Updated: 12 June, 2006
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Veteran
receives medals for World War II service Joseph H. Hoover Jr. recently received several medals, a citation and a ribbon for his service while serving in the U.S. Army during World War II -- more than 55 years after earning them. A battalion radio operator in the 1st Infantry Division, the 77-year-old served from September 1943 to January 1946. He was in France, Belgium, Germany, Czechoslovakia and England and was in the Battle of Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge. Mr. Hoover was awarded The Bronze Star, Good Conduct Medal, European Theater of Operation Medal, Presidential Citation with Oak Leaf Cluster, Army Unit Commendation Ribbon, Victory World War II Medal, American Campaign Medal and Combat Infantry Army Medal PublicOpinionOnline Nov 02 |
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Decades late, vets show their medal Florence and Charles McComber put World War II behind them in 1945. Florence McComber was awarded the Bronze Star, the Philippine Defense Medal, the Women's Army Corp's Service Medal and the Asia-Pacific Medal. Her husband received the Asia-Pacific Medal, Good Conduct Medal and the World War II Victory medal. (Dec 02) |
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WWII Vet given lost medals - James Brooks Speer, who survived both the Battle of the Bulge and a German prisoner of war camp, had never received public acknowledgment of the eight medals he earned in combat. Bronze Star, Purple Heart, POW Medal) (Mar 02) |
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Green Berets awarded for heroism in Afghanistan Army Chief of Staff Gen. Eric K. Shinseki awards Capt. Jason L. Amerine of the 5th Special Forces Group a Bronze Star with V Device for valor during combat in Afghanistan. Twelve Bronze Star medals awarded - Capt. Jason Amerine, Sgt. 1st Class Michael McElhiney, Sgt. Gilbert Magallanes Jr., Sgt. 1st Class Ronnie Raikes, Staff Sgt. Bradley Fowers, Sgt. 1st Class Vaughn Berntson, Staff Sgt. Wesley McGirr, Co. A, 3rd Bn., 5th SFG (A), Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Pickett, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Bn., 5th SFG (A), Capt. Kevin C. Leahy, Capt. Paul R. Syverson, 1st Sgt. David B. Betz and Sgt. 1st Class Paul Beck, HHC, 3rd Bn., 5th SFG (A). Four soldiers, Amerine, Magallanes, McElhiney and McGirr received the Bronze Star with the V-Device for valor in combat. Eight of the 12 Bronze Star recipients were also awarded the Purple Heart at the ceremony (the other four received the honor in December) along with Capt. John Leopold, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Terry Reed, Staff Sgt. Hamid Fathi and Spc. John Menefee, HHC, 2nd Bn., 5th SFG (A), and Sgt. 1st Class David Kennedy, HHC 2nd Bn., 5th SFG (A). Two Air Force Special Operations members were also presented the Purple Heart at the ceremony: Staff Sgt. Craig Musselman and Staff Sgt. Alan Yoshita, Detachment 2, 10th Combat Weather Squadron. Army Link News Jan 02 |
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Civil affairs soldiers' efforts recognized during ceremony Nearly 50 soldiers from the 96th Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne) recently garnered a variety of awards for their efforts as part of Operation Enduring Eagle. Nearly 50 awards, including Bronze Stars, Combat Infantryman Badges, Combat Medical Badges, Army Commendation Medals and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, were presented to soldiers from the 96th Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne). Army Public Affairs August 28, 2002 |
Veteran
Receives Bronze Star Medal
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Air Wing Commander Receives Bronze Star Medal In a recent ceremony at sea aboard USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63), the Bronze Star Medal was presented to Capt. Patrick Driscoll, commander, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5. Capt. Driscoll received this honor for meritorious achievement in connection with combat operations while serving as deputy commander of CVW-5 during Operation Enduring Freedom. “This award is the result of Captain Driscoll's outstanding leadership, consummate operational skills, and superb effectiveness in a combat environment,” said Kunkle. “His innovative tactics and flawless efforts to coordinate fixed wing operations with rotary wing aircraft from the special operations forces, were brilliant in every respect.” US Navy NewsDec 02 |
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58 Years Later, Local WWII Vet Gets Medal As an Army sergeant in World War II, Michael Brutscher (pictured, right) was sent to Tibet to buy horses for the Chinese. He embarked on a 26-day trek through knee-deep snow to bring the animals back. "Blizzards, icy trails ... we had to exchange a few shots with the bandits," Brutscher said. "They wanted to steal the horses." As a result, Brutscher earned a bronze star for heroic and meritorious achievement. He received the honor years ago, but never got the 1 1/2-inch medal that goes with it. WTAE-TV, PA - 31 Mar 2003 |
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WWII veteran receives Purple Heart Stanley B. Durgin waited 61 years before finally being awarded the Bronze Star, Purple Heart and Prisoner of War medal for his service during World War II. Lewiston Sun Journal, ME - March 03
WW II Vet gets Bronze Star, Purple Heart -Stanley Durgin was presented with the bronze star, the purple heart, and the prisoner of war medals for his service in World War II. Durgin was wounded and captured during the battle of Bataan in the Phillipines--and was a prisoner of war for three years. He is one of the few survivors of the infamous Bataan death march. WLBZ-TV March 03
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Qatari firefight earns airman a Bronze Star for valor Senior Airman Clinton Boyd killed a man, and received the Bronze Star for valor, the nation’s fourth-highest combat award. The act outside Al-Udeid Air Base, Qatar, was more than self-preservation: Boyd potentially saved the lives of 20 Americans. (Jan 03) |
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Wait for medal ends In December 1944, Nick Swyka was a member of the 395th Infantry Regiment serving in Belgium. In a last desperate bid to force the Allies into a negotiated agreement to end World War II, German commanders launched a surprise attack on American forces through the Ardennes Forest. Suddenly the 395th was in the thick of the fighting. Swyka never had been given his Bronze Star, a Combat Infantryman's Badge and other medals. Delewareonline Dec 02 |
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Funeral Held For Indianapolis Soldier Dignitaries, family members and friends honored Pfc. Jesse Halling who died June 7 protecting his comrades in Iraq. He has been awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star Medal. He has also has been recommended for a Silver Star Medal, but that decoration has not yet been approved. INDYchannel.com 17 Jun 03 |
War medals spark 'powerful memories' Robert Simmons received nine medals and other awards - including the prestigious Bronze Star with clusters. Clinton Herald, IA - 12 Jun 2003
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Wounded war medic awarded Bronze Star Medal Alan Babin, Jr. was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with Valor from U.S. Army Major General Swanick of the 82nd Airborne. Babin was serving as a platoon medic in Iraq, when he willingly risked his own safety to treat a fellow soldier. Babin was injured while treating his fellow soldier. News 8 Austin, TX - 16 Jul 2003 |
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Franklin native earns medal for valor in Iraqi war effort First Sgt. William E. Secules has been awarded the Bronze Star medal with the V device (for valor) for his six-month service with the U.S. Army in Iraq for "exceptionally meritorious achievement," Secules repeatedly "took the initiative in enemy territory to protect the soldiers in his care" during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Oil City Derrick, PA - 6 Aug 2003 |
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Lost War Medals Being Returned - John Murray displays the Bronze Star and Purple Heart he plans to deliver in person this weekend in Illinois to the family of Fred Johnson WSTM-TV |
Rep. Larson delivers World War II medals James J. Brady also received the Good Conduct Medal, the American Campaign Medal, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal and triple bronze star attachment, WWII Victory Medal, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Honorable Service Lapel Button, and the Expert Badge with Rifle Bar. Torrington Register Citizen, CT - 8 Aug 2003
Bonita veteran given long overdue medals in American Legion ... Medals given to retired Lt.Col. Fred Henry during a ceremony at the Bonita Springs American Legion Post on Thursday morning are: top row, from left: Bronze Star Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal and Oak Leaf Cluster, Meritorious Unit Citation. Bottom row, from left: Army of Occupation Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal and Bronze Star Attachment, and Armed Forces Reserve Medal. Bonita Daily News, FL - 14 Aug 2003 |
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Long Valley soldier gets medal for Iraq service Army Capt. Edward Croot Jr. was awarded the Bronze Star with "V" (valor). Croot served as the detachment commander for Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha 375 during combat operations in Northern Iraq earlier this year. Because Croot seemed to have a natural ability for languages and was proficient in German, the Army schooled him in Arabic, which he now speaks fluently. A statement issued by the Army said Croot was awarded the Bronze Star for having led his detachment in "Special Reconnaissance and Unconventional Warfare Operations" in support of coalition attacks in the Makloub mountain region and during subsequent support and stability operations in Mosul from March 23 to April 15. As an airborne Ranger, Pathfinder, Green Beret, and Special Forces soldier, Croot has been in places around the world that might cause his family to worry. He has served in Kosovo, Macedonia, Yemen, and Zambia. He was also stationed in Germany for three years, and is now on his second tour in Afghanistan. Observer-Tribune 02 Oct 03 |
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Navy Captain Awarded Bronze Star for OIF Special Ops Capt. Dan Cain, former Director of Professional Development for the Naval Reserve Officers' Training Corps program office at the Naval Education and Training Command (NETC) here, was recently awarded the Bronze Star medal for his achievements as Joint Close Air Support (JCAS) Component Commander for Special Operations Forces and as Liaison Officer for the Commander of the 5th Fleet during combat operations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). Cain was involved in providing nighttime JCAS for a number of special operations, including the rescue of Army Pvt. Jessica Lynch by the Special Operations Forces (SOF). Much of Cain's efforts remains classified; however, the unclassified award citation commended Cain for providing guidance for the Joint Air Strike aircraft conducting nighttime close air support for Special Operations Forces in western and central Iraq. It credits him with aiding in the destruction of 292 confirmed enemy targets, thereby significantly contributing to the quick control of the area by coalition forces and allowing an early entry into the city of Baghdad. Navy Newstand 20 Oct 03
• Russell L. Bonacker, who served with the 3rd infantry division, European Theater Operations.
• Willis A. Jarvis, a Purple Heart recipient who, as part of the 82nd Airborne Division, landed a glider behind enemy lines on D-Day.
• Joseph F. Graham, who served in the 103rd division, European Theater Operations.
• August Zellmer, an infantryman who served in the southwest Pacific.
• Elmo D. Kunkel of the 517th parachute group, 101st Airborne Division. The Morning News 12 Nov 03
• Spc. Billy Barnes — Purple Heart, Army Commendation Medal with
“V” for gunshot wound suffered in firefight, and, after being
injured, helping to protect John Sullivan, an embedded journalist traveling
with the unit.
• Spc. Dante Cammarata — Bronze Star Medal with “V” for using
his body to shield Barnes from enemy gunfire.
• Staff Sgt. Scott Eisom — Army Commendation Medal with “V”
for securing and protecting enemy prisoners of war.
• Sgt. Clinton Johnson — Army Commendation Medal with “V” for
effectively placing Mk-19 [grenade launcher] fire to protect platoon
leaders.
• Capt. Mario Soto — Bronze Star with “V” for actions in
directing the platoon while separated from the battalion and without
communications.
• Sgt. 1st Class Michael Williamson — Bronze Star with “V”
for coordinating the successful medical evacuation of Barnes while directing
platoon fire against the enemy.
• Sgt. 1st Class Stephen Wright — Bronze Star with “V” for
coming forward to assist in the medical evacuation of Barnes.
