Almost 60 years after his service in Vietnam, the Portland post of the Veterans of Foreign Wars office honored David Whitten of Portland with a Purple Heart and almost 20 other military awards on Friday.
Though the awards came nearly six decades after he was injured in combat, Whitten said being honored for his service made it one of the best days of his life.
"I don't think I'm a hero. I think I'm a survivor. But today, I love you guys calling me a hero," Whitten said. "I love my medals and everything everybody said, that sign out front, 'welcome home Dave Whitten,' I can honestly say I really feel like I'm back home again."
Maine Senator Angus King presented Whitten with the medals, as King's office had worked to make the army aware of Whitten's service and eligibility.