This Veteran’s Day we celebrate both the heroes and the great mustaches.
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No, Colonel James P. Muri, a veteran of World War II, may not be a household name these days, but we’ve chosen him for mustache-a-day on this important day of remembrance because he was both a hero and a veteran with a great mustache. He lived until he was 93 years old, passing away just this year. He reminds us that even when you don’t necessarily set out to be a hero, you just might turn into one.
AmericanVeteransCenter.org explains his heroics:
On June, 4, 1942, based on Midway Island, Then Lieutenant Muri and the crews of three other Martin B-26s were sent on what must have seemed like a suicide mission. With no mission training or pre-flight briefing, they were ordered to attack the Japanese carrier fleet approaching the island.
Col. Muri’s target was Admiral Chuichi Nagumo’s flagship carrier, Akagi. Pursued by swarms of Japanese fighter planes, Col. Muri dropped a 2,000 pound torpedo aimed at Akagi and then in a bold attempt to evade the Japanese fighters he buzzed the carrier’s flight deck strafing the length of the deck.
Somehow, despite damage to every major system of the aircraft, Col Muri managed to limp back to Midway where it was discovered that his plane had over 500 bullet holes in its fuselage.
This Veteran’s Day, we don’t just celebrate the famous names, but also the less-famous names, who are heroes to men and women they served with. And we celebrate Colonel Muri’s awesome mustache, in this, the month of Movember.
We also celebrate the veterans in your life, and all of you who have served. Thank you for your service.
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We also want to give a nod to other mustachioed veterans, including those serving today.
One that is close to GMP’s heart is Cpl. Lamont Johnson, USMC Infantry Veteran, whose photos have appeared in GMP stories for the last few years. Lamont is a father of five gorgeous kids, and is currently deployed as a US Gov’t Army Contractor in Afghanistan. Thank you for your service, Lamont!
Photo via Wikipedia
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