I’d Like to introduce you to my friend Bill Shea. He is a Veteran A “War Fighter.” He received a Purple heart. He recently retired and Bill Shares his story so the world can see how God blessed him in the mist of adversity. I hope your life is changed by reading and sharing Bill Shea’s Story.
Bill Shea a Veteran “War Fighter”
A Big Thanks To All Of You At
DCMA by Bill Shea
I just want to say goodbye to
those who I did not have a
chance to say goodbye to in
person, and to thank you all on
behalf of the “War Fighter”. I
was there. I was an infantryman in Viet Nam.
I was in combat. I was wounded in action. I
was awarded the Purple Heart. Because of
that experience I know firsthand the
importance of what DCMA does from the
perspective of the “War Fighter”.
My Personal Experience
I was an infantryman in the Big Red One,
Company C, 1st Battalion, First Infantry
division in Viet Nam. On Friday, December
13th 1968, I was sent on a mid-day, 5 man
patrol, to scout the surrounding jungle for
possible enemy activity. The lead man of the
patrol tripped a booby trap which instantly
killed the other 4 men on patrol. I had a
huge gaping wound where shrapnel had struck
my upper left thigh. The wound in my leg
was large enough that I could see that my
femoral artery had been totally severed. I
could see both sides of the artery and could
see the blood pumping out in a pulsating
pattern as the heart pumped the blood. In
order to save my own life I reached in with my
fingers and physically pinched off the artery
to stop the bleeding. I then tied on a
tourniquet and crawled to my weapon in case
there was enemy in the area. No enemy was
present so I propped my leg up in a tree to
help prevent going into shock. I then used
my M-16 rifle to fire shots to signal my squad
to come to my rescue. Help reached me 25
minutes after the original explosion and a
chopper was called in to airlift me to a
medical unit for treatment. I spent several
weeks under medical care in the medical unit
in Viet Nam before stable enough to be moved
to a medical facility in Japan. There I spent
another several weeks undergoing treatment
before being stable enough to be moved back
to Fitzsimmons Army Hospital in Denver,
Colorado. My total hospitalization, before
being medically discharged, was 26 months.
Because of the right products, at the right
place which performed as intended, I survived
my time in Viet Nam. Those products which
were there when needed, were there because
of people like you doing your part in the
process.
Folks, what you do is critical, so keep up the
good work.
So on behalf of all our Warfighters past,
present, and future I would like to thank all in
DCMA for your efforts in providing our troops
the materials they need to confront the
enemy and optimize their odds of coming
home to their families and friends.
Your former co-worker and fellow American,
Bill Shea
Leadership-Focusing and Attracting From the Power 