That's one of the biggest problems for Vietnam veterans. They never received what they needed when they came home and they are still being forgotten about. Did he commit murder three times over? Yes. Were families left in pain over this? Yes. But is justice the death of this man when we have laws saying that we don't put people with mental illness to death, and the same nation that says we honor the veterans? I don't think so. There are so many in jail and if we don't start to ask if they should be or not, there will never really be justice for Vietnam veterans no many how many monuments we build or parades.
Death row inmate gets Purple Heart from Vietnam
The Associated Press
Posted : Saturday Sep 5, 2009 13:29:42 EDT
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — Guards took the shackles off death row prisoner James Davis and led him into a small room to get the Army medals he earned more than 40 years ago.
The North Carolina inmate slouched over as retired therapist Jim Johnson picked up the Purple Heart and the Good Conduct medals Davis earned in Vietnam, but never received.
But Johnson recalled that as he prepared to pin the medals on the triple-murderer from Asheville, Davis snapped to attention, hands cupped to the side. Johnson stepped back, and the two Tet Offensive veterans looked at each other. Davis then gave a textbook-sharp salute, Johnson said.
A few minutes later, the medals were tucked away. Davis, who will likely never touch them again, returned to his cell on death row, hard of hearing from the bombs that fell in 1968, one of which rocketed a chunk of metal that remains in his thigh. The leg still throbs when it gets cold.
The 62-year-old killer wants to give up all his appeals for killing two of his former bosses and another person in a tool company in 1995, although an attorney continues to fight for him.
“No soldier’s service to our country should be ignored,” Johnson said. “A lot of people would say, ‘It’s just a medal. Forget it.’ Not to me, it’s not. To me, it’s the recognition that every soldier deserves. No matter what happened, his service should be recognized.”
Davis’ attorney Ken Rose brought the two together. Rose is trying to get Davis off death row, saying his trial attorneys did not do their jobs He contends they mostly ignored signs of mental illness in their client that started early because of abuse when he was a child and was made worse through post-traumatic stress disorder caused by the war.
A Veterans Administration physician determined Davis suffered from paranoid schizophrenia and depression. His marriage collapsed, he attempted suicide and he was fired for fighting with co-workers not long before he returned to his job and went on a shooting spree.
read more here
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/09/ap_death_row_purple_heart_090509/
