thedrifter
09-24-07, 08:36 AM
Monday, September 24, 2007
Vichy resident receives a Vietnam War medal
Published: Sunday, September 23, 2007 8:59 PM CDT
Laura Ginsberg, Staff Writer
Vichy resident David Clifton recently was honored by an invitation to the State Capitol, where he was one of 21 veterans to receive Missouri’s first Vietnam War medal from Gov. Matt Blunt on Sept. 4.
Clifton, 59, was one of 6,000 Vietnam veterans to apply to receive the medal, and he said he does not know why he was one of only a handful of service people chosen to accept the award in-person from the governor a the Capitol Rotunda.
“I was really surprised,” Clifton said. “I got a call from the (Missouri National Guard’s) Adjunct General’s office and a formal letter requesting I be in attendance to receive this medal. I was honored and privileged to get to do this. We were the first 21 people to receive this medal.”
Also present at the medal presentation were Missouri National Guard Adjunct Gen. King Sidwell, 14th District State Sen. Joe Smith, R-St. Charles, and 29th District State Rep. Jack Goodman, R-Cape Girardeau, who sponsored the bill creating the award.
Clifton served for 10 months in Vietnam during his four years in the U.S. Navy from June, 1968 to February 1972. He was an Aviation Structural Mechanic 3rd Class with the aviation branch of the Navy.
“I was in what they call the amphibious squadron or ‘’gator Navy,’” he said.
Clifton was stationed on a ship carrying aircraft, and he worked as a crew member on a helicopter.
“We dropped off Marines into combat areas, and we flew supplies into the combat troops,” he said. “Other special forces were attached to us, and we flew them in for special operations. We had special forces from all over the world on our ships.”
However, Clifton not only is a part of history, he brings history alive for others, as well. Many in the Rolla area, and around the country, may better know Clifton for his hobby of the past 25-years -- participating in historical re-enactments.
Clifton participates in re-enactments of the Revolutionary War, the French and Indian War and the War of 1823. He also has started giving sermons as a frontier circuit-riding preacher.
“I’ve always had a love for American history,” Clifton said. “I love the hobby. It’s really physically demanding, and I’ve slowed down considerably because of my service-related disability, but I do what I can do.”
Clifton belongs to three re-enactment groups, the Culpepper Battalion, Roger’s Rangers and the 2nd Kentucky Militia. He travels all over the country, mostly to the eastern states, and also participated in the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial re-enactment. In fact, Clifton is being used as the model for Meriwether Lewis on the monument that will placed at the Capitol next summer.
“Of course, I’ll look younger,” Clifton jokes.
Clifton also is a bit of local celebrity, having appeared in the Mel Gibson film, “The Patriot,” and several documentaries for the History Channel.
“I was in the movie ‘The Patriot’ with Mel Gibson in 1999, and I’ve done about a dozen movies for the History Channel on American-history events,” he said. “I was an officer on the British side carrying the regiment flag in one scene (in The Patriot), and I was militia with Mel Gibson the rest of the time.”
Clifton said being in “The Patriot” was a fun experience, and while on set he got to meet Gibson and rest of the cast.
“A lot of my friends still talk about it and get a kick out of seeing it,” he said.
Clifton presents re-enactments to area schools and homeschool children and is available to re-enact frontier circuit preaching for church groups. In addition to his hobby, Clifton also spends his time volunteering at the Pregnancy Resource Center in Rolla.
Ellie
Vichy resident receives a Vietnam War medal
Published: Sunday, September 23, 2007 8:59 PM CDT
Laura Ginsberg, Staff Writer
Vichy resident David Clifton recently was honored by an invitation to the State Capitol, where he was one of 21 veterans to receive Missouri’s first Vietnam War medal from Gov. Matt Blunt on Sept. 4.
Clifton, 59, was one of 6,000 Vietnam veterans to apply to receive the medal, and he said he does not know why he was one of only a handful of service people chosen to accept the award in-person from the governor a the Capitol Rotunda.
“I was really surprised,” Clifton said. “I got a call from the (Missouri National Guard’s) Adjunct General’s office and a formal letter requesting I be in attendance to receive this medal. I was honored and privileged to get to do this. We were the first 21 people to receive this medal.”
Also present at the medal presentation were Missouri National Guard Adjunct Gen. King Sidwell, 14th District State Sen. Joe Smith, R-St. Charles, and 29th District State Rep. Jack Goodman, R-Cape Girardeau, who sponsored the bill creating the award.
Clifton served for 10 months in Vietnam during his four years in the U.S. Navy from June, 1968 to February 1972. He was an Aviation Structural Mechanic 3rd Class with the aviation branch of the Navy.
“I was in what they call the amphibious squadron or ‘’gator Navy,’” he said.
Clifton was stationed on a ship carrying aircraft, and he worked as a crew member on a helicopter.
“We dropped off Marines into combat areas, and we flew supplies into the combat troops,” he said. “Other special forces were attached to us, and we flew them in for special operations. We had special forces from all over the world on our ships.”
However, Clifton not only is a part of history, he brings history alive for others, as well. Many in the Rolla area, and around the country, may better know Clifton for his hobby of the past 25-years -- participating in historical re-enactments.
Clifton participates in re-enactments of the Revolutionary War, the French and Indian War and the War of 1823. He also has started giving sermons as a frontier circuit-riding preacher.
“I’ve always had a love for American history,” Clifton said. “I love the hobby. It’s really physically demanding, and I’ve slowed down considerably because of my service-related disability, but I do what I can do.”
Clifton belongs to three re-enactment groups, the Culpepper Battalion, Roger’s Rangers and the 2nd Kentucky Militia. He travels all over the country, mostly to the eastern states, and also participated in the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial re-enactment. In fact, Clifton is being used as the model for Meriwether Lewis on the monument that will placed at the Capitol next summer.
“Of course, I’ll look younger,” Clifton jokes.
Clifton also is a bit of local celebrity, having appeared in the Mel Gibson film, “The Patriot,” and several documentaries for the History Channel.
“I was in the movie ‘The Patriot’ with Mel Gibson in 1999, and I’ve done about a dozen movies for the History Channel on American-history events,” he said. “I was an officer on the British side carrying the regiment flag in one scene (in The Patriot), and I was militia with Mel Gibson the rest of the time.”
Clifton said being in “The Patriot” was a fun experience, and while on set he got to meet Gibson and rest of the cast.
“A lot of my friends still talk about it and get a kick out of seeing it,” he said.
Clifton presents re-enactments to area schools and homeschool children and is available to re-enact frontier circuit preaching for church groups. In addition to his hobby, Clifton also spends his time volunteering at the Pregnancy Resource Center in Rolla.
Ellie