Question Details	Asked By	Asked On
Feel the pride!	kindj	07/11/06
http://www.wtv-zone.com/Mary/THISWILLMAKEYOUPROUD.HTML
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ETWolverine		07/12/06
Dennis, Yes, it does make me proud. G-d bless Captain Brian Chontosh, G-d bless the Marine Corps., G-d bless all our soldiers, and G-d bless the USA. Hoowah!!! Here are a few more stories we never hear about. --------------------- V Corps Tanker gets Silver Star for heroism in Iraq December 14, 2004 HEIDELBERG, Germany (Army News Service, Dec. 14, 2004) -- Spc. Micheaux Sanders deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003 fresh from Army basic training. Sanders tank crew and two others from his unit – C Company, 2nd Battalion, 37th Armor -- were called to the aid of a 1st Cavalry patrol trapped in an ambush by Iraqi insurgents. “There were blown up Humvees all over,” said Sanders. “They were throwing everything at us,” said Sanders. “They were shooting AK-47s, rocket-propelled grenades, pistols, shotguns and throwing grenades.” The tankers fired back, but were low on ammunition. Because the unit had been scheduled to move, the tanks had been prepared for transport, and were carrying only a minimum load of ammo. Sanders said he did his best, standing exposed to the enemy in one of the tank’s hatches and firing whatever he or his fellow crewmembers could find. A round struck Sanders in the arm, slicing straight through his shoulder and out the other side, but he says he barely noticed, waving off the medics who tried to come to his aid. When the bullets ran out, Sanders still wouldn’t give up. “I threw whatever I had at them,” he said. “When we ran out of bullets, I threw rocks.” Sanders was awarded the Silver Star when the 1st Armored Division was welcomed home to Germany in October. (Editor’s note: Information provided by Spc. Rebecca Burt, V Corps Public Affairs Office.) ---------------- Veterinary nurse honored for heroism in Iraq War By Keryn Page MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Shandon Gifford feels honored to receive the Soldier’s Medal for his heroic actions in the Iraq War, but he said the support he received during and after his service is more valuable than any award. Gifford, who served as a medic in Iraq with the Mississippi National Guard’s 223rd Engineering Battalion in 2003, is a surgical nurse with Mississippi State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. He was honored with the U.S. Army’s Soldier’s Medal during a special ceremony held at Camp McCain near Grenada July 15. “Since I got back from Iraq and since I got this award, people at the vet school have been thanking me for my service and congratulating me on my award. During my deployment, I got to come home for two weeks around Christmas, and the people here at the vet school were so good to me during that time,” Gifford said. “I haven’t gotten the opportunity to thank everyone for their concern. It means so much to me.” Gifford said his friends and co-workers at the veterinary college also supported and encouraged his family, with calls to his wife to ask if they could help her in any way. Gifford received the award for his actions during about one hour on May 7, 2003. Explosions were a normal part of daily life in Iraq, but Gifford said the explosion that day was “too close for comfort.” After hearing mention of a casualty over the radio, Gifford and Lt. John Paul went out to assess the situation. U.S. soldiers had been using bulldozers to clear a known minefield, so Gifford originally suspected one of the mines inadvertently had been detonated. But what Gifford and his lieutenant found was much more sinister: they believe two men intentionally set fire to the minefield, causing mortar rounds and land mines to start exploding. “We got out there and Lt. Paul said, ‘You know this is a minefield. You don’t have to go out there.’ But I knew he wouldn’t be able to treat injuries and drive the ambulance by himself,” Gifford said. “He offered three times to let me stay -- reminding me that I had a wife and children back at home to think about -- but I refused and said I was going to do my job.” Under heavy fire, Gifford and Paul finally discovered a Bradley fighting vehicle that had been hit by a mortar round. “The tank commander of that vehicle was coming up through his TC (tank commander) hatch when the round hit his vehicle and knocked the periscope completely off. Luckily the round didn’t explode when it hit the vehicle -- it blew up beside the vehicle -- but the periscope hit the tank commander in the head,” Gifford said. “We treated