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Among those also receiving a certificate of Special Congressional Recognition on Saturday will be two Sherwood veterans – one who served in the U.S. Navy on a merchant ship gun crew, the other who was wounded in Vietnam.
Allan Popp, 83, enlisted in the Naval Reserves during World War II, traveling to such places as New Guinea and the Philippines.
One of his most vivid memories involved the time he and his crew had to protect a large payload of dynamite in three of the ship’s holds. The explosives made him nervous because he knew that enemy planes could easily deduce from the deck arrangement that they were carrying some special cargo and blow the vessel into a million pieces.
“We were very relieved to get rid of it,” he said.
After his service, he headed to Lewis and Clark College to study business administration. When the Korean War came along, Popp heard that the Navy was only looking for soldiers with technical skills – such as electronics technicians – to rejoin. Being a gunner’s mate, he thought he was safe.
“A gunner’s mate is about as highly technical as being hit in the head with a sledgehammer,” he said. “And I no sooner walked into the house and here’s this love note from the Navy (that says) ‘you’ve been recalled.’”
During the Korean War, Popp was assigned to a destroyer escort ship. It was a memorable tour of duty because of what happen one day about 20 miles off the California coast.
“We’re pretty damn sure we had a collision with a Russian sub,” he said. “We know we collided and we know damn well it was a submarine.”
Popp said he’s looking forward to Saturday’s ceremony.
“Whatever it (the award) is, I guess we should say ‘it’s nice to be remembered,’” Popp said.
Sean Dillon, 60, served in Vietnam for six months (and 19 days) in 1969.
The day he was wounded was Nov. 22, a date that sticks clearly in his mind because it was exactly six years after President Kennedy was shot.
Originally stationed with the Delta Company, First Battalion, Third Marines with the Third Marine Division, he was later transferred to the India Company, Third Battalion, Fifth Marines.
Patrolling the Hoi An Valley in Vietnam, near Danang, he was seriously wounded.
“One of the guys close to me set off a land mine and I was wounded by it,” said Dillon. “The explosion threw me in the air, so they told me.”
The mine killed his platoon commander, Lt. Lee.
The next thing he remembered was waking up in the intensive care unit a few days later with extensive injuries. Dillon recalled that a few days after the incident, another member of his squad was wounded and ended up in the same hospital. The soldier asked a corpsman if Dillon was there as well.
When the corpsman confirmed he was, the soldier quipped: “Tell Dillon I didn’t know he could fly.”
A native of Long Island, N.Y., Dillon move his family to Sherwood in 1995. For the last 20 years he’s worked as a math teacher in the Portland School District, and said he’s happy to receive the recognition from Wu.
In addition to the Purple Heart, Dillon has previously received the Vietnam campaign medal, the Vietnam service medal and a combat action ribbon.
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While I am very happy for these vets that are being honored, I am not impressed with David Wu obvious political posturing. As we recall, David Wu repeatedly "Gave aid and comfort to the enemy" on the house floor while George Bush was in the executive. He was anti Bush, anti surge, anti fund the troops. At a time when our soldiers were getting killed in places like Fallujah attempting to bring democracy to the region, David Wu was bad mouthing policy. How many soldiers died because he emboldened the enemy? He took campaign contributions from "Insport" for the millions of taxpayer dollars he spent on polyester Teeshirts for the service. The teeshirts turned out to melt onto the bodies of the soldiers, and were removed from service.
Now david Wu is patting that Guardsman on the back and sending him on his 4th tour to Afghanistan. He now is a warlord and supports expanded war. He takes trips to Afghanistan. He votes to add 30 percent to war funding. he supports increasing troop levels in Iraq and Afghanistan. He has forgotten about time tables while deficits eclipse $1.6 trillion a year. He is more interested in running interference with with politically motivated events than dealing with 13 percent unemployment.
To top it off, he honors older vets for their service against the Nazis, Japanese imperialists, and Soviet Communists, while supporting Socialism here at home.
He honors vets for fighting against socialism and fascism, while voting for all out socialist policy and the enslavement of our children. He now supports a war that will cost more than WW2 in the end.
Here is a clip off David Wu whining and snivelling about the surge:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJH-YJfwP1A
I thank these veterans for their service. I only wish the honoring would have come from a true patriot and not a "Great Socialist Sovereignless Insolvent Society" wannabe like David Wu. His actions and defeatist rhetoric on the house floor probably resulted in the loss of human life and an extension of the violence in Iraq. He is no different than the defeatist democrat politicans that did not support Lincoln during the Civil War. He comes from the John Kerry school of political posturing and defeatism for political gain!
David Wu is a "Summer soldier" trying to cover his political tracks and that is an insult to veterans!
He is the guy Thomas Pain and George Washington warned us about.
http://www.iraqeraveterangibill.com/Brodhead_military_history.html
http://www.BrodheadForCongress
(email verified)
Thu, Nov 12, 2009 at 09:58 AM
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Re: Tualatin veteran to be honored by Wu
While I am very happy for these vets that are being honored, I am not impressed with David Wu obvious political posturing. As we recall, David Wu repeatedly "Gave aid and comfort to the enemy" on the house floor while George Bush was in the executive. He was anti Bush, anti surge, anti fund the troops. At a time when our soldiers were getting killed in places like Fallujah attempting to bring democracy to the region, David Wu was bad mouthing policy. How many soldiers died because he emboldened the enemy? He took campaign contributions from "Insport" for the millions of taxpayer dollars he spent on polyester Teeshirts for the service. The teeshirts turned out to melt onto the bodies of the soldiers, and were removed from service.
Now david Wu is patting that Guardsman on the back and sending him on his 4th tour to Afghanistan. He now is a warlord and supports expanded war. He takes trips to Afghanistan. He votes to add 30 percent to war funding. he supports increasing troop levels in Iraq and Afghanistan. He has forgotten about time tables while deficits eclipse $1.6 trillion a year. He is more interested in running interference with with politically motivated events than dealing with 13 percent unemployment.
To top it off, he honors older vets for their service against the Nazis, Japanese imperialists, and Soviet Communists, while supporting Socialism here at home.
He honors vets for fighting against socialism and fascism, while voting for all out socialist policy and the enslavement of our children. He now supports a war that will cost more than WW2 in the end.
Here is a clip off David Wu whining and snivelling about the surge:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJH-YJfwP1A
I thank these veterans for their service. I only wish the honoring would have come from a true patriot and not a "Great Socialist Sovereignless Insolvent Society" wannabe like David Wu. His actions and defeatist rhetoric on the house floor probably resulted in the loss of human life and an extension of the violence in Iraq. He is no different than the defeatist democrat politicans that did not support Lincoln during the Civil War. He comes from the John Kerry school of political posturing and defeatism for political gain!
David Wu is a "Summer soldier" trying to cover his political tracks and that is an insult to veterans!
He is the guy Thomas Pain and George Washington warned us about.
http://www.iraqeraveterangibill.com/Brodhead_military_history.html
http://www.BrodheadForCongress.com
"Brodhead For Congress"
(email verified)
Thu, Nov 12, 2009 at 09:55 AM