Congressman Charlie Rangel often says that the last bad day he had was way back in 1950. Let me explain what he means by that.
Rangel joined the US Army at 18. He was assigned to the segregated, all-African-American 503rd Field Artillery Battalion. His nickname was “Sarge,” which was funny, because Rangel actually was a private first class, not a sergeant.
On November 27, 1950, Rangel’s commander, General Douglas MacArthur, learned that the Chinese Army was about to surround America’s Eighth Army. MacArthur ordered the Eighth Army to retreat. But that could happen only if American units held off the Chinese forces on the Eighth Army’s right flank. Charlie Rangel’s unit was given that suicide mission, in what became known as the Battle of Kunu-Ri.
The Chinese Army quickly surrounded Rangel’s unit. His unit kept fighting.
Sundown brought less shooting, but also bitter cold. The temperature dropped below zero. Even at night, the Chinese Army’s bugle orders rang out, and the night sky was lit by Chinese flares. Rangel called it a “waking nightmare.” He kept fighting.
Having the high ground, the Chinese Army pounded Rangel’s unit with artillery fire. On the third day, an explosion sent shrapnel into Rangel’s back. The shrapnel hit him so hard that he was tossed into a ditch. He kept fighting.
Rangel and his unit could hear American soldiers screaming and moaning. They could hear American soldiers being taken prisoner. Rangel said, “We couldn’t see any possible way out of the situation.” They could have surrendered. But they didn’t.
Rangel and his unit were trapped behind enemy lines for three days of heavy fighting. After three terrible days, under cover of darkness, Charlie Rangel, sleepless, wounded, bleeding and freezing, led 40 American soldiers to safety.
Half of Rangel’s battalion died in the fighting. Rangel spent a long time in the hospital, recuperating. For his courage and leadership, he was awarded a Purple Heart, a Bronze Star, two Presidential Unit Citations, and three battle stars.
And Charlie Rangel was awarded a certain perspective on life itself. As Charlie always says, “Since Kunu-ri, I have never, never had a bad day.”
One week from Tuesday, Congressman Charles Rangel faces the voters in the New York Democratic Primary. National Public Radio calls it Rangel’s “toughest reelection challenge” since he won the seat in 1970.
Win or lose, it won’t be a bad day for him. Not after what he went through at Kunu-ri. But I want it to be a good day for him. That’s why I’m helping him, and why you should, too. Click here.
Courage,
Alan Grayson
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