the casualty and took the wounded man back to the aid station to reevaluate him and confirm he was not seriously injured.” Paul nominated Gifford for the Soldier’s Medal the next month. This award is given to soldiers who risk their own lives to save the life of another soldier. Usually during war time, Gifford’s actions would have earned him a Bronze Star with a V device for valor. But because enemy action couldn’t be proven on that chaotic day, Gifford was eligible for the Soldier’s Medal. “The men we believe set fire to the minefield jumped back into their vehicle when we went out to investigate,” Gifford said. “Our Humvees couldn’t catch up to this vehicle, so we weren’t able to catch the saboteurs. As a result, enemy action could not be proven.” Paul’s nomination documents emphasize the heroism of Gifford’s actions. “While rushing through a hail of rocket fire and exploding ordnance, Sgt. Gifford narrowly missed being hit several times, but continued forward without hesitation or thoughts of his own safety,” Paul wrote. “With no way to suppress the incoming fire, he pressed on through multiple explosions until he was able to reach and evacuate the wounded soldier.” Gifford insisted he was simply doing the job he was trained to do. He said any soldier in a similar situation would take the same risk. “Lt. Paul was a good officer and he taught me a lot. I consider him a friend, and I knew one person couldn’t do this job alone,” Gifford said. “You try not to think about it being a dangerous situation and try to focus on the wounded soldier out there. I’m the one who’s been trained to help him. If not me, who’s going to do it? I just focused on that and did the best job I could.” Gifford’s award makes him the most decorated soldier from Mississippi in the Iraq War. He served in the National Guard for 12 years and was activated, though he never went overseas, during the first Gulf War. “I joined in ’89 when a friend tricked me into stopping by the Army recruiting unit. He said he had to talk to somebody and asked me to come in with him. We walked straight into the recruiter’s office, and they started working on me,” he said. “I believe the decision to enlist was the first adult decision I made in my life.” After basic training, Gifford took advanced individual training and became a medical specialist. That training qualified him to be an Emergency Medical Technician, which got him interested in nursing. Gifford then attended East Mississippi Community College and became a Licensed Practical Nurse in 1991. Gifford joined the CVM staff in 1998 as a surgical nurse in the Animal Health Center. His five-year pin for working at the CVM was waiting on his desk when he got back from Iraq, and two years later, he’s still wearing it proudly on his lab coat. Gifford is married to Elaine, and they have two daughters, Amber, 12, and Tori, 8. They live in Starkville. ------------------ 122nd pilots earn medals for heroism in Iraq tour December 20, 2005 (by Lieven Dewitte) - Three Indiana Air National Guard F-16 pilots, Lt. Col. Stohler, Capt. Rusch, and Capt. Frazier, were honored for their role in protecting soldiers on the ground in Iraq. The three pilots fly with the 122nd Fighter Wing of the Indiana Air National Guard based in Fort Wayne. Lt. Col. Michael D. Stohler, 38, Capt. Timothy D. Rusch, 33, and Capt. Brian K. Frazier, 35, were awarded the high-ranking Air Medal for single acts of heroism and achievement during their 100-day tour of duty in Iraq last year. This is the first time members of the Fort Wayne unit have received Air Medals tied to a single event. Ten F-16 fighter pilots from Fort Wayne's 122nd went on the mission that spanned the months of May through September 2004. Their mission was to give air support to Army and Marine ground troops. Rusch, a part-time pilot with the 122nd, destroyed three buildings in Samarra, Iraq, from which insurgents were shooting at Army soldiers. When the buildings were crushed, the shooting stopped, eliminating the threat, he said. This latest mission in Iraq was drastically different from the several other times the pilots had been sent to Iraq. Before, they had patrolled the no-fly zone for Iraqi aircraft. This time, they were in a combat zone watching over ground forces. This mission was "more satisfying" than the previous ones, Frazier said. The job was drastically different from the previous ones but that didn't throw them off. Because the 122nd practices every day for missions like this, the whole event had a routine feeling to it when they were in the air. "It just seemed like training and that's