Salute: John Medley
Civilians have a vague notion of what it’s like to have served in the military. Today, we proudly publish both oral and written stories. Adjusting to combat conditions or deployed life in peacetime is an experience only veterans understand. This Veterans Day, I had the honor of sitting down with Mr. John Medley served in Korea.
Returning to civilian life and readjusting to the “new normal” can be challenging, according to what veterans experienced during their service. John E. Medley, US Army 2nd Infantry Division, still sheds a tear for a comradery cut short. “We had the buddy system…He was a red freckled face brother from upstate New York. We did everything together,” Medley recalled. “We went in on our job …doing patrol… that night I said, ‘I will see you tomorrow.’ He said, ‘I don’t know. Be positive.’” Medley said he lost his friend that night in an ambush.
Medley joined the army under the “buddy system,” which includes colorful stories of heroism and bravery. The Lexington native received a letter in 1967. He reported in November under the assumption he was going to be examined. “I talked two of my buddies into going with me.” By the end of the visit, Medley said he received an apple, orange juice, $10,000 of life insurance and a serial number. “I made a vow to serve God and my county.”
John Medley holding certificate of service next to wife Audrey. Photo Credit: Antionette Kerr/Davidson Local
Medley still serves through his work with Banks Miller Post 255. Chartered by the American Legion in 1946 at a time when the US military struggled through the pangs of a second World War and a segregated homeland, African-American soldiers fought for the right to serve equally. The original naming of Post 255 honors the heroics of US Navy seaman Doris "Dorie" Miller, a cook commended for his bravery during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Although Miller was not trained as a gunman, he was a crewman aboard the West Virginia when Japanese aircraft dropped bombs through the deck of the battleship killing key gunmen. Miller took control of the ship’s Browning .50 caliber anti-aircraft machine gun. Miller’s story became a tool for the recruitment of soldiers and Miller was the first African-American to be awarded the Navy Cross, the third highest honor from the US Navy at the time.
Throughout the years, members of Post 255 have provided significant contributions to the statewide American Legion.
These legacy stands strong in the minds of Medley and others.
“During basic training, they taught us, Which are you? The living or the dead? They tell you that every day,” said Medley after describing escapes from several ambushes. “You want to be the living but never forget the dead.”
