Vietnam Vet finally receives Silver Star
April 3, 2009
Forty years after his commission with the Marine Corps, a Ray Calhoun, Jr., now 61, is set to receive the Silver Star for bravery while serving in Vietnam.
He was a lance corporal in April 1967 during the first battle at Khe Sanh, one of the bloodiest battles of the war. When his platoon was attacked, Calhoun continued to fire back with a machine gun and an M-16 and to throw grenades.
Wounded, he refused to be evacuated and instead braved enemy fire to aid other wounded Marines.
A Silver Star citation signed by Navy Secretary Donald Winter says Calhoun displayed “resolute determination, selfless sacrifice and unwavering dedication to duty.”
A report on Calhoun’s actions never reached the appropriate office during the war.
But his onetime platoon commander, retired Maj. Gen. John Admire, has persisted for years in an effort to see that Calhoun’s bravery is recognized. Calhoun left the Marine Corps after the Vietnam War and later founded and served as chief executive of BeamOne, a San Diego firm that specializes in the use of electron beams to sterilize medical devices.
Los Angeles Times
Tony Perry
April 3, 2009
