Event
Date:Â Thursday May 25th 2017
Place: Pensacola Veteran�s Memorial Park
Time: Â 6:00pm
Â
The Marine
Corps League�s 5th Annual Heroes Among Us Speaker Series-2017 - Guest
of Honor Donald "Doc� Ballard, MOH.
Â
The Cpl. J.R. Spears Detachment of the Marine Corps League announces its
5th Annual Heroes Among Us speaker series event for 25 May 2017 to
be held at Pensacola Veterans Memorial Park.
Â
Ballard was born in Kansas City, Missouri and it was there that
he enlisted in the United States Navy. Sent to Vietnam, Ballard served as a
corpsman in the Quang Tri province with Company M, 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines of the 3rd Marine Division. Â On May 16, 1968, Ballard treated two Marines
suffering from heat exhaustion, and when returning to his unit from the
casualty evacuation helicopter pad he and his company were attacked by the North Vietnamese Army. While under fire,
Ballard directed aid to other wounded US Marines and when a grenade landed
nearby, he lay on top of it to protect the wounded. The grenade failed to
explode and Ballard was able to throw it away and then continue to treat the
wounded. For his actions, he received the United States of America's highest
award, the Medal of Honor.Â
University of West Florida, Building 78, Room 103
11000 University Pkwy, Pensacola, FL 32514