This is the VIC 4 VETS, Weekly Honored Veteran.
SUBMITTED BY: JOE RUSCH
Jim Mayer
who is a US Army veteran that served in Vietnam.
He will be inducted in the Missouri Veterans Hall of Fame on Friday, October 24th.
The ceremony will take place in the rotunda of the State Capitol in Jefferson City.
Just two months into his Army service in Vietnam, Jim was on patrol when he stepped on a land mine.
He ended up losing both of his legs below the knee.
April 25th, 1969 is the day that changed his life and in turn, it has changed the lives of hundreds, if not
thousands of other veterans with whom he came in contact. Every April 25th, Jim celebrates his
“Alive Day” with family and friends to note this turning point in his life.
The “Milkshake Man” was born in the early 1990s. He has had an impact on many veterans who have
suffered similar injuries. During visits to Walter Reed Hospital, Jim started bringing them McDonalds
milkshakes to make them feel more at home and give them a feeling of comfort.
Jim worked at the VA from 1978 to 2007 and then moved to the Wounded Warrior Project as the
Director of Peer Mentoring from 2007 to 2016.
Jim was inducted into the Affton (MO) High School Hall of Fame in 2009. Jim was a member of the Affton H.S. class of 1964. https://afftoneducationfoundation.org/hall_of_fame
Below are links to various articles about Jim that highlight his story and service:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EVQws0Gzy0
https://abcnews.go.com/WNT/PersonOfWeek/story?id=131829&page=1
Jim has worked with the Aleethia Foundation to help provide thousands of free steak dinners to injured veterans and
their families as part of their recovery.
https://www.legion.org/information-center/news/troops/2013/october/ocw-among-wounded-warriors-dinner-sponsors
Jim’s service was immortalized in a Doonesbury comic strip.
https://news.va.gov/press-room/emissary-of-hope-honored-for-aid-to-combat-veterans/
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This Week’s VIC 4 VETS, Honored Veteran on NewsTalkSTL.
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