good," Stohler said. The only difference of course was that a real weapon came off the jet... The 122nd successfully completed their first overseas deployment with the F-16C when they deployed to Egypt in February 1993. The exercise, "Coronet Avenger," served as a training exercise, testing the capability of the unit to deploy and operate at an overseas location. ---------------------- Corpsman Awarded Silver Star for Heroism in Iraq Navy News | Bill W. Love | April 28, 2006 Corpus Christi, TX. - Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class (FMF) Juan M. Rubio, 32, of San Angelo, Texas, was awarded the Silver Star Medal April 27 for conspicuous gallantry against the enemy Jan. 1, 2005, while serving as a Marine Platoon corpsman in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). The Silver Star Medal is the U.S. Navy’s third highest award for gallantry in combat, following the Navy Cross and the nation’s highest award, the Medal of Honor. Rear Adm. Thomas R. Cullison, commander, Navy Medicine East and commander, Naval Medical Center, Portsmouth, Va., made the presentation in front of the Naval Hospital located aboard Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas. During the ceremony, Cullison spoke about the bond that Navy Medicine, particularly Navy corpsmen, share with Marines. “When we serve with the Marines and the Marines are with us, it’s a relationship that you can find nowhere else. The acceptance between these two groups is like no other,” emphasized Cullison. “The responsibility that we put on our young corpsmen in battle to perform and to save lives is incredible.” Clarifying that point, Cullison compared the controlled environment that he and other surgeons work in with the help of many others. “Young corpsmen who go to Field Medical Service School - usually straight out of high school - perform to save lives in combat, just as Petty Officer Rubio did, and they are amazing!” he said. Representing the Commanding General, 1st Marine Division, Marine Maj. Gen. R. F. Natonski and Command Master Chief Kelvin Carter hand-carried the award to Texas from Camp Pendleton, Calif., and assisted Cullison with the presentation. He also brought a personal message with him for Rubio. “I talked to all the Marines and Sailors in Iraq before I left, and those back in Camp Pendleton, and they want me to tell you, ‘good job, and outstanding job!’ They are damned proud of you," he said. "Please continue what you have done for our great nation, the Marine Corps and Navy team, and also for the Hospital Corps community.” Rubio had already earned the Purple Heart for wounds sustained in the Jan. 1, 2005, engagement while serving with 4th Platoon, Small Craft Company, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, U.S. Marine Forces Central Command. The citation accompanying his Silver Star Medal detailed how a well-emplaced and determined enemy ambushed Rubio and members of his team along the Euphrates River in a complex attack. As Rubio and an assault element swept through the ambush site, insurgents detonated an improvised explosive device. Rocket-propelled grenades and machine gun and small-arms fire followed immediately after the explosion, wounding three Marines. Realizing the severity of the Marines’ wounds, and bleeding profusely from his own, Rubio low-crawled across open terrain, exposing himself to enemy fire to provide triage. Simultaneously taking care of three urgent surgical casualties, Rubio coached his fellow Marines who were assisting other casualties as incoming enemy fire intensified. After stabilizing the wounded for casualty evacuation, Rubio directed the platoon to provide covering fire as he and several Marines began moving the casualties towards safety. Without regard for his own life, he once again exposed himself to the heavy and accurate enemy fire, moving the Marines from the ambush site to the shoreline. Rubio’s Silver Star Medal elevates him to a distinctively exceptional category of valor among Navy corpsmen since the commencement of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and OIF. Only two others have been awarded the Silver Star, none have received the Medal of Honor, and only one hero has been presented the Navy Cross. Rubio does not consider himself a hero, though. While addressing the audience, he revealed who he believes are the true heroes, mentioning his two sons by name and that of the mortally wounded Marine Lance Cpl. who shielded Rubio from 90 percent of the IED's shrapnel during the engagement. “When people ask me what it is like to be looked upon as a hero, I don’t see