MONROE COUNTY, Miss. (WTVA) — Anthony Daniels has plenty of reminders of his time overseas during the first Gulf War with the U.S. Army.
At his home near Amory, he pulled out a Coca-Cola can with Arabic on it. He also showed a bayonet off of an AK-47. And then there's the $10,000 Iraqi dinar with a picture of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.
Daniels said he has been approached to put his souvenirs in a museum but has declined.
He doesn't need those souvenirs or the medals he has earned to remember the experiences of being a combat medic.
According to Daniels, it was a job that involved taking care of everything from runny noses to bullet holes and more.
"Up in the Tigris and Euphrates river valleys was where we got hit with sniper fire, and I pulled my vehicle over and kept my lieutenant from getting shot and was nominated for a Bronze Star for bravery for that," said Daniels.
"He's done a lot," said Tyler Daniels, one of two sons with military service. "He's done a whole lot. He doesn't like to talk about it a lot, but I know he's proud of what he's done, and so are we."
For Anthony Daniels, his military service is in the past, but his love of country can be seen in the present.
He has a specialized Mississippi license plate on his truck that shows he's an Iraq War veteran. In his front yard, the U.S. flag flies high on a flagpole every single day of the year.
"When I look at the flag, it means a lot more to me than it does most," added Daniels. "It's pride, integrity and honor."
He's one of many who has served our country in uniform and is proud to be called a military veteran.
