More and more these days the word Hero is thrown out more often - TopicsExpress

More and more these days the word Hero is thrown out more often than it should be. This past weekend I visited the WW2 Memorial in Washington DC for the first time... It wasnt only my first time there...Meet Clyde Wayne Edwards..Just Wayne to his friends...He is 91 years old and is from Johnston City, Illinois. This was his first trip to DC and first commercial flight... He was born March 11, 1923. He traveled by train from Chicago to San Diego where he completed his training at Camp Pendleton, CA in 1944. He enlisted June 30, 1944 and was honorably discharged Mary 17, 1946 Wayne is a US Marine who served in Company C, 2nd Pioneer Battalion, 2nd Marine Division as a heavy equipment operator during the invasion of Okinawa. He also served as Occupational Duty in Sasebo, Nagasaki Japan between 1944-1946. He escaped with his life from a Japanese kamikaze who was headed toward the ship he was on. He was on the deck of that ship when that plane was headed toward him. At the last minute the plane avoided the collision with the ship, a miracle that he prayed for. His division was prepared for the second wave of the invasion soon before the Enola Gay dropped the atomic bomb. He feels that his life was saved by the Enola Gay, otherwise they would have proceeded with the invasion. He knew so many of the first marines hadn’t survived the initial invasion. After the bombs were dropped in Nagasaki, his division was one of the first to arrive to clean up Nagasaki. They were also instrumental in unloading food and water for the local survivors who hid in caves to escape the war. Wayne and his division had their boots on the ground 3 days after the atomic bomb was dropped.. I was and am in awe of Wayne. As he told me his story he stood up out of his wheelchair to stand tall like a proud marine should. At 91 years old he was a humble man, didnt ask for thanks, but only wanted to pay respects to his brothers in arms that never made it back from Europe or the Pacific, Thank you Wayne, You sir a real hero..