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By Megan Anderson
megan@hometown-news.com
Students at Blacksburg Middle School recently learned the true meaning of Memorial Day, while participating in a program called ‘Take a Vet to School Day’.
Three local veterans, Clarence Hammett, Maxi Nix, and Todd Humphries, all members of VFW Post 4941, spent a day sharing their war-time experiences in the armed services.
“We give them a lot of history and tell them about the people, the country, and the experiences,” said Hammett of the program.
Hammett spoke to several classes about being a combat medic during the early 1950s.
A few of the students may have known the very basic facts about the Korean War, such as that the 38th parallel divided Korea into two parts, Communist North Korea and Democratic South Korea, but Hammett used personal stories to give everyone a deeper understanding of what it was like to be in the Army during this conflict.
When the war started on June 25, 1950, Hammett was 19-years-old and afraid of being drafted.
“I was scared to death because I knew my number was going to coming up quick,” he said. “I was too young to vote but old enough to die for my country.”
Despite his fears, Hammett decided to enlist in the U.S. Army in
January of 1951, thinking he might have more of a chance getting his dream assignment as an engineer.
After completing infantry training at Fort Jackson, Hammett was sent to Japan and eventually Inchon, in South Korea, near Seoul. As a member of the Second Infantry Division, he volunteered for a job with the medical corps.
“I figured medical corps, hospitals – a safe zone,” he said laughing. “I thought yeah I could do that, but I was assigned to combat.”
In his role as a medic, Hammett was on the battlefield, taking care of the wounded and frequently providing medical care to soldiers on the frontline. He also helped evacuate some of the injured by helicopter, a practice which was still somewhat in its infancy at that point.
While Hammett saw more combat than he bargained for, he survived the experience, and was even earned himself a Bronze Star for his service. He left the military in 1954 when his three-year enlistment ended and was inducted into the Cherokee County Hall of Bravery in 2005.
The following year, Nix, too, was inducted into the Hall of Bravery for his time in the service, from 1955 to 1974.
While visiting Blacksburg Middle School, he kept students engaged with stories about being a co-pilot and crew chief of a UH-1B helicopter during the Vietnam War, such as when his Huey helicopter was shot down on the Cambodian border.
Serving as a Petty Officer in the U.S. Navy caused Nix to see more than his fair share of danger, as his citation to the Hall alludes to:
“Despite the vicious enemy fire, he exposed himself by learning far outside the helicopter to deliver devastating fire with his hand-held M-60 machine gun. On attack after attack, he protected his aircraft’s vulnerable areas with large volumes of accurate fire.”
The students seemed to appreciate the opportunity to learn about the war in far more detail than their history books privide, and asked lots of questions, such as what kind of food was available
Nix described getting c-rations and Meals-Ready-to-Eat, called MREs, such as canned lima beans and ham.
Another student wanted to know if Nix ever got scared when he was flying helicopters in Vietnam.
“No, you don’t get scared – you don’t have time to be,” he answered.
Before leaving, Nix tried to put his military service into context.
“This is a great country because you get to do what you want to do,” he explained. “And that’s why I fought, to give you that freedom. I’d be willing to die for each and every one of you.”
In his address to the students, Humphries shared some of the experiences he went through while serving in the Iraqi War.
When students learned he had been in the U.S. Army and the South Carolina Army National Guard, they mainly asked about the weapons he used.
Humphries explained that light weapons do better in desert conditions than heavier stuff and went on to describe using guns such as a 50-caliber sniper rifle.
While Humphries answered all the questions about the weaponry, he didn’t want anyone to think his time in Iraq was like a Rambo movie or a Call of Duty video game.
“I’d do it again if my country needed me,” he stated. “But I hope none of you ever have to use any of these weapons.”
As the newly elected director of the Veteran Affairs Office, Humphries also used his time to encourage the students to
respect veterans and remember the meaning of Memorial Day.
“Memorial Day is not a day to shop,” he explained. “It’s a day to remember the men and women who came before us and gave their lives for our country.”
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