Editorials represent the views of The Press Democrat editorial board and The Press Democrat as an institution. The editorial board and the newsroom operate separately and independently of one another.
Army Sgt. Richard “Butch” Penry came home to an America that seemingly disdained the unflinching bravery he had displayed in Vietnam. Receiving the military’s highest award could not shield the Petaluma native from the downward spiral that ensnared countless Vietnam vets and, in Penry’s case, resulted in state and federal drug convictions.
Having traveled the path from Medal of Honor recipient to felon, Penry died in 1994 at age 45 of what likely were combat-related causes…