After waiting decades, a Korean and Vietnam War Army veteran has received overdue recognition for his service.
Eddie Pina worked with Sen. John Thune’s (R-S.D.) office to fix errors in his DD214 to show he served in both conflicts. Pina was recently presented with the Combat Infantry Badge 2nd award and with 10 medals for combat and distinguished service, according to a VA blog post.
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A native of Hutchinson, Kansas and a father of four, Pina served from 1952 to 1972. With over 100 Airborne jumps, Pina served in combat three different times, once in Korea and twice in Vietnam.
The post notes that Pina and his cousin pulled a fast one on their recruiter and joined the service age of 16. He received his first Combat Infantry Badge at the age of 17 and served with the 509th Airborne Infantry Division and the 196th Infantry Brigade, which was the last military combat ground unit that served in Vietnam.
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In 1985, Pina was awarded the Eagle Red Feather by Chief Arvol Looking Horse, keeper of the Sacred Pipe, a very high honor for a non-native American.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.
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