• Spc. John Zagyva — Bronze Star with “V” for initially
spotting and firing upon enemy troops. Stars and Stripes 12
Nov 03
Charleston Sailors Receive Bronze Star, Presidential Unit Citation Senior Chief Aviation Ordnanceman (EOD) Larry Sabin was awarded the Bronze Star Medal, and 13 others were awarded the Presidential Unit Citation during a ceremony held at Naval Weapons Station Charleston, Nov. 14, for their support during Operation Iraqi Freedom. A Senior Chief assigned to Explosive Ordnance Mobile Unit (EOD-MU) 6, Sabin was awarded the Bronze Star for duties performed with the Army’s 3rd Infantry division. “He worked for the Army in Baghdad, and it’s unique for a Sailor to receive recognition from the Army,” EOD-MU 6 Commanding Officer Cmdr. Brett Reissener said. “This is a personal award, but it is the result of team effort. He wouldn’t have received the Bronze Star if it weren’t for the team of 109 people behind him.”. The Sailors who received the Presidential Unit Citation are Lt. Cmdr. Vincent R. Martinez; Lt. Lawrence Hall; Senior Chief Boatswain’s Mates (EOD) Todd Robinson and Antonio Diaz; Senior Chief Aviation Ordnanceman (EOD) Leo Arambula; Chief Boatswain’s Mates (EOD) Matthew S. Hansknecht, Robert R. Womble and William Bonham; Interior Communications Specialist 1st Class (EOD) Peter S. Kern; Gunner’s Mate 2nd Classes (EOD) Noah W. Bullock and Casey L. Rogers; Aviation Ordnanceman (EOD) Jeffrey V. Dickey; and Gunner’s Mate 3rd Class (EOD) Justin Van Pelt. Navy Newstand 19 Nov 03
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Taft honors area guardsmen After toiling through months of heavy labor under wartime conditions in Southwest Asia, the Ohio Air National Guard 200th RED HORSE Squadron is hauling in honors. The Camp Perry-based group received the U.S. Air Force Outstanding Unit Award during a star-studded ceremony Saturday morning, drawing applause from the engineers' families and friends. Seven officers also won individual Bronze Star Medals for their wartime achievements. The local recipients: Col. H. Dewey Perkins of Port Clinton, Capt. Michael Hrynciw of Fremont, Senior Master Sgt. Terry Eishen of Lindsey, Chief Master Sgt. Bruce Reed of Fremont, Master Sgt. Michael Crosser of Port Clinton, Lt. Col. Michael Skomrock and Master Sgt. Edward Lacroix. News Herald 8 Dec 03 |
As in other wars, complaints echo about too many medals As the 60th anniversary of the Bronze Star arrived Wednesday, they and more than 16,000 other U.S. troops who have served in the Iraq war and its aftermath have been decorated with the military's fourth-highest combat medal. But more than 90 percent of those pinned with the coveted award were recognized not for their valor but for less remarkable performance categorized as "meritorious service or achievement" in a combat zone. Echoing complaints as old as warfare itself, grumbles are growing on the Internet and elsewhere that the Bronze Star is being cheapened by being awarded too willy-nilly. knoxstudio 5 Feb 04 |
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Idaho Guardsmen earn Bronze Star medals Three members of Idaho Air National Guard were awarded Bronze Star Medals for their actions during combat in Iraq. Chief Master Sgt. Frank Cornell, Lt. Col. Mike Webb, Maj. Mike Shaughnessy were awarded Bronze Star Medals. IdahoStatesman.com 8 Dec 03 More Idaho 2 News 7 Dec 03 |
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Miss. soldiers get medals Mississippi National Guardsmen Eric Fulton and William Forster were honored with one of the military's highest awards. Both men, who are members of the 113th Military Police Company Battalion in Brandon, were awarded Bronze Star medals for their service in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Also honored was Capt. Christopher Nugent, who received the Mississippi Magnolia Cross, one of the highest awards given by the Mississippi National Guard. Capt. Chris Nugent (right), company commander of the 113th Military Police, is congratulated by Maj. Gen. James H. Lipscomb III, adjutant general of Mississippi, after Lipscomb presented Nugent with the Mississippi Magnolia Cross. Clarion Ledger 8 Dec 03 |
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Three Sub Commanders Awarded Bronze Star for OIF Three commanding officers of Norfolk-based submarines congratulate each other after being awarded Bronze Stars in a ceremony at Naval Station Norfolk. From left to right, USS Boise (SSN 764) former Commanding Officer Cmdr. Jim Kuzma, USS Newport News (SSN 750) Commanding Officer Cmdr. Fred Capria, and USS Montpelier (SSN 765) Commanding Officer Cmdr. Bill Frarke received the awards for their roles in Operation Iraqi Freedom (O.I.F.). These three submarines were part of a naval force that conducted the largest-ever submarine-launched Tomahawk land-attack cruise missile strike during O.I.F. Navy News Stand 3 Dec 03 |
Guardsmen Recieve Honors Two Ohio members of the Air National Guard have received the bronze star, one of the military's highest honors. Senior Master Sergeant Lawrence M. Byers and Chief Master Sergeant Bernard Hagl received the honors Saturday at an awards ceremony for the Guard's 121st Air Refueling Wing. Byers received the award for coordinating efforts of the Air Force and the Guard at an airbase near Saudi Arabia, according to his citation. Hagl received his award for his duty at Manas Air Base in Kyrgystan in central Asia. Ohio News Network 14 Dec 03
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SECNAV Presents Bronze Star The Honorable Gordon R. England, Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV), presented the Bronze Star to Rear Adm. Willie C. in a ceremony held in the SECNAV’s office. The award was presented to Marsh for meritorious achievement in his duties as Commander, Task Force (CTF) 51, from Jan. 1 to May 31, in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Navy Newsstand 16 Jan 04 |
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Soldier returns a changed man Army Spc. Dustin Rasmussen, 22, center, is home for the holidays in Redmond after spending the past 10 months in Iraq. Dustin, a gunner assigned to a three-man Humvee team of scouts, received the Bronze Star Medal for Valor. The Bulletin 25 Dec 03 |
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Iraq war's Indian victim cremated A funeral has been held for a US army soldier from India, Sergeant Uday Singh, who was killed while on patrol in Habbaniya, Iraq. Sergeant Singh was posthumously awarded top gallantry awards - the Bronze Star and the US army's oldest accolade, the Purple Heart medal. The dead soldier's father is former Indian army officer Lieutenant Colonel Preet Mohinder Singh. BBC News 11 Dec 03 |
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Medals
awarded Soldiers
from Company C, 27th Engineer Battalion, 18th Airborne Corps, gather
for the ceremony Monday on Fort Bragg. Seventeen soldiers received Bronze
Stars. Fayetteville online 25 Nov 03
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101st soldier receives Bronze Star with Valor Cpl. Delbert A. Denny, A Co., 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, was awarded a Bronze Star for Valor for his actions while in defense of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The Leaf Chronicle 28 Nov 03 |
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Local Soldier Honored For Bravery Re-Enlists JR Ross of Taylor Mill stopped a suicide bomber in Iraq earlier this month and saved the lives of hundreds of soldiers. For his actions, he was awarded the bronze star with a "V" for valor and got a personal congratulations for his bravery from the Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff. WCPO.com 26 Dec 03 |
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1SG Robert awarded the Bronze Star with Valor. |
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Soldiers' bravery honored in rare public ceremony The mission remains classified. All Sgt. Matthew Watters can really say is it was in western Iraq, sometime last summer. And only when prompted does he mention the rocket-propelled grenade that "went right through my leg, blew it right off." His left leg torn off below the knee, the 24-year-old Army Ranger continued to lead his team on the night mission, earning a Purple Heart and Bronze Star with a valor device. The Seattle Times 13 Feb 04 |
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Army honors its elite for valor in combat Staff Sgt. David Nelson (center) salutes commanding officer Lt. Col. Jeffrey Bailey after receiving his Bronze Star for heroic actions in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Olympian 13 Feb 04 |
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Too many medals? Vice President Dick Cheney awards a Bronze Star at Aviano Air Base, Italy, during a brief stop at the base in January. More than 69,000 awards have been handed out by the Air Force for the Iraq war. The list also includes four Air Force Crosses, one step below the Medal of Honor, plus 21 Silver Stars and over 1,900 Bronze Stars. The Army trails just behind with 40,000 medals, including 111 Silver Stars and more than 13,000 Bronze Stars. “It’s absolutely outrageous,” says retired Army Col. David Hackworth, he unofficial watchdog of military heraldry. MSNBC 11 Feb 04 |
Army postal soldiers earn valor in Iraq Capt. Juan David Pena (left) was able to commandeer a truck and extract himself, two other soldiers, and the body of a civilian contractor out of an ambush in Iraq. For their quick action, Pena, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Meyerhoff (right) and Spc. Travis Duarte -- from the 461st Personnel Services Battalion, an Army Reserve unit from Decatur, Ga. -- have each been approved to receive the Bronze Star for Valor. army.mil 3 Feb 04 |
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Col. Kurt Fuller, left, salutes
Sgt. Sebastian Pineiro, who received a Purple Heart. The
following paratroopers with the 1st Battalion of the 325th Airborne
Infantry Regiment received medals for action during Operation Iraqi
Freedom. The soldiers’ ranks appear as they were at the time of
action for which they were recognized.
Bronze Star with 'V' device Capt. Gabriel Barton Army Commendation Medal with 'V' device Capt. Devin Hollingsworth Purple Heart Spc. Jason Wilson (2 awards) |
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Newton Grove native honored with war medals Army 1st Sgt. Carl D. Massey Jr was in San Antonio to be honored for his participation in the war and to represent the Army in what has become one of the largest events of its kind in high school sports. Massey was awarded the Bronze Star for his efforts during Operation Iraqi Freedom. The Sampson Independent 28 Jan 04 |
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Horne's tailer won medal for heroism For those who knew Fred Scuilli, the longtime head tailor at Horne's Department Store, it was hard to imagine him as a recipient of the Bronze Star for heroism under fire. As a member of the Army's 10th Mountain Division during the fierce fighting in Italy during World War II, Mr. Scuilli pulled two wounded comrades out of the range of artillery fire and dragged them to safety. pittsburglive.com 21 Jan 04 |
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Conner High graduate brings home Bronze Star Spc. J.R. Ross was awarded the Bronze Star with a V for valor, which is given for combat heroism for saving hundreds of soldiers from a suicide car bomber who tried to blow up a base in Talafar, Iraq, in December 2003. enquirer.com 22 Jan 04 |
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Local Army officer awarded medals for courage under fire 1st Lt. Seidensticker came under heavy small arms fire from an enemy bunker positioned on a highway overpass. "In the midst of small arms fire all around him and much confusion, 1st Lt. Seidensticker directed an immediate suppression artillery mission against the bunker that allowed C Troop to break contact with the enemy without suffering any friendly casualties," read a press release issued by the Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 41st Field Artillery. Seidenstickerwas awarded the Bronze Star and the Army Commendation Medal, for his achievements in showing "extreme courage under fire." Chilloicothe Gazette 8 Jan 04 |
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GI nominated for Bronze Star with Valor U.S. Army Spc. Benjamin V. Dolby (right) is a personnal specialist with Headquarters, Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division. Dolby has been nominated for a Bronze Star with Valor. Spc. Steven Russel has also been nominated for a Bronze Star. Stars and Stripes 26 Mar 04 |
Lt. Sharon A. Lane was the only American servicewoman killed as a direct result of enemy fire throughout the war and was awarded the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star with a "V" for gallantry, the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, the National Order Of Vietnam Medal, and the (South) Vietnamese Gallantry Cross (with Palm). Also gives details on other women who died in Vietnam.
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Navy officer wins medal for heroism Lt. Cmdr. James B. "Brett" Blanton's daughter Reilly wears his hat Thursday after he received the Bronze Star with V device at the Naval Facilities Engineering Command in North Charleston for his actions in Iraq. charleston.net 18 Jun 04 |
World War II vet gets replacements for medals stolen by home burglars A highly decorated 86-year-old World War II veteran said he felt violated when burglars slipped into his Reno home in January and made off with his prized medals, including a Bronze Star with Combat V and his Legion of Merit award. Salvia said he’s most proud of the Bronze Star with Combat V, earned while he was captain of a destroyer mine sweeper on Jan. 7, 1945. Of the eight other destroyers in the squadron, three were sunk by the Japanese, he said. He also covets his Legion of Merit medal, earned while working as an adviser to Argentina for the Navy for four years. Other medals replaced include: the Commendation medal, World War II Victory medal, American Defense Service medal with one bronze star, Asiatic Pacific Campaign medal with one bronze star, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign medal and the National Defense Service medal. rgj.com 3 Jul 04 |
Valor abroad, honor at home Chillicothe Mayor Joseph Sulzer, left, speaks Thursday afternoon during a gathering honoring Army Capt. A.J. Seidensticker at the grave site of Gen. Joshua Sill in Grandview Cemetery. Seidensticker was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for valor and the Army Commendation Medal for valor while overseas. Pictured with A.J. is his wife, Katie, and their 6-week-old son, Alexander Tristan. chilliocothegazette.com 25 Jun 04 |
Fallen Green Beret hailed as 'a true American hero' Staff Sgt. Paul Mardis Jr., a Purple Heart and Bronze Star recipient, was remembered for his bravery as a Green Beret and some superb organizational skills. Mardis, 25, of Palmetto, Fla., died from injuries suffered near Mosul, Iraq. A roadside bomb detonated May 20 while he was on watch position in a Humvee. He was the 3rd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group junior engineer on the scuba team, ODA 585. theleafchronicle.com 21 Jul 04 |
Bronze Star honors bravery after horrific roadside attack Army Reserve Sgt. Jared Myers was hit by the blast from an improvised bomb in the road, killing the soldier sitting beside him and seriously wounding a second soldier. Myers himself was badly wounded and was recognized for his bravery and for keeping a cool head. His commanding officer, Lt. Col. James Suriano, presented Myers with the Bronze Star Medal for Valor. ljworld.com 23 Aug 04 |
'A loyal devotion to duty' Maj. John Vincent was tasked with leading a convoy through An Naisiriyah and Ah Shatrah, Iraq, to provide support to the troops at Qalat Sikar Airfield. While traveling through Ah Shatrah, Vincent's 200-vehicle convoy came under mortar, machine gun and small arms fire from a coordinated ambush. But, with helicopter support, Vincent's convoy made it through to replenish supplies for the 1st Regiment and help rebuild the Qalat Sikar Airfield. Vincent was honored with a Bronze Star with combat "V" for valor, for his "total effectiveness, forceful leadership and loyal devotion to duty" during Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom. He served as the operations officer for Combat Service Support Battalion 12, 1st Force Serve Support Group, 1 Marine Expeditionary Force. lowcountrynow.com 21 Aug 04
