BRAVE EAGLE

In Vietnam, we got this Battalion  Commander in who decided that to motivate the troops, he would have a coin made and give every soldier that could verify he had killed an enemy, a Brave Eagle coin. It didn't go over because at this stage, we'd been in country about ten months and all anybody wanted to do is stay alive. The sorry "mother" drove around the AO in a 

LOH, (light observation helicopter). It didn't take any time for the VC to shoot him down. When the admin people were going through his personal effects, they found all these "Brave Eagle" coins. They didn't know what to do so they gave 'em to me, which happened often--reminds me of another war story. I'll hold it. . After Vietnam I found the "coins" in some of my Vietnam souvenirs that I hung onto. For a year or so, I gave out the "Brave Eagles." You cannot imagine how coveted they became. I was besieged with soldiers wanting a coin. In fact, what reminded me of this was an email from a soldier wanting to know where he could get one.