Flag Presentation at VFW State Convention
Friday, June 26th, 2009
June 21, 2009
Orlando, FL
By Way Paver
When volunteers were asked to assist the US Army in doing their mission in Iraq, MCS 3 David Korbel, US Navy, stationed aboard the nuclear carrier USS Dwight David Eisenhower (CVN-69), and member of Post 3282, Port Orange, Florida was first in line. After a little Army indoctrination, he was sent in country on a seven month tour as a prison guard. With a lot of finagling, it was arranged so that his transfer back to the USS Dwight David Eisenhower and flight arrival would correspond with the Department of Florida Veterans of Foreign Wars State Convention.
The first thing he did, after debarquing the aircraft, was to kiss his Mom and come directly to the convention floor in Orlando, to ceremoniously present a Flag of the United States of America that had flown in harms way, to his Post Commander Gene P. Carroll, for display in the Post Home.
The night before his departure, Petty Officer Korbel’s District 19 Commander Alan Ayoubee promised David, that upon his safe return home he could drive his Shelby GT. When he saw Alan the first thing he said was, “I’m back! When can I drive that Shelby?”
The young man stated that he volunteered; because he wanted see what it was like to serve “in country”, so that could better understand what many of us have been through.