Vietnam Veteran Gets His Medals Back and Once Again Takes Pride in His Bravery
Veterans must be honored, and their service to the country shouldn’t be forgotten. They have fought for the sake of freedom and aiding citizens towards hope.
Veterans come from different walks of life. It is said that the largest cohort of American Veterans was deployed during the Vietnam war. More than 58,000 servicemen and women dedicated their lives to the country. One of those veterans was Max Dalton — who recently shared that he had difficulty taking pride in his experience.
Veterans who fought during the Vietnam war were awarded medals with different meanings. However, Max Dalton lost his medals, and he finds himself ashamed of his achievement. The 76-year-old veteran had a lot of conviction when he was interviewed by Emily Longnecker from WTHR. After serving in the war, he seemed to have led a great life and had finally found his peace. However, it was later found out that Dalton had complications with his health. The brave man was confined in a nursing facility due to liver and kidney failure. He also underwent three heart attacks and two open-heart surgeries.
According to Dalton, it was a miracle that he stayed alive after those medical issues. He was indeed a strong iron wall, not just during the war but also facing health complications. Fifty years ago, Dalton was one of the fortunate veterans who safely returned home from the Vietnam War. Even Dalton couldn’t tell how he made it this far. However honorable, Dalton shared that they weren’t treated well when they got home — making them feel ashamed of their service. For this reason, Dalton wasn’t even worried when he lost his medals. The purple heart and bronze star of valor were nowhere to be found, and it did not bother him.
“I can’t tell you when they disappeared. If you’d been in Vietnam for a lot of years, you were scum of the earth, and it just didn’t even talk about, didn’t even acknowledge you had them,” says Dalton. Aside from not being proud of his service, 15 years ago, he discovered that his military discharge papers didn’t list his commendations. For this reason, Dalton wasn’t able to access medical benefits from the VA. Thankfully, Congressman Andre Carson’s office took action to solve the issue. His office often receives calls from Veterans having problems similar to Dalton.
As soon as the problem was resolved, Dalton immediately got qualified to acquire health benefits from the VA. Moreover, Dalton’s children inquired about their father’s missing medals, which he deserves to keep. The awards were given back to Dalton last Spring, and he also went on a trip to DC with his fellow veterans. Once again, Dalton takes pride in himself and is not ashamed of the right thing he did. He was a hero — their services are forever remembered, and their legacies will be passed on to the next generations.
