ROWLEY – Chester Bishop was a gunner’s mate on swift boat river patrols in southern Vietnam in December 1968 when he was wounded the first time. The Army, short of soldiers, patched him up and returned him to his boat, where six months later he was injured again by an exploding Claymore mine.
Steve Bohn, a graduate of Salem High School, returned to his barracks after a long day on guard duty in Afghanistan in 2008 with the 101st Airborne when a suicide bomber exploded a loaded dump truck near him. He woke up in the hospital in Germany and later was transferred to the old Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C. where doctors repaired his bladder and intestines and did three surgeries on his spine.
Last week, the Rowley Veterans Committee honored Bishop and Bohn and all area Purple Heart recipients at the Star Garden in front of the Rowley Town Hall. Bishop received two Purple Hearts for his wounds.
The Purple Heart, the nation’s oldest medal, was first awarded by Gen. George Washington. Rowley is designated as a Purple Heart Community.
Bishop served after Vietnam in the Massachusetts State Police, while Bohn volunteered for the Wounded Warrior Project and now is the Veterans Service Officer for seven North Shore towns, Essex, Georgetown, Hamilton, Ipswich, Newbury, Rowley and West Newbury.
Also honored were area residents who are deceased. Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt Nick George was awarded three Purple Hearts for injuries sustained during the Korean War, and Army Ranger Nick Ford, who used his body to shield a fellow soldier from a grenade attack in Afghanistan.
George lost a leg from his injuries, but went back through Ranger Assessment and Selection, was assigned to a Ranger Battalion and led troops as a squad leader on a prosthetic leg. He was the only amputee to ever serve in the 75th Ranger Regiment, leading nine combat deployments.
“The stories of valor are many and varied, but they all have one thing in common: these soldiers had each other’s backs while fighting for our nation,” wrote state Rep. Kristin Kassner. “Their dedication and their willingness to sacrifice for each other is beyond inspiring; we can all learn from them.” ♦
