Long-Ago Bravery Earns Fresh Salute from Vets

By Bronislaus B Kush
Telegram & Gazette Staff
Worcester Massachusetts
Rewritten and presented here by Bill Demarais
October 7, 2001

Worcester-Ernest Demarais doesn't remember much
about what happened on that spring day in 1970 in rugged
country side not far from Sagion, South Vietnam.

  In many ways his friends think that is good.
Baby faced and fresh out of high school he found himself
on March 30th that year a half a world away from his home
Willimantic Connecticut on a reconnaissance mission with other members
of the US Army's 34th Armored 25th infantry Division.
As it snaked through the countryside, Demarais's tank was ambushed
by a large enemy force. Almost instantly the vehicle was disabled by
a heavy barrage of rocket grenades small arms fire. According to Army official's,
 Demarais without thinking twice climbed to to top of the tank to find the
commander mortally wounded. Under a hail of bullets he shouted escape
instructions to the driver. He was knocked twice from the tank from Blast
concussions

 Head wounds

 Demarais, however refused to give up. Lying on the ground, he sprayed
the area with machine gun fire, allowing his fellow GI's to escape. He was found
11 days later with sever head wounds, by American forces sent into to recapture
the area. His bravery earned him a Silver Star and a Purple Heart-but it also robbed
him of his future he had planned.
  Demarais spent a year recuperating at a Army hospital at Valley Forge, PA.
and has spent most of his life in skilled nursing facilities.

 “He gave so much to this country” said his mother, Ruth “But he's never told us
much as to what happened”. Yesterday Demarais, now 49, was one of two veterans
honored for there valor at the annual veterans day program at West Side House on
Fruit Street, where he has lived since 1997.

 “I'm happy” said Demarais shortly after receiving a hearty round of applause
from about 100 people who attended the ceremony.

  The nursing center specializes in long term psychogeriatric care.
Seventy six disabled veterans from World War II, Korea, and Vietnam live there.


 “Devotion to Duty”

  “His valorous actions contributed immeasurably to the success of the mission”, wrote
an Army chief of Staff in notifying the Demarais family of the Silver Star commendation
 “The bravery aggressiveness and devotion to duty exhibited by Pvt. Demarais are in keeping
with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself,
his unit, the 25th infantry division and the United States Army”.