Citrus County Chronicle: Time to say 'thanks' - Local Purple Heart veteran represents Florida on patriot mission
By REILLY CASH/ CHRONICLE INTERN
Published: Jul 31, 2019
Fifty-two years after returning from Vietnam, Bud Allen’s going to be welcomed home.
Next Monday, the Beverly Hills Purple Heart recipient will represent Florida on the inaugural Purple Heart Patriot Mission. Allen, along with the other 49 Purple Heart recipients, will travel to New York to attend ceremonies, visit historic sites, and be honored for their service.
The Purple Heart Medal is the oldest award still given to U.S. Armed Forces veterans who were killed or wounded in combat. The purpose of the Patriot Mission is to give these medal recipients a proper thanks, according to Vice-Chair of the National Purple Heart Honor Mission Russell Vernon.
“We want to make sure everyone who gave so much feels honored, appreciated, and loved,” he said. “Regardless of our political ideology, those soldiers gave us our freedom.”
Allen’s military experience started in Westwood, Massachusetts, immediately after high school.
“A buddy of mine thought it would be a good idea if we went into the service together,” he said. “So I said, “Yeah, OK.’”
From there, Allen and his longtime friend, Walt Heine, were off to Paris Island, South Carolina, for boot camp. After intensive combat training at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, Allen graduated from Aircraft Electrical School in Jacksonville, Florida.
Upon graduation, Allen was shipped to Vietnam. For one year, one month, and one day, he repaired helicopters, delivered supplies, and flew fallen soldiers home.
“That was probably the toughest part of my job,” he said. “We could carry up to eight deceased Marines at a time; we’d have the whole belly of the aircraft full of Marines that died in action.
Allen returned from Vietnam in 1967. While working on aircraft at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Georgia, he met his wife.
“I got married after I got out of the military,” he said. “Now I have 10 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. We’ve got a big crew.”
Allen served in the Marine Corps for 40 years. After retiring, he directed funerals at several family-owned firms, including his fathers’. Allen said that his experience in Vietnam equipped him to deal with death and loss on a regular basis.
“I didn’t have a real issue with deceased people,” he said. “I’d seen so many tragedies that being around a deceased person didn’t bother me.”
Allen also joined the Citrus County Purple Heart Chapter, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting veterans and educating the community on the challenges veterans face. According to Allen, a soldier’s battle doesn’t end at the war zone.
“If you’ve been involved in any type of explosion, or have been shot, or your life has been in danger numerous times, it affects you mentally,” he said. “Once your mental capacity has reached that point, it’s hard to get through.”
Today, an estimated 22 veterans commit suicide a day; that’s more than the number of veterans dying in combat.
“Something needs to be done to get that number way down, if not eliminated,” Allen said.”
As the local Chapter Commander, Allen helps shed light on the lives of Purple Heart recipients around the county. Earlier this year, the time came for the chapter to select a Patriot of the Year — an honor that grants members potential state-and-nationwide recognition.
Allen was selected as Patriot of the Year for his Chapter and his state. Soon after, the former Purple Heart Commander of the Department of Florida invited him to represent Florida on the Patriot Mission.
“Sure, sounds good to me. I’ll give it a shot,” Allen told the Commander.
Allen was also selected as Patriot of the Year for the Southeastern U.S.; he’s now eligible for national recognition.
“There’s only one representative from each region in the U.S., so I’m one of six,” he said. “There’s an opportunity there that I might get selected….but I’m just proud of the fact that I was selected in the state and region.”
The Patriot Mission is an all-expenses-paid trip from August 5-8. Allen and his wife will visit a variety of sites, starting with West Point and ending with the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor.
Each site they’ll visit holds historic and military significance. West Point, located on the Hudson River, is the oldest military post in the United States and has been occupied since the Revolutionary War. The Hall of Honor, in New Windsor, is a museum that collects, preserves, and shares Purple Hear recipients’ stories so that people like Allen are never forgotten.
“We’ll do a video of Bud telling his story for the Hall of Honor,” Vernon said. “Generations from now, someone will see Bed talk about his experience.”
For Vernon, this trip is part of the Honor Mission’s initiative to repay the respect that, for many veterans, is overdue.
“Vietnam vets got a raw deal when they got home,” Vernon said. “It’s time to say, ‘Thanks for your service.’”
