Medal of Honor recipient honored in Pueblo
Medal of Honor recipient Don Ballard was honored for his bravery during the Vietnam War Wednesday.
During a ceremony in Pueblo, a portrait of Ballard was unveiled by the Center for American Values.
“The photographer asked what message I wanted to give. I was able to depict here the two Marines that lived, came home and returned to their own lifestyle,” Ballard said.
On May 16, 1968, Don Ballard treated two Marines suffering from heat exhaustion, and when returning to his unit from the casualty evacuation helicopter pad, he and his company were attacked by North Vietnamese soldiers.
While under fire, Ballard directed aid to other wounded U.S. Marines and when a grenade landed nearby, he lay on top of it to protect the wounded. The grenade failed to explode and Ballard was able to throw it away to explode harmlessly, and then continue to treat the wounded.
“I saved lives. I was one of the guys that acted as a paramedic and my job was to save lives instead of killing the enemy,” Ballard said.
More than 150 Medal of Honor recipients have portraits at the Center for American Values.
The Home of Heroes Association had its essay contest award ceremony also Wednesday night. The topic was for students to write about a living Medal of Honor recipient they admired. More than 350 students participated in the contest.
