HELEN – A crowd gathered at the Helen Veterans Park Tuesday afternoon to pay tribute to White County’s highest decorated veteran, Pvt. Rondall H. Glaze.
Special guest for the presentation was Congressman Doug Collins, who presented medals earned by Glaze to his brother, Jackie P. Glaze of White County.
Born on April 16, 1926, Rondall H. Glaze was the fifth of 10 children born to Lester C. Glaze and Nezzie House Glaze. He registered for Selective Service on April 6, 1944.
He completed his training and sailed to Europe on Jan. 25, 1945. After serving for less than a month in the European Theatre of Operations, Glaze, 18, was killed in action on Feb. 17, 1945, when he voluntarily and single-handedly attacked a German crew-served machine gun emplacement, killing the crew and enabling his company to advance and achieve its mission.
Glaze’s heroism earned him the Distinguished Service Cross, the military’s second highest award for valor.
“As I was listening to this action of Pvt. Glaze when he was killed on 17 February of 1945, I began to actually ask myself, ‘Are we a little bit lower on the citation here?’ The heroic bravery shown by this man to take that kind of action, to go out in front, to lead the way, injured half way through, and then still took his own life in jeopardy and did not pull back,” Collins said. He went forward. That’s what we should celebrate in our country: those willing to take the next step and move forward. This is worth celebrating today.”
Collins said Glaze’s actions in paying the ultimate sacrifice lend themselves to a higher honor.
“So my question is, in all fairness … this sound more Medal of Honor than it does Distinguished Service Cross,” Collins told those gathered. “Because when you look at this, this may be something we actually ask the question of, because this is the kind of bravery we ought to lift up. This is the kind of thing that ought to be taught in every one of our classrooms. This is the kind of thing that should be discussed every Memorial Day when we remember those who have given their life in sacrifice as we go forward.”
In addition, Glaze earned the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with one Bronze Service Star, World War II Victory Medal, and Combat Infantryman Badge.
“As we go forward and a family member remembers, it takes memories from a long time ago and brings it up to today to remind us that we are only as good as those intentions inside of us that are acted upon,” Collins said. “Pvt. Glaze that day acted upon his intentions, knowing that it was probably not going to end well for him, but he knew that his actions would be better served for those who were fighting with him.”
Following the service, Collins shared what a medal presentation such as the one in Helen means to him.
“As a service member, someone who is still in the service, this means a lot to me,” Collins said. “When you take those medals, the medals that are awarded are for purposes, for reasons, and you’ve earned those, and to have those reunited with a family after so long is really for me one of the ultimate experiences of being a congressman, because it also gives us a chance to reflect on the value that was behind those and the action that was taken. You couldn’t have a more great example than Pvt. Glaze today.”
Glaze’s decision to act rather than wonder what if changed the course of the battle for those with whom he had served.
“It’s just a reminder that one person can change a battle, can change a life, or can change the world,” Collins said.