Belated Medals Edward Lutz has finally received his Bronze Star and five other medals almost 60 years after earning them in World War Two. Lutz's honors include a European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, a World War Two Victory Medal, a World War Two Honorable Service lapel button, a marksman's badge and rifle bar, and the Bronze Star for meritorious service. wibw.com Sep 04
Army Reservist gets Bronze Star medal An Army Reservist from Tacoma received the Bronze Star medal for leadership and quick thinking under harsh conditions in Iraq last year that saved the lives of four people. Staff Sgt. Mikel Spencer, a full-time member of the 804th Transportation Detachment based in Tacoma, was awarded the medal for his actions leading a team of soldiers at Ad Diwaniyah, Iraq, last summer. seattlepi.nwsource.com 14 Sep 04 |
Leathernecks get medals for valor in Fallujah fight Three infantrymen with a battalion that took part in the fight for Fallujah this spring received Bronze Star medals Sept. 10 for actions that included the daring rescue of an embattled Amphibious Assault Vehicle crew. One of the Bronze Star medals — which were presented with “V” devices denoting valor — pays tribute to the April 5 actions of Cpl. Brandon J. Berhowgoll who fought and led his men through a barrage of enemy fire despite his own serious shrapnel wounds from a roadside bomb that killed four others in his vehicle. Two medals honor a pair of corporals with 1/5’s Bravo Company who participated in a 90-minute firefight and daring rescue of a platoon deep inside the city on April 13. Cpl. Ronnie Garcia, a squad leader with 2nd Platoon, kicked in the door of a house to find shelter for the Marines in the burning amtrac. He later led the Marines to safety when the rescue force arrived. And Cpl. Bruno J. Romero, a machine-gun squad leader with 2nd Platoon, laid down suppressive fire first from the street and then from the roof of the house. When he ran out of ammo, he grabbed a 9mm pistol from a wounded corpsman and continued firing. Three other Marines with 1/5 also received combat awards in the Sept 10 ceremony:
Airmen earn medals for valor while deployed For repeated valor under enemy fire, three Airmen here were recently awarded medals for heroic or meritorious achievement in connection with operations against opposing armed forces while deployed to Iraq. Tech. Sgts. Jason Hohenstreiter and Chris Villenueve, and Senior Airman Robert Hunyor, all with the 5th Logistics Readiness Squadron, earned Bronze Star medals for their support to vehicle convoys traveling across the country. The three Airmen were deployed to an Army base as part of a team augmenting Army forces during Operation Iraqi Freedom. acc.af.mil Sep 04
Former SECNAV Presents Bronze Star to CO of His Namesake Former Secretary of the Navy Paul H. Nitze had the rare honor of presenting the Bronze Star Medal to the very person who will command his namesake. Cmdr. Michael A. Hegarty, prospective commanding officer of PCU (pre-commissioning unit) Nitze (DDG 94), was presented the Bronze Star in a ceremony held at the Navy Memorial in Washington D.C., Sept. 30. Hegarty received the award for service in Baghdad, Iraq, from Jan. 15 to June 14, 2004, with combat operations as maritime operations planner in Task Force IV, and operations planner in the Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance and Coalition Provisional Authority. news.navy.mil 1 Oct 04
Principal's service earns Bronze Star George Washington Carver High School principal Reginald Eggleston was awarded the Bronze Star for service in Operation Iraqi Freedom. montgomeryadvertiser.com 21 Oct 04 |
Citation for Staff Sgt. Troy Schielein's Bronze Star for Valor On March 23rd 2003, First Battalion, Second Marines was approaching the city of An Nasiriyah with the mission to seize the eastern bridges spanning the Euphrates River and the Saddam Canal which would secure a major line of communication enabling follow on forces of the First Marine Expeditionary Force to continue their drive north. As the battalion approached the city of An Nasiriyah it came under enemy direct and indirect fire, which intensified as the battalion crossed over the Euphrates River and into the city. Staff Sergeant Schielein performed his duties as section leader with the utmost courage and determination during the battle of An Nasiriyah. His leadership, quick decisive actions, and fearless aggression saved the lives of countless Marines. Staff Sergeant Schielein's actions on March 23, 2003 truly upheld the highest of Marine Corps standards and is truly deserving of special recognition and the Bronze Star. pjstar.com 25 Oct 04
Corpsman Awarded Bronze Star for Heroism Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class (FMF) Chad Peabody was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with Combat Distinguished Device for heroism during an April 9 convoy attack in Iraq. Peabody’s training as a Navy corpsman paid off April 9 when his convoy came under enemy attack. While returning fire, Peabody’s vehicle went right into the ambush and up to the front of the convoy to take fire off of the lead vehicle. Six Marines were wounded and one was killed in the attack. Peabody was recognized for not only his dedication to care for the wounded as a Navy corpsman, but also his bravery in battle. news.navy.mil 9 Nov 04
Native American Heritage highlighted in November November is American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month. The celebrations recognize their contributions to this country, and showcase the proud traditions of the first Americans. Native Americans have served with distinction in the U.S. military for more than 200 years. They fought in the War of 1812, in the Civil War as auxiliary troops for Union and Confederate forces, and were on the frontlines in the Spanish-American War in 1898. During World War I (WW I) more than 12,000 served in the U.S. Armed Forces. They turned out again in force after the outbreak of World War II (WW II). Over 44,000 Native Americans served in Europe and the Pacific between 1941 and 1945. Since then they have fought in the Korean, Vietnam and Gulf Wars. And the warrior tradition continues with those serving in Iraq today. "American Indians have fought for this country in every war...they have won many military awards. There were 71 Air medals, 51 Silver Stars, 41 Bronze Stars, 34 Distinguished Flying Crosses and three Medals of Honor," said Maniece, cataloguing the honors awarded to Native American war heroes. The three Native American Navy service members that were awarded the highest military decoration -- the Medal of Honor -- are Cmdr Ernest Evans, Lt. Michael Thornton and Chief Boatswain's Mate James Williams. During WW II Evans was honored for his actions as the Commanding Officer of USS Johnston during a sea battle off Samar Island in the Philippines, Oct.1944. Thornton was decorated for his actions as a Navy patrol advisor during combat in Vietnam, Oct. 1972. Williams received the Medal of Honor for his actions as a river patrol boat captain during combat, also in Vietnam, Oct.1966. dcmilitary.com 5 Nov 04
World War II Vet Cited as Hero Four Times, But Never Wounded World War II D-Day veteran Walter R. Bieder, 83, poses with framed copies of his two Silver Star Medals (top left), two Bronze Star Medals (top right) for gallantry in combat. defenselink.mil 10 Nov 04 |
NMCSD Hospital Corpsman Awarded Bronze Star A Sailor attached to Naval Medical Center San Diego (NMCSD) was awarded the Bronze Star for his role in combat operations against insurgents in the Iraqi city of Najaf Nov. 19. Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class C.J. Eison, while serving as Platoon Corpsman for 1st Platoon, Company B, Battalion Landing Team 1/4, 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operation Capable), risked his own safety on several occasions to render aid to wounded Marines while under constant enemy fire. news.navy.mil 30 Nov 04
Iowa soldier awarded medals for rescue mission Specialist Scott Luchner went to help when United Nations personnel in Afghanistan came under attack in September. His Humvee was pelted with bricks and rocks, and an attacker hit him with a steel pipe. Despite three broken ribs, he was able to rescue some of the U-N staff. He was awarded a Bronze Star with Valor and a Purple Heart. woi-tv.com 30 Nov 04 More qctimes.com 28 Nov 04
Bronze Star Medals to be awarded to Peoria ANG members The 182d Airlift Wing of Peoria will present 11 of its members with Bronze Star Medals as a result of their actions in support of operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Six of the 11 Airmen are receiving Bronze Star Medals with "V" device for Valor. cantondailyledger.com 2 Dec 04
Peoria unit earns Bronze Stars Master Sgt. Steve Salander, Second Lt. Scott Grotbo, and nine other members of the wing's 169th Air Support Operations Squadron will receive the Bronze Star. Six of those medals, including the ones earned by Grotbo and Salander, are for valor under fire. Since the war on terror began, the members of the 182nd have earned 25 Bronze Stars, of which six were for valor, 62 Air Medals and 56 Air Force Achievement Medals. All six Bronze Star with valor medals were given to the 169th's joint tactical attack controllers, who coordinate air support between the pilots in the sky and the troops on the ground. Salander said JTACs are a precious commodity in the Air Force, with only 1,000 worldwide. Of those, 35 or so are based in Bartonville. pjstar.com 3 Dec 04
Soldiers get their due at medals ceremony Command Sgt. Maj. Charles Hoosier was injured by shrapnel in December 2003 when a homemade bomb went off near a convoy en route to Babylon he was helping protect. He was awarded a Purple Heart for wounds received in action. Along with Hoosier, 61 soldiers in the 168th Military Police Battalion based in this Middle Tennessee town were recognized, including 15 soldiers who were given Bronze Stars and 46 who were given Army Commendation Medals. Sgt. Issac Douglas was awarded a Meritorious Service Medal for more than 30 years of service in the Guard. Douglas has served in the Vietnam War; Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, which was the first Persian Gulf War with Iraq that ended in 1991; and Operation Enduring Freedom, which began in Afghanistan to hunt down terrorist groups. More than 9,200 Tennessee Army and Air National Guard soldiers have been deployed since 2001. There are 4,000 army Guard soldiers on active duty. tennessean.com 5 Dec 04
World War II Remembered A summary of war-related events as reported in the Green Bay Press-Gazette from Dec. 12 to Dec. 18, 1944: Mrs. Sarah Jane McMurtagh, 815 S. Van Buren street, has received word that her son, Staff Sgt. John E. McMurtagh has been awarded the Bronze Star for gallantry in action with an infantry unit in Germany (Dec. 13). Mr. and Mrs. Fred Schultz, Gillett route 2, have received word that their son, S/Sgt Paul E. Schultz, has been awarded the Bronze Star in the Southwest Pacific (Dec. 15) …Mrs. Ernie McKeever, Oconto Falls, has received the Air medal that has been posthumously awarded to her son, Staff Sgt. Bernie McKeever of the Air corps (Dec. 15) greenbaypressgazette.com 12 Dec 04
Vietnam vet receives Bronze Star for valor When Pfc. Cletus Ninham saw his platoon leader go down with a gunshot wound in a rice paddy in Vietnam, he and a sergeant knew what they had to do. That was March 9, 1966. The 60-year-old Screaming Eagle of the 101st Airborne Division was presented the Bronze Star with a “V” device for valor for his actions in combat that day. greenbaypressgazette.com 10 Dec 04
Medal surprises veteran World War II veteran Gerald Baum is congratulated after a ceremony to award him with new medals to replace ones that were stolen from him years ago. cumberlink.com 11 Dec 04 |
Former Army trumpet player receives Silver Star An Army trumpet player turned Green Beret was awarded with a Silver Star, the Army's third highest award for combat valor. Staff Sgt. Charles Good was credited with exposing himself to enemy fire on the Syrian/Iraqi border to assist in getting a critically wounded comrade into a Humvee, then negotiating in Arabic a ride from an Iraqi man for them when the Humvee became crippled by enemy fire. Five other members of his Fort Campbell-based 5th Special Forces unit -- including Staff Sgt. Jason Bacon, 29, of Luther, Mich. -- received Bronze Star medals with valor device for their actions in the same clash that ended 24 hours after it started with more than 35 insurgents killed. The injured soldier, Sgt. First Class Joseph Briscoe, 37, of Liberty, Texas, whose right arm was blown off by a rocket-propelled grenade during the incident, was among those receiving a Bronze Star. Capt. David Diamond, 30, of Geneva, Ohio; Sgt. 1st Class Alan Knox, 44, of Reno, Nev.; and Sgt. 1st Class Raymond Cook, 40, of Oak Hill, W.Va.; each were among those who received Bronze Stars for valor during the incident. freep.com 16 Dec 04
Vancouver corporal earns Bronze Star for valor Army Cpl. Patrick Eldred of Vancouver was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for valor. Kay Fristad, deputy public affairs officer for the Oregon National Guard in Salem said she believed Eldred received the medal for his actions in a June 13 incident where one of his fellow soldiers was killed. columbian.com 31 Dec 04
Corpsmen Awarded Bronze Star Medal for Actions in Iraq Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class (FMF) Alan P. Dementer pictured left and Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Kenneth W. Ball were both awarded the Bronze Star with Combat "V" for heroic action during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Dementer was cited for heroic action March 26, in support of 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines, Task Force Tarawa, Marine Expeditionary Force. He distinguished himself by demonstrating valor and skill when the Battalion's Main Command Operations Center came under intense enemy fire in the vicinity of An Nassariyah, Iraq. Under fire and wounded by shrapnel in the right shoulder and right knee, Dementer proceeded over a wall to reach six wounded Marines and immediately began rendering life-saving emergency treatment. After stabilizing the Marines, he coordinated the movement of casualties over the wall during a lull in the incoming enemy fire and transported them safely to the Battalion Aid Station. His courage under fire directly led to the treatment and safe evacuation of 31 injured Marines. Falmouth, Ky. native Ball, who joined the Navy in July 2000, has been cited for heroic achievement in connection with combat operations against the enemy as a hospital corpsman with the 2nd Platoon, Company K, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines, Task Force Tarawa/Maine Expeditionary Force, from March to April 2003 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Ball bravely ventured into a mined area and pulled a wounded Marine to safety. Without hesitation, he quickly cut the boots and trousers off the wounded Marine and started an IV in order to treat the Marine for shock. He was able to stabilize the Marine and prepare him for evacuation to the Battalion Aid Station and ultimately prevented the need to amputate the Marine's foot. news.navy.mil 25 Feb 04 |
Corpsman Awarded Bronze Star for Heroism Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class (FMF) Chad Peabody was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with Combat Distinguished Device for heroism during an April 9 convoy attack in Iraq. Peabody’s training as a Navy corpsman paid off April 9 when his convoy came under enemy attack. While returning fire, Peabody’s vehicle went right into the ambush and up to the front of the convoy to take fire off of the lead vehicle. “I tried to get to the casualties that I could, but with the intense gunfire, I couldn’t get to some,” said Peabody. Six Marines were wounded and one was killed in the attack. Peabody was recognized for not only his dedication to care for the wounded as a Navy corpsman, but also his bravery in battle. news.navy.mil 11 Sep 04
