Medal of Honor winner tells Palmetto students to get involved

PALMETTO -- Medal of Honor recipient Gary Littrell challenged Palmetto High School Junior ROTC cadets Wednesday to get involved and, if they see a wrong, to correct it.

Littrell, a retired U.S. Army command sergeant major, received the nation's highest award for valor for rallying a South Vietnamese ranger battalion, which had been surrounded by two North Vietnamese Army regiments.

Littrell called in air strikes, instructed the Vietnamese rangers in their own language, and helped prevent them from being overrun by a much larger enemy force during a four-day battle in 1970.

No surprise then, Littrell would go after NASCAR drivers who stood during the national anthem without placing their hands over their hearts. Littrell, a self-professed auto racing fan, singled out Jeff Burton as one of the few who was showing proper respect during the national anthem.

After campaigning for race drivers to follow proper etiquette, starting about four years ago, and attending a driver meeting, most are now placing their hands over their hearts, he said.

Littrell is now putting his focus on the guard at the National September 11 Memorial Museum in New York who stopped a student choir from North Carolina from singing the national anthem.

Memorial officials have since said the guard should not have halted the singing of the national anthem.

"I wish I had been in New York City two days ago," Littrell said.

Rather than stopping the singing, the guard should "have been standing there at attention, with his hand over his heart," Littrell said.

After retiring from the Army, Littrell started a second career with the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, eventually retiring as a patient advocate.

"Now my entire life revolves around being a professional grandfather and giving back," he said.

Littrell recently took part in a shoot at Ancient Oak Gun Club at Lakewood Ranch to raise money to benefit veterans. He has also become a champion of Southeastern Guide Dogs in Palmetto, noting hundreds of men and women have been blinded during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Several times, Littrell encouraged the cadets to get involved and make a difference. Littrell presented several awards to cadets during Palmetto High School's annual award ceremony for the Army JROTC Tiger Battalion.

"You are our future. God bless you," he said.

James A. Jones Jr., Herald reporter, can be contacted at 941-745-7053 or on Twitter@jajones1.

This story was originally published April 27, 2016 at 6:21 PM with the headline "Medal of Honor winner tells Palmetto students to get involved ."