myself as such, because Joshua and Mathew and every son and daughter who’s out there and who has family members in Iraq, they’re the heroes,” he acknowledged while fighting back emotion. “They’re the ones who sacrifice their fathers and their mothers. That takes honor, courage and bravery to go home every night and pray that their fathers and mothers come home safe. "And Brian Parrillo, this is for you, brother," he said. "Thank you for bringing me home.” ----------------- Joliet graduate honored for his heroism in Iraq U.S. Army Staff Sgt James J. Johnson called last week while he was home on leave in Joliet visiting his parents, family and friends after serving in Iraq. Johnson comes from a long line of military men. His dad, George Johnson, served in the Air Force in Vietnam; his grandfather, the late James Cleary, served in the Navy in World War II; and his great grandfather, Peter Cleary, served in the Army in World War I. Johnson was deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom III from 2004 to 2005. He is currently assigned to 2nd Platoon, Delta Company, 269th Armor Battalion. While deployed in Iraq, Johnson received the Bronze Star Medal with Valor device for his exceptionally meritorious heroism and for valor and heroism during operations against hostile forces in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom III. Johnson distinguished himself as an M1A1 tank commander with 2nd Platoon, 28th Infantry Division, D Company, 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team. On Sept. 17, 2005, the 1st Platoon was conducting route clearance in Ramadi, Iraq. An anti-tank mine disabled the rear tank. Upon the 2nd Platoon's arrival to the disabled tank, the enemy attacked with small arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades. Johnson commanded the lead tank, in a formation consisting of a tank in the front and rear with four trucks in between for support. Within minutes of arriving at the 1st Platoon's location, the enemy engaged the 2nd Platoon with an improvised explosive device and a rocket-propelled grenade that disabled the company commander's truck. Without hesitation, Johnson maneuvered his tank in front of the disabled tank. The enemy then began concentrating its small arms fire towards Johnson's tank. Disregarding his personal safety, Johnson climbed out of his hatch and grabbed his equipment. Johnson and his team efficiently recovered equipment before other friendly forces could provide adequate suppressive fire against the persistent enemy force. Johnson supervised the recovery of equipment and finished within 20 minutes. Once completed, Johnson mounted his tank and led the elements of the 2nd Platoon back to Camp Corregidor without any casualties or loss of equipment. Johnson was honored because his display of personal courage under enemy fire and exemplary devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, Task Force Ironhawk and the United States Army. Still, Johnson said, "I didn't do it by myself. The Death Dealers (the platoon's nickname) are like brothers, everyone helped to make sure that we all got back safely." I must say that I agree with him. When you are stationed so long with soldiers, you develop a close-knit bond, like family. Everyone watches everyone's back. In the military, you make some of the best friends you'll ever have, friends that will always be there for you. Johnson credits his success on the battlefield to the values his parents taught him. "My parents instilled in me to always work hard and to do the right thing," he said. I also had the opportunity to speak with Johnson's mom, Carol Johnson, and I have no doubt she is very proud of him and supports him in his career. She speaks highly of her son, her husband and Johnson's grandfather and great-grandfather, who all have served our country. I'd like to thank his mom personally for putting me in touch with her son for this interview. Johnson will be reassigned to Fort Knox, Ky., in October and will attend Drill Sergeant Academy. Once he completes the training, he will become a drill sergeant instructor to train younger soldiers entering the armed forces. I have no doubt that these soldiers will get the best training needed to protect our country. The Herald News would like to thank and honor an outstanding soldier, Staff Sgt. Johnson for defending our country and wishes him success in reaching his future career goals. - If you know a soldier who has been deployed or is currently stationed state-side and would like to share his or her experience in the armed forces, contact Jean Edwards, staff writer, at