Bronze Star Awarded To Medical Command Senior Chief Senior Chief Hospital Corpsman Michelle R. Jennejahn, senior enlisted leader, Medical Logistics Company, 2nd Force Service Support Group (FSSG) was awarded the Bronze Star. “During Operation Iraqi Freedom, Senior Chief Jennejahn’s superior leadership, superb managerial skills and focus on mission accomplishment were a direct impact on the success of the forward-deployed Medical Logistics Company,” said Col. Peter J. Talleri, commanding officer, Supply Battalion, 2nd Force Service Support Group. Selected to serve as the executive officer--a position normally filled by a commissioned officer--Jennejahn quickly took charge of 49 personnel, overseeing the largest maritime prepositioning force offload in history. Her team provided support to more than 258 forward-deployed combat units. As stated in the citation, “Her outstanding leadership, superb managerial skills and focus on mission accomplishment were the foundation behind successful continuous combat support of Class VIII re-supply to all Marine Corps forces in theater.” news.navy.mil 16 Apr 04
Hospital Corpsman Earns Bronze Star For Heroic Effort Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Thomas Smith was awarded the Bronze Star Medal (with Combat Distinguishing Device) for his selfless act in saving the lives of his comrades. Smith put his life on the line several times to save Marines while under enemy fire. While stationed as a corpsman during combat operations in Iraq, April 4-5, 2003, Smith served with the 2nd Tank Battalion, attached to Regimental Combat Team 5, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. During this period, Smith was instrumental in the recovery, treatment and evacuation of eight injured Marines under heavy enemy fire during a firefight with a battalion-sized force. news.navy.mil 10 Jun 04
Navy Surgeon Awarded Bronze Star A 3rd Force Service Support Group Sailor was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for his life-saving actions in support of Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom. Capt. Stephen F. McCartney, group surgeon, 3rd Force Service Support Group (FSSG), was recognized for his achievements as the 1st FSSG surgeon, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force (I MEF), from January to June 2003. news.navy.mil 19 Aug 04
5th Fleet Officer Awarded Bronze Star Operations officer assigned to Commander, Destroyer Squadron (COMDESRON) 50 Lt. Cmdr. Joseph D. Femino, was awarded the Bronze Star during a ceremony held at COMDESRON 50 headquarters in Manama, Bahrain for meritorious achievement as operations officer for Commander, Task Force 55, from April 25 to July 10 in support of Operation Market Time II and Operation Iraqi Freedom. news.navy.mil 6 Jan 05
Jeff Morris awarded Bronze Star with Valor 2nd Lt. Jeff Morris, an Army platoon leader stationed in Iraq, was awarded a Bronze Star with Valor for his heroic efforts in a battle he engaged in Sept. 12 in downtown Baghdad. zwire.com 12 Jan 05
Local soldier given bronze star medal Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Kelly B. Pipkin has been decorated with the Bronze Star Medal for participating in Operation Iraqi Freedom II. zwire.com 11 Jan 05
Naples officer receives Bronze Star Cmdr. David Sutton, base supply officer at Naval Support Activity, Naples, has received the Bronze Star Medal for service as the chief of Iraq’s Baghdad Contracting Office from November 2003 to April 2004. Under Sutton’s command in Iraq, the contracting office awarded and administered more than 1,100 contract actions totaling more than $100 million. “Cmdr. Sutton excelled under pressure in an already hostile environment,” the office said, quoting from the citation that accompanied the medal. “When his office was struck by a rocket, he immediately took command of the situation, searched the damaged building for casualties and had them escorted to medical care.” estripes.com 14 Jan 05
WW II 60th anniversary tribute Mark Atchison was drafted and sent to the Army Specialized Training Program for officers at Fort Benning, Ga. He was later transferred to the 94th Division at Camp McCain, Miss., which was in desperate need of foot soldiers. He arrived at Utah Beach off the Normandy coast in September 1944, serving in the 302nd Battalion, Company G. From there Pfc. Atchison, an infantryman in the 94th Division, helped hold the Germans in a pocket near Brest, France, as Gen. Patton's Army moved across France in December 1944. It was here that Atchison would earn his first Purple Heart when a bullet grazed him and a Bronze Star for his actions while engaging the enemy. The Battle at Sinz was part of the first major push against Germany that followed the Battle of the Bulge. Mark Atchison earned his second Purple Heart and a Silver Star for gallantry in action in Sinz, Germany, on Jan. 28, 1945. The young soldier was credited with risking death to maintain communications with headquarters when his unit was pinned down by intense enemy artillery fire in the field. Company G, in gaining its toe-hold in Sinz, had lost its company commander, company executive officer, and one platoon leader on that day. Before dark, Lt. Harry J. Lewis of Company E took charge, according to 94th Division museum documents, he asked for two volunteers to cross the 800 yards of open ground that separated Sinz from the nearest elements of the battalion. Pfc.'s Atchison and Orleane A. Jacobson accepted the task and were given snowsuits taken from two captured Germans, according one account. They returned safely to their battalion under rain of heavy artillery and mortar fire and reestablished contact for the company. After reporting to the command post, both men led litter squads back to the wounded and helped in their evacuation. It was here that Atchison became a casualty himself, earning his second Purple Heart and the Silver Star. venicegondolier.com 21 Jan 05
Meskwaki veterans will receive medals posthumously Families of six Meskwaki veterans will receive medals ranging from the Bronze Star to the American Defense Service Medal to the World War II Victory Medal. The men and their medals are:
Edward Benson, private first class in the U.S. Army from 1941-45. His unit received the Distinguished Unit Award. His family will also receive a Bronze Star Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Presidential Unit Citation, American Defense Service Medal, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with four Bronze Campaign Stars, World War II Victory Medal, Combat Infantry Badge First Award and World War II Honorable Service Lapel Button.
Dewey Roberts, private first class in the U.S. Army from 1941-45. He sustained multiple injuries during his military service, which is noted on his discharge. Harkin's office is in the process of securing a Purple Heart and Distinguished Unit Citation Ribbon. His family will receive the Bronze Star Medal, Good Conduct Medal, American Defense Service Medal, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with four Bronze Stars, World War II Victory Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge First Award and World War II Honorable Service Lapel Button.
Melvin E. Twin, private first class in the U.S. Army from 1941-45. His family will receive the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, Good Conduct Medal, American Defense Service Medal, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with four Bronze Stars, World War II Victory Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge First Award and World War II Honorable Service Lapel Button.
Judy Wayne Wabaunasee, private in the U.S. Army from 1941-45, trained as a radio operator. His family will receive a Good Conduct Medal, American Defense Service Medal, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with one Silver Star, World War II Victory Medal and World War II Honorable Service Lapel Button.
Mike Wayne Wabaunasee, private first class in the U.S. Army from 1941-44. His family will receive an American Defense Service Medal, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with three Bronze Stars, World War II Victory Medal and World War II Honorable Service Lapel Button.
Dewey Youngbear, private in the U.S. Army from 1941-45, captured while fighting in Algeria and Tunisia in 1942. He was a prisoner of war in Hammerstein, Poland. His family will receive the Bronze Star, POW Medal, American Defense Service Medal, World War II Victory Medal, Combat Infantry Badge First Award and World War II Honorable Service Lapel Button. wcfcourier.com 14 Jan 05
Local heroes: Area residents receive commendations for bravery, valor in Iraq Three local residents who served in the armed forces in Iraq recently earned military decorations for valor or meritorious action in combat. Army Sgt. Jessica Smee of Stafford was awarded the Bronze Star. She was awarded her Bronze Star for providing emergency medical aid to an Iraqi she found mortally wounded on the roadside. Superiors recommended Smee for the decoration for her work sending communications back to the base and diffusing the situation in a "culturally sensitive manner" to other Iraqis on the scene when the man died from his injuries. Marine Col. Lewis Craparotta of South Windsor also earned the Bronze Star with Combat Valor. The award citation for Craparotta's medal states that he "repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire, completely disregarding his own personal safety." In addition, superiors recommended Craparotta for the medal for his involvement in another attack, when his unit stormed the enemy held town of Qulat Sukkur, allowing other combat units to pass. "His aggressiveness and superb conduct under fire ensured the route was secured for over 10 hours," his citation stated. "Between 7 and 10 April 2003, he courageously led his battalion in continuous attacks through eastern Baghdad." Army Chief Warrant Officer James Hosey of Enfield was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. Hosey, 41, of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, could not disclose more than the bare facts that led him to earn his medal due to the classified nature of his service. Hosey flies close-support attack helicopters, called AH-6 "little birds," on commando-style raids with various special operations units. Hosey did, however, describe his role in a nighttime raid on a suspected biological weapons complex that led to his earning the Distinguished Flying Cross. "During the infiltration of a suspected weapons facility, six of our 10 aircraft got pretty shot up," he said. "My wingman and I gave suppressing fire, got everybody in, and then everybody out." This is Hosey's seventh medal for heroism in combat. He has also served on missions in Afghanistan. zwire.com 24 Jan 05
World War II Remembered Staff Sgt. Robert F. Huempfner has been awarded the Bronze Star medal for heroic service in connection with military operations against the enemy in France 19 Oct. 1944. He is serving with a chemical battalion. Mrs. Charles Bahrke has received the Silver Star medal awarded her husband Sgt. Bahrke, for gallantry in action on July 5, 1944, somewhere in France. The citation cannot be made public until after the war. Awards of two medals to Lt. Col. Frank W. Mostek. He received the Silver Star and the Bronze Star. greenbaypressgazette.com 23 Jan 05
Chico soldier receives the bronze star for valor Major Gen. Jeff Gidley pins the bronze star onto Sgt. Bruce Himelright, of the California Army National Guard for his "exceptional valor" in Iraq. chicoer.com 6 Feb 05 |
Corpsman awarded Bronze Star for valor Three times in Iraq last spring, improvised explosives detonated, spreading searing bits of metal through the vehicle convoy that marked the 1st Marine Division’s jump command post. Three times, the platoon “doc” jumped into action, pulling a mortally wounded soldier from a burning vehicle, ducking enemy fire to reach wounded Marines and, at one point, using a small folding knife to do a hasty tracheotomy on another wounded soldier. That doc is Navy Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Andrew R. Slaughter, 22, the sole corpsman for the 29-member platoon that served as security and operations for the division’s jump command post, an assortment of Humvees and light armored vehicles. The Marine Corps honored his combat heroics during a ceremony where Slaughter received the Bronze Star medal with “V” for valor during those actions. marinecorpstimes.com 10 Feb 05
United States - Army Reservists Receive Service Medals Members of the 372nd Engineer Group were awarded service medals for their work in Iraq during the past year. The group of 56 engineers worked to build bridges, 12 schools, three city halls, a veterinary clinic and a medical clinic. Capt. Steven Richardson received a bronze star for meritorious service in Iraq. theiowachannel.com 10 Feb 05 |
KHS grad rewarded with medal following his quick action When 20 Iraqi insurgents opened fire on members of the 1st Platoon, Co. A, 1st Recon, team leader Sgt. Sage L. Goyda knew the only alternative -- destroy the enemy or face certain death, or perhaps worse yet, capture. On July 25, 2004, using a well entrenched machine gun and small arms, insurgents spewed a murderous hail of bullets from high ground down on the mechanized platoon, stopping the lead vehicle. Miraculously, no one was hit. But Goyda knew it would be only a matter of time until he and his men would begin to fall if something wasn't done. In recognition of his uncommon bravery and complete disregard for his personal safety, Goyda was awarded the Bronze Star. pittsburghlive.com 16 Feb 05
Grannis soldier awarded medals for valor in action Shilo Smith of Grannis was awarded the Bronze Star and Army Commendation medal with "V" device on December 15, 2004 for valorous achievement while under direct fire in the Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, according to officials with the 1st Battalion, Bravo Co., 3rd Special Forces at Fort Bragg, N.C. On March 24, 2004, Smith and his Special Forces "A" team were conducting a combat patrol when they were suddenly startled by a man riding a bicycle in front of their vehicle at a very slow pace. dequeen.com 14 Feb 05
Welch earns Bronze Star Army medal 1st Lt. Welch consistently proved to be an excellent platoon leader for Alpha Company, 2d Battalion, 37th Armor Regiment in a combat environment. During Operation Resolute Sword, 1st Lt. Welch led his platoon while engaged in almost daily firefights. From May 17, 2004, until June 3, 2004, 1st Lt. Welch engaged the insurgency in at least 50 different firefights. He maneuvered his platoon without losing a single soldier and killing at least 50 enemy fighters. His calm under pressure was vital, especially on June 3, 2004. During a dawn attack 200 meters from the Kufa Mosque, 1st Lt. Welch's platoon was chosen to lead a troop movement to contact. Before reaching the objective, his tank was hit with coordinated IED and mortar fire. He calmed his crew and told them to keep advancing. As he rounded the corner to advance on the objective, his tank was struck with continuous RPG and small arms fire. He calmly directed his platoon to action on the enemy contact, killing several RPG teams. He advanced his platoon to the appointed blocking position and continued to engage targets of opportunity, including a fleeing mortar team. His blocking position allowed enough security for a dismounted American mortar team to clear the school, killing 10 militiamen and capturing 2 mortar tubes that had been shelling the nearby Coalition FOB. 1st Lt. Welch served as an exemplary leader, motivating his soldiers and those around him to perform their best under stressful combat conditions. His dedication and commitment to excellence were instrumental to the success of the unit over its entire tour in Iraq. His actions are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military and reflect great credit upon himself, the Iron Dukes, the Ready First Combat Team, and the United States Army. hannibal.net 19 Feb 05
Marine sniper receives Bronze Star for valor Staff Sgt. Steve Reichert, a 25-year-old scout sniper with Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, was recently awarded the Bronze Star with a combat ‘V’ device for valor. marinecorpstimes.com 24 Feb 05 |
