MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENT YOU'VE SEEN, BUT NOT MET UNTIL NOW

He played Shenandoah on the harmonica his Mom sent and still does every time he talks about his time in Vietnam. He plays it when he talks about what he did and what he did not get to do with a humble voice filled with more regrets about those he was not able to save than about the lives he did. Sammy won my heart a couple of years ago when we met at the Nam Knights Eternal Chapter dedication in Orlando.

When Sammy was in Vietnam, his CO was made aware his men were not writing back home and their Moms were worried. The problem was, none of the men wanted to worry their Moms so they didn't want to write. The CO told them they had to write no matter what. If they didn't want to write about what was going on, then they should write about something pleasant, anything as long as they wrote home.

Sammy wrote letters about the weather and small talk nonsense that had nothing to do with what was going on. His Mom sent him a package. He thought it was goodies to eat and share but it turned out there was a harmonica wrapped up. She sent a note that since he was so bored there, it was something to fill up the time. His CO wanted him to play Shenandoah but Sammy tried to explain he didn't know how to play it. The CO ordered him to learn. He did. He played it every time they needed to be calmed and then he played it every time their hearts were heavy. It is what he played during this interview followed by a salute to the friends gone so long ago from this earth but not from his memory.
Chaplain Kathie


sent from email,,,,,,

I consider my self very fortunate to have known Sam Davis for 25 years.

He earned the medal six weeks before I began my second tour.

We met at a veteran's reunion in Kokomo, IN in Sept. 1985 and have a good deal of outreach together, traveling across several states in the ensuing years.

A kinder, humbler gentleman you will not find. This forward comes about because of the kindness of a brother Australian Vietnam veteran, Bob "Gibbo" Gibson.
Paul Sutton

From: Bob Gibson
Subject: MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENT YOU'VE SEEN, BUT NOT MET UNTIL NOW
To:
Date: Monday, August 23, 2010, 4:45 AM

Bob "Bomber" Gibson

Gold Coast AUSTRALIA.
Aussie Vietnam vet 1967-Oct 1968.
Infantry Rifleman D&E Platoon 1ATF.
VIETNAM.

Well im happy to say ive met Sammy in 1986 in chicago and we have stayed mates ever since, Sammy also come down under to help me with the national vietnam vets welcome home in sydney in 1987 he was such a big help to aussie vietnam vets during that time of Silence we all faced since our return from SVN.

Here you go mates think I told you all the story of "Forest Gump" the movie.
I will be linking up with Sammy again in Chicago next June 2011 for 25th
anniversary of Chicago welcome home Vietnam vets parade as i did way back in 86. We all went to Vietnam as boys come home as men,went to our first welcome home in Chicago as middle age men and return 25yrs later as old diggers ( Soldiers ) where has all the time gone.