FReeper Canteen ~ Hall of Heroes: Rodolfo P Hernandez ~ 21 September 2020

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[Kathy in Alaska]

 

Our Troops Rock!  Thank you for all you do!

For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday...
Thank the Veterans who served
in The United States Armed Forces.

Looking forward to tomorrow's freedom? Support The United States Armed Forces Today!

---

~ Hall of Heroes ~

Rodolfo P. Hernandez
Info from here.

           

Rodolfo Perez "Rudy" Hernandez (April 14, 1931 – December 21, 2013) was a United States Army soldier who received the Medal of Honor — America's highest military decoration — for his actions in the Korean War. Despite his wounds, Hernandez's actions during an enemy counterattack near Wonton-ni allowed his platoon to retake their defensive position.

Hernandez, a Mexican-American, was one of eight children born to a farmworker. At a young age his family moved from Colton where Hernandez was born, to Fowler, California, where he received his primary education. In 1948, when he was 17 years old, he joined the United States Army with his parents' consent. After completing his basic training, Hernandez volunteered for paratrooper school. Upon the completion of his paratrooper training he was sent to Germany, where he was stationed until the outbreak of the Korean War.

On August 27, 1950, the 187th Airborne Infantry Regiment was reorganized and redesignated as the 187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team. The unit was quickly sent to Korea. The 187th Airborne performed operations into Munsan-ni Valley, and fought bloody battles at Inje and Wonton-ni. Hernandez was reassigned to Company G of the 2nd Battalion, 187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team. His platoon was ordered to defend Hill 420, located near Wonton-ni. On May 31, 1951, his platoon was the object of a numerically superior enemy counterattack. A close-quarters firefight broke out when enemy troops surged up the hill and inflicted numerous casualties on the platoon. Hernandez was wounded during the attack, but was able to fire upon the rushing enemy troops. After a cartridge in his rifle ruptured, he continued attacking the enemy with his bayonet. His attack enabled his comrades to regroup and take back the hill.

A grenade explosion that blew away part of his brain knocked him unconscious. Hernandez, who had received grenade, bayonet, and bullet wounds, appeared dead to the first medic who reached him, Keith Oates. Oates realized, however, that Hernandez was still alive when he saw him move his fingers. Hernandez woke up a month later in a military hospital, unable to move his arms or legs or to talk. On April 12, 1952, President Harry S. Truman bestowed upon Hernandez the Medal of Honor in a ceremony held in the White House Rose Garden. After many surgeries and physical therapy over a five-year period, Hernandez regained limited use of his right arm and learned to write with his left hand.

Hernandez married and had three children. He retired from a job at the Veterans Administration and lived in Fayetteville, North Carolina. The Carteret County Veterans Council named Hernandez one of two grand marshals of its November 11, 2006, annual Veterans Day Parade held in downtown Morehead City. On November 10, 2007, he was again co-grand marshal of the Morehead City Veterans Day Parade. During the event, he was reunited with his rescuer "from a long and far away battlefield," the former Korean War Army medic and current Morehead City resident, Keith Oates. Hernandez was also the Grand Marshal of the 2012 North Carolina Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony held each Memorial Day in Thomasville, NC, and attended as an honored guest in 2013. Hernandez died at Womack Army Medical Center in Fayetteville on December 21, 2013. He had been battling "cancer and several other ailments" in the last month of his life.

Medal of Honor Citation

Rodolfo P. Hernandez

Rank and organization: Corporal, U.S. Army, Company G, 187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team
Place and date: Near Wontong-ni, Korea, May 31, 1951
Entered service at: Fowler, California
Born: April 14, 1931, Colton, California
G.O. No.: 40, April 12, 1952

