Army veteran John Spencer honored with Purple Heart Ceremony

Despite the rainy conditions, a crowd gathered outside of Van Hecke-Wettach Hall on Thursday, Nov. 4, to honor Army veteran John Spencer in a Purple Heart ceremony. 

After opening words from Martin Brinkley, dean of the UNC School of Law, a presentation of the colors by the UNC Army ROTC and a rendition of the National Anthem, the ceremony began. 

The Purple Heart Ceremony honored Spencer’s service and sacrifice. 

Spencer, was drafted in 1969 to serve in the Vietnam War as an Army armored reconnaissance specialist in the infantry in combat. After being hit in the neck with shrapnel, Spencer returned to Washington, D.C. with an other than honorable discharge, disqualifying him of veteran benefits. About 50 years later, Spencer turned to the Military and Veterans Law Clinic to help correct his military record to accurately reflect his service.

Spencer was presented with three military awards and decorations presented by Brigadier General Alison C. Martin with assistance from Lieutenant Colonel Dan Hurd and law student Rich Nguyen-Le. 

After an introduction from Dean Brinkley, Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz took the stage to commend Spencer and John Brooker, a professor and director of the Military and Veterans Law Clinic.

“While this ceremony should have happened 51 years ago, I am so glad we are able to see through today,” Guskiewicz said, “We wouldn’t be here without the hard work and diligence of John Brooker and his students.”

The Military and Veterans Law Clinic helps provide legal services to primarily low income former service members who are precluded from receiving Department of Veterans Affairs health care and disability benefits.

Brooker said that the clinic aims to train the next generation of public servants and leaders by providing them an opportunity to help people fix their military discharge status. 

Isabelle Stevens, class of 2021, said she began working at the clinic her first year as a research assistant. Her first assignment was as primary attorney for Spencer. While reviewing his case, Stevens, and the rest of the team, found out that he should have been awarded the Purple Heart and other awards years prior. 

“Mr. Spencer, you, your story, your challenges, your grace, your perseverance, you have made a lasting imprint on my life, and I know that I am not the only one,” Stevens said during the ceremony. 

 Martin presented Spencer with the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantryman Badge and the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with assistance from Hurd and Nguyen-Le. 

“I am very grateful I get to see this in my lifetime,” Spencer said. 

Stevens said this award should've been given 50 years ago and Spencer deserved an honorable discharge.

“He is finally getting the recognition he deserves after 50 years of living with this stigma and the shame of what he felt for having a discharge that should have never been that way and not getting the recognition, health care, and treatment he was entitled to,” Stevens said. 

However, Stevens also said that there is more work to be done.  

"There are so many more people out there that are in similar shoes to what Spencer dealt with whether their discharge was because of racism or gender inequality or mental health that was not well recognized at their point of being discharged," she said.

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