2 SOLDIERS EARN PURPLE HEARTS IN BOSNIA.Byline: Associated Press Associated Press: see news agency. Associated Press (AP) Cooperative news agency, the oldest and largest in the U.S. and long the largest in the world. Two American soldiers wounded in a mine explosion were awarded Purple Hearts Purple Hearts can refer to the following:
"I'm lucky to be alive. I'm happy to be alive. It could have been a whole lot worse," said 2nd Lt. Robert E. Washburn, 26, of Gardiner, Maine Gardiner is a city in Kennebec County, Maine, United States. The population was 6,198 at the 2000 census. Gardiner is noted for its older architecture, popular with tourists. In 1980, the entire downtown Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places. . Doctors amputated the front of his right foot after the explosion Thursday. Sen. William Cohen For other persons named William Cohen, see William Cohen (disambiguation). William Sebastian Cohen (born 28 August 1940) is an author and American politician from the U.S. state of Maine. , R-Maine, pinned the Purple Heart on Washburn's white hospital gown in the cramped tents of an Army field clinic north of Tuzla. Cohen cohen or kohen (Hebrew: “priest”) Jewish priest descended from Zadok (a descendant of Aaron), priest at the First Temple of Jerusalem. The biblical priesthood was hereditary and male. was touring the area with a delegation of senators. "I was sorry to hear what happened," Cohen told Washburn. They chatted quietly together for several minutes, out of earshot ear·shot n. The range within which sound can be heard by the unaided ear; hearing distance: listened until the parade was out of earshot. of reporters. The other wounded American, 2nd Lt. Graeme R. Parnell, 23, of Albuquerque, N.M., was awarded the medal by Brig. Gen. Stanley F. Cherrie, who lost one of his legs in Vietnam. "I told him there will be good days, and there will be bad days," Cherrie said after talking with Washburn. "He understands how lucky he was. He's got good spirits." Parnell, who suffered shrapnel wounds in both legs, gave Associated Press Television a detailed account of the mine explosion. "We were up there two days prior. My sergeant hit an anti-tank mine. We were showing some other people the site. Apparently, there were some mines still in the area," Parnell said. "Lt. Washburn stepped on one, so we ended up here," he said. Parnell said he expected to be back to work within the next two days. But with the possibility of as many as 6 million mines still planted in the country, Cherrie said U.S. forces in Bosnia were braced for further injuries. This was the second time Americans were wounded in a mine explosion. |
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