George Thomas Keeney, 76, a veteran of the Vietnam Warfare, was resulting from obtain his Air Medal from the U.S. Army on Nov. 6, 1966 — however it by no means got here.
On Monday — 57 years later — Keeney, now bedridden, was lastly offered the award in the lounge of his New Windsor house, the place he’s receiving hospice take care of coronary heart failure and prostate most cancers.
“That is going to make my day,” he mentioned, surrounded by his kids and grandchildren. “If I die tomorrow, I’ll be completely happy.”
Although sick and confined to his mattress, Keeney was talkative, animated and overjoyed to obtain a medal he by no means thought he would get.
“I really feel nice,” he mentioned. “I by no means anticipated this. After I left from over there, the primary six months I stored saying, ‘I ain’t getting nothing.’ I did what I used to be informed, and so they made these guarantees, after which they spit on me.”
Keeney, like many Vietnam veterans who returned house from the warfare, didn’t obtain a hero’s welcome, however was typically handled poorly or scorned by society for combating an unpopular warfare.
Keeney was lastly honored for his service on Monday.
Available to pay tribute to Kenney had been Jason R. Sidock, govt director of the Carroll County Veterans Independence Venture, a nonprofit group that gives companies to veterans; state Sen. Justin Prepared, who represents each Carroll and Frederick counties; Carroll County Commissioner Tom Gordon III; and representatives from BridgingLife, a nonprofit that gives hospice care.
Sidock offered Keeney with a “Welcome Dwelling Vietnam Veteran” coin, whereas thanking him for his service to the nation.
Sidock credited BridgingLife for alerting his group to the truth that Keeney had by no means obtained his Air Medal, which was lengthy overdue, he mentioned.
The Air Medal is a army ornament of the U.S. Armed Forces, established by an govt order, and signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on Could 11, 1942. It’s awarded for single acts of heroism or meritorious achievement whereas taking part in aerial flight.
Prepared pinned the medal on a smiling Keeney, who mentioned he was tickled to lastly get it.
“That is lengthy overdue,” mentioned Prepared, who identified that each one Vietnam veterans deserve the medals they had been entitled to. “I need to thanks in your service. You had been drafted, and you probably did your job.”
It’s unclear why Keeney by no means obtained his Air Medal, since prime army officers signed a certificates authorizing the award on Nov. 6, 1966.
“By route of the president the Air Medal is offered to Non-public First Class E3 George E. Keeney United States Army, for distinguishing himself by meritorious achievement whereas taking part in sustained aerial flight in help of fight floor forces of the Republic of Vietnam in the course of the interval 29 July 1966 to 9 August 1966,” the certificates states.
The certificates goes on to reward Keeney for his greater than 25 aerial missions over “hostile territory” in help of counterinsurgency operations.
Gordon, who represents District 3, additionally offered Keeney with a particular coin.
“Thanks isn’t sufficient,” Gordon mentioned. “Thanks from all of us. That is from Carroll County. Thanks, sir.”
Belinda Eaton, Keeney’s daughter, described the presentation as “overwhelming.” She mentioned her father was “shocked” when he realized that the Air Medal was lastly coming.
Keeney served within the Army six years, and was despatched to Vietnam in 1966, the place he served two years. He was additionally within the U.S. Army Reserves. Keeney was an Army Sergeant E5 with the 229th Aviation Battalion when he when was discharged.
He and his household say his battle with most cancers and coronary heart failure is a byproduct from his time as a helicopter crew chief, spreading the chemical compound Agent Orange on the fields and jungles of Vietnam.
From 1962 to 1971, the U.S. Air Pressure sprayed practically 19 million gallons of herbicides in Vietnam, of which no less than 11 million gallons was Agent Orange, based on the Nationwide Library of Medication web site. Agent Orange was a poisonous chemical herbicide utilized by the U.S. army to clear foliage in the course of the Vietnam battle.
“I sprayed Agent Orange, and until you noticed it, you don’t understand how highly effective it was,” Keeney mentioned.
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