jedwards@scn1.com or call (815) 729-6049. Biography • Staff Sgt. James J. Johnson • Branch: U.S. Army • Service: He is stationed at Fort Benning, Ga. Johnson has been on assignments in Iraq, Bosnia, Korea and Germany. He has served 10 years active duty and recently reenlisted for an additional 10 years. Johnson plans to make the Army his career. • School: 1995 graduate of Joliet Central High School. While in junior high, he was a newspaper carrier for The Herald News. He joined the Army and went to boot camp at Fort Knox, Ky., in September 1995. • Family: Johnson is married to Jessica and is the father of three children, Tyler 12, Hannah, 6, and Nathan, 1. He is the son of George and Carol Johnson. He has five sisters — Brandy, 30; Dawn, 27; Kelly, 25; Katie, 23; and Sarah, 18 — and two brothers —Christopher, 22, who is serving in the U.S Navy; and Stephen, 20. 06/15/06 ------------------- BRONZE STAR WITH VALOR NARRATlVE MAJOR KELLY MURRAY For exemplary courage under fire while serving in support of OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM during a highly coordinated enemy attack by paramilitary forces using an incendiary device, Rocket Propelled Grenade launchers and small arms fire on her convoy. Major (Doctor) Murray, Regimental Surgeon and Convoy Commander, was traveling to downtown Baghdad to meet with Iraqi representatives of the Ministry of Health to discuss civil medical issues concerning the 2d Armored Cavalry's Area of Operations. Departing at 0900 hours from the Regimental Tactical Operations Center and joined by LT Stillwell driving the lead escort vehicle and Doctor Mustafa Mohammed, Regimental Medical Advisor, this trip took the convoy through the Mustansiriyah University area, a part of East Baghdad that had been previously a quiet and secure area that was reported to be pro-Coalition. Traffic was moving along at approximately 15 miles per hour and was relatively dense, with civilian cars, light trucks and cargo trucks in every lane of the six-lane road. As the convoy was moving just outside of the University area and into a slightly more open area near a gas station and other small businesses, a young Iraqi male sprinted across the opposite road and shrub covered median and threw an incendiary device into the lead vehicle. Upon that device's explosion at MB914440, Lieutenant Stillwell somehow halted the vehicle and as he fell out of the vehicle, his HMMWV was struck by a Rocket Propelled Grenade Launcher and exploded in a ball of fire. Major Murray directed Sergeant Kirk to reverse quickly and get their vehicle out of the intersection and kill zone where the lead HMMWV was now burning intensely. Had she not ordered her vehicle out of the kill zone, the enemy, who stockpiled seven other Grenade Launchers at the launching point in order to destroy her vehicle and up to six additional vehicles, would have certainly attacked her vehicle as well. As her vehicle halted outside of view of the enemy element that fired the grenade, Major Murray saw a badly burned and stunned Stilwell exit the vehicle and stagger back toward her vehicle, collapsing on the median. She immediately exited the vehicle and simultaneously provided security by aiming her MI6 rifle toward the attack area with her left hand while tending to Lieutenant Stillwell and checking him for shrapnel wounds with her right hand. After stabilizing her patient and loading him into her HMMWV, she ran up to the burning HMMWV to join Sergeant Kirk in searching for the missing Doctor Mustafa. Even though she was moving directly into danger, she risked her life to find and assist Doctor Mustafa. Using her weapon and verbal commands to warn off approaching members of an extremely hostile crowd that was later determined to be chanting anti-American slogans, Major Murray and Sergeant Kirk continued to search the burning vehicle for the second member of the team. At that point neither Major Murray nor Sergeant Kirk knew that Doctor Mustafa had heard the anti-American crowd chanting and decided to self-evacuate himself to medical care to prevent the crowd from killing him while they were treating him. After searching under and looking into the intensely burning HMMWV, Major Murray returned to Lieutenant Stillwell to continue care. Believing that Doctor Mustafa could still be in or near the burning vehicle, Major Murray and Sergeant Kirk again ran forward to search for the doctor and for ways to extract him from the intensely burning fire. At that point she and Sergeant Kirk became aware of small arms fire being directed at them from another attacking element on the