By Jessica Dillon
U.S. Rep. Morgan Griffith presented David Minter with long overdue military medals recognizing his service along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, including two awards that were authorized years after he left the Army.
The July 9 ceremony was held at the Bassett Historical Center, a venue Minter requested because of his longtime support of the organization. The historical center did not assist in obtaining the medals.
Minter served with the 7th Cavalry during the conflict along the Korean DMZ in the late 1960s.
“I was in service with the 7th Cavalry; I drove a scout vehicle. We went up, and we would escort patrols for seven days and give them extra firepower in case they ran into any problems. Then we would come back south to our compound and stay three weeks, then we would go back up the next month,” Minter said.
According to information provided at the ceremony, North Korea launched repeated infiltrations, raids and attacks along the DMZ between 1966 and 1969 while the United States was heavily engaged in the Vietnam War. U.S. and South Korean forces responded with patrols and counter-infiltration operations in what has often been described as a “forgotten war within a forgotten war.”
Minter said he graduated from Drill Sergeant School in September 1967, trained soldiers through 1967 and 1968, and left military service on Jan. 16, 1969.
The National Personnel Records Center authorized replacement awards for Minter, including the Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal and Expert Badge with Rifle Bar.
Following a request from Griffith’s office, the records center also authorized two additional medals: the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal and the Korea Defense Service Medal.
“They awarded me the Korea Defense Service Medal and the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal. These medals were authorized several years after I got out of service,” Minter said. “I had Congressman Griffith check into it and saw that I was authorized this, so they came down and awarded them to me.”
Minter said he plans to donate his military uniform and drill sergeant hat to the Bassett Historical Center for display.
“Congressman Griffith has been really good about working with me to obtain this, and I’m going to donate my uniform and my drill sergeant hat to the historical center, and she will put it on display,” Minter said. “I also have a cigarette lighter that I obtained up there on display.
“It’s a very rare lighter because it has several other names on it. I have a framed display of pictures of the compound I stayed in when I was in Korea. It shows me and two other soldiers around a stove in the winter of 1967.”
