Silver Star recipient gives inspiring speech
by Jasmine Kabera
photo by Kevin Fleming
On Thursday September 18th, TJ’s JROTC members and a few select groups of students welcomed the Silver Star recipient, James McEachin at an assembly that was originally planned to recognize the Medal of Honor recipient, Fred Ferguson, but due to being hospitalized for surgery Ferguson was unable to attend.
Aside from receiving the Silver Star – the 3rd highest award for valor in the military, McEachin was also awarded the Purple Heart (given to those wounded or killed in military action) for his courage under fire during the Korean War. “You don’t set out to earn or receive a medal. You set out to do your job,” said McEachin. “I did what was right. I served my country.”
Originally from Los Angeles California, McEachin served six years in the military but wasn’t honored with the Silver Star until 50 years after his discharge. “I joined the military in junior high school,” said McEachin.
Among the attendees were Principal Sandra Just, Danny Showers, and Major Joe George. After Principal Just gave a brief commentary on the assembly, the guests were shown a movie titled, The Medal of Honor: Living Histories. The movie exhibited various veterans ranging from WWII to the Vietnam War veterans, highlighting their lives and stories of courage. The movie ended with a round of applause from the crowd, closely followed by the performance of TJ’s JROTC color guard. With the flags hung, the choir students performed the National Anthem.
McEachin’s speech retold the tale of his experience with war and being stationed in Korea. “It was very cold there, below zero. I still suffer frost bite from it,” said McEachin. When remembering his fallen comrades, McEachin bowed his head somberly and said, “It’s too emotional to recall.”
After the assembly, the students who attended shook McEachin’s hand. Then the VIP guests mingled and enjoyed refreshments that were provided just for the occasion. “I haven’t been on a school stage in so long,” McEachin said with a touch of nostalgia. “I’m very honored and pleased to share my experiences with such a deserving bunch.” Vincent Crespin, TJ’s winner of the essay contest on the Medal of Honor, read his essay to a crowd of attentive listeners. Among them where VIP guests such as the Marine and Navy soldiers as well as retired soldiers.
“I was nervous a little bit, it was kind of hard since I couldn’t make eye contact with the audience,” said Crespin. The essay contest was a nation wide contest applying to students ranging from middle school to high school levels from all around the country, who submitted their essays to be reviewed. “The prompt for the essay was basically to write about why Americans should know about the Medal of Honor. I just followed the prompt and also incorporated my own personal experience into it too,” said Crespin. The grand prize for the winner of the contest was $500 and a chance to read the essay in front of recipients of The Congressional Medal of Honor at a convention held in Denver, Colorado by the Congressional Medal of Honor Society this year.
Historically, Congress created the Medal of Honor in 1861. The Medal of Honor (also known as the Congressional Medal of Honor) is the highest award for valor in the military. However, there are only 105 living recipients of the medal today, the majority of whom served in Vietnam. Of the 39 million men and women serving in the military only 3,463 of them were presented with the Medal of Honor, the first of which were awarded during the Civil War. Since it had been the only medal for valor at that time, there were a large number of American soldiers who received the Medal of Honor. The medal is so revered that when the Medal of Honor recipient enters a room it is customary for the President of the United States along with his Joint Chiefs of Staff, to stand and solute the recipient. It is also the only military medal that is worn around the neck. The Congressional Medal of Honor Society hopes that such an honor will always be remembered and these heroes will never be forgotten.
