During my 27 years as a state trooper in Oregon, I had more than a few opportunities to meet veterans with some very interesting stories. I’ll share some of these with you.

During part of my career, I was assigned to the motorcycle unit. One sunny day, I was working a stretch of I-5 where the speed limit was 55 mph, when a red Mercedes convertible cruised by at about 70. Not exactly a felony, but this was the start of my shift, and the rule of thumb was to never let the first infraction go by without stopping it whether or not you cited them or warned them. It was said (and it was mostly true) that this set the direction for your whole shift.
The operator and lone occupant was an older gentleman, white hair blowing in the wind, arm resting on the door, obviously enjoying the zen of the top down and a beautiful day. I pulled out and as I caught up to him, I saw a California plate on the car. But (and this is before the day when there was a plate for every special interest) it was a plate I had not seen before. I activated my lights and with a wave he acknowledged that he had seen me and pulled over. As I approached the car, I observed that there was a Marine Corps frame surrounding the California license plate that had a blue MOH ribbon and said "Medal of Honor" recipient. After giving the standard introduction, I asked him if he was registered owner of the car and if he had been awarded the MOH. He told me yes and gave me his driver’s license. I glanced at it and handed it back to him, telling him that it was a privilege to meet him. I then told him I was a Coast Guard veteran and that the Coasties and Marines had a special connection because ... and before I could finish, he said “because of Douglas Monroe”. Douglas Monroe is the Coast Guard’s only MOH recipient. He received the award posthumously for his actions removing wounded Marines from Guadalcanal. After a brief conversation, I told him to enjoy the rest of his trip and we parted ways.
Returning to my patrol office later in the day, I ran into my sergeant and told him the story. “Tell me you didn’t cite him” he said. I tried to convince him that I had but he didn’t buy it. I guess he knew me better than that.