KoolKat Profiles: an American Badasshole

Introducing KoolKat Profiles, an occasional feature in which we write about somebody who's kindof interesting and might be fun to learn about.


First up, one of America's biggest living Badassholes. What is a Badasshole? Urbandictionary defines it as "somebody who is, on the one hand, an incredible badass- but on the other hand, a terrible terrible asshole."

Nobody captures the spirit of the American Badasshole quite like Bud Day, age 83.

BADASS

Colonel Bud Day is the most highly decorated military veteran since General Douglas MacArthur (another legendary badasshole). Day holds nearly 70 military decorations, including the Medal of Honor, the Air Force Cross, the Distinguished Service Medal, the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit, two Bronze Stars for valor and four Purple Hearts.

Bud joined the Marine Corps at age 17 and fought in the Pacific theatre of World War 2. He fought in Korea and Vietnam as an Air Force pilot. By 1967 he was one of the most experienced Fighter Pilots serving the United States.

In 1955, he survived an ejection from his burning jet fighter- without a parachute. The first person to Ever survive a no-chute bailout.

In August 1967, his plane was shot down over Vietnam. He was captured by the Viet Cong, only to escape five days later, and- with no boots, without his flight suit, with a broken arm- he trekked 20 miles through the jungle, across the DMZ, to South Vietnam. The only U.S. prisoner to escape from North Vietnam.

Although he successfully crossed the border, he couldn't find the closest U.S. army base, and after about two weeks on the lam, Colonel Day was recaptured by the Viet Cong. For almost six years, until March 1973, Day was a prisoner of war, and regularly suffered starvation, beatings and torture at the hands of his captors. He even shared a cell for some time with John McCain.

ASSHOLE

So, after his retirement from the United States Military, what has Bud Day been up to? Well, his most famous recent work was as a Swift Boat Veteran for Truth.



And in addition to using his stature to impugn the good name of a fellow veteran, Bud is a top surrogate to attack those who question McCain's record of service - which just seems a little suspect considering the, oh ya know, massive hypocrisy of it all.