Remembering My Heroes
* On Saturday, May 14th, the town of Greenville, Texas will honor my hero, Audie Leon Murphy, the Hunt County native who was the most decorated American soldier of World War II. Murphy was born near Kingston in 1924 and enlisted in the Army in Greenville on his 18th birthday. During his three years of active service, Murphy received every decoration of valor that the United States had to offer, some of them more than once, including five decorations by France and Belgium. Among his 33 awards and decorations is the Medal of Honor, the highest military award for bravery that can be given to any individual in the United States of America.The Medal of Honor was given to him for the actions he took on January 26th, 1945, near the village of Holtzwihr in eastern France when Murphy's forward positions came under German attack. While facing six Panzer tanks, Murphy ordered his men to fall back to better their defenses as he mounted an abandoned, burning tank destroyer. With a single machine gun, Murphy fought against the advance for almost an hour, despite being wounded in the leg. Murphy later led his troops on a counterattack, which succeeded in driving the Germans from Holtzwihr.
* In 1962, President John F. Kennedy proclaimed May 15th as National Peace Officers Memorial Day, and the calendar week in which May 15th falls as National Police Week. Established by a joint Resolution of Congress in 1962, National Police Week pays special recognition to those HYPERLINK "https://nleomf. org/memorial/fallen-heroes/" law enforcement officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty for the safety and protection of others. If you didn’t already know, blue is the color used to symbolize the United States Police Force. During National Police Week (May 15th through May 22nd), get decked out in blue to show your support for your hometown officers who have devoted their lives to keeping us safe.
* And lastly, I remember my classmate, Sergeant Kent Dean Kincaid. Kent grew up in Stockton, graduated in 1975 and fulfilled his lifelong dream of becoming a police officer. On May 22nd, 1998, Kincaid was working for the Houston Police Department. He and his wife were driving to meet some friends one evening when an object from a passing truck cracked their windshield. Kent drove up alongside the truck and both vehicles pulled over. He got out, announced he was a police officer and was reaching for his ID when an occupant in the truck shot him. Kent’s end of watch was May 23rd, 1998.
