S. Army Air Corps (1943-1945)

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I was born in a tiny apartment somewhere behind the screen of a movie theater in Picher, Oklahoma, on March 3, 1924. I am told that as my mother’s labor pains intensified and came more frequently, the theater owner/manager sent the patrons home and locked the doors so she could have some privacy in her travails. My father was working in the mines in and around Picher, which was booming in the 1920s, and the little apartment was the only residence they could find at the time.Despite them being similarly reserved and not the type of men to brag, I could hardly wait to visit them so I could beg them to tell me war stories. The experiences they shared with me made a lasting impression during my early childhood, which further aroused my desire to serve my country.

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Service Reflections of HM2 Bill Sheehan, U.S. Marine Corps (1966-1970)

Service Reflections of HM2 Bill Sheehan, U.S. Marine Corps (1966-1970)

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Just a few days after graduating from high school, I left for college for the Summer Quarter at Ohio State. I wasn’t ready for college. I was only ranked 51 out of 99 in my high school class. I was in Pre-Med and took Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. I lasted three quarters and then flunked out. They called it Academic Dismissal. I knew I would be drafted since it was in 1966, and all healthy, able, non-students without wives and families were feeding the war machine in Vietnam.

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CPL Patrick Daniel Tillman, U.S. Army (2002-2004)

CPL Patrick Daniel Tillman, U.S. Army (2002-2004)

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Patrick Daniel Tillman was born on November 6, 1976, in California. The oldest of three sons, with Kevin and Richard as the other two, Tillman played competitive football. In high school he was a star who led his high school team to a Central Coast Division I Football Championship – after he was told he was too small to ever play football. He earned a scholarship to Arizona State University, where he became a standout linebacker. As a college junior, Tillman started every game as...

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James E. Williams, U.S. Navy (1947–1967)

James E. Williams, U.S. Navy (1947–1967)

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After serving nearly 20 years in the Navy, many enlisted sailors might opt for an easy assignment for their so-called twilight tour. But that was not why James E. Williams joined the Navy. He joined in 1947 because he thought getting paid to serve your country was possibly the greatest thing he could ever do. Over the course of the next 20 years, Williams would eventually become the most decorated enlisted sailor to ever serve in the U.S. Navy.  Born in 1930, Williams was a South Carolina...

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SP4 Joseph De Frank, U.S. Army (1966-1968)

SP4 Joseph De Frank, U.S. Army (1966-1968)

What memorabilia/souvenirs have you kept from your military service? What special meaning do these have for you?:

Many years ago, I purchased a handmade, richly finished personalized box for my Army memorabilia. It had a gold-filled laser engraving: SP4 Joseph A. De Frank, B Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry (1/6), 198th Light Infantry Brigade (LIB), Americal (23rd Infantry) Division, surrounding a beautiful embossed Vietnam War Veteran medallion.

The unit crest of the 1/6 depicts an alligator which symbolizes service in the Seminole War, when the regiment bore the brunt of the fighting at the battle of Lake Okeechobee on 25 December 1837. Service in the Mexican War with General Scott is commemorated with a scaling ladder by means of which the walls of the citadel of Chapultepec were stormed. The 1/6 s long proud lineage can be traced back to the War of 1812, when it had the distinction of being commanded by Colonel Zachary Taylor. The Battalion has three Presidential Unit Citations, Two Valorous Unit awards, and three Medal of Honor awardees. The unit motto is Unity is Strength.

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National Purple Heart Day 2024

National Purple Heart Day 2024

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It might come as a surprise to many, but the United States did not offer its troops medals or ribbons as uniform decorations until the Medal of Honor was introduced by President Lincoln during the Civil War. It was only offered to enlisted troops in July 1862, but by December, it was made available to officers who displayed exceptional gallantry.  Until that point in U.S. military history, military medals were more of a European tradition. Medals and ribbons were seen as a custom...

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Service Reflections of Sgt James Holzier, U.S. Marine Corps (1965-1969)

Service Reflections of Sgt James Holzier, U.S. Marine Corps (1965-1969)

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I was influenced by the girl that I was dating, her father was a full-bird Colonel in the Army by the name of Col. Austin Yerks. He felt that with Vietnam, it was a patriotic thing for me to do. I was planning to go into the Air Force with a buddy of mine, but at the truly last minute, I got off the bus and went to a Marine Corps recruiter. Joined on my birthday, August 18th, and never missed not joining the Air Force except for the extra pay that they received for uncomfortable living conditions in Vietnam and their unlimited supply of food.

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Service Reflections of SGT Rafael Irizarry-Laporte, U.S. Army (1966-1968)

Service Reflections of SGT Rafael Irizarry-Laporte, U.S. Army (1966-1968)

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As a kid, I always liked the military. As a young kid, I wanted to join the Navy. When I got to high school, we had Army JROTC, and my interest changed to Army or Marines. My dad, who was in the Army, convinced me that the Army was the way to go because it was bigger and promoted faster. He was a tanker and tried to steer me to armor. I wanted to be an airborne ranger, and my dad said whatever you do, ensure you get what you want in your contract. When I went to the recruiter, I scored very high on the ASVAB. The career counselor told me that he didn’t have airborne infantry available. He said the only thing with airborne was the 31C Radio Operator, probably because of the high GT. I believed him and felt good about getting guaranteed airborne. It first took me to the 82nd, and as soon as I got there, I started applying for a Ranger assignment because I got put in the Engineer Battalion, and it wasn’t what I wanted. After a year and a half, I got my wish and orders for Ranger Indoctrination and the 2nd Ranger Battalion.

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Service Reflections of SSG Wasim Khan, U.S. Army (1998-2010)

Service Reflections of SSG Wasim Khan, U.S. Army (1998-2010)

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As a kid, I always liked the military. As a young kid, I wanted to join the Navy. When I got to high school, we had Army JROTC, and my interest changed to Army or Marines. My dad, who was in the Army, convinced me that the Army was the way to go because it was bigger and promoted faster. He was a tanker and tried to steer me to armor. I wanted to be an airborne ranger, and my dad said whatever you do, ensure you get what you want in your contract. When I went to the recruiter, I scored very high on the ASVAB. The career counselor told me that he didn’t have airborne infantry available. He said the only thing with airborne was the 31C Radio Operator, probably because of the high GT. I believed him and felt good about getting guaranteed airborne. It first took me to the 82nd, and as soon as I got there, I started applying for a Ranger assignment because I got put in the Engineer Battalion, and it wasn’t what I wanted. After a year and a half, I got my wish and orders for Ranger Indoctrination and the 2nd Ranger Battalion.

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Service Reflections of SGT Donald Davey, U.S. Air Force (1965-1970)

Service Reflections of SGT Donald Davey, U.S. Air Force (1965-1970)

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It was 1965 … the War in Vietnam was really gearing up. I wanted to serve but not be drafted. My father served in OSS in WWII, both the Training and Operations Branches of that very elite Secret unit, and ended up in the Occupation of Japan. OSS was the precursor to the CIA. I had a choice to serve in any branch, so I took all the various branch tests and selected the USAF in March with a reporting date after high school graduation in June… After arrival at my first duty station, I volunteered for Vietnam and got the orders, but they were changed to Korat, Thailand. I volunteered again at Korat and was sent to Ubon, Thailand; once there, I volunteered again but was sent to Udorn, Thailand/Laos the third time.

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