Navy Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Donald Everett Ballard was educated to maintain the Marines he was tasked with protected and alive through the Vietnam Warfare — even on the expense of his personal life. Because of a fortunate explosives malfunction, although, Ballard survived his mission. However his actions confirmed the lengths he was keen to go to carry out his duties, and that earned him the Medal of Honor.
Ballard was born on Dec. 5, 1945, and raised round Kansas Metropolis, Missouri. He went to North Kansas Metropolis Excessive College, the place he was a member of the band and a part of a co-operative work schooling program, in response to the Kansas Metropolis Star newspaper.
Ballard labored in a dental laboratory after highschool and stated he needed to attend faculty for dentistry, however he could not get monetary help to make it occur via scholarships or grants; so, he appeared towards the army for instructional advantages. Earlier than becoming a member of, although, he acquired married and had a son and a daughter.
Ballard enlisted within the Navy on Dec. 27, 1965. Since he was thinking about medication, he turned a hospital corpsman. He spent a number of months working at a naval hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, earlier than being despatched to affix a Marine unit at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, in October 1966.
In December 1967, Ballard was assigned to the third Battalion, 4th Marines, third Marine Division and despatched to Vietnam.
“I used to be advised that since I had all this surgical coaching and surgical abilities that they have been going to ship me to a ‘Charlie med battalion’ or some sort of mounted facility that had an working room,” Ballard stated in a Library of Congress interview. “However abruptly, they did not want that as a lot as they wanted a frontline corpsman.”
Throughout conflicts, hospital corpsmen are hooked up to Marine items to work as medics in battle. As soon as in Vietnam, that is what Ballard’s function turned because the Tet Offensive — vicious North Vietnamese assaults throughout South Vietnam — started.
On Might 16, 1968, Ballard was hooked up to Firm M because it moved to affix extra items from the third Battalion, which have been situated close to the demilitarized zone in Quang Tri Province. Ballard has simply completed treating and evacuating two males affected by heat-related points. He was returning to his platoon from the helicopter’s touchdown zone after they have been ambushed by a big North Vietnamese Army unit. Enemy computerized weapons and mortar blasts rapidly took out a variety of males.
Ballard noticed one injured Marine and ran via the heavy hearth to assist him. He then directed 4 different Marines to hold the injured man to relative security. Nevertheless, as they ready to maneuver out, an enemy soldier got here into view, hurled a hand grenade at them after which opened hearth.
Ballard shouted a fast warning to the Marines, then threw himself on high of the grenade within the hope of defending his comrades from the blast. In doing so, Ballard absolutely knew he could be giving his life for the others. Amazingly, the explosive did not detonate. When Ballard realized this, he calmly acquired up and continued treating the injured.
“I do not really feel like I did something spectacular,” Ballard stated later in life. “I used to be desirous to do the appropriate factor, however in all actually, I used to be scared. … I paid consideration to my environment and to survival abilities as finest I might, and I simply did my job.”
The battle they have been engaged in lasted a number of days. Throughout later conflicts, Ballard was wounded a number of occasions and finally evacuated to Okinawa, Japan, in July 1968. Two months later, he was despatched again to the U.S. to work on the Memphis naval hospital once more. He left active-duty service on February 26, 1970, and transferred into the Naval Reserve.
Ballard was initially really helpful for the Navy Cross for his actions, however that was upgraded to the Medal of Honor. He acquired the medal from President Richard M. Nixon throughout a White Home ceremony on Might 14, 1970, practically two years to the day after he threw himself on high of that grenade. Eleven different service members have been additionally awarded the army’s high honor that day.
In later years, Ballard continued to downplay the motion that earned him the nation’s highest honor for valor.
“I put on this medal for all veterans which have ever served in uniform,” he stated. “There have been a variety of courageous males on the market, and most all of them earned much more decorations than they acquired. I can let you know that there is much more deserving individuals on the market than me who ought to have gotten the Medal of Honor.”
In late 1970, Ballard switched companies to affix the Kansas Army Nationwide Guard as an officer within the Medical Service Corps. He spent three a long time within the Guard as an ambulance platoon chief and firm commander. He served in a number of key positions, together with beginning a brand new medical detachment. He rose to the rank of colonel in 1998 and retired in 2000. He was inducted into the Kansas Nationwide Guard Corridor of Fame in 2001.
As a civilian, Ballard earned an affiliate diploma in police science from Metropolitan Group Faculty-Maple Woods, in response to a 1977 article within the Kansas Metropolis Star, and he labored for the Kansas Metropolis police and hearth departments.
In some unspecified time in the future, Ballard divorced, remarried and had 4 extra youngsters along with his present spouse. A kind of youngsters, Adam, adopted in his footsteps by becoming a member of the Marine Corps in 2015.
Ballard continues to focus on the legacy of army heroes by being a frequent speaker at veteran and army occasions. In 2013, he served because the treasurer of the Medal of Honor Society. Ballard owns two funeral houses and two cemeteries. He stated his firms work with the households of veterans to both present companies at low price or freed from cost. Ballard additionally works to revitalize neighborhoods in his neighborhood and tries to assist transitioning veterans and first responders discover employment.
This text is a part of a weekly collection referred to as “Medal of Honor Monday,” during which we spotlight one of many greater than 3,500 Medal of Honor recipients who’ve earned the U.S. army’s highest medal for valor.
