Occasionally you get very lucky. I am at a veteran’s hiring event in Colorado. The Marriott I am staying at in Pueblo is hosting the second annual gathering of Medal of Honor Recipients. There are 35-40 men here who received our nation’s highest honor for bravery under fire while standing on the wall of freedom to defend the freedoms we all enjoy today.

I was lucky humbled and honored to meet four of these heroes. As anyone who has served knows when you see “The Medal” protocol dictates that you snap to attention and salute. Once the salute is returned you can engage in conversation. All four were Vietnam veterans and humble beyond belief. The man pictured with me is Harvey Barnum.  Lieutenant Barnum would be awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions on December 18, 1965 — for “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty”. He had taken over command of a rifle company when its commander has been killed in action, and reorganized it for defense and successful evacuation after destroying the enemy. He has a Arliegh Burke class destroyer named after him.

See Harvey Barnum’s history at  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvey_C._Barnum_Jr.

After being awed to be in the presence of these heroes, I am overwhelmed and thankful for people like these. They are not only heroes. but they have served to preserve our freedoms and make me realize what true courage and sacrifice is.

Go to www.TADPGS.com, click on the “Looking for People” tab, then view “Veterans Solutions”. To see more information for Veterans, please join our LinkedIn group, Veterans Hiring Solutions for Veterans at http://linkd.in/Sg346w. If you have specific questions, contact me at  [email protected]ccona.com