Purple Heart Award

 (Written by Earl Griffin)

March 3, 2010, Austin, Texas, Building A, Headquarters, Texas Department of Public Safety:      …the cinco de peso silver star, the badge of the Texas Rangers, was never worn  with more distinction, more grace and more courage than when it was worn by The Ranger, Leo Hickman…Thus began the ceremony during which Texas Ranger Leo Hickman was awarded the first Purple Heart to be awarded to retired or former Texas Department of Public Safety Officers who were seriously wounded in the line of duty and to whom such recognition had not been extended because their injuries came before the award was instituted. 

I had the privilege of traveling to Austin for this ceremony with Leo, his beautiful wife, Billye, Judge  Dan Mike Bird (Judge of the 46th Judicial District of Texas) and William R. “Bill” Gerth (Retired Texas Ranger from Wichita Falls, Texas) in Judge Bird’s Suburban. And, as Judge Bird stated, it was a true privilege to do so and to be around Rangers Hickman and Gerth and to be regaled with their stories and remembrances of arrests, stakeouts, gunfights and meetings, all told with bold good humor and much much laughter.

 At the award ceremony, Steve McGraw, Director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, praised Leo and recounted the occasion when the Director was a beginning narcotics agent in Amarillo, Texas: “I received one of those subtle, gentle phone calls from Ranger Hickman, which many of you with the Department have received, suggesting I bring myself to Childress and he would personally explain to me what I needed to do in regards an anticipated drug arrest in which Leo was involved.” This brought a round of laughter and applause from the standing room only group crowded into the DPS cafeteria. Most had received just such a call from The Ranger. The Director and Senior Ranger Captain Leal went on to recognize Leo for his courage and steadfast refusal to quit during the gunfight and after, even though he had lost an eye and been shot in the back. “When we induct our new Rangers we tell them stories of the service performed by Rangers before them and one name is almost always mentioned and that name is Texas Ranger Leo Hickman…It is a pleasure and my privilege to hand this Purple Heart, in recognition of his devotion to duty and to the Rangers and of the sacrifice he faced and made on that occasion.” The large cafeteria, crowded to overflowing with people, including more than a hundred former and present Texas Rangers, rose to their feet and applauded as Leo took the award and posed for pictures.

 After the ceremony a reception was held in the Senior Captain’s offices. As we entered the area, the walls lined with photographs of Texas Rangers killed in the line of duty, one young Ranger remarked: “There’s Bill Gerth and Leo Hickman. Man, they’re legends among the Rangers. I’m gonna’ shake their hands.” And he did. Bill Gerth received the Medal of Valor for aiding in saving an officer’s life in a shoot out and Leo Hickman had just received the Purple Heart for his wounds suffered in a shootout.

During the reception a story was recounted where a former Senior Captain of the Rangers had requested the Captain of Company “C” to: “Take Gerth and Hickman back to the Red River and keep them there. Don’t ever let them come south of the Brazos together again or I’ll fire you!” It seems that during an In-Service meeting that the two had spent an inordinate amount of time “studying at the library” as Bill Gerth recalled, but the library turned out to be one of a couple of  Austin’s establishments with a checkered reputation (I promised Billye not to mention the establishments by name.).

The reception was filled with stories and laughter and handshakes and hugs from old comrades whom Leo had not seen for some time. New Rangers shook Leo’s hand and received sardonic advice, given with his patented “almost grin”: “When you’re in a bad old situation, shoot first and shoot straight or run like hell. But be real quick about doing one or the other.”, “I’m not gonna’ change. You’re not gonna’ change. And they’re not gonna change.”; “You’ll find out who your real friends are when the lead starts flying your way.” and  “Anyone can shoot a paper target. It’s when the target shoots back that what kind of shot you are matters.”

Others from this area traveling to Austin to see Leo receive the Purple Heart were Judge Stuart Messer (Judge of the 100th Judicial District), Sheriff Joe Stewart (Collingsworth County Sheriff) and Sheriff Gary Henderson (Former Texas Ranger and now Hemphill County Sheriff).