Vietnam vet gets medal 40 years late Donald Guinta's family always knew he was a hero, but an Army foul up with paperwork sidetracked his medal ceremony. The 59-year-old veteran received the Bronze Star with a "V" for valor several decades after the war ended. In February of 1966, Guinta and another soldier entered a booby trap to rescue a wounded comrade and retrieve the remains of another soldier killed by a mine. abclocal.go.com 25 Feb 05 |
Soldier earns Bronze Star With his Bronze Star award on the table in front of him, Army Reserve Spec. Jeremy Healy discusses his tour in Iraq. His citation reads: "Specialist Healy's unwavering commitment to mission accomplishment and demonstrated technical expertise were above and beyond all expectation and proved vital to successful combat operations in Iraq," the certificate accompanying his medal states. "His initiative and courage in a hostile situation are indicative of the highest standards of service." berkshireeagle.com 6 Mar 05 |
World War II Remembered A summary of war-related events as reported in the Green Bay Press-Gazette from March 6-12, 1945. Marine Col. Warren J. Schuster has been awarded the Bronze Star for heroic achievement on Saipan, as a member of the Second Marine division. Mr. and Mrs. Matt Rusch, Oneida, have received the Purple Heart posthumously awarded to their son, Pfc. Edward M. Rusch, who died of wounds received in Belgium, Dec. 28. Mr. and Mrs. Martin Hessel have received the Purple Heart awarded to their son, Pfc. Warren Hessel, for wounds in action in Germany last November. Marine 2nd Lt. Leslie J. Wondrash has been awarded the Silver Star for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action during the Saipan campaign. The Distinguished Flying Cross and Oak Leaf clusters for Tech. Sgt. John E. Webb, a prisoner of war in Germany. Mr. and Mrs. William Paige have received the Purple Heart awarded to their son, Pvt. Harlan Paige, who was killed in action in Belgium, Jan. 4. Cpl. William C. Smith has recently been awarded the Oak Leaf cluster to the Bronze Star. Lt. Bernard M. Winsberg has been awarded the Air medal. A Bronze Star was awarded to Pfc. Burton Johnson. greenbaypressgazette.com 6 Mar 05
Senior Chief Submariner Awarded Bronze Star Commander, Submarine Group Two, Rear Adm. Mark W. Kenny, right, presents Senior Chief Electronics Technician Jason Taggart with a Bronze Star with Combat "V" award citation, as Taggart’s wife, Jennifer, and Commanding Officer, USS Dallas (SSN 700), Cmdr. Gard Clark, look on during an award ceremony on board Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Conn. Taggart earned the award during his tour as the Coalition Military Assistance Team’s (CMAT) Personnel Security Detachment (PSD) team commander from August 2003 to March 2004 in Iraq. As team commander, Taggart was responsible for the formation, training and deployment of the PSD Teams. He completed more than 200 missions from Iraq’s border with Turkey and Syria all the way to Kuwait. During these missions, Taggart twice discovered roadside Improvised Explosive Devices (IED), cleared the area, set up security and waited for Explosive Ordnance Disposal teams to declare it safe. In one incident, Taggart was wounded by an IED and continued his duties, refusing to leave the area until the mission was complete. Taggart was also involved in four separate firefights. news.navy.mil 4 Mar 05 |
Hall of Valor honors veterans from McMurray VFW Post 764 Five decorated war veterans of Veterans of Foreign Wars Memorial Post 764 of McMurray were among 25 veterans inducted into the Hall of Valor at Soldiers and Sailors Hall in Pittsburgh. Two of the men – Robert W. Hockelberg who received the Distinguished Flying Cross for more than 100 hours of aerial flight over hostile territory in Burma, and Joseph Lubas who was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross while serving as a radio operator of a B-17 on bombing missions over Germany and other parts of Europe in August, September and November 1944.– were being inducted posthumously. The others are George C. Yates Army Infantry, who was awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in action at Cebus, Philippine Islands, on March 29, 1945., Michael E. Stephan U.S. Army's 159th Aviation Battalion, received the Distinguished Flying Cross for participating in aerial flight in the Republic of Vietnam Oct. 30 and 31, 1970. and William C. Sommer U.S. Air Force, 6994th Security Squadron, distinguished himself while participating in aerial flight as a C-47 Airborne Morse Systems Supervisor near DaNang Airfield, Vietnam, Oct. 10, 1971. Sommer was flying an unarmed reconnaissance mission against enemy fire in direct support of local ground operations. With great determination and skill, he remained in the area, despite intense and accurate hostile fire. He received the Distinguished Flying Cross. observer-reporter.com 12 Mar 05
Ex-Shreveporter earns Bronze Star with valor Col. Donald Jackson was singled out to receive a Bronze Star with a "V" device for valor. The medal was earned by his efforts in a vicious firefight protecting a Spanish garrison and coalition headquarters at a camp in the city of An Najaf in April. Jackson led a coalition force that was to provide safety for pilgrims in that city when a force of 600 to 800 armed followers of Iraqi cleric Muqtada Al Sadr stormed the city and besieged the garrison at a place called Camp Golf, according to the citation that accompanies the medal. shreveporttimes.com 9 Mar 05
Special Forces soldiers get medals for Afghan action Sgt. 1st Class David Langer received a Bronze Star for saving some Afghan children who were hit by shrapnel in August. He was among the soldiers recognized for actions during their six-month deployment in 2004 to Afghanistan. The Special Forces soldiers said the awards - 13 Purple Hearts, 11 Bronze Stars and 29 Army Commendation Medals - were a representation of the unit's efforts and sacrifices. the-dispatch.com 10 Mar 05
62 years later, war hero gets his medal Charles C. Hurter smiles after receiving the Bronze Star with V Device (left hand) and the World War II Victory medal (right hand). myrtlebeachonline.com 22 Mar 05 |
State guardsmen recognized for bravery in Iraq Two Alabama National Guardsmen have been recognized for their bravery in battle after their convoy was hit by enemy fire while on its way to Camp Victory, Kuwait, the last leg on its journey before coming home to Alabama. Chief Warrant Officer Three Gary A. Clark of Lineville, received the Bronze Star Medal and Specialist William J. Johnson Junior, of Ohatchee, was awarded the Army Commendation Medal with "Valor". The 1151st Engineer team was attacked when some 60 insurgents fired at them in the town of Al Amarah in Iraq on May first, 2004. Clark, who received his award for his overall performance in maintaining utilities at the Al Asad Air Base, said the success at the air base was the result of team work. Johnson was recognized for shielding Clark with his body and giving him first aid for a wound he suffered in the neck. whnt19.com 4 Apr 05
Three airmen get medal for support of 'ground pounders' Maj. Gen. David Deptula salutes Master Sgt. Kenneth Lindsey during the Bronze Star awards ceremony at Wheeler Army Airfield. The two other men who received the Bronze Star were Maj. Manuel Martin and Capt. George Clifford III. the.honoluluadvertiser.com 16 Apr 05 |
Derry man makes it through tragedy on his way to triumph Jeremy Feldbusch has been chosen to receive the Medal of Courage from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. When Feldbusch receives that wrestling medal he might take it home and put it next to his Purple Heart, the one he earned in Iraq. It's next to the Purple Heart his late grandfather won during World War II after he survived the D-Day invasion. Feldbusch also earned the Bronze Star with Valor because of his valiant actions April 3, 2003. That's the day Feldbusch lost his eyesight, the result of an artillery round landing nearby as his unit defended the Haditha Dam, northwest of Baghdad. pittsburghlive.com 10 Apr 05
60 years later, hero collects long-forgotten war medals Louis Levy’s 22 medals and citations are on display. He received three Bronze Stars for bravery. The 83-year-old Army vet never really knew exactly what he did to earn the medals, and never really cared. War was a memory he seldom revisited. sun-sentinel.com 25 Apr 05 |
Corpsman Awarded Bronze Star Medal for Service in Iraq For his service during Operation Iraqi Freedom, Chief Hospital Corpsman Byron Rowe was awarded the Bronze Star medal at a ceremony. The ceremony was held at the Naval Hospital Jacksonville. Rowe stayed primarily in Fallujah, where he trained Iraqi soldiers as medics. He also gave medical care to troops in Fallujah. firstcoastnews.com 6 May 05 |
Four Okinawa-based EOD Marines receive medals for service in Iraq Four Explosive Ordnance Disposal Marines from 9th Engineer Support Battalion — from left, Sgt. Keith Camardo, Staff Sgt. Bobby Garza, Staff Sgt. Daniel Cusinato and Sgt. Jason Tinnel. Receiving awards: Sgt. Keith Camardo, Bronze Star with Combat “V”; Staff Sgt. Daniel Cusinato, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with Combat “V”; Sgt. Jason Tinnel, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with Combat “V”; and Staff Sgt. Bobby Garza, Purple Heart. estripes.com 5 May 05 |
EOD Commander Receives Bronze Star Cmdr. Daniel A. Shultz received the Bronze Star Medal (with combat V) May 11, in a ceremony held at Maritime Force Protection Command, Norfolk, Va. The Bronze Star was presented by Capt. Mark Kosnik, commander, Maritime Force Protection Command, for Shultz's actions during deployment to Iraq from February until July of 2004. Shultz was assigned as the Combined Explosive Exploitation Cell commanding officer, Multinational Force - Iraq, during Operation Iraqi Freedom. His primary responsibility was to negate the threat posed by Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) and to track down the people building them. He personally participated in more than a dozen raids on bomb facilities, and engaged hostile fire and IEDs in order to eliminate or capture hostile insurgent targets. Shultz's efforts resulted in the direct capture of IED manufacturing material, documents and the personal effects of insurgents involved in IED construction. He and his team analyzed the recovered material and set up a system for tracking trends, to include IED construction methods, placement and timing, and developed strategies to counter IED threats and tactical plans for tracking down the bomb builders. news.navy.mil 18 May 05
Medal honors Marine's valor Marine Cpl. Matthew A. Wyatt was buried in December. But his family chose to return to his grave for a ceremony awarding him posthumously the Bronze Star medal for heroism with a combat "V" for valor. He earned it by gunning down the driver of a suicide truck bomb Dec. 3 at the Forward Operating Base at Trebil, Iraq. Wyatt's actions prevented the truck from getting into the compound, but he died from the resulting explosion. He was 21. The truck was packed with about 600 pounds of explosives. stltoday.com 14 May 05
Sailor Awarded Purple Heart for Service in Iraq Rear Adm. Barry McCullough has awarded Lt. Mark L. McGuckin the Purple Heart. McGuckin received the medal for injuries he suffered while forward deployed to the Persian Gulf in May 2004 with Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 11, based at Whidbey Island, Wash. On the afternoon of May 19, 2004, McGuckin received a report of a possible improvised explosive device (IED) along a well-traveled supply road in Iraq. McGuckin’s unit was approaching an embankment along the shoulder of the road south of Baghdad in their light-armored Humvee when McGuckin noticed a truckload of armed insurgents in the distance. He ordered Electronics Technician 1st Class (EOD) Brent Barto, who was manning the vehicle’s M60 machine gun, to target the truck. “I sat on the passenger side and started sweeping them as we passed the embankment,” recalled McGuckin. “The next thing I knew, everything went black.” Two bombs planted near the roadside had been denoted by a remote device, showering the Humvee with fragments of metal and debris. When McGuckin regained consciousness moments later, the vehicle’s driver, Sonar Technician (Surface) 1st Class (EOD/SW) Heath Nettleton was calling for medical assistance. All four crewmen had been hit with shrapnel. McGuckin, who now serves as anti-terrorism/force protection assistant with Carrier Strike Group 6 at NS Mayport, received the Bronze Star last year for meritorious service during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Barto, Nettleton, and Intellignece Specialist 1st Class (EOD/SW/AW) Chad Munroe received the Purple Heart in April. news.navy.mil 16 May 05
Marines receive medals, accolades at air show Proud and trim, battle-tested Leathernecks of Bossier City-based Bravo Co., 1/23rd Marines, marched front and center to receive medals. Cpl. Jacob Schick, who lost his right foot and suffered numerous serious wounds to his left foot, left arm and left hand when a bomb exploded near his Humvee in Iraq in September. Schick marched unassisted to receive his Purple Heart. In all, 28 Purple Heart medals have been approved for the 165-man company for a casualty rate of nearly 20 percent. But Capt. Matthew Phillips, one of the wounded soldiers, said to applause, "not a single Marine fell," the statistic they are most proud of. Standing shoulder to shoulder with Schick were Cpl. Paul R. Avery and Lance Cpl. William B. Bordelon. Bordelon was presented with a Purple Heart. Avery was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with combat valor device. He earned this for several actions between Nov. 7 and Nov. 24 in Fallujah. One noted in his citation is a night time assault on a village where he placed explosives under fire to blast two separate breaches in a walled compound and, in two other separate instances, destroyed large mortars, including one across the Euphrates River from his position. Still to come, pending approvals and paperwork, are two Silver Stars, two Bronze Stars with valor devices, at least three more Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals with valor devices, 27 Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals and more than 40 other citations and awards. shreveporttimes.com 15 May 05
CNO Awards EODMU 3 Sailors Medals For OIF Actions Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), Adm. Vern Clark awards the Bronze Star to Chief Petty Officer Angel O. Olivera, assigned to Explosive Ordinance Disposal, Mobile Unit Three, (EODMU-3). Olivera received the award for his actions while serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). news.navy.mil 27 May 05 |
We Remember: Vietnam Veteran Awarded Medals Perry Lewis, center, was finally pinned with the Silver and Bronze stars for heroric action in Vietnam by his wife Pam. Harnett County News Editor Perry Lewis earned both a Silver and Bronze Star during the Vietnam War but due to the mental impact from combat he wasn’t ready to accept them when he came home. The medals were finally put where they belong, on his chest, by his wife Pam dunndailyrecord.com 31 May 05 |
CNO Awards EODMU 3 Sailors Medals For OIF Actions 3 Sailors were awarded medals for heroic achievements during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Chief Electronics Technician (EOD) Angel Olivera was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with a combat distinguishing device; Equipment Operator 2nd Class (EOD) John Fleming was awarded the Purple Heart; Gunner’s Mate 2nd Class (EOD/PJ) Neil Marshall was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with combat valor; Chief Boatswain’s Mate (EOD/SW/AW) Anthony Schmit, Quartermaster 1st Class (EOD/FMF) Kyle Kirk and Sonar Technician 1st Class (EOD/SW/PJ) Justin Berlien were each awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal. navycompass.com 3 Jun 05
Cheney
presents heroism awards to special operators Gen.
Bryan D. Brown, commander of U.S. Special Operations Command at
MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa, Fla., gestures as Vice President Dick
Cheney looks on before awarding medals to five members of the armed
forces.
