Colonel George E. "Bud" Day
(February 24, 1925 - July 27, 2013
My modern day hero and Medal of Honor recipient, Colonel George "Bud" Day USAF, passed onto greater battle fields on Saturday, 27Jul2013, at 88 years of age. We have lost a great patriot, military leader, and man. He served his country and fellow veterans with distinction.
His memorial and funeral services were like nothing I have previously experienced; about 30 former POW's in attendance including Medal of Honor recipients, Senator John McCain, Ross Perot, more veterans and active duty personnel I have seen in one place at one time, standing room only in the Emerald Coast Convention Center, a 400 vehicle procession lead by motorcycle Patriot Guard, and what appeared to be hundreds if not a thousand or more with flags, homemade banners and signs with and without umbrellas lining the 40 mile rainy funeral procession to Day's final resting place, Barrancas National Cemetery on Naval Air Station Pensacola. Day was further honored with a 21-gun salute, four F-4's fly over in a missing man formation during his final transfer.
Colonel Day is the fourth Medal of Honor recipient to be buried in Barrancas National Cemetery along with more than 40,000 veterans. He joins Commander Clyde E. Lassen USN, Major Stephen W. Pless USMC, Staff Sergeant Clifford Chester Sims USA all earning the military's most decorated award.
Rest in peace Colonel, you have earned it.
The US Supreme Court has turned its back and responsibility to 
Colonel Bud Day, USAF retired, POW, Medal of
Honor recipient and war hero and thousands of other military retirees also promised life time military medical
care for themselves and their spouse upon completing a military career. It is truly a sad state of affairs when
the US government can break their promises to military personnel fighting for the freedoms we all enjoy. May it
come to a day when once again the military draft demand service from our men (and women?) and a draftee take
his contact to an attorney and subsequently refuse induction as the young person refuses the conditions of the
contract? Why not, the US government has pretty much forced us into that posture. Unfortunately, the retired
military committee having fulfilled their obligation, is fighting our own government for what has been earned
while many are dying poor, as a result of not covered medical expenses, and not realizing their promise.
Further reading on Colonel Day by Military.com and Duty Honor County written by Colonel Day.
Sadly, shortly after rejecting the appeal by thousands of veterans the Supreme Court did hear a case brought by Anna Nicole Smith, get real!
This article is reprinted with The Retired Enlisted Association's permission. This article appeared in their publication "The Voice" in July 2003. If you want to contact The Retired Enlisted Association, I am sure they would be pleased to hear from you.
And the Department of Defense continues to stick it to those of us who fulfilled our end of our contracts by serving at least 20 years. I, among many thousands of others, where promised military health care for my wife and I upon serving a career, which is defined as serving 20 years or more. DOD has again hand selected a committee of military retirees and those who did not serve in the military, for one reason or another. While I was in Vietnam, on the USS Forrestal, or elsewhere serving with the Navy and Marine Corps I missed many activities of my children's lives that others take for granted. I and my wife understood I was defending our county and we knew of the earned benefits. Some who did not serve (was it by their choice?) feel that our earned benefits are "excessive." Age limits are currently being raised so this is YOUR opportunity to serve your country and earn what current retirees have earned.
