Vietnam War veteran reunites with man he saved on battlefield 50 years ago

Veteran's day is coming up this Thursday. A day to honor all those who've worn the uniform tonight and are making a difference. Report 2 veterans and a special reunion more than 50 years in the making. What you need to try to find is 1255. That's a route number. There is never an easy route to the places that matter. And on this day it's exit number 762 men are going in a new direction. The destination is Ashland, Illinois, a farming community about 120 miles and decibels from Saint Louis. I've always liked farming because you're your own boss. You can tell by the Naledge lives and works on 400 acres, where it's been a good year for soybeans. Now they're putting on pods and. Filling Pods Edge has been farming this land practically all his life. Suffer the time when he traded in his work boots for army boots. The year was 1968 and Dale Edge was drafted to fight for his country in Vietnam. I knew probably did I get drafted. I wasn't going to volunteer but I wasn't going to run either. But the Vietnam War was like a wound that never healed. Soldiers bravely faced the enemy. Only to come home and face scorn as soon as their plane landed. There's guys kissing the ground. Glad to be back glad they made it. And then when you go another 30 feet or from here to the car and. They start screaming and hollering stuff, catch it. I ain't gonna repeat it, that's why Dale took his feelings and his stories and buried them except for one one story that needed an ending. And recently after getting his first smartphone, he finally decided to solve the mystery by doing some checking on the Internet. Then got up the courage to make a phone call. They said, Dale, I gotta be really honest. I don't know who you are. I said he said well I understand it's 53 years ago I can understand that. 73 year old Fred Jerlene lives in Minnesota and works for great steps. A company that makes prosthetic and orthotic devices. And he's pretty popular with his clients. They like people that are amputees because you can feel feel some of the stuff and some people like that. You know you've got one. OK then I'm OK. This all titanium Fred lost his leg during a firefight in Vietnam. I got behind a tree drop down and this need this leg was up when I was shooting around tree and RPG hit right there. That side of the tree. Dale remembers that attack like that lightning boom she went off. They throw down RPG in on us before the medics got there. I put a tourniquet on Fred's leg and then he remembers keeping Fred Commin helping to get him on a medical evacuation chopper. Fred told him I'm going to see you at home. I said I'll never forget that Fred. And that didn't they were in the same platoon, but didn't know each other that well before that day. Still, for more than half a century, Dale Edge wondered, I didn't know if he lived. I wanted to know if he made it or not slow down, slow down that one phone call filled a void, yeah, and then his heart was filled when Fred drove more than 560 miles for a reunion more than 50 years. In the making I'm doing fine, Fred. Good to see you buddy pretty couple weeks right? So much time and distance meant so little. As soon as the two men started talking. Doesn't matter, I would spend the weekend excavating memories. It was an answer to prayer. If you want to know the truth. I don't know how many times. I prayed for that man means a lot in here welcome. This camera that's on one of the towers watchtowers. Oh yeah, remembering the hard days is always easier with an old friend and we was zigzagging down the mountain for the first time since they've been back from Vietnam. These two veterans finally get a welcome home. Welcome home buddy. Thank you you too. Now that Fred has come to Illinois, Dale is making plans to visit Minnesota a reminder. If you know an inspiring story, let me know at ambush. At ksdk.com area kids.

Channel: KSDK News

Views: 4,305,196

Keywords: local, making-a-difference, news, vietnam war, local news, veterans day, 1968, Ashland, Illinois, ASHLAND ILLINOIS, veterans reunited, veterans reunited with each other, veterans reunion, veterans reunited after years, vets reunited, veterans, vets, heartwarming, good news, vietnam veteran, boyd huppert, happy news, heartwarming stories

Id: i7F-7BggUx0

Length: 4min 59sec (299 seconds)

Published: Wed Nov 10 2021