Media Advisory: Rep. Johnson to present overdue Purple Heart to Vietnam War veteran

LITHONIA, GA – On Wednesday, July 1, Congressman Johnson will present Rockdale County resident Ret. Command Sgt. Maj. Simon Ramos with the Purple Heart for wounds he received in Vietnam in 1962.

WHO: Rockdale County resident Ret. Command Sgt. Maj. Simon Ramos to be awarded the Purple Heart; Rep. Hank Johnson, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, presents Mr. Ramos with the Purple Heart; Tommy Clack, President of COB, WALK OF HEROES; Richard Oden, Rockdale County Chairman; Eric Levett, Sheriff of Rockdale Co.; Buddy Roebuck, Director of WALK OF HEROES; veterans and active service members.

WHAT: Presentation of the Purple Heart.

WHEN: Wednesday, July 1, 2015, 11 a.m.

WHERE: WALK OF HEROES, 3001 Black Shoals Road, Conyers, GA 30012.

This event is open to public and the media.

THE RAMOS FILE: Command Sgt. Maj. Simon Ramos, 83, served his country with distinction for more than 35 years – on active duty from 1952 to 1987. Mr. Ramos was inducted into the U.S. Army in January 1952. He served valiantly in both the Korea and Vietnam wars. Ramos was assigned to the Special Forces in Vietnam, where he served as Operations Sergeant. While working with and training Vietnamese rangers on May 23, 1962, in a field near the Vietnamese town of Katum, he and his brothers came in contact with the enemy. As he and his comrades entered the town, they came under grenade attack, wounding Mr. Ramos seriously in his left arm. He was hospitalized at Walter Reed Hospital near Washington, D.C. After his discharge in 1963, Ramos rejoined the Special Forces as an instructor. Mr. Ramos is a resident of Conyers and has been married to his wife, Emily, for 62 years. They are the proud parents of six children – five sons and one daughter – and many, many grandchildren.

PHOTO BELOW: Mr. Ramos of Conyers prepares his Dress Blues for Wednesday’s ceremony honoring him with his long-overdue Purple Heart for wounds received in battle in 1962.

###