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Area vets honored for valor Lt. Chris Gosch recently earned two Bronze Stars, including one with a V for valor, during service in Afghanistan. Gosch is among several soldiers with Central Illinois connections to earn the prestigious Bronze Star medal for service in Afghanistan and Iraq. During his nine-month stay in Afghanistan in Operation Enduring Freedom, Gosch conducted about 70 missions with Special Forces groups, helped train Afghan militia units and conducted missions with them. Spc. Jeremy Church of Normal, a member of the Bartonville-based 724th Transportation Company, was the first Army Reservist to be awarded the Silver Star during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He received the honor in February for his actions during an ambush in April 2004, when he dodged detonating explosives and other obstacles set up by insurgents as he drove to a medevac station. Church's actions are credited with saving the lives of the convoy's commander, two wounded soldiers and four civilians. Lt. Stephen Rice, 24, of Godfrey also received a Bronze Star for his service in Iraq with the 233rd Military Police Company, a Springfield-based unit of the Illinois National Guard. Two days after Christmas in 2003, Rice and others rushed to an ambush scene where Americans were under fire from insurgents and a bomb had exploded. Rice's leg was severely injured as a second bomb exploded while he was helping an injured soldier. After several operations, the leg was amputated earlier this year Bloomington native Sgt. Luis Sandoval of the U.S. Army Reserve's 762nd Transportation Company, based in Akron, Ohio, received the Bronze Star after he pulled a fellow soldier from a burning vehicle and rescued a U.S. contractor trapped in a car in another incident. U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class William Ferguson, a graduate of Olympia High School, Stanford, and a member of the Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, received the Bronze Star and two Army commendation medals, one with valor, for his support of the 2nd Brigade during combat under fire on April 10, 2004, in Iraq. Two soldiers with Central Illinois ties were given their Bronze Stars after their deaths. National Guard Spc. Jessica Lynn Cawvey of Mahomet, a junior at ISU, was killed by a land mine on Oct. 6, 2004, on a main supply route in Fallujah, Iraq. Cawvey, 21, the mother of a 6-year-old, also was posthumously promoted to sergeant. ISU graduate National Guard Spc. Jeremy Ridlen of Maroa, died May 23, 2004, when a suicide bomber drove into a military convoy in Fallujah, Iraq. Ridlen, 23, also had earned two Purple Hearts and had received national attention because he was serving in Iraq with his twin brother, Pfc. Jason Ridlen. pantagraph.com 14 Jun 05
Bronze Star Medal awarded to Robert West Sergeant First Class Robert A. West of Bladenboro has received the Bronze Star Medal for service during his recent tour of duty in Iraq. West is a member of C Company, 1st Battalion, 252nd Armor, 30th Brigade Combat team, of the National Guard. His unit is based in Parkton. He served with his unit in Iraq from February of last year to January of this year. The citation reads: "Sergeant First Class West successfully led his platoon during 127 combat missions with no casualties, resulting in the capture of seven enemy personnel and seizure of numerous arms, ammunition and bomb-making materials. "On July 14, 2004, when his platoon was attacked by insurgents, he expertly led the supporting element and relayed critical information to maneuver element, ensuring a successful counterattack. "Sergeant First Class West's dedication to fellow soldiers on the battlefield upholds the finest traditions of military service and reflects great credit upon him, Task Force Danger, and the United States Army." bladenjournal.com 17 Jun 05
Soldier awarded combat medal Army 1st Lt. Fran Murphy of Lexington has been awarded the Bronze Star medal for his service in Iraq. Murphy, 25, was cited for "exceptionally meritorious service in ground combat" in and around Tikrit between February 2004 and February 2005, while serving with a tank unit attached to the 1st Infantry Division. Murphy commanded a tank platoon and also was executive officer of a motorized company in Task Force 1-18. The Army credited the task force with helping to convert Tikrit from a "hotbed of resistance to one of the success stories of Iraq." kentucky.com 22 Jun 05
Hero's burial for Georgia soldier Cpl. William A. Long was buried in Arlington National Cemetery, among several rows of fresh gravestones for people killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Long's Humvee was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade in Iraq, killing him and another Georgia soldier. Before signing up for an Army unit headed for combat, Long spent two years with the 3rd U.S. Infantry (the Old Guard), a ceremonial unit based in Washington. Long took part in 600 to 700 funerals at Arlington, serving as a pallbearer, presenting American flags to next of kin and serving as a driver for chaplain Maj. Douglas Charles Fenton. Army officials presented Long's mother and stepfather with the Bronze Star, Purple Heart and Good Conduct medal, awarded to him posthumously. A company of Old Guard soldiers was also present to pay its respects. ajc.com 28 Jun 05 |
Horsch earns bronze star medal for work in Afghanistan Capt. Cristal Horsch demonstrated exemplary leadership, tactical and technical abilities while serving as medical staff officer, Cooperative Medical Assistance Section, Combined/Joint Task Force (CJTF)-76, from May 28, 2004, through May 28, 2005. In honor of her service, she has been awarded the bronze star medal. wgtndailynews.com 27 Jun 05
Colly home from war, three medals later On November 8, 2004, approximately 6,000 United States and 1,300 Iraqi troops rolled into the city of Fallujah, west of Baghdad, which had become an insurgent stronghold and one of the most dangerous cities in Iraq for American troops. Among them was Corporal Tyler M. Colly, who served as a gunner of a Bradley Fighting Vehicle. His cool head under fire earned him one of two Bronze Star medals earned in Iraq. He also received an Army Commendation Medal for Valor and a promotion to sergeant. hesperiastar.com Jul 05
Celebrating America’s spirit Spc. Michael Acquaviva, a National Guardsman, accepted the received the Audie Murphy Patriotism Award during the 39th Annual Spirit of America Festival on behalf of all Alabama soldiers. The Joppa resident, who will receive the Bronze Star for Valor, was chosen because of his heroic actions April 4, 2004, in Iraq. He helped repel an enemy attack and gave first aid to an injured soldier while under fire from an enemy sniper. decaturdaily.com 5 Jul 05 |
Congressman’s
office helps veteran’s family receive his medals
Two sons of a World War II veteran have positive feelings
about their nation, but they weren’t pleased when someone from the U.S.
Army told them they could look through a catalog to buy some of the medals
their father earned but had not received.
Area man recalls days of service in World War II At the age of 21, Harlan C. Beam arrived at Fort Thomas, Ky. to be inducted into the U.S. Army for training as a soldier. During his active duty in North Africa, Beam was decorated several times for his actions. According to his citations he received: The Silver Star Decoration - "for gallantry in action in the vicinity of Djebel Tefifilia, Tunisia, January 25, 1943. Corporal Beam voluntarily accompanied his officer on a patrol toward the enemy lines to determine the exact location of the enemy outposts. He located one outpost and deliberately drew fire to determine its strength;" A Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster (added to the Silver Star) - "for gallantry in action in the vicinity of El Guetter, Tunisia, March 28, 1943. When several men were wounded in an engagement with the enemy, Sergeant Beam exposed himself to enemy machine-gun fire to draw attention from an aid man assisting the wounded soldiers." On August 11, 1944, Beam received the Bronze Star Medal "for meritorious achievement in connection with military operations against the enemy in the North African Theater of Operations and in the European Theater of Operations from 16 July 1943 to 11 August 1944. The capable and conscientious manner in which Sergeant Beam supervised the combat activities of a weapons platoon contributed immeasurably to the battlefield efficiency of his organization during the North African and Sicilian campaigns and in the invasion of Western Europe." peoplesdefender.com 8 Jul 05 |
Michael L. Russell Sgt. 1st Class Michael L. Russell, 31, of Rincon, Ga., died Tuesday, June 28, 2005, in eastern Afghanistan when his MH-47D helicopter was shot down by enemy fire during combat operations. His awards and decorations include the Air Medal with "V" Device, the Air Medal, the Bronze Star Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Iraq Service Campaign Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Senior Army Crew Member Badge, the Army Superior Unit Award and the Oversees Service Ribbon. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart Medal, a second Bronze Star Medal, a second Air Medal with "V" Device, the Meritorious Service Medal, Master Army Crew Member Badge and the Combat Action Badge. fredericksburg.com 10 Jul 05 |
From chorus to combat The 142nd Signal Battalion recognized these soldiers: Bronze Star (no valor): Maj. Roger A. Presley Meritorious Service Medal Capt. Arnold J. Griffin Army Commendation Medal Sgt. 1st Class Loren D. Cantu, Sgt. 1st Class Stefan Rothwell. Staff Sgt. Christopher K. Burcham Army Achievement Medal Staff Sgt. Mark A Chalus, Sgt. Kori L. Larsen, Spc. Dennis H. Crawford. Pfc. James C. Carroll Special Service Ribbon of Alabama (for Hurricane Ivan Disaster Relief Efforts) Master Sgt. Daniel B. Glenn, Sgt. 1st Class Barry D. Bartlett, Sgt. 1st Class Robert D. Lowery, Sgt. 1st Class Richard W. Wiley, Staff Sgt. Jeremy D. Casey, Sgt. Julian O. Bolden. decaturdaily.com 10 Jul 05
Des Plaines soldier dies in rescue Des Plaines native Chief Warrant Officer Chris J. Scherkenbach will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors. Serving in the U.S. Army, Chris Scherkenbach, 40, was part of an elite rescue mission consisting of eight soldiers and eight U.S. Navy SEALs deployed last month to save four SEALs captured or killed by Taliban forces in Afghanistan. He amassed honors including posthumously earning a Purple Heart, Bronze Star Medal, Air Medal with Valor device, the Master Army Aviator Badge, the Meritorious Service Medal and the Combat Action Badge. dailyherald.com10 Jul 05
World War II Remembered Following news items are from 1945 - Capt. Zachary T. Ossefort has been awarded the Purple Heart for wounds sustained in Czechoslovakia May 5. First Lt. Robert Mahony has been awarded the Purple Heart and Air medal for duty with the Army Air corps in Europe. Cpl. Harold E. Derbique, son of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Derbique, 1250 Doty street, has been awarded the Croix de Guerre Avec Palme by the French government for “exceptional military services rendered in the course of operations for the liberation of France.” T/Sgt. Sylvester Strelow, of Gresham, has been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for extraordinary achievement in the strategic air war over Europe. Lt. George M. Ossefort has been awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in action in Germany between Feb. 23 and Feb. 26, 1945. Cpl. Charles W. Erickson was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for meritorious service in combat on the Fifth Army front in Italy. Sgt. Alfred B. Forsythe has been awarded the Purple Heart for wounds received in action in Italy April 14. greenbaypressgazette.com `17 Jul 05
Retired Rhode Island Guard soldier gets Bronze Star for Vietnam valor A retired soldier in the Rhode Island National Guard is being awarded a Bronze Star for his heroic service in Vietnam. Francis Lafferty was an Army specialist who withstood heavy enemy fire to deliver much-needed ammunition to an Army company pinned down by the North Vietnamese in November 1965. wpri.com 27 Jul 05
Camp Pendleton Marines awarded for valor Five Marines were awarded Bronze Stars, three received Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, two were awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, and two got Purple Hearts for combat wounds.Sgt. Sam Pennock, 26, was awarded a Bronze Star with a combat distinguishing device. As he fired at insurgents who attacked his platoon in Ramadi on Nov. 8, Pennock was knocked down in his truck turret by a bomb blast. After he got up to resume firing, another explosion targeting his vehicle knocked him down and destroyed his machine gun. Pennock dragged himself up again, this time picking up a rifle to defend his unit until the blast from an armor-piercing rocket propelled grenade rocked his vehicle and wounded a fellow Marine inside. Again, Pennock recovered and fought off insurgent attacks while Navy corpsmen worked to save his comrade's life. Capt. Eric Dougherty, was awarded the Bronze Star for leading his company in a seven-hour firefight against an ambush that wounded six Marines. Also receiving Bronze Stars with combat distinguishing devices were 2nd Lt. John McKinley, Staff Sgt. Matthew Hays, and Maj. Michael Targos. McKinley led a platoon in more than 50 engagements against insurgents in Ramadi, including one four-hour fight against at least 50 attackers, according to the citation. Targos, who was one of the first officers to arrive and last to leave Ramadi, was recognized for tirelessly supplying the Marines with the ammunition they needed during combat missions, and for organizing a rescue operation to retrieve wounded troops and three disabled vehicles from an enemy ambush Sept. 12. Hays, a 24-year-old Marine from Salinas, was recognized for numerous actions under fire during which he kept his head despite being attacked by suicide bombers, roadside bombs and mortar fire. Along with Staff Sgt. Gregory Quaresma and 1st Lt. Alex O'Brien, Tovar and Santoro were given Navy and Marine Corps Commendations. First Lt. Jeffrey Tew received a Marine Corps Achievement Medal. Corporals Joseph Grimaldi and Ben Sebena both received Purple Hearts for being wounded in action. nctimes.com 8 Aug 05
United States - Soldier rewarded for bravery Though Lonnie Young tries not to think about what happened in Iraq, his fellow Marines haven't forgotten. On a day when the first of five Southwest Ohio Marines killed in Iraq two weeks ago was buried, Young was awarded the Bronze Star for staving off an insurgent attack in Iraq last year. "He saved his life and he saved U.S. coalition forces in that position," said Col. Robert Tobin, who presented the award with a V for valor. news.enguirer.com 14 Aug 05
United States - Munn Recognized for Bravery The 238th Air Support Operations Squadron held its awards ceremony to recognize the airmen who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom. One member, Senior Airman James Munn, received a special medal--the Bronze Star with Valor-- for his courage. Munn served in Fallujah as tactical air command and control specialist, alongside the First Cavalry Division. A mission called "Operation Iron Fury" put him the midst of enemy fire. wtok.com 8 Aug 05
Bridgewater cop wins Bronze Star with valor in Iraq When the mortar rounds hit at the Abu Ghraib base in Iraq, Plymouth's Philip R. Rand Jr. moved into action quickly.Rand, 33 — a police officer in Bridgewater was one of two state Guardsmen who received the Bronze Star with "V" for valor for helping to repel the insurgent attack on April 2. Rand and Master Sgt. Joe Young, 52, of Orange, were awarded the medal in a ceremony at Forward Operating Base Abu Ghraib, 32 kilometers west of Baghdad. Three others who helped repel the attack received the Army Commendation Medal with "V" for valor. Sgt. Jimmy Lok, 28, of Randolph, Staff Sgt. Christopher Yarger, 38, of North Attleboro and Sgt. William Gates, 28, of Belmont received the commendation medals. enterprise.southofboston.com 24 Aug 05
