Sammy L. Davis to Receive Sachem
(image courtesy American Legion)
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowGovernor Eric Holcomb will next month award the state’s highest honor to a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient. Sammy L. Davis, a native of Freedom, Indiana in Owen County, will receive the 2018 Sachem Award.
Holcomb’s office says the Sachem is given "to recognize a lifetime of excellence and moral virtue that has brought credit and honor to Indiana." Davis is a veteran of the Vietnam War and suffered severe injuries during a firefight near the city of Cai Lay in 1967. Despite his injuries, which included a broken back, Davis was able to help fend off the Vietcong and also rescue wounded comrades.
"Sammy’s story of service, courage and sacrifice for our nation and freedom is a true inspiration for all Americans,” Holcomb said in a news release. "In sharing his exceptional personal story, Sammy spreads an important and timeless message that grit and perseverance can help all of us overcome even the most challenging circumstances."
Davis retired from the Army in 1984 and, in addition to the Medal of Honor, has received a Silver Star, Purple Heart, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross and Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal.
Davis will receive the 2018 Sachem Award at a ceremony March 12. You can learn more about the events that earned Davis the Medal of Honor and why he is referred to as "The Real Forrest Gump" in the video below courtesy of the American Legion: