On April 14, Bucky Kahl had a very touching ceremony to honor his and his wife’s service in Vietnam.  Kahl, a 1964 grad and Trinity’s 1,000^th graduate, and his wife, Sara, each received a hand-sewn quilt from the Quilts of Valor organization.   This organization creates quilts for veterans in order to offer comfort and support to veterans.

To make the day more special, Kahl’s family surprised him by making the trip to his home just outside Atlanta.  John Kahl (’69), Sissy Kamer (Marty ’59), and Pat Elder (Larry ’58) were all in attendance.   It was a beautiful ceremony and reception held at Reynolds Plantation.

Kahl received his recognition due to his extensive leadership and command while in Vietnam and after.  Kahl graduated from the University of Kentucky in 1968, then joined the Army.  After his training and being commissioned a Second Lieutenant, he was stationed at Fort Benning.  He was sent to Vietnam and assigned as an Infantry Platoon Leader with the Americal Division.  He served as a field Platoon Leader then was assigned as Company Commander even though he was only a First Lieutenant.  During his combat experience, he was awarded two Bronze Stars, one with a V for Valor, an Air Medal for numerous combat assaults while on Huey helicopters, and the Combat Infantry Badge.

After his return to the U.S., he was reassigned to Fort Benning as a weapon instructor. While there and during a training session, an Army flame-throwing tank malfunctioned, and three soldiers were trapped inside as the tank caught fire. Kahl and another officer rescued them.  For this action, Kahl was awarded the Soldier’s Medal: one of the highest awards for heroism not involving an enemy.  His honorable discharge was April 1971.

Kahl’s wife, Sara, joined the Army in 1968 during her senior year of the BS Nursing Program at the University of Maine. She accepted a commission as Second Lieutenant in the Army Nursing Corp.  Her first active duty was at Letterman Hospital in Presidio, San Francisco, on a surgical unit receiving wounded Vietnam Veterans.  She was then sent to Chu Lai, Vietnam, to work in the 91^st Evacuation Hospital, Americal Division.  She was  assigned to the 20-bed Intensive Care Unit and the adjoined 20-bed Recovery Unit.  Upon her return home, she was assigned to Ft. McPherson, Georgia, to a medical surgical unit.   After her honorable discharge in 1971, she received the Army Commendation Medal and Bronze Star.

Bucky and Sara met in Vietnam and later married in Boston, Massachusetts.  The have three sons (Shamus, Conor, and Ryan) and four grandchildren.  They presently reside in Georgia and are very active in the Special Olympics and Habitat for Humanity, building numerous homes for the less fortunate.