Donald Everett Ballard

Donald Everett Ballard (born December 5, 1945) is an American colonel in the Kansas National Guard and former member of the United States Navy, in which he was a Hospital Corpsman in the Vietnam War and received the Medal of Honor.

Ballard was born in Kansas City, Missouri and it was there that he enlisted in the United States Navy. Sent to Vietnam, Ballard served as a corpsman in the Quang Tri province with Company M, 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines (Mike 3/4) of the 3rd Marine Division. On May 16, 1968, Ballard treated two Marines suffering from heat exhaustion, and when returning to his unit from the casualty evacuation helicopter pad he and his company were attacked by the North Vietnamese Army. While under fire, Ballard directed aid to other wounded US Marines and when a grenade landed nearby, he lay on top of it to protect the wounded. The grenade failed to explode and Ballard was able to throw it away to explode harmlessly, and then continue to treat the wounded. For his actions, he received the United States of America’s highest award, the Medal of Honor.   Read his full biography here. 

The KC Betty’s

The Kansas City Betty’s  Mission Statement:  ”We are proud of our country, believe in our freedom, and support our veterans, soldiers, troops, and the sacrifices they and their families have made for our great nation. Our goal is to bring a smile to your face and make everyone’s day a little brighter. But most importantly, the KC Bettys remind people of a time in history when our soldiers were on the very front of everyone’s minds and in everyone’s prayers. We do not want people to forget that we still have soldiers far from home doing their duty to keep America the great nation that it is today.”  Visit their site here.