Medal of Honor Recipients Say "Talk About It"

Medal of Honor recipient implores: Let it out on DVIDS by Lance Cpl. Harley Thomas covers the story of Col. Jay R. Vargas (click link for the rest of this report)

"Col. Jay R. Vargas, a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, waves at the camera after speaking to service members about the importance of finding help for those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder May 12, 2015, at the Chaplain Joseph W. Estabrook Chapel aboard Marine Corps Base Hawaii. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Harley Thomas/Released)

The retired colonel, now a mental health advocate, spoke to the Marine Corps Base Hawaii community about the importance of seeking help for those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, May 12, 2015, at the Chaplain Joseph W. Estabrook Chapel.

Col. Timothy Winand, the commanding officer for 3rd Marine Regiment, said it was a great privilege to have a Medal of Honor recipient speak to the Marines about such an important topic.

“(It was) a great opportunity in the realm of professional military education,” Winand said. “Col. Vargas has commanded Marines at every level, from platoon to infantry regiment, and his great story is one of courage, dedication, honor, commitment and valor. This is a message we should all listen to and take away from.”

Vargas, a Winslow, Ariz., native, said it took him 37 years to talk about his experiences and once he let it all out, it felt good. He said he held it in because it’s what his brothers did. His brothers, Angelo and Frank, were at the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa during World War II, and his brother Joseph was in the Korean War. Vargas said they never spoke about it.

“The night after I received the medal, the four of us got together at supper and that was the first time I had heard what they did in WWII,” Vargas said. “They held it in, like I did. I had just assumed that once you came home, you didn’t talk about it, like that’s the way it was supposed to be. To those of you who are coming out of a combat zone, don’t hold it in and, if you might have a problem, seek help.”

Vargas said there isn’t a Marine in this world that’s not tough, but there’s ongoing issue in the military called fatigue. He said it causes mental problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder or suicidal thoughts.

“I’ve found this stigma between all of us,” he said. “Nobody wants to admit they have a problem because of the things they’ve seen in combat, but most people don’t understand what effect combat fatigue — that was the term we used in WWII — has on Marines. If you need help, contact your chain of command. PTSD is vicious and some people might not be aware they have it; after coming home, I didn’t.”"

MOH Sammy Davis said the same thing. "Talk about it" but what makes it a more powerful statement is that Sammy was wounded saving lives and then, after getting out of the hospital, he was beaten at the San Francisco Airport.

In this video, Sammy tells the story of what happened when he came home. At the same time, Wimpy, member of Orlando Nam Knights reads the MOH Citation of what Sammy did to save lives. Sammy spent more time talking about how the crew of the plane treated them with kindness and respect than the protestors treated them with hatred.

I asked Sammy and his wife Dixie if they wanted to share a message of hope to the newer generation. They gave the same message of "talk about it" during this video. Truly remarkable is when Dixie is speaking and Sammy is called to the stage.

He is so humble, he didn't want interrupt Dixie as she added a message to families.

Really fabulous couple and have been a pleasure to know.