I received this email about "Bud Day" Medal of Honor recipient. Most young boys have their heros, real or imagined.
Bud Day surely is a American Hero worth teaching your children about.
From Wikipedia
George Everett "Bud" Day (born February 24, 1925) is a retired U.S. Air Force Colonel and Command Pilot who served during the Vietnam War. He is often cited as being the most decorated U.S. service member since General Douglas MacArthur, having received some seventy decorations, a majority for actions in combat. Day is a recipient of the Medal of Honor.
The email I received
Subject: Defining Torture
Medal of Honor Recipient - Bud Day
Speaks of Torture
I got shot down over North Vietnam in 1967, as a Sqdn. Commander.
After I returned in 1973... I published 2 books that dealt a lot with "real torture" in Hanoi .
Our make- believe president is branding our country as a bunch of torturers when he has no idea what torture is.
As for me, put thru a mock execution because I would not respond... pistol whipped on the head... same event.
Couple of days later... hung by my feet all day.
I escaped and a couple of weeks later, I got shot and recaptured.
Shot was OK... what happened afterwards was not.
They marched me to Vinh... put me in the rope trick, trick... almost pulled my arms out of the sockets.
Beat me on the head with a little wooden rod until my eyes were swelled shut, and my gunshot, unbroken hand a pulp.
Next day hung me by the arms... rebroke my right wrist...
wiped out the nerves in my arms that control the hands...
rolled my fingers up into a ball.
Only left the slightest movement of my left forefinger.
So I started answering with some incredible lies. Sent me to Hanoi strapped to a barrel of gas in the back of a truck.
Hanoi... on my knees... rope trick again...
Beaten by a big fool. Into leg irons on a bed in Heartbreak Hotel. Much kneeling... hands up at Zoo. Really bad beating for refusing to condemn Lyndon Johnson. Several more kneeling events.
I could see my knee bone thru kneeling holes.
There was an escape from the annex to the Zoo. I was the Senior Officer of a large building because of escape... they started a mass torture of all commanders.
I think it was July 7, 1969... they started beating me with a car fan belt. In first 2 days I took over 300 strokes... then stopped counting because I never thought I would live thru it.
They continued day-night torture to get me to confess to a non-existent part in the escape. This went on for at least 3 days.
On my knees.... fan belting... cut open my scrotum with fan belt stroke; opened up both knee holes again. My fanny looked like hamburger... I could not lie on my back.
They tortured me into admitting that I was in on the escape... and that my 2 room-mates knew about it.
The next day I denied the lie.
They commenced torturing me again with 3- 6- or 9 strokes of the fan belt every day from about July 11 or 12th.. to 14 October 1969.
I continued to refuse to lie about my roommates again.
Now, the point of this is that our make-believe president has declared to the world that we (U.S.) are a bunch of torturers....
Thus it will be OK to torture us next time when they catch us... because that is what the U.S. does.
Our make-believe president is a know nothing fool who thinks that pouring a little water on some one's face, or hanging a pair of women's pants over an Arabs head is TORTURE.
He is a meathead.
I just talked to MOH holder Leo Thorsness, who was also in my squadron, in jail... as was John McCain... and we agree that McCain does not speak for the POW group when he claims that Al Gharib was torture.... or that "water boarding" is torture.
Our president and those fools around him who keep bad mouthing our great country are a disgrace to the United States.
Please pass this info on to Sean Hannity. He is free to use it to point out the stupidity of the claims that water boarding... which has no after effect... is torture.
If it got the Arab to cough up the story about how he planned the attack on the twin towers in NYC... hurrah for the guy who poured the water.
____________________________________________________________________
"Bud" Day, Medal Of Honor Recipient
George Everett "Bud" Day (born February 24, 1925) is a retired U.S. Air Force Colonel and Command Pilot who served during the Vietnam War. He is often cited as being the most decorated U.S. service member since General Douglas MacArthur, having received some seventy decorations, a majority for actions in combat. Day is a recipient of the Medal of Honor.
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Please pass on to your
family and friends!
After reading this email I decided to take a closer look at Bud Day.
I found several interesting articles you can read.
http://www.military.com/NewContent/0,13190,MoH_George_Day,00.html
http://www.historynet.com/bud-day-vietnam-war-pow-hero.htm
I also found this youtube video froma PBS show that aired in November 2008.
Medal of Honor | George 'Bud' Day | PBS
Thank you for sharing, Im not sure every detail is accurate, but I know that our standards of protectionism are like a bunch of pansies compared to other countries tortures. Thank you for sharing.
Chris, I thank you for your comments. I too am not 100% sure every detail is accurate. I am 100% sure that Mr. Day is a true American Hero.
Wish I could thank him in person
Bob, some of the torture he describes, while horrible, is mild compared to what North Vietnam did to other soldiers.
In the late 60's I was a frequent visitor at the Veterans hospital in Philadelphia. I visited a boyfriend who was a Marine Master Sargent back from his third tour in Nam. We often sat with other soldiers who were there recovering from their injuries. Many talked about the horrors they had experienced.
Locked in a windowless cement cell, with rats for days at a time without food or water.
Being locked in a bamboo cage where there was only room to stand up. The cage was suspended from a tree. Every now and then for sport they would slowly lower the cage over a fire or lite torches that they held.
These are just a few of the treats our imaginative enemies have used on our soldiers.
And some lily livered bleeding heart liberal has the nerve to say Geneva Convention!
Mr. Day is a teue hero to our country. It must be really hard for a guy who gave so much for his country to watch people bad mouth our great nation and its military.
Hugh, I too would love to meet this man and shake his hand.
Bonnie, Thank you for that interesting real life story. It helps to hear from others on the validity of this story. I, myself had no doubts, but there are some out there who just don't get it.
Kevin, I hear you there. I didn't go through anything like that and it drives me nuts to hear these fools talk of "negotiating" with evil.
Sir,
I would like to meet you and Mr.Day, and shake your hands and thank you for your service. I believe the story that was sent around about Defining Torture, By Mr. Day. Anyone that served in our Military, no matter where or when in my eyes are HEROES. Mr. Day is right on about the guy who resides in the white house. The people that bad mouth America,make my stomache turn. Especially the guy who resides in the white house. I support our troops where ever they are and they rae HEROES!!!!
Resectfully
Kathy Davis
Kathy, Thank you for the supportive comments, and I send you a hearty handshake. God Bless you and yours and Merry Christmas.
MR. Cumiskey,
I thank you for the hearty handshake, and gladly accept it. As I said in my last post, I support ALL Active and Veterans. My God keep our men and women safe, and return to a safe country.
I wish you and yours a Maerry Christmas, and a Blessed New Year, May it bring hope for a better year, and a safer one.
Respectfully
Kathy Davis