Medal of Honor recipient’s new mission: Talk with students about military

The journey that brought former Green Beret Melvin Morris to Columbia Sunday was a long one. Not the flight from Atlanta – but his military service in Vietnam in 1969 that would culminate in receiving the Medal of Honor in 2014.

He and his wife flew into Columbia Metropolitan Airport Sunday, and held a meet and greet with local veterans and soldiers at Liberty Tap Room in the Vista. Monday, he will speak with students at Richland Northeast High School.

It’s one of his missions these days – trying to show students that the military is a good place to be. He has another stop this week to meet with students in Ohio.

“I want them to understand somebody is always standing up for them to make sure they’re safe and make sure they’ve got the freedoms that are in the Constitution – and to realize that down the road, they too have to step up to the plate, and take care of future generations,” Morris said.

When Morris speaks to fellow veterans, he said, the important thing is to encourage them to support each other.

“A lot of veterans are still suffering from PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) from Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan,” Morris said.

Among those who came out to meet Morris on Sunday was Command Sgt. Maj. Lamont Christian, who is stationed at Fort Jackson. He said Morris is the fifth Medal of Honor recipient he has had the chance to meet, and that each time, it’s a worthwhile experience.

“Whether it’s a modern-day Medal of Honor recipient or one who is from our past, they all came from humble beginnings,” Christian said. “It’s just that they had big hearts – and when you talk to them, you continue to see that there’s good in people.”

Sunday wasn’t Morris’ first time in Columbia – he went through basic military training at Fort Jackson. The impetus for his current visit came when Richland Northeast High School teacher Perry McLeod met the veteran last year and invited him to speak to his students.

“I know that probably none of them have met a Medal of Honor recipient before,” said McLeod, who is known for his support of veterans in and out of the classroom. “I hope they go home and tell (about it).”

Morris received the Medal of Honor from President Barack Obama on March 18, 2014, after Congress ordered a review to determine whether any veterans of World War II, the Korean War or the Vietnam War were passed over for the military’s highest honor because of their race.

Morris was recognized for his actions on Sept. 17, 1969, when he led his unit near Chi Lang in recovering a fellow team commander’s body despite enemy fire. Morris was shot three times as he ran back to friendly ground, according to his biography on the U.S. Army's website. Morris had earlier been awarded the Distinguished Service Cross in April 1970 for his actions during that battle.The same month he received that award, he returned to Vietnam for a second tour.

Morris, who received numerous medals and other honors during his career, retired from the military in 1985.

This story was originally published April 24, 2016 at 8:37 PM with the headline "Medal of Honor recipient’s new mission: Talk with students about military."