Korean War veteran wins a Purple Heart, and more

Korean War veteran wins a Purple Heart

A Korean War veteran was awarded the Purple Heart last week nearly six decades after he rescued a fellow Marine. Retired Sgt. Eugene Bradford, 77, of Palo Alto, Calif., braved bursts of gunfire to carry a wounded soldier to safety on a Korean battleground in July 1953. After Bradford’s sister read an account of his actions two years ago, she arranged for his bravery to be recognized. “We don’t do these things for Purple Hearts,” Bradford said. “We do these things because we want to save the man down.”

Aspiritech's ideal software testers

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Asperger’s syndrome doesn’t have to mean unemployment. That’s the credo of Aspiritech, a startup in Highland Park, Ill., that has found that people with the mild form of autism make ideal software testers. The traits commonly associated with Asperger’s—laser-like concentration, comfort with repetitive tasks, and attention to detail—are among those required to be a first-rate product tester, according to Aspiritech. The nonprofit pays its testers between $12 and $15 an hour, and offers special training on adjusting to the working world. “They’re going to improve their job skills,” said Marc Lazar, Aspiritech’s autism specialist, “and they’re going to have more to put on their résumés.”

Teen's haunted house to benefit Make-A-Wish Foundation

A Cincinnati teenager has designed a haunted house for Halloween to benefit children with life-threatening illnesses. Ryan Thierauf, 16, spent 10 months devising scare tactics and converting a 2,000-square-foot home into Scream Acres—a ghostly experience for local chill-seekers in the period leading up to Halloween. Having built the attraction with the help of sponsors, Thierauf will now donate all proceeds from the $3 admission fee to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. “Being able to do what I love and help people out is a great thing,” he said.