near side of the road. But they continued to search the area until it became clear that there could be no survivor left in the vehicle. Returning to a growing, verbally hostile crowd that was approaching the vehicle, she directed Sergeant Kirk in navigating his vehicle out of the area and to a Level II medical treatment facility where medical personnel where able to further stabilize the burns and minimize the potential for catastrophic loss of limb to Lieutenant Stillwell. Major (Doctor) Murray's situational awareness and level headedness helped avert certain attack by waiting ambushers as well as prevented any loss of life or limbs in a clearly well-planned and executed enemy attack with three separate attacking elements. Major Murray's selfless service, courage and valor in risking her life to help fallen comrades under fire were above and beyond the call of duty and reflect the highest Cavalry traditions. --------------- Military police unit honored for heroism in Iraq Wsmv.com FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. (AP) -- (May 13, 2004) A military police battalion was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation on Wednesday for extraordinary heroism in Iraq, receiving it for the second time in unit history. The award Wednesday for the 716th Military Police Company was especially gratifying to the soldiers because it contrasts news out of Iraq about the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by U.S. military police officers at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. "I think you should take this story and put it right over top of the other one," said Capt. Terri Dorn, commander of the 194th Military Police Company within the battalion. "There are so many good things that the military police do, so many good things that these soldiers have done and it's kind of sad to have an individual incident happen and it just kind of clouds over all the good things that we've been doing," said Dorn, 32, of Green Bay, Wis. The 716th Military Police Battalion is the only one in Army military police corps history to receive the award, which honors actions that set it apart from others in the same war, said battalion commander Lt. Col. Ashton Hayes. The 716th first received the Presidential Unit Citation for its defense of the U.S. Embassy in Saigon, Vietnam, in 1968. The latest award is for its work in southern Iraq while attached to the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force for major combat. It provided security to the Marines, detained prisoners of war and conducted convoy operations. Its force of 1,200 later moved into seven Iraqi cities to rebuild police operations and rebuild infrastructure. "You once again stood up and held your heads high. The 716th knew what it was supposed to do in another one of our nation's wars to earn yourselves a Presidential Unit Citation, the highest award the government has to give," said Marine Col. John Sweeney. "There's no doubt here the every soldier here earned that, and we are thankful for that." Sweeney, chief of staff of the 1st Force Service Support Group, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, spoke at the ceremony Wednesday where the award was presented. The 716th was the largest military police battalion in Iraq for major combat. Its partnership with the Marines is believed to be the first time an Army military police battalion was attached to a Marine unit during combat operations, Hayes said. After the Marines returned home, the 716th supported a coalition of Polish and Spanish armies in southern Iraq. On Oct. 17, 716th battalion commander Lt. Col. Kim S. Orlando was killed by hostile fire in Karbala. Hayes was flown to Iraq from Fort Riley, Kan., to take command of the 716th. Combined, the battalion was awarded 27 Purple Hearts to those injured in combat -- including four awarded posthumously to those killed. The unit's history dates to World War II when it helped guard troops and equipment transporting in and out of Jersey City, N.J. Since Vietnam, it has deployed to Grenada, Panama, Kosovo, and Saudi Arabia for the 1991 Persian Gulf War. It is the most decorated military police battalion in the Army. --------------------- The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, March 3, 1863, has awarded in the name of Congress the Medal of Honor to Sergeant First Class Paul R. Smith United States Army For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty: Sergeant First Class Paul R. Smith distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action with an armed enemy near Baghdad International