Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient To Be Present at 2006 Show of Shows

Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient
To Be Present at 2006 Show of Shows

Medal of Honor winner Don Ballard will appear in conjunction with Manion’s International Auction during the 2006 Ohio Valley Military Society’s Show of Shows

Kansas City, Ks. (February 23, 2006) – To most, throwing yourself on a live hand grenade is something that only happens in the movies. To Don Ballard, it’s something that happened personally during his tour of duty as a Navy Corpsman during the Vietnam war.

While pulling Marines to safety from hostile fire, a hand grenade landed near the wounded. Without thinking, Ballard picked it up and threw it back. Minutes later another grenade was thrown into his position – this time Ballard threw himself upon the unexploded ordnance in an effort to save the lives of his patients.

It did not detonate as he had expected, so Ballard rolled over and tossed the grenade away. Witnesses say it exploded out of harms way seconds later. For this selfless act of courage, Don Ballard received the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Ballard will be present during the 2006 Ohio Valley Military Society’s Show of Shows (February 23-26 at the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center) in conjunction with Manion’s International Auction House. Ballard will be signing photos, and copies of two books in which he is featured - Doc: Platoon Medic and Medal of Honor : Portraits of Valor Beyond the Call of Duty – February 24th and 25th.

Manion’s will also be conducting a live auction Friday night, February 24th. For more information on Manion’s International Auction House, visit www.manions.com and call 866.646.4664.