Reveille

Surfing around the web today, I've been tearing up more than a bit.

This is just a great video; I've seen it before and it makes me choke each time.

Funny thing; Sunrise Sr. living as depicted in the movie, is actually a real place in Chandler, AZ; a few miles away from me. The movie was made by a couple of local film makers in '04, and won a bunch of prizes.

James McEachin (who played the Army veteran) was one of only two survivors of the King company ambush at Kumsong. He was severely wounded, and near death; when he was carried out of the area by a fellow soldier who was never identified.

For his actions during the Korean conflict McEachin was awarded a purple heart (with repeat awards), a Silver Star (for valor, with repeat awards), and five other medals or citations for valor.

McEachin never received these medals however, because of a records error. He was unaware even that he had been awarded several of them, until 2005 (after this movie was made) when his congressman was doing research on him for a veterans history project.

Oh and David Huddleston, who played a Navy vet in the movie? He's actually an Air Force vet.

HT: Xavier