This soldier wasn't killed in action, he made it home. But he did get awarded a Purple Heart for saving the life of another soldier, and I wanted to put something up about him here.

His name was John Flue, and he died this week. He was no relation to me, but we kinda adopted his family, and got close to them over the years.

He got the Purple Heart at Heartbreak Ridge in Korea, when he pulled another soldier down into a foxhole to save him as they were being rained on by mortar fire. He saved that soldier's life by his quick thinking, and got his arm ripped up by the explosion as a result.

So they awarded him a Purple Heart, which sat home buried in his attic. He never bragged about it, and talked about it only if asked a specific question when people said they heard he got one. He was a very humble guy who thought nothing special of his service to our country. It's what guys did at the time, and in his mind he was no different that anyone else, just a job to do to keep us safe.

A little about Heartbreak Ridge:

The Battle of Heartbreak Ridge was a month-long battle in the Korean War fought between September 13 and October 15, 1951. The Battle of Heartbreak Ridge was one of several major engagements in an area known as "The Punchbowl", which served as an important Communist staging area. The United Nations first initiated limited operations to seize the high ground surrounding the Punchbowl in late July.
The battle site is located in the hills of North Korea a few miles north of the 38th parallel north (the prewar boundary between North and South Korea), near Chorwon.

Thanks for your service to our country, John. I'm glad I got to know you and your family. RIP, man.