Honoring Alabama's Veterans

Each year, friends and neighbors across the country pause to honor our nation’s military heroes who selflessly sacrificed for the freedoms we enjoy as Americans.  Veterans Day is an important time to remember that freedom does not come free, and that we owe a great debt of gratitude to the men and women of our Armed Forces for their extraordinary service.  

On this Veterans Day, I have highlighted the stories submitted to my office of Alabama’s military heroes who have served our great nation.  You can view their stories below.

Veteran’s Name: Ronnie Ray Raley
Rank: E-5
Served in: Iraq
Hometown: Winfield, AL

Story submitted by his wife:

My husband Ronnie Raley serve with 3rd I D Jan 2002, July,2003 on his first tour hauling fuel and doing Convoy Ops or whatever they task him to do. Also in Jan 2004 he went back to Iraq with 655 Trans Company they put together to haul fuel this Unit was out of Memphis so my husband was pulled out of his Unit 168 MP to haul fuel and do Convoy Ops or whatever was needed by Unit Commander's did this for I guess around 16 more month then went home and on his last tour he was at Al-taccdum a Marine base were they haul fuel to Fallujah and Ramadi in Iraq but to other Bases when needed during this tour they a haul over 22 million gallons of fuel setting a record at that time.

Veteran’s Name: James R. Mackin
Rank: 1LT
Served in: Ft Knox, KY; Vietnam
Hometown: Demopolis, AL

Story submitted by Tom Mackin:

The US Army has awarded the Purple Heart to a Demopolis veteran, 48 years after he was wounded in Vietnam.

First Lieutenant James R. (Jimmy) Mackin was a platoon leader in the 23 Infantry Division during operations in the My Lai area in September, 1968. His unit came under mortar attack, and he was hit by shrapnel in his head, arm, and back. He was treated in a field hospital and returned to duty, but the Purple Heart was not awarded at that time, as is usually the case.

“At the time, not getting a medal was the least of my concerns,” Mackin said. “I was just trying to survive and do my job, day by day.”

Mackin didn’t realize the medal had not been awarded until he went to apply for a Purple Heart auto tag, in 2009. He went through the normal channels to get the record corrected and the medal awarded, only to be told his unit’s records had been “lost.”

He was ready to give up on getting the medal, but his family wasn’t. They contacted the Tuscaloosa office of Senator Richard Shelby for help. All the requisite paperwork was reaccomplished and presented to Shelby’s office. Some six weeks later, the records had apparently been “found” and Mackin’s Purple Heart had been awarded by the Secretary of the Army.

“I’d like to thank Senator Shelby and his staff in Tuscaloosa, most notably Mrs Kay Presley, for their help in getting this put right,” Mackin said. “This Purple Heart means a lot to me and my family.” 

Veteran’s Name: Ronald E. Watts
Rank: E-6
Served in: Vietnam
Hometown: Mentone, AL

Story submitted by his wife, Sonya:

Ronnie spent 26 months in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam war as crew chief on C-130's. There he broke his back when he fell off a wing and landed on concrete, but still continued to serve. He is now classified as a disabled veteran.