MONTICELLO — It was an emotional Veterans Day ceremony on theLawrence County Courthouse steps Tuesday for the two majorhonorees.

Morris Bradley, a Korean War veteran and resident of Carthage,was overwhelmed by emotion several times as he spoke of his searchfor family members of Sergeant First Class Carey Green, a hero hemet on Pork Chop Hill during the violent battles there in thespring of 1953.

Shirley Green Mays, the sergeant’s daughter, was exuberant asshe hugged Bradley when they met for the first time before theVeterans Day ceremonies.

“To learn that he died a hero’s death means a lot to me,” Mayssaid. “I never knew the way he got killed, so it means a lot to meand my children to know how he died.”

Bradley, a medic during the war, found Green lying wounded afteran intense artillery barrage and Chinese attack against theAmerican-held hill. Green had been severely wounded in the rightleg and was bleeding profusely but refused to allow Bradley andanother corpsman to treat him. Instead, he pleaded with them tohelp his men, whom he could hear calling for help nearby. Greendied the next day at an aid station at the foot of Pork ChopHill.

It was a story Mays said she never heard.

All she knew of her father’s death, she said, was that he diedof wounds in the battle until Bradley contacted her to tell her thestory.

“I never would have known all this if Mr. Bradley hadn’t toldme,” she said.

Bradley said he suppressed his memories of the war for nearly 50years before beginning to feel nostalgic. As the memories floodedback into his consciousness he realized how important it was to himto tell the families of those he treated how their fathers, sons,or spouses died. Especially in the case of Green, a soldier he metwhen he first arrived in Korea and who died so courageously twodays later.

“I had never experienced such unselfish bravery,” Bradleysaid.

It was his honor to meet Mays, he said.

It was a feeling Mays shared, stating it was her honor to meethim and to have the opportunity to thank him and the veterans ofall wars for the sacrifices they made.

Mays attended the Veterans Day ceremonies with approximately 20members of her family, including her two children. She now lives inJackson and works as a teacher at Hinds Community College.

The meeting between Bradley and Mays was only one of severalevents in the ceremony to recognize Korean War veterans. This yearmarks the 50th anniversary of “the Forgotten War.”

Scouts of Boy Scout Troop 126 presented each Korean War veteranpresent with a button in honor of the anniversary and for theirservice before the traditional laying of the wreath at the foot ofthe War Memorial by Carey and Fay Finch.

Veterans also gave the invocation and benediction. George Kirby,a Korean War Purple Heart recipient, provided the invocation whileSam Norwood, a World War II veteran, closed the ceremonies.