David Christian, Tammy Duckworth, & Wesley Clark, Sr.
David Christian
David Christian served in the U.S. Army as a sergeant, lieutenant, and captain during the Vietnam War. While serving as a lieutenant in South Vietnam, he was wounded in action seven times and awarded several medals, including two Silver Stars and the Distinguished Service Cross for extraordinary heroism.
Christian enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1966 at age 17. After being rapidly promoted through the enlisted ranks to sergeant, he was admitted to the U.S. Army Officer Candidate School (OCS) and commissioned at 18 years old. This made Christian the youngest Commissioned Officer of the 20th and 21st centuries.
In January 1969, Christian was critically burned by napalm in Vietnam and transferred to a Burn Center in Japan. He was promoted to captain at age 20, and Christian medically retired from the Army at age 21.
Tammy Duckworth
Tammy Duckworth is an American politician and former U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel who served as the junior U.S. Senator for Illinois since 2017. An Iraq War veteran, Duckworth served as a U.S. Army helicopter pilot.
She was deployed to Iraq with the Illinois Army National Guard in 2004. On November 12, 2004, Duckworth lost her right leg near the hip and her left leg below the knee when the UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter she was co-piloting was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade fired by Iraqi insurgents. The explosion severely broke her right arm and tore tissue from it, requiring major surgery to repair it.
Duckworth received a Purple Heart on December 3 and was promoted to Major on December 21 at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. There, she was presented with an Air Medal and Army Commendation Medal. She retired from the Illinois Army National Guard in October 2014 as a Lieutenant Colonel.
Wesley Clark, Sr.
Wesley Clark, Sr. is a retired General of the U.S. Army. He spent 34 years in the U.S. Army, receiving many military decorations, several honorary Knighthoods, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Clark commanded Operation Allied Force in the Kosovo War during his term as the Supreme Allied Commander-Europe of NATO from 1997 to 2000. He was assigned a position in the 1st Infantry Division and flew to Vietnam on May 21, 1969. In January 1970, he was shot four times by a Viet Cong soldier with an AK-47. The wounded Clark shouted orders to his men, who counter-attacked and defeated the Viet Cong force. During the encounter, he suffered injuries to his right shoulder, right hand, right hip, and right leg. Afterward, he received a Silver Star and the Combat Infantryman Badge for his actions.
(Image via Wikipedia; Wikipedia; Wikipedia)
Did you know...
- While attending the Grammys in February 2000, Jennifer Lopez stepped out in a green Versace dress that instantly became a phenomenon. The barely-there ensemble had a dramatically low cut that came below JLo’s belly button. It became such a talking point that it was Google’s most popular search query up to that point, and it spurred the company to include images into search results. It became the motivation for Google Images.
- In February 2020, Jeff Bezos bought the most expensive property in California: a $165 million mansion. It was designed for Jack Warner (the former president of Warner Bros. entertainment company). It took a decade to construct (spanning the 1930s and 40s). It comes complete with 9 acres of Beverly Hills land, a main house, a guest house, a tennis court, a golf course, and terraces.
- Jennifer Aniston's star-defining role on friends started a hair craze in the 90s that even lasted into the early 2000s. Called "The Rachel," Aniston's shoulder-length haircut had grown-out bangs and highlights styled to perfection. A hairdresser in Detroit noted that at the peak of its popularity, 40% of her business was devoted to recreating "The Rachel." Too bad that it was notoriously difficult to maintain on your own at home.
- Jackie Kennedy is famous for redecorating and renovating the interior of the White House. Actually, on just her first day, she ordered $50,000 in changes for new rooms for the children and upgrades to the kitchen. She later hosted a tour of the White House for CBS News which was viewed by 56 million people and won her an Emmy Award.
- Paris Hilton not only lives in a mansion, she also built a doghouse mansion for her Chihuahua. It's 300 square feet and includes air conditioning and heating. It comes decked out with designer furniture, a chandelier, a pink paint job, second-floor balcony, and enclosed "yard." It's not enough for you to live in luxury. Your dog must, as well.