Oak Island resident to represent North Carolina to be part of the Purple Heart Patriot Project

OAK ISLIAND, NC (WWAY)–On Monday, one Oak Island resident will be on his way to be remembered for his services in the Vietnam War.

Crawling through dense jungle, defusing land mines and ducking enemy fire — it was daily life for American troops during the Vietnam War. But for U.S. Marine Corporal Robert Cloninger, those moments are not distant history, but memories that never fully faded.

“I was injured during a North Vietnamese attack and ambush,” said Cloninger. “A grenade came out right beside me.”

Cloninger served in the U.S. Marine Corps during the height of the Tet Offensive, stationed near Da Nang and Khe Sanh, where he endured frequent enemy fire.

“You just waited for something to happen — and usually it did,” he said.

What happened next is something he still carries with him.

“A piece of shrapnel went right down on the bone,” Cloninger said. “It was X-rayed when I got out. I got home, and my wife actually saw a piece of metal in my shoulder, embedded in the nerves.”

Cloninger was awarded the Purple Heart. But like many Vietnam veterans, he said there was little recognition when he returned home.

“They were told, take off your uniform, try to reassimilate into life, don’t let anyone know you’re a Vietnam veteran. It was brutal,” said Russ Vernon, Executive Director of the National Purple Heart Honor Mission.

Now, Cloninger has been selected to be part of the Purple Heart Patriot Project, where veterans from across the country are brought to New York for a weeklong recognition event honoring their service and sacrifice.

Cloninger is selected to represent North Carolina, and says he is grateful for the recognition, but his thoughts remain with those who never made it home.

“It’s an honor,” Cloninger said. “But I think about the ones who didn’t make it home.”

To learn more about the National Purple Heart Honor Mission, or to donate, head to their website.