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Medal of Honor Recipient Carries Torch
He's a veteran of three wars, a Medal of Honor winner, and the ultimate patriot. And Friday, the 77-year-old serves his country one more time.
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(Feb. 8, 2002)------ View Real Video - Click On Desired Bandwidth
Jill Atwood reports
George Wahlen will carry the Olympic torch, not for himself, but for all veterans, especially those serving our country right now.
News Specialist Jill Atwood introduces us to one.
George Wahlen's basement wall takes him back some 60 years, through three wars, three different branches of the service, and several different presidents. Twenty-three years total service.
On October 5th, 1945, he shook the hand of President Harry S. Truman, as the Medal of Honor hung around his neck.
George served as a medical corpsman on the Island of Iwo Jima during World War II. It was his job to take care of casualties in the field.
George Wahlen/Torchbearer: "I REMEMBERED BEING WOUNDED WHEN I CRAWLED OUT TO TAKE CARE OF A COUPLE MARINES THAT HAD BEEN KILLED. I WANTED TO CRAWL AWAY FROM THEM, A GRENADE LIT RIGHT BESIDE ME."
He's been retired for 34 years now, but his work for the military and veterans has never stopped. Today he's active on Capitol Hill, lobbying for a veterans' home here in Utah, and a veteran's cemetary.
And now, as one of the last living Medal of Honor reciepients in Utah, George will run the Olympic torch.
George Wahlen: "I FEEL AS FAR AS CARRYING THE TORCH, IT'S AN HONOR. BUT I FEEL LIKE I'M REPRESENTING ALL THE VETERANS IN THE STATE OF UTAH."
His training has been low key-- just a treadmill in the spare bedroom.
His focus has been more on what this torch relay means to our state and this country.
George Wahlen: "I THINK IT'S A CONTINUATION OF WHAT HAPPENED SEPTMEMBER 11TH... IT KEEPS THE PEOPLE TOGETHER AND INVOLVED. AND IT WAS A HORRIBLE THING THAT HAPPENED BUT IT DID UNITE A NATION."
To say George is honored and excited is an understatement. He sees his torch leg as just one more way he can serve his country.
George Wahlen: "I'VE GOT A FAMILY OF CLOSE TO 50, SO I'M SURE THEY WILL BE WATCHING."
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