Airport, Baghdad, Iraq on 4 April 2003. On that day, Sergeant First Class Smith was engaged in the construction of a prisoner of war holding area when his Task Force was violently attacked by a company-sized enemy force. Realizing the vulnerability of over 100 fellow soldiers, Sergeant First Class Smith quickly organized a hasty defense consisting of two platoons of soldiers, one Bradley Fighting Vehicle and three armored personnel carriers. As the fight developed, Sergeant First Class Smith braved hostile enemy fire to personally engage the enemy with hand grenades and anti-tank weapons, and organized the evacuation of three wounded soldiers from an armored personnel carrier struck by a rocket propelled grenade and a 60mm mortar round. Fearing the enemy would overrun their defenses, Sergeant First Class Smith moved under withering enemy fire to man a .50 caliber machine gun mounted on a damaged armored personnel carrier. In total disregard for his own life, he maintained his exposed position in order to engage the attacking enemy force. During this action, he was mortally wounded. His courageous actions helped defeat the enemy attack, and resulted in as many as 50 enemy soldiers killed, while allowing the safe withdrawal of numerous wounded soldiers. Sergeant First Class Smith’s extraordinary heroism and uncommon valor are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, the Third Infantry Division “Rock of the Marne,” and the United States Army. ----------------- Marine receives Navy Cross for heroism in Iraq A sergeant from Camp Pendleton, Calif., received the Navy Department’s second highest award for his actions during last year’s invasion of Iraq. Navy Secretary Gordon England presented the Navy Cross to Sgt. Marco A. Martinez, 22, with 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, at a Monday afternoon ceremony at Camp Pendleton, according to a press release. Martinez is one of a handful of service members since the Vietnam War to receive the medal, second only to the Medal of Honor. Three other Marines from the same Regiment also received Silver Stars at the ceremony. Staff Sgt. Adam R. Sikes, Cpl. Timothy C. Tardif and Gunnery Sgt. Jeffrey E. Bohr, Jr., each received the Silver Star, the Navy Department’s third-highest award. Bohr’s wife, Lori, accepted the award on behalf of her husband, who was killed April 10, 2003, in Iraq. “These brave Marines did good things without notice and without the acclaim of crowds,” the press release quoted England as saying. “But they got the acclaim of their fellow Marines.”. Martinez, Sikes and Tardif were recognized for their actions during an April 12, 2003, ambush of 1st Platoon, Golf Company, 2/5, at the town of Tarmiya, about 20 miles north of Baghdad. The platoon was moving north to take on Iraqi Fedayeen fighters in Tikrit when it was ambushed. Martinez’s squad leader was wounded in the attack and Martinez, then a corporal, took over and led an assault through a tree line where the ambush began, according to his award citation. While the squad received heavy fire from a nearby building, Martinez launched a captured enemy rocket-propelled grenade into the building, silencing the fire long enough for a wounded Marine to be evacuated from the area. Martinez then “single-handedly” assaulted the building and killed four enemy soldiers using his rifle and a grenade, the citation said. Silver stars Sikes, pinned down by heavy small-arms and RPG fire in the opening moments of the ambush, rallied two squads for a counter attack, then charged alone across 70 meters of fire-swept ground to close in and destroy an enemy strongpoint, his citation states. He then climbed to the roof of a three-story building and sent 60mm mortar rounds onto nearby Iraqi positions. Tardif, who also was pinned down by Iraqi fire, charged across a road under intense small-arms and RPG fire, and was wounded by shrapnel from a grenade during the close-quarters battle that followed. Despite being wounded, Tardif refused to be evacuated and led his squad in an assault on an enemy-held compound, his citation said. After securing the compound, Tardif collapsed from his wounds. Bohr was honored posthumously for his actions in a separate firefight while serving as the company gunnery sergeant for Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment. He had volunteered to accompany the company’s armored convoy in a soft-skinned Humvee during a seizing of a presidential palace in Baghdad to ensure the convoy was resupplied quickly, his citation said. While moving through the narrow streets of Baghdad, the convoy came under