Todd Young: “I rise today to in honor of Hoosier Hero Carver McGriff. A great Hoosier is gone, and with him, another link to our…”

“I rise today to in honor of Hoosier Hero Carver McGriff. A great Hoosier is gone, and with him, another link to our Greatest Generation is lost. Carver McGriff of Indianapolis, who died on July 20 at the age of 99, never considered himself a hero or sought the many honors he received. After all, thousands of other boys stormed the beaches of Normandy. As Carver would remind us, he was just among the fortunate who came home. But a few of those honors bear mentioning: the Bronze Star, two Purple Hearts, the French Legion of Honor medal. Characteristically, on his induction into the Indiana Military Veterans Hall of Fame, Carver said, ``I have no idea what I did to deserve it, not very much.'' Let the record show, here is what he did to deserve it and why he was a hero: As part of the 90th Infantry Division, he manned a machine-gun on Utah Beach, surrounded by the enemy during Operation Overlord. He took artillery fire in both legs and one arm, was captured by the Germans, and spent a month as a prisoner of war. Injuries prevented further Active Duty, but after his rescue, he remained with the Army until the war was won and the Axis defeated. Like so many other Americans, he then came home, started a career, raised a family, and contributed to his community. He tried his hand at business, but Carver's calling was the ministry. He served for 26 years as the senior pastor at St.…”