James Blaylock - USMC 1963-68 | Vietnam War Purple Heart

http://usawarriorstories.org - From 1963 to 1968, Jim served in the United States Marine Corps. As a rotary wing aviator in Vietnam, Jim received three Purple Hearts and lost his right hand and forearm. After his military service, Jim began a career working for the Prosthetics and Sensory Aids Service of the Department of Veterans Affairs, a program that provides assistance and training for veterans who need external devices to improve function and increase independence in daily activities. Jim grew up on a farm in Albany, Ga., in a family of nine children — three of whom are veterans. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Albany State University and a master’s degree in business management from Georgia State University in Atlanta. Jim and his wife, Willa, are the proud parents of their daughter, Heidi, who served as a Navy nurse, in theatre during the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Jim is currently president of the Military Order of the Purple Heart Service Foundation, where he presides over board and executive committee meetings and speaks on behalf of veterans issues. USA Warrior Stories Inc. is a Not-For-Profit organization designed to record, archive, and share videos of Veteran stories online to help Veterans make a connection with one another and to help us all better understand their sacrifices for our freedom. If you’re a Veteran or Veteran Service Organization that would like your story told please email us at [email protected] or call (631)819-0805. For more information on USA Warrior Stories visit our website https://usawarriorstories.org/ 00:00 - Opening/Growing up 00:25 - Drafted into the USMC 01:35 - Guantanamo Bay 02:45 - Vietnam - Helicopter pilot 03:09 - Alive Day story start 06:19 - My hand was blown off 07:24 - Pronounced dead and put in a body bag 09:04 - From embalming table to surgery 10:20 - I could feel them sawing off my arm 11:25 - Philadelphia Naval Hospital 12:17 - Woking for the Veterans Administration 12:40 - Purple Heart Service Foundation 13:34 - The horrors of war