By Gary Lloyd
TRUSSVILLE — The Trussville Rotary Daybreak Club earlier this month heard from two Veterans Day-related speakers.
Ed Pruitt served two tours in Vietnam and was a Green Beret. He was drafted in 1968 and served eight years in the special forces. He feels a call to help others because of what he went through during his service. He credits his wife, his “rock,” for helping him recover.
Pruitt challenged Rotarians to ask themselves, “What can I do to help make others’ lives better?”
The next question, he said, should be, “Did you do the best you could today?” when you look in the mirror.
Bob Weaver’s father was a veteran, saying, “Veterans have a special place in my heart.”
His father, Tyre Weaver, lost an arm through a gunshot wound. His plane carrying soldiers in age ranging from 17 to 24 was shot down over Hanover, Germany, on July 26, 1943. After suffering the wound, those caring for him on the plane advised him to parachute from the plane, since their home base in England and life-saving medical attention were still about four hours away.
It was so cold as he sailed through the air with a parachute that opened prior to leaving the plane, the bleeding was stopped, which saved his life. He was held in a prisoner-of-war camp for 15 months, and it was believed he had died. He was later sent back to the states through a prisoner exchange.
The Trussville Rotary Daybreak Club also decorated Trussville City Hall and other areas with yellow ribbons in honor of veterans.
Contact Gary Lloyd at news@trussvilletribune.com and follow him on Twitter @GaryALloyd.