Cpl. Hernandez, a member of Company G, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy. His platoon, in defensive positions on Hill 420, came under ruthless attack by a numerically superior and fanatical hostile force, accompanied by heavy artillery, mortar, and machinegun fire which inflicted numerous casualties on the platoon. His comrades were forced to withdraw due to lack of ammunition but Cpl. Hernandez, although wounded in an exchange of grenades, continued to deliver deadly fire into the ranks of the onrushing assailants until a ruptured cartridge rendered his rifle inoperative. Immediately leaving his position, Cpl. Hernandez rushed the enemy armed only with rifle and bayonet. Fearlessly engaging the foe, he killed 6 of the enemy before falling unconscious from grenade, bayonet, and bullet wounds but his heroic action momentarily halted the enemy advance and enabled his unit to counterattack and retake the lost ground. The indomitable fighting spirit, outstanding courage, and tenacious devotion to duty clearly demonstrated by Cpl. Hernandez reflect the highest credit upon himself, the infantry, and the U.S. Army.

Please remember the Canteen is here to honor, support and entertain our troops and their families.  This is a politics-free zone!  Thanks for helping us in our mission! 

[Kathy in Alaska]

Biggirl!!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Mac!!

[Kathy in Alaska]

ML!!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Hey there, Grimmy...he never gave up protecting his fellow troops. He surely was strong!

[left that other site]

How Bout That!

Well, now I am going to bed.

Good Night All!

(((HUGS)))

[ConorMacNessa]

Thanks very much, FRiend! It should be against the law to have this much fun!

"I am an American fighting man. I serve in the forces guarding our country and our way of life.
I am prepared to give my life in their defense."

[radu]

Howdy, Kathy.

Amazing this hero was able to survive his injuries and live a long, full life. His head injury sounded horrendous.

What a reunion it must have been when he got to meet the medic who saved his life.

[Kathy in Alaska]

[ConorMacNessa]

Thanks very much, luvie!

*HUGS* It's great to see you this evening!

"I am an American fighting man. I serve in the forces guarding our country and our way of life.
I am prepared to give my life in their defense."

[radu]

Howdy, luvie.

Hope you’ve had a relaxing weekend to unwind from your trip.

[ConorMacNessa]

The Grey-Haired Brigade



IT IS NOW eight years since the attack on our mission in Benghazi, Libya, and the murders of Ambassador Christopher Stevens, Sean Smith, Glen Doherty and Ty Woods. The terrorists who perpetrated this outrage remain at large and unpunished for their despicable deeds.

The Heroism of these FallenWarriors on behalf of our Nation demands recognition! Now, five years from the day these gallant Veterans laid down their lives in defense of our Beloved Nation and the Freedoms we enjoy, we still have no answers, nor have any of the responsible parties been held accountable.

Where are the thirty or more survivors of the massacre? What was their mission in Benghazi? A plethora of questions continue to fester in the wake of this debacle – questions that remain unanswered. We have heard reports of witness intimidation, continued harassment of witnesses, and concealment of their identity and location.

Thus, I am impelled to repost "The Grey-Haired Brigade" in dedication to Ambassador Christopher Stevens and Sean Smith who fell in the line of duty, and to the gallant Navy Seal Vets, Tyrone S. Woods and Glen Doherty, who fell valiantly in combat defending their comrades 11 September 2012 in Benghazi, Libya.

Chris Stevens

Tyrone Woods

Glen Doherty

Sean Smith

"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf."

"Arm yourselves, and be ye men of valour, and be in readiness for the conflict; for it is better for us to perish in battle than to look upon the outrage of our nation and our altar. As the Will of God is in Heaven, even so let it be." (1 Maccabees 3:58–60)


"THEY LIKE TO refer to us as senior citizens, old fogies, geezers, and in some cases dinosaurs. Some of us are 'Baby Boomers' getting ready to retire. Others have been retired for some time. We walk a little slower these days and our eyes and hearing are not what they once were. We have worked hard, raised our children, worshiped our God and grown old together. Yes, we are the ones some refer to as being over the hill, and that is probably true. But before writing us off completely, there are a few things that need to be taken into consideration.

In school we studied English, history, math, and science which enabled us to lead America into the technological age. Most of us remember what outhouses were, many of us with firsthand experience. We remember the days of telephone party-lines, 25 cent gasoline, and milk and ice being delivered to our homes. For those of you who don't know what an icebox is, today they are electric and referred to as refrigerators. A few even remember when cars were started with a crank. Yes, we lived those days.

