WEBVTT

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(solemn guitar music)

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- He was the very first African-American

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to receive the Medal of Honor.

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He was in Vietnam.

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Within two months of being there,

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his unit was ambushed.

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(machine gun firing)

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And a grenade came through

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and it landed within feet of him

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and his fellow Marines.

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^Most people would see a grenade rollin' in

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^to their position and try to find a ways

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^to run or to get away.

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But not PFC Anderson.

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What he did was he reached out,

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grabbed the grenade, and brought it in

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close to his body and he absorbed the blast.

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And it ultimately saved the lives

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of his fellow Marines.

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He was later awarded the Medal of Honor.

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(solemn guitar music)

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This was during the 60s,

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and to think that he was a young black man

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who probably wasn't liked very much at home

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because of the color of his skin,

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who didn't care about anything else

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except for those fellow Marines

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that were around him.

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(solemn guitar music)

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We've had numerous other African-Americans

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that received the Medal of Honor.

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To know that the first

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was part of the Corps tradition

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makes me really proud to serve

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in such a fine unit like this.

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(solemn guitar music)