Florence Marine is honored for valor Lonnie D. Young, of the Cincinnati-based Communications Company, Headquarters Battalion, 4th Marine Division, received the Bronze Star medal with the "V" device for valor. Young earned the medal and a Purple Heart on April 4, 2004, while he and a team of men were upgrading communications at a Spanish garrison in An Najaf. The work was being done because terrorist attacks were anticipated on an upcoming Muslim holy day that would bring thousands of pilgrims to An Najaf. news.kypost.com 16 Aug 05
SLC Marine awarded the Bronze Star Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. presents the Bronze Star to Sgt. Maj. Jayme Winders, for his bravery and leadership during the war in Iraq. photo by Rick Egan 8/31/2005. Instead of staying in a protected U.S. military compound, Sgt. Maj. Jayme Winders refused to let his 1,200 Marines fight alone in An Najaf, Iraq. sltrb.com 1Sep 0 |
EOD Sailor Awarded Bronze Star for Heroism The commanding officer of the Maritime Force Protection Command awarded the Bronze Star (with combat “V”) to Builder 1st Class (EOD/SW/AW) James J. Mueller for valorous actions in Iraq. While assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Mobile Unit 4, Mueller provided EOD support to the U.S. Army’s 3rd Special Forces Group and Iraqi counterterrorism forces during combat operations from July to December 2004. As the EOD cell leader, he led a 15-man Iraqi assault team on more than 30 direct-action combat missions, ensuring the safety of 70 U.S. and coalition force members. Mueller disarmed 11 improvised explosive devices that were immediate threats to the entire assault force and supervised the safe collection, transport, and exploitation of more than 40,000 pounds of unexploded ordnance that were being used against coalition forces. news.navy.mil 30 Aug 05
MP trio earns medals for saving Iraqis Labor Day 2005 will be a day to remember for three Soldiers who were awarded medals that day for risking their lives to rescue four Iraqi National Guard members during an insurgent attack earlier this year. Staff Sgt. Javier Echols and Sgts. Matthew Acosta and Zachariah Collett of the 108th Military Police Company from Fort Bragg, N.C. received the medals from Multi-National Corps-Iraq Commander Lt. Gen. John R. Vines in a ceremony here Sept. 5. On the morning of April 30, Echols, Acosta and Collett, were patrolling a main supply route as part of squad Warlord 11 when an improvised explosive device detonated nearby. A transport vehicle filled with Iraqi National Guard Soldiers was hit by the blast. Echols, who received the Silver Star for his bravery, led his team in the rescue of four ING Soldiers who were wounded in the explosion. Exposed to dangerous crossfire between insurgents and ING Soldiers, the trio moved the wounded to safety and administered medical aid until an evacuation helicopter arrived on the scene. For one wounded Iraqi Soldier, the team crafted a makeshift stretcher from a piece of metal that had been blown from the transport truck in the explosion. As a result of their actions, Acosta received the Bronze Star Medal for valor while Collett earned an Army Commendation Medal for valor. army.mil 13 Sep 05
Father of fallen Green Beret accepts son's Bronze Star Medal The father of a deceased Special Forces Soldier accepted his son's posthumous Bronze Star Medal with “V” device during a formal ceremony at the 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) Headquarters Sept. 20. Ernest Piper, a longtime resident of Marblehead, Mass., received the medal. His son, Staff Sgt. Christopher N. Piper, 43, was a communications sergeant, assigned to 1st Battalion, 7th SFG (A). Staff Sgt. Piper was critically injured June 3, 2005 near Orgun-e, Afghanistan when an enemy improvised explosive device detonated near his Ground Mobility Vehicle during operations in Afghanistan’s southeastern region. The Bronze Star Medal with “V” device was presented to Piper for heroic achievement in combat Mar. 12, 2003. According to the award citation, Staff Sgt. Piper and his 12-man Special Forces team came under attack while executing an armed reconnaissance patrol. With rocket fire, tracers and incoming rounds erupting around him, Piper fearlessly reinforced his forward element with weapons and ammunition while suppressing enemy fire. soc.mil 20 Sep 05
Fallen soldier receives military honor at his home base It came as no surprise to Capt. Mark Giacovelli that Marblehead's Chris Piper would receive a Bronze Star with Valor for actions during a reconnaissance patrol that was ambushed in March 2003. The citation presented to Piper's family reads, "For valor in combat against the enemy while attached to Special Forces Operational Detachment-Alpha 2021, Gardez, Afghanistan, during Operation Enduring Freedom. "While executing an armed reconnaissance patrol, ODA 2021 came under intense enemy fire upon entering the kill zone of an L-shaped ambush. While rocket fire, tracers and sonic cracks of incoming rounds erupted around and through (Staff Sgt.) Piper's position, he fearlessly executed what was required of him by suppressing enemy positions reinforcing the forward element with weapons and ammunition. His performance is in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflects great credit upon himself, the 20th Special Forces Group, the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-Afghanistan and the United States Army." During his military service Piper also earned the Army Commendation Medal, the Navy Achievement Medal, the Navy Unit Commendation, the Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal with "M" Device, NCO Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, the Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, the Special Forces Tab, the Combat Infantryman Badge, and the Parachutist Badge. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, the Meritorious Service Medal, and the Afghanistan Campaign Medal. thedailyitemofflynn.com 21 Sep 05
Army buddies hand-deliver local soldier’s Silver Star A deep respect has shrouded the military community in Colorado for the loyalty and courage Army Staff Sgt. Thomas E. Vitagliano exhibited in Iraq for the safety of his fellow soldiers. Vitagliano, 33, threw himself on top of two U.S. soldiers, saving them both, when a car bomb exploded Jan. 17 near their position in Iraq. His heroic actions have posthumously earned him the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Combat Infantry Badge and, now, the Silver Star, one of the nation’s highest honors. According to the soldiers, Vitagliano and dozens of other soldiers were scouring the roadside on Easy Street in Ar Ramadi, Iraq, in three separate contingents when Vitagliano’s intuition drew his attention to a suspicious taxi. Realizing that the same car kept circling the area, Ronan said her brother radioed to another nine-man contingent two blocks ahead of him and received permission to investigate. His father was told his son, with weapon in hand, walked straight at the taxi and ordered the driver out from eight feet away. It was at that time, the elder Vitagliano said quietly, that the soldier reportedly noticed the driver fiddling with something in his hands. In a matter of moments, Vitagliano ran and jumped on two nearby privates, separating them from the blast, but costing him his life. Also killed was Pfc. George Geer, 27, of Cortez, Colo. nhregister.com 10 Oct 05
Hawai'i soldiers' bravery lauded Two Army Reserve soldiers with the 100th Battalion, 442nd Infantry in Iraq have been recommended for Bronze Stars with V for valor, and a third is being recommended for a Silver Star. Two of the recommendations stem from a three-hour firefight on Aug. 17 outside Logistical Support Area Anaconda north of Baghdad, as 100th Battalion soldiers supported an Iraqi army company during Operation Iron Fist. 1st Lt. Norman Smithers, 29, of 'Aiea, was recommended for the Bronze Star with valor for exposing himself to enemy fire while directing his platoon to engage the enemy and shoot out streetlights that were silhouetting his soldiers, providing support fire for Capt. Charles F. Staton, and encouraging Iraqi soldiers to attack as he and fellow "Go For Broke" soldiers maneuvered forward under fire. "If not for his bravery and leadership, the attack would have failed, and the unit would have been faced with multiple coalition casualties," the award recommendation reads. Officials said Staton, 35, who was assigned to the 100th-442nd from Fort Worth, Texas, is being recommended for the Silver Star for getting out of his vehicle, disregarding personal safety, as he saw the Iraqi army attack begin to fail. A third 100th-442nd soldier, Sgt. James Fuqua, 31, from Honolulu, has been recommended for a Bronze Star with valor, officials said. The account of his recommendation was not available. honoluluadvertiser.com 13 Oct 05
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Above and beyond: National Guard soldiers receive medals during ceremony Sgt. 1st Class Peter Salerno III receives a Bronze Star from Lt. Col. Daniel Hendrickson. The Oregon National Guard’s list of 2-162 Bronze Star honorees include eight from the mid-valley. They are: Maj. William J. Edwards, Albany; Sgt. 1st Class Phillip V. Jacques, Albany; Sgt. Maj. Paul Warnock, Albany; Staff Sgt. Vinis C. Harrington, Corvallis; Sgt. 1st Class Scott Woods, Harrisburg; Sgt. 1st Class Kenneth Jackola, Lebanon; Sgt. Maj. William Elfering, Monroe; and Sgt. 1st Class Peter Salerno III, Monroe. Elfering and Warnock also received medals for Meritorious Service. Staff Sgt. Andrew Hellman of Albany received a Purple Heart. Cpl. Shane Ward of Alsea and Spc. Ryan Tuttle of Philomath each received a Medal of Commendation with Valor. Lt. Col. Daniel Hendrickson, North Albany, the outgoing battalion commander, received two medals for Meritorious Service, one national and one from the Oregon Army National Guard. gazettetimes.com 16 Oct 05 |
Senator finally receives award for Vietnam valor Allen Paul has received a Bronze Star he earned 37 years ago as a Private First Class serving in "the Nam.". Paul earned the medal when he rushed across an open area under enemy fire to tend to wounded comrades. "I remember after everything was over sitting under a tree in the rain," Paul said. "We were all so tired. "The lieutenant came up and said he was putting me in for the medal. He showed me the muddy letter he had written." But medals were being awarded by an allocation system then. Only so many Bronze Stars were given each month. Paul didn't get his. Instead, he received an Army Commendation Medal. In the intervening years, the Army reconsidered its allocation policy. Pence heard about Paul's situation and two years ago started the paperwork to rectify the situation. The Bronze Star that Paul received this month is his second. His first was for meritorious service during a battle in which Paul's unit participated. The ribbon worn for the first medal carries the "M" device. The second medal will have the "V" for valor. pal-item.com 16 Oct 05
Harrodsburg Guardsman receives Army medal Sgt. Christopher S. Searcy of Harrodsburg has been awarded the Army Commendation Medal while serving in Kuwait. Searcy was awarded the commendation for helping to save a fellow soldier from injury and a helicopter. He was in Kuwait working the night shift, helping to unload Black Hawks. According to the award recommendation documents, when one of the helicopters was coming off a boat, it slipped on a ramp and jackknifed. Searcy tied the aircraft down and prevented the helicopter from falling down the ramp. His action prevented extensive damage to the helicopter and possible injury to the soldier driving the boat. amnews.com 18 Oct 05
Officer with family in Troy wins medal Dwight Whitehead, son of retired Army Lt. Col. Dorsey and Elaine Whitehead of Troy, has been promoted to lieutenant colonel and received a Bronze Star. Whitehead earned the Bronze Star while serving in Iraq as a logistician with Headquarters and Headquarters Company of the state Army National Guard's 42nd Infantry Division out of North Greenbush. Air National Guard Master Sgt. David Paul has earned a Meritorious Service Medal and Master Sgt. Thomas Miter has received an Air Force Commendation Medal while serving with the Civil Engineer Squadron of the 109th Airlift Wing in Scotia. timesunion.com 29 Oct 05
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TWRA
Biologist Earns "Medal of Valor" Tennessee
Wildlife Resources Agency Biologist Tim Cleveland has been serving his
country in Iraq for about a year. This week he is scheduled to return
to the states after having earned the Bronze Medal For Valor chattanoogan.com
25 Oct 05. |
Soldiers receive medals for valor A unit with the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team honored some of its soldiers for their actions in Iraq. Ten soldiers with the 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry, C Co. received medals Nov. 6 in a ceremony in Iraq. According to 1st Lt. Anthony Fennell, who wrote about the honors in the Alaska Post, the newspaper for U.S. Army Alaska, the soldiers received medals for their valor, one of which was the Bronze Star Medal. The valor awards were the first of their type the Tomahawks and the 172nd have received since the Vietnam War. Soldiers who received medals for heroism, valor and conduct were 1st Lt. Jeffery Marshburn, Sgt. 1st Class Karl Zaglauer, Sgt. 1st Class Jason Wozniak, Sgt. Daniel Davila, Sgt. Charles Diale, Sgt. Matthew Gilbert, Spc. Adam Maganello, Spc. Favbian Barela and Spc. Paul Mireles. Spc. Matthew Bailey received the Bronze Star Medal. news-miner.com 20 Nov 05
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Army chief awards Rangers for valor Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker congratulates Staff Sgt. David M. Edwards, 3rd Bn., 75th Ranger Regt., after presenting him with the Silver Star. Edwards was awarded the Silver Star while serving as a squad leader for the task force. Edwards’ unit was conducting combat operations when his element came under an intense enemy attack. According to the citation, while under direct fire, his outstanding leadership, dedication to duty and commitment to excellence were fundamental in saving the life of a wounded Ranger and success of the task force. Capt. Christopher A. Molino was awarded the Silver Star while serving as the ground commander when his Soldiers were attacked. Molino was conducting combat operations when his element came under direct small arms and hand grenade fire from a determined enemy. According to the award citation, Malino'a personal courage, tactical expertise and professional competence contributed to saving the lives of wounded Rangers and the success of the task force. The Soldier’s Medal was presented to Sgt. Mark T. Alperin while serving as a mortar platoon squad leader in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. This medal is awarded for personnel who distinguish themselves by heroism involving personal danger and the voluntary risk of life, though no contact with the enemy was made. This award requires the same level of heroism as the Distinguished Flying Cross. According to the award citation, Alperin displayed the highest degree of professionalism, sound judgment, technical and tactical knowledge and an overwhelming concern for the welfare of his Rangers. His exceptional performance and dedication to duty were contributing factors in saving a Ranger and success of the task force. Bronze Star Medals for Valor were awarded to 11 Rangers for actions in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. This medal is awarded for heroic actions. Awardees were: Sgt. 1st Class Andrew T. Bristow, Sgt. Jeremiah A. Dagel, Cpt. John F. Detro, Sgt. Ian B. Hunter, 1st Lt. Ryan M. Kelly, Spc. Casey M. Loose, Staff Sgt. Joseph G. Lynch, 1st Sgt. Edward L. Noland, Staff Sgt. Michael N. Rach, Spc. Webster J. Slavens, and Staff Sgt. Jared N. Van Aalst. Sixteen Rangers received the Army Commendation Medal for Valor, awarded for a valorous act distinguished by heroism, meritorious achievement or meritorious service. army.mil 22 Nov 05 |
