LOCAL HERO

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• George Stevenson was born in 1945 in the Hudson Valley. Soon after his birth, the Stevenson's moved to Coldspring. The day George was born, was his dad's last mission as a tail gunner in a B-24S bomber which pounded German oil fields over Austria.

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• Two years after graduating high school, George was drafted into the U.S army. He joined the 199th division, the first ever trained for tactical jungle warfare.

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• The Selective Service System of the United States conducted two draft lotteries in December of 1963. Men born between 1944 and 1950 were subject to the draft. This how George was drafted.

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• In Vietnam, George was part of 25 Aerial assaults. An unbelievable number due to the dangerous nature of this military task. He was also part of one of the bloodiest day of the war, when American troops backed by the Mekong made a huge assault to overtake an old French post which belonged to the Vietcong.

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• Soon after arriving in Vietnam, George contracted malaria. He was also shot in the left shoulder and took a shrapnel to his right knee. Both injuries happened during the assault for the Old French Post.

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• After recovering in Vietnam, George soon joined the war once again. His actions earned him a promotion to specialist 4th class.

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• In 1967, George finally returned home. Though he was warmly welcomed by his family and friends. There was a lot of tension between soldiers and those who opposed the war.

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• Three years after returning home, George suffered a stroke which paralyzed his left hand and left him with a limp. Though the stroke was most likely caused by his war injuries. The Veterans Administration refused to classify George as disabled veteran. This denied him of much needed financial aid.

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• The VA award George a scholarship to the Art Students League. There he completed the four year program and also learned to draw with his left him. For a long time, Georges paintings was a big hit amongst the tourist.

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• Today you can be sure to find George strolling up and down Main Street.