Local Korean veteran honored

A Marine from Culpeper who was wounded in the Korean War was among those honored this week with a Congressional Veteran Commendation.

Sgt. Lacy Sanford, who turns 81 Sunday, received the award from Rep. Eric Cantor at a ceremony Tuesday in Richmond.

“We salute the courage and love of country exemplified by those who wear our nation’s uniform,” said Cantor, who represents Culpeper in the U.S. House as part of Virginia’s Seventh District.

From the Greatest Generation to today’s service members fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, he said, “We celebrate and embrace them all.”

A longtime member of the local VFW Honor Guard, Sanford served with the 1st Marine Division-7th Marines from 1950-1953.

Soon after arriving in Korea in the spring of 1952, he was wounded engaging the enemy: the Chinese Army.

His daughter, Martha Snider, said her father, like many vets of that time, rarely talked about his wartime service when they were children.

“He would talk about it, but not in detail,” she said. “A lot of them didn’t think they did anything other than what they were supposed to be doing.”

Snider said her dad was “very humbled” at the award ceremony, adding that his faithfulness to the honor guard comes from the fact that he loves doing it. She said she was very proud of his service.

Culpeper Town Councilman Chris Snider, Martha’s husband, nominated Sanford for the Congressional Commendation last year.

The Korean War veteran, originally from West Virginia, was wounded May 28, 1952 at Hill 104 in a grenade blast, Councilman Snider said.

“The fighting at Hill 104 was close combat with the Marines looking to route the Chinese from the high ground,” he said.

Many of the casualties that day, like Sanford, were from grenade shrapnel, Snider said, as the Chinese lobbed the small bombs down the hill at attacking Marines.

“Lacy has shrapnel from his lower legs all the way up to his back. Some, not all, was removed,” he said.

Snider said Sanford can barely remember anything about the day he was wounded, as the explosion very likely affected his memory.

Many folks from Culpeper attended the ceremony in Richmond honoring Sanford’s service, Snider said, including Culpeper County Supervisors Bill Chase, Sue Hansohn, Steve Nixon and Steve Walker.

“The veterans were awesome,” Snider said.

They certainly deserve our appreciation, Rep. Cantor said.

“Through the resolve and gallantry of our nation’s veterans, our great country carries on the noble cause they long have championed – liberty.”

Cantor awarded the 2009 Congressional Veteran Commendation to eight other distinguished Virginia servicemen at Tuesday’s ceremony.

They are:
n Lt. Col. James Anderson of Chesterfield, U.S. Army Reserves, 2002-present, Iraq

n Sgt. 1st Class Joseph Argenzio of Orange, U.S. Army, 1944-1946, World War II

n Sgt. Maj. Rosser Carter Jr. of Madison, U.S. Marines Corps, 1963-1992, Vietnam and Desert Storm

n Private Frank Hargrove Sr. of Hanover, U.S. Army Air Corp., 1944-1946, World War II

n Gunnery Sgt. E. Bruce Heilman of Richmond, U.S. Marine Corps, 1944-1948, World War II

n Private 1st Class John Hubbard of Hanover, U.S. Army, 1943-1945, World War II

n Col. Donald Kaiserman of Henrico, U.S. Army, 1955-1975

n Sgt. Roger Sullivan of Henrico, U.S. Army Special Forces, 1966-1968, Vietnam