An Election Year Look At Veterans

[bitsontherun l7LRXkRi]STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI)-During this presidential election week, WCBI News is paying tribute to the men and women who served our country in the armed forces.  As we prepare to honor the men and women in uniform who helped to secure our right to vote, some men of VFW Post 5573 reminisced Tuesday about their service to our country.  For Army veteran John Allbritton, a purple heart recipient, it was the day he was wounded in 1952 while in Korea.  “When I got out of the hole, got down on the forward slop, mortar round went right in the hole I got out of. And I got showered with c-rations, corn beef hash, pork & beans, all over me. Two nco’s were further away down the trench, both got wounded from that mortar round,” said Allbritton.  Allbritton fought in three wars.  He served in Germany, Korea, and Vietnam.  “Then I was in the 8th Army, Mcbee Headquarters in Saigon until about April 1970,” said Allbritton.  “I saw a good bit I was there in 67 and 68 during the Tet Offensive. And our area of operation was up in Icor which was in the DMZ from Con Thien to Kasson,” said Larry Pickens, Navy Veteran.  Navy veteran Larry Pickens was a corpsman.  Often one of the first to be injured on the battlefield.  “The guy I replaced in Vietnam in 1967 had been killed two weeks earlier. And I was out on the field with the marines for 8 months before I was transferred back to the medical battalion. And the guy that replaced me was killed one week after I left the field,” added Pickens.  Something to think about as we head to the polls to cast our votes for the candidates of our choice.  Its good to know we do have these liberties, because of these and other veterans.  Numerous Veterans Day observances are planned in our viewing area.  We’ll keep you posted and even take you to some of them.