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As we celebrate Veterans Day, we want to honor those who served, laid their life on the line and those who have fallen.
One of our own, Sales Representative Dan Markell, was awarded the Air Medal during the Vietnam war. The Air Medal was created in 1942 and is awarded for single acts of heroism or meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight.
On May 8, 1968, Markell and his crew on a Chinook helicopter were attacked in the air.
Markell says, “All of a sudden there were holes appearing in the aircraft, and we were on fire.”
The crew tried heroically to fight the fire with extinguishers, but had no luck. While still in flames, they were able to land safely, and everyone was okay. The two Chinook pilots from that mission received the Distinguished Flying Cross, and the crew received an Air Medal.
Markell kept a journal with him and logged the hours they spent flying. “We flew probably 15 to 20 days out of the month,” Markell mentioned. To his relief, not everything was horrible while deployed. He was able to receive care packages from his family back home and even get a taste of some American snacks now and then.
Markell said one thing that his experiences in Vietnam showed him was respect for the U.S. infantry soldiers. “We had they luxury of going back to our bunks, back to our barracks,” he said. “The guys I admire are the infantry because they suffered the most.”
Markell said his military experience gave him “a whole different attitude” on life. “Take time to thank those who have sacrificed so much for our freedom.”
Please take the time to thank the heroes around you this Veterans Day, Nov 11th.
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