Friday, January 28, 2000
War 'blood brothers' want to reunite
Two trying to revive Military Order of the Purple Heart
BY LEW MOORES
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Vietnam veteran Tim Culbertson is trying to rejuvenate the local chapter of the Military Order of the Purple Heart.
(Michael E. Keating photo)
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Tim Culbertson was among 10 soldiers who left the forest in Vietnam and walked into a clearing, advancing from a platoon of 40 on patrol. He turned and was talking to the soldier behind him, a guy named Randy, from Georgia, 18 years old and a newlywed.
Cross-fire dropped Randy and the soldier in front of Mr. Culbertson. It caught him as well. Bullets struck him in the back and shoulder.
His lieutenant was hit and killed, a radioman was shot in the head, his sergeant was wounded.
A soldier rushed out from some bushes, grabbed Mr. Culbertson under his armpits and dragged him to safety. He was conscious but in shock.
Mr. Culbertson was awarded a Purple Heart for what happened Sept. 11, 1969, a medal presented to U.S. servicemen and women wounded in combat.
Now, he and another Vietnam veteran, Mel Heis, with three Purple Hearts between them, are trying to revitalize what has become a moribund local chapter of the Military Order of the Purple Heart.
This exclusive veterans organization — open only to Purple Heart recipients — has about 75 dues-paying members in the local chapter, which once was the most active in the state.
In the past couple of years, they have rarely, if ever, met.
Talk to officers with the Military Order of the Purple Heart and they say their existence is, unintentionally, the best-kept secret among veterans organi zations. Even John B. Kirby, the national adjutant general of the organization, with headquarters in Springfield, Va., said he was unaware of it until 1990.
But the resurgence in interest for World War II and the sacrifices made by veterans, along with the recognition that there are thousands of Vietnam veterans out there eligible for membership, has spurred a push to promote the organization.
Indeed, even as recently as the early 1980s, the Purple Heart order had but 7,000 to 8,000 members. Today, even in the absence of American military conflict, there are more than 32,000 members nationally, 1,600 in Ohio. Their main purpose is assisting veterans in getting benefits.
Mr. Culbertson, of Cheviot, was one of more than 153,000 American soldiers wounded in Vietnam. His Purple Heart was one of 220,000 awarded (which included those killed in combat and some who received more than one during their tours).
They are among more than 2 million battle casualties in American history since the Revolutionary War, a common legacy that stretches across more than two centuries.
“We're blood brothers,” Mike Mac Call, a veteran of three wars who was wounded in Vietnam, says succinctly.
“We are a tight-knit group,” said Mr. Kirby. “We have all shed blood on the battlefield for this country. You're not talking about one person who has not been in combat. We are synonymous with combat-wounded.”
The task for Mr. Culbertson and Mr. Heis is daunting and a challenge. Daunting because combat veterans are an aging population, yet a challenge because an estimated 660,000 Purple Heart recipients are alive.
The local chapter is not in danger of dying; once chartered, it cannot lose that. But it has become inactive.
Mr. Heis and Mr. Culbertson hope to retain and involve older members — World War II and Korean War veterans — while tapping into what could be a mother lode of Vietnam veterans who are either unaware of the order or haven't been asked to join.
“The main thing right now is to try and get the chapter going again,” said Mr. Heis, of Delhi Township. “Most members are older. Some don't want to go out at night. Some have difficulty getting around. But we want to accommodate them as best we can.”
George Washington awarded the equivalent of the first three Purple Hearts. Among the recipients was Sgt. William Brown, bayoneted as he led an attack leading to the victory at Yorktown.
After the war, Sgt. Brown came to Cincinnati, took up farming, died in 1808 and is buried here. His grave marker has since disappeared.
The irony of an inactive chapter in Sgt. Brown's adopted home is not lost. Yet, John Agenbroad, the mayor of Springboro, commander of the Dayton chapter and state finance officer for the order, said Cincinnati could double its membership easily with aggressive recruiting.
“The Cincinnati chapter has been somewhat defunct,” said Mr. Agenbroad, who served in the Marines in Vietnam and received three Purple Hearts, was hospitalized for 13 months in 10 different hospitals and underwent surgery 21 times.
“For four or five years now, it's non-active, but because they carry 12 members or more by their charter, they don't lose it,” Mr. Agenbroad said. “What happened is a couple of the World War II guys passed away, and no one picked up the baton and ran with it. But Tim is a go-getter. Between him and Mel, I think things will turn around.”
Mr. Heis took the initiative last fall, met with state officers of the order and sent Christmas cards to members asking who would be interested in getting together again on a regular basis. Some called and at least eight responded positively.
Mr. Culbertson, who founded Ohio's first Vietnam Veterans of America chapter in 1981, initially wanted to start a separate chapter but he was encouraged by state officers to team with Mr. Heis and work on the current chapter.
A meeting is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. , Feb. 8 at the VA Medical Center in Avondale. Mr. Culbertson has lined up an AMVETS hall on Harrison Avenue in Cheviot for future meetings, but they want to get a sense from members about where to meet.
Ralph Lang, a Korean War veteran and Purple Heart recipient who lives in Clermont County, would like to see the chapter become active again, but his participation depends on where meetings are held. “I'm all for it,” said Mr. Lang, who was wounded by a mortar round on his 21st birthday in 1953.
“We're looking to start new chapters, but we want to revitalize the older ones first,” said Mr. Mac Call, commander of Ohio's 23 chapters.
History has slowed the number of Purple Heart recipients in the last quarter-century, but national headquarters says the potential is still there, even if dwindling.
Mr. Kirby said about half of the members are World War II veterans, 35 percent from Vietnam and 15 percent from the Korean War.
“Our membership is creeping upward, in spite of some severe losses,” said Mr. Kirby. “It didn't really blossom until the last few years. Remember, we're losing about 1,500 World War II guys a day. We want to reach those who are out there and didn't know about us. Still, we have to get membership by attraction.”
Mr. Heis said the order goes beyond the stated goal of providing assistance for veterans in securing benefits and filing claims. There is also the sense of camaraderie, shared experience. Mr. Heis was wounded twice in 1968 and received two Purple Hearts.
“If nothing else, we need to talk about our experiences,” Mr. Heis said. “I think with an organization like this, we share a common bond. There's experiences we can share and help each other. Even now it's a little hard to talk about it. But this is the first time I've been excited about a veterans organization.”
Mr. Culbertson's calendar is peppered with meeting dates of other veterans organizations, and he's gone “to every group in Western Hills.”
Hanging in an office he uses in Cheviot are the boonie hat and boots he wore when he was wounded. Nearby hangs his father's World War II jacket and the heavy, olive wool Army coat his grandfather, Harold Culbertson, wore in World War I. His grandfather earned a Purple Heart after his lungs were seared and scarred by mustard gas.
For the two of them, the legacy is not only historical but generational.
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