intense fire and Bohr was killed while trying to get a medical evacuation vehicle to a wounded Marine. --------------------- CEC Officer Earns Bronze Star For Heroism In Iraq Story By: Jim Beltz, Public Affairs Officer, NAVFAC Southern Division, Last Updated: 07/09/2004 LCDR Brett Blanton was officially presented the Bronze Star with Valor Thursday, June 17, for combat heroism while temporarily assigned in Iraq. Blanton, who is the Division Director of the Operations Support Business Line at Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southern Division, is credited for saving the lives of five civilians when their convoy was ambushed on June 25, 2003. Blanton's vehicle received sustained incoming fire and was hit by a grenade. He is credited with demonstrating uncommon valor, selflessness and proficiency by escorting four unarmed civilians to safety. At great risk to himself, he then returned into the damaged vehicle to free a fifth trapped civilian. "I was concerned about the safety of the people who were under my supervision," said Blanton. "It (heroism) was something I never expected or wanted to do. I would have been devastated if they had been hurt." As a temporary duty assignment while stationed at Southern Division, Blanton was detailed to Baghdad, Iraq, from Feb. 28 to July 31, 2003, to be the Operations Officer for the Coalition Provisional Authority. He has been credited as the single driving force behind the planning and execution of the reconstruction effort in Baghdad, managing more than $250 million in projects and aid throughout the city. Also, he planned, organized and conducted more than 280 scout, reconnaissance and convoy missions into hostile or uncertain sectors of Baghdad during this six-month deployment. "We went into Iraq thinking we'd restore the country to where it was before the war," Blanton said during the ceremony. "Once there, we learned the country was dysfunctional before the war. But I'm convinced that years from now, Iraq will be the bastion of the Middle East, the Garden of Eden. Eventually, I think tourism will be Iraq's No. 2 industry." --------------- She Lost A Hand; Would Sacrifice More Gravely Injured In Iraq, This Hero Still Has More To Give NEW YORK, April 12, 2006 Quote "I don't think that you can sacrifice enough for the freedoms of America." ----Sgt. Juanita Wilson (CBS) Sgt. Juanita Wilson was on patrol outside Baghdad when a roadside bomb exploded beneath her vehicle. "I remained calm, I recalled trying to help my driver, and then I started to feel some tingling on my own body, and I looked down, and of course my hand was gone," she said. But less than two years later, she is proving her commitment to her country once again. That kind extraordinary patriotism makes her the subject of our American Hero series. CBS News correspondent Joie Chen reported Wilson's story for The Early Show. She says Wilson has learned to function with her prosthetic left hand and is back at work at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington. It's the same hospital where Wilson did her own recovery and rehabilitation. She has a Purple Heart for her bravery, and certainly no one would blame her for wanting to stay home with her husband and their 7-year-old daughter. But Wilson was determined to return to the Army Reserves. "Many may say that I've sacrificed quite a bit. I don't really look at it that way. I don't think I've sacrificed enough," she told Chen. "I don't think that you can sacrifice enough for the freedoms of America." Wilson's commitment to her country runs in the family. She hopes her daughter will join the military one day — and her husband already has. Fourteen months after his wife lost her hand in Iraq, Charles Wilson joined the Army. He told Chen he was inspired to do it by the young amputees he saw while his wife was in the hospital. "I do it for my country. I love my country," he said. "I'm a fit guy. I know I can get the job done. So I took the best job that I could take as being an infantryman. Being on the front line, getting the job done." Charles Wilson is now a private in the third ID, the infantry division. His unit is known as ൓ Bang Bang" and it's almost a certainty that they will see combat. As for Juanita Wilson, she doesn't know yet if her reserve unit will be called back to serve in Iraq, but she says if and when it is, she will be ready. ©MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. -------------- I could go on, but I think you all get my point. G-d bless them all and bring them home safely. Elliot

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