We are probably considered old fashioned and out-dated by many. But there are a few things you need to remember before completely writing us off. We won World War II, fought in Korea and Viet Nam. We can quote The Pledge of Allegiance, and know where to place our hand while doing so. We wore the uniform of our country with pride and lost many friends on the battlefield. We didn't fight for the Socialist States of America , we fought for the 'Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave.' We wore different uniforms but carried the same flag. We know the words to the Star Spangled Banner, America, and America the Beautiful by heart, and you may even see some tears running down our cheeks as we sing. We have lived what many of you have only read about in history books and we feel no obligation to apologize to anyone for America.

Yes, we are old and slow these days but rest assured, we have at least one good fight left in us. We have loved this country, fought for it, and died for it, and now we are going to save it. It is our country and nobody is going to take it away from us. We took oaths to defend America against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and that is an oath we plan to keep. There are those who want to destroy this land we love but, like our founders, there is no way we are going to remain silent.

It was mostly the young people of this nation who elected Obama and the Democratic Congress. You fell for the 'Hope and Change' which in reality was nothing but 'Hype and Lies.' You have tasted socialism and seen evil face to face, and have found you don't like it after all. You make a lot of noise, but most are all too interested in their careers or 'Climbing the Social Ladder' to be involved in such mundane things as patriotism and voting. Many of those who fell for the 'Great Lie' in 2008 are now having buyer's remorse. With all the education we gave you, you didn't have sense enough to see through the lies and instead drank the 'Kool-Aid.' Now you're paying the price and complaining about it. No jobs, lost mortgages, higher taxes, and less freedom. This is what you voted for and this is what you got. We entrusted you with the Torch of Liberty and you traded it for a paycheck and a fancy house.

Well, don't worry youngsters, the Grey-Haired Brigade is here, and in 2012 we are going to take back our nation. We may drive a little slower than you would like but we get where we're going, and in 2012 we're going to the polls by the millions. This land does not belong to the man in the Gold House nor to the likes of Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. It belongs to "We the People" and "We the People" plan to reclaim our land and our freedom. We hope this time you will do a better job of preserving it and passing it along to our grandchildren. So the next time you have the chance to say the Pledge of Allegiance, Stand up, put your hand over your heart, honor our country, and thank God for the old geezers of the 'Grey-Haired Brigade.'"

Author: Anonymous Grey-Haired Brigade Member

Footnote:

This is spot on. I am another Grey-Haired Geezer signing on. I will circulate this to other Grey-Haired Geezers all over this once great county. Can you feel the ground shaking??? It's not an earthquake, it is a STAMPEDE.

"In God We Trust"



Happy Moments, Praise God.
Difficult Moments, Seek God.
Quiet Moments, Worship God.
Painful Moments, Trust God.
Every Moment, Thank God.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, Mayor, and thank you for today’s sustenance for body and soul.

Ready to take on the new week?

[radu]

Howdy, Conor. *HUGZ*

What a beautiful post!

[ConorMacNessa]

Thanks very much, radu!

*HUGS*It's great to see you this evening! I've been AWOL for a long time.

"I am an American fighting man. I serve in the forces guarding our country and our way of life.
I am prepared to give my life in their defense."

[Biggirl]

Hi! Yes I am.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, radu...did you have another great day at the Republican women’s booth?

I hope you had more enthusiastic folks.

[Biggirl]

As a member of the “gray brigade”, we took back our country by electing our own : Donald J. Trump.

[ConorMacNessa]

Good evening, Biggirl!

*HUGS*

You hit the nail on the head!

"I am an American fighting man. I serve in the forces guarding our country and our way of life.
I am prepared to give my life in their defense."

[Kathy in Alaska]

Hello there, luvie...such a hero. Going the extra mile to protect.

[luvie]

Hi, radu!

Yes, it has been nice except for the getting up at 7:30am part. LOL! We’ve moved back to the church building so things are back to normal.

Did you have a good day relaxing after all the fun at the festival? Sounds like S. Texas is getting pounded by Beta and no one is saying much about it.