Word came that General Hay, who was a two-star general, was coming to make some awards to guys that were in the hospital and obviously if you're in the hospital you at least were going to get a Purple Heart. But then I was advised that he was going to award me the Silver Star for what had transpired, at this time, days before.

And I was taken by that and wondered how it would all be done and frankly it wasn't very fancy, he went around bed to bed and before he came into the hospital barracks, one of his aides I remember came to me and he said, "Look Costello, we know you're 18 years old. The general's going to come and give you the Silver Star and he's probably going to ask you how old you are and when he does, I'd like you to say you're 19 or 20."