I came across what is probably an innocent mistake in dating at this site
It doesn't seem to jive with other information out there.
More on the same:
In 1959 Wright enrolled at Virginia Union University, in Richmond, where he remained until 1961. That year he left school to join the military. He served in the Second Marine Division of the U.S. Marine Corps from 1961 to 1963, achieving the rank of private first class. In 1963 he graduated as valedictorian from the Great Lakes Naval Training Center, and from 1964 to 1967, he served as a cardio pulmonary technician at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Bethesda, Maryland. During 1965 and 1966, he was awarded with three Presidential Commendations from President Lyndon B. Johnson.
Thanks for checking that out, and posting it.
Now, I wonder what those Presidential Commendations are for, for being a cardiopulmonary tech? I mean, do they give Presidential Commendations for that, or was that just the equivalen of a thank-you note?
Wonder what rank he left the Navy at? Wonder why he didn’t go to Viet Nam?
From that bio, his Navy years were the same as mine. I did my ‘boot camp’ in San Diego, followed by “A” school and to the fleet aboard a Tender out of San Diego.
That “valedictorian” issue doesn’t carry a lot of weight with me... sounds like he’s just braggin’ that he had the best test scores in his company of 80 men vs a brigade.
The cross-over from Marines to Navy is a bit strange. Enlistments were generally 4 years and another 2 years inactive reserves. Yet he has 2 years as a Marine and then 4 as a squid. Also, the cardio pulmonary technician issue is interesting. He had to be a Hospitalman (Corpsman) with a specialty which would require specialty schooling. The Navy provided Corpsmen to the Marines. The Marines did not have med personnel of their own. Same with the Chaplains.
I’m just thinking the bio doesn’t tell the whole story.
i believe one of those was by George Burkley, the Physician to the President for his participation in a surgery on the president. LBJ did not sign the one all the blogs are posting? is he calling that a Commendation “from” the president?
Something is not adding up here.
Did enlisted marines serve in medical career fields? Thought that was job of Navy corpsmen (medics).
Weren't all USMC enlistments 4 years active. Later, during VN war, some men were drafted into USMC and served 2 years active, but not in early 60s.
Never heard of tern valedictorian used in military. “Distinguished Military Graduate” and “First in Academics or “First in Flying” etc. but never Valedictorian.
Paging Buckhead and the other investigative heads...
How can it take 2 years to make PFC? My daughter made PFC by the time she got done with Parris Island boot camp.