CONYERS - Rockdale County resident Ret. Command Sgt. Maj. Simon Ramos was awarded a long-overdue Purple Heart for wounds he received in Vietnam in 1962 in a ceremony held at the Walk of Heroes Veterans Memorial in Rockdale County on July 1.

Due to confusion about his military records, Command Sgt. Maj. Ramos was not properly recognized previously. After attempting to correct the record for six years, Ramos turned to Congressman Johnson's office, where District Director Cathy Register resolved the matter within weeks.

Ramos served for more than 35 years in the Army from 1952 to 1987. He served valiantly in both the Korean and Vietnam wars. On Wednesday, Ramos was finally recognized and presented the Purple Heart by Congressman Johnson in a ceremony held at the Walk of Heroes Veterans Memorial in Conyers, attended by his family and friends.

Ramos joked with his friends and family, "We're going to celebrate and get drunk. It only takes three drinks, so it's not a long process."

Due to confusion about his military records, Command Sgt. Maj. Ramos was not properly recognized previously. Mr. Ramos served for more than 35 years in the Army from 1952 to 1987. He served valiantly in both the Korea and Vietnam wars.

In May, 1962, Ramos was injured in Vietnam when his company came under grenade attack, seriously wounding his left arm.

"Across the country children and their parents are free to go to school or work - to live their lives and pursue their idea of happiness because people like Command Sgt. Maj. Simon Ramos served our country with distinction," said Johnson, a member of the House Armed Services Committee. "He and others like him sacrificed their lives for the freedom that many of us take for granted this day. It's an honor to participate today in awarding the Purple Heart to Mr. Ramos 50-plus years after he was wounded in battle."

In May, 1962, Ramos was injured in Vietnam when his company came under grenade attack, seriously wounding his left arm.

In the early 1960s, Mr. Ramos was assigned to the Special Forces in Vietnam, where he served as Operations Sergeant. While working with and training Vietnamese rangers on May 23, 1962, in a field near the Vietnamese town of Katum, he and his brothers came in contact with the enemy. Mr. Ramos' left arm was seriously wounded after his company came under grenade attack as they entered the town. He was hospitalized at Walter Reed Hospital near Washington, D.C. After his discharge from the hospital in 1963, Ramos rejoined the Special Forces as an instructor.

Ramos is a resident of Conyers and has been married to his wife Emily for 62 years. He and Emily have six children - five sons and one daughter.

The Purple Heart was established by Gen. George Washington in 1782 during the Revolutionary War and is awarded to any soldier who is wounded or killed in the line of duty.