Keyser honors veterans with parade Lawrence Koontz recalled his meritorious service with the 101st Airborne Division of the 502nd Infantry, which earned him three Silver Stars for Gallantry in Action, Seven Bronze Stars for Heroism, Army Commendation medals for heroism and numerous other individual and unit citations. newstribune.info 14 Nov 05
Weslaco armory renamed for fallen soldier The Texas Army National Guard will rename its Weslaco armory in memory of 19-year-old Tomas Garces. Officials say Garces was the first Texas Army National Guard Soldier killed in the line of duty since World War Two. He was assigned to the 1836th Transportation Company in El Paso, which was deployed to Iraq in February of 2004. Garces died on September sixth of 2004 when his convoy was attacked with explosives in Iraq. Garces received several awards including the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart and the Texas Lone Star Medal of Valor. team4news.com 23 Nov 05
Former Dover man awarded Bronze Star for bravery in Iraq A former Dover (New Hampshire) soldier has been awarded the Bronze Star for bravery in Iraq. Lieutenant Colonel John Steele and fellow soldiers were pinned down while heading into the city of Kufa, Iraq, in search of insurgents. He ran through a mortar attack to call for an artillery attack to destroy the enemy guns. wcax.com 28 Nov 05
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A chestful of medals But retired Army Lt. Col. Ruben W. Shay, 81, is that and more. The former paratrooper and organic farmer is in the middle of cooking a holiday meal for his family. He takes off his apron and makes his way to the small living room in his mobile home to talk about his experiences. Born in Cologne, Germany, in February 1924, his mother was German, and his father was a Frenchman working for the U.S. Army's Counterintelligence Corps. His family moved around from Berlin, to France, and finally to Manila, Philippines, where he spent the rest of his youth. In 1941, while in the Philippines, Shay joined the Army's 31st Infantry, serving in Company G. He brings out his military dress uniform, which is covered with medals and citations. He seems very humble, only explaining what each medal is for when asked. Two bronze stars, a purple heart, military service medal, just so many medals on one uniform that it could take up the whole front page of a newspaper to list them all. But when asked about how he felt about his service in the military, he answers without hesitation. "I am very proud of my service, and I love my country," Shay said. "I just wish I could have served longer, but when you're retired on disability you have to go." thestranscript.com 2 Dec 05 |
Everett Hospital Chief Awarded Bronze Star Chief Hospital Corpsman (FMF) Richard Boldt was presented the Bronze Star Medal. Boldt received the award for his actions during his 194-day deployment to Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom, where he was assigned to set up medical clinics and train the Iraqi medical personnel who would man them. The 37-year-old Sailor deployed in March of 2005 to the Iraqi Military Academy of Al Rustamiyah (IMAR). There, he worked as the senior medical adviser with the Multi-National Security Transition Command – Iraq. Being the only coalition medical person attached to IMAR, he found himself responsible for ensuring the wellbeing and medical readiness of the more than 400 coalition, NATO, Iraqi military staff and officer cadets assigned to the camp. On top of that, he and eight Iraqi medics provided emergency care for more than 1,000 Iraqi civilian nationals and nearly 3,000 Iraqi Intervention Force Soldiers stationed at Camp Al Rustamiyah.Boldt even had to fill in for three weeks as the acting physician when the IMAR Iraqi physician abruptly resigned. news.navy.mil 8 Dec 05
United States - Rangers given award for valor Mention the 2003 Battle of Hadithah Dam to any Ranger and watch him swell with pride.The Army thinks so highly of the performance by the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment that it recently honored the outfit with the Valorous Unit Award, second in unit awards only to the Presidential Unit Citation. According to the award citation, the Fort Benning-based Rangers, then part of a joint task force engaged in an intense battle during the opening days of Operation Iraqi Freedom, displayed extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy from March 30 through April 9, 2003. Their mission: Seize the enemy-occupied Hadithah Dam in Iraq to obtain a communication line across the Euphrates River and to prevent the enemy from destroying the dam. Previously, four Rangers received the Silver Star, 11 received the Bronze Star Medal for Valor, five received the Purple Heart, 20 received Army Commendation Medals for Valor, 15 received the Bronze Star Medal and 71 received the Army Commendation Medal for this mission. The 3rd Battalion last received the Valorous Unit Award for actions while deployed to Somalia in 1993. ledger-enquirer.com 13 Dec 05
West High graduate awarded Bronze Star medal U.S. Air Force Col. Michael G. Therrien has been awarded the Bronze Star medal. Therrien was decorated for his work in helping to rebuild the Afghan army and establishing local police departments in the worn-torn country. He was stationed in Kabul, Afghanistan, for 184 days from May 11 to Nov. 12, where he was a director of program integration. His mission was to train police officers and soldiers, focusing on three southern provinces bordering Pakistan, where terrorists are believed to be based. theunionleader.com 21 Dec 05
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Local Soldier Awarded Army Bronze Star Medal Franz Phillip Hosp V, formerly of La Cañada and deployed since January of this year in Baghdad, Iraq, was recently awarded the Army Bronze Star Medal for exceptional meritorious service while serving as a Battalion Support Platoon Leader and Company Executive Officer during Operation Iraqi Freedom III. In April, 1st Lt. Hosp became executive officer for C Company, 1st Battalion 64th Armor Regiment stationed in Baghdad. On the morning of April 29, during a coalition forces combat patrol, 1st Lt. Hosp and his men came under attack from multiple vehicle born explosive devices. Hosp calmly organized a response while securing the area and treating Iraqi Army casualties. His leadership actions while under attack allowed all casualties to be successfully evacuated. In later missions, he provided vital tactical and command guidance to more than 150 Iraqi and American soldiers, allowing the missions to be successfully completed. lacanadaonline.com 22 Dec 05 |
Vice President visits Bagram, presents medals, speaks with troops Vice President Dick Cheney awarded medals for valor in combat to two Army aviators and two infantrymen Monday during a visit with the troops here 19 Dec. Cheney awarded the Bronze Star Medal with valor to Staff Sgt. Jonathan Brooks and Sgt. 1st Class Thomas Holland, both infantrymen assigned to 1st Battalion, 508th Infantry (Airborne), for their actions in combat on May 30. Chief Warrant Officer Guy Betts, a pilot from Company B, 3rd Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment, received the Air Medal with Valor for engaging the enemy during a medical evacuation mission June 1. Chief Warrant Officer Sean Laycox, a CH-47 Chinook pilot from Company D, 113th Aviation Regiment received the Distinguished Flying Cross for assisting a downed helicopter while under fire during an April 18 mission. blackanthem.com 20 Dec 05
Secretary of Defense honors Bayonet Soldiers Capt. William Swaims (Arkansas), a combat surgeon with Charlie Company, 173rd Support Battalion (Airborne) was awarded the Bronze Star with Valor for actions on July 25 in the village of Stah Chow in Oruzgan Province, Afghanistan. Spc. Michael Vertucci (Fishers, IN), serving with Delta Company, 165th Military Intelligence Battalion, was awarded the Bronze Star with Valor for actions on June 21 in Miena Shin district, Zabul Province, Afghanistan. Master Sgt Richard Steele (Florida), 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group, received the Purple Heart for wounds received in action during an operation in southern Afghanistan. Capt. Matthew Peterson (Eugene, OR), Troop C, 2nd Squadron, 6th Cavalry, Sgt. Angel Cortez (Willos, CA), Delta Company, 113th Aviation Regiment, and Spc. Jose Rhodes (Texas), Bravo Company, 3rd Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment, received the Air Medal with Valor for actions taken during May and June of 2005 in southern Afghanistan. Sgt. Kenneth Stover (Philadelphia, PA), and Sgt. Angel Sanchez were awarded the Army Commendation Medal with Valor for actions taken on July 25 in the village of Stah Chow in Oruzgan Province, Afghanistan army.mil 28 Dec 05
Oklahoma Reservist Awarded Bronze Star Capt. Dennis R. Staggs was presented the Bronze Star Medal. Staggs received the award for his effective leadership and devotion to duty during his deployment to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from September 2004 to January 2005. Serving as Force Surgeon, Assistant Chief of Staff, G-4, for I Marine Expeditionary Force, Staggs supervised 19 level I and five level II medical treatment facilities, ensuring the effective care of more than 18,000 disease and non-battle injury patients and more than 2,000 combat trauma casualties. He also oversaw the development of proactive medical plans for the battle in Fallujah in Operation Al Fajr. news.navy.mil 23 Dec 05
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WWII veteran receives medal Sgt. Julien Trepagnier, left, greets Capt. Louis 'Boo' LeBlanc after receiving his Bronze Star 63 years after ending his service in World War II. Although the Bronze Star decoration was listed along with other awards on Trepagnier's discharge papers dated March 1946, the medal was never sent to him. Trepagnier served as a sergeant of the 172nd Infantry, an antitank company. In addition to the Bronze Star, Trepagnier received a lapel medal, uniform patches, a ribbon and books that detail the battles of New Guinea and Luzon, two battles in which Trepagnier fought. 2theadvocate.com 29 Dec 05 |
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'V' for valor Staff Sgt. Jeremy Baggett and 11 other soldiers jumped into two Humvees to rescue their comrades. With six soldiers from one of the Humvees laying back and providing covering fire, Baggett's vehicle rushed into the fight. "Once we got up there, we saw the battalion commander's vehicle had been disabled, so the lead vehicle I was in drove into the kill zone, and my team leader and I ran into the kill zone as my team laid down suppressive fire." For his bravery during the next four hours, Baggett was awarded the Bronze Star with "V" for valor this past September for rescuing his commander and fighting off the insurgent attack.southeasttexaslivelive.com 31 Dec 05 |
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Whidbey sailors cited for valor in Iraq Two members of a Whidbey Island Naval Air Station unit were awarded the Bronze Star for extraordinary acts while disposing of explosive materials in Iraq. The medals went to Chief Petty Officer Richard Fleischer (left) and to Petty Officer 1st Class Douglas Hight. They both were awarded for "combat valor." The men were assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 11, which was deployed to Iraq between July 2004 and February. In the citations, the men were credited with destroying more than 50,000 pounds of unexploded ordnance. Fleischer was credited with destroying another 17 "improvised explosive devices," or bombs left along roadsides. Hight was credited with destroying 13 of them. heraldnet.com 30 Dec 05 |
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Vet given 5 medals earned during WW II Tears welled in Orville Rader's eyes and he clasped his chest while he viewed the five military medals he earned during World War II. A Bronze Star, the WWII Victory Medal, the Air Medal with four clusters, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal and the Presidential Unit Citation. Rader, 82, was in the Army Air Forces from 1941 to 1945. He enlisted at 17 and served as a nose gunner for the 461st Bombardment Group, the Liberaiders. His missions included destroying Romanian oil fields that helped supply the Germans with fuel. dfw.com 30 Dec 05 |
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Mansfield, Ohio, native earns Bronze Star Medal Navy Lt. John G. Meeting of Mansfield, Ohio, the comptroller for the Naval Dental Center was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for his service while deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 04 - 06. In January 2005, Meeting deployed as the commander for Surgical Company A, 2nd Medical Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group. marines.mil 9 Jan 06 |
Local soldiers receive medals of honor A ceremony recognized seven soldiers from the Second Battalion 108th Infantry. The same unit was also the focus of a documentary by Tom Brokaw called "To War and Back," a story on this band of brothers from Gloversville who went to Iraq together. Some of the soldiers didn't make it home. Nathan Brown of South Glens Falls was part of the same company. He was killed on Easter Sunday of 2004. Some of his comrades came back with injuries including National Guard Specialist William Rhodes. Rhodes was one of three soldiers who received a purple heart. The others were given bronze star medals. Staff Sergeant Greg Moore received a bronze star with valor medal for combat operation during an insurgent attack. wnyt.com 8 Jan 06
167th Airlift Wing commander gets medal The commander of the 167th Airlift Wing has been awarded the Bronze Star for his service in Afghanistan. Col Vollmecke, the commander of the Martinsburg unit since January 2004, was mobilized in April 2005 and named commander of the 451st Air Expeditionary Group at Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan. He served as commander from May to September 2005, leading a group of about 300 airmen during a period of heavy fighting. Under Vollmecke's leadership, his group moved more than 16,200 personnel and 16,400 short tons of cargo from 1,200 aircraft, controlled more than 1,000 close air support sorties and performed nearly 200 combat search and rescue sorties resulting in 14 lives being saved. dailypress.com 9 Jan 06
A
Statement of Valor Last spring Capt.
John Maloney led his Marines on a mission of mercy through the dangerous
streets of Ramadi, Iraq, to take medical supplies to a struggling hospital.
Maloney's Marines and a squad of Army soldiers guided a slow-moving convoy
through streets infested with snipers and hidden bombs to deliver more than
$500,000 worth of supplies — bandages, bedsheets, heart monitors,
antibiotics, incubators and more — to the Ramadi Maternity and Children's
Hospital. Maloney told a military reporter that he hoped the heavily
guarded mission would "show the Iraqi people that the Marines mean
well." It was completed without trouble. But just days later, Maloney,
36, and Lance Cpl. Erik Heldt, 26, were killed when their Humvee struck an
improvised explosive device. Three other enlisted Marines were badly burned.
On Friday, in a ceremony at the sprawling Marine base here, Maloney's widow,
Michelle, received the Bronze Star with V for Valor, awarded
posthumously to her husband for his leadership during 109 days of combat
against heavily armed insurgents. latimes.com 21 Jan 06
A man of valor When Maj. Danny McLendon saw his buddies attacked by Iraqi insurgents, he didn't hesitate. He put himself between them and harm's way. For his selflessness, the Montgomery resident and member of the Air National Guard will receive the Bronze Star Medal with Valor. It is a rare honor. In the almost three years since Operation Iraqi Freedom started, only 240 Bronze Stars with Valor have been awarded. The number of Bronze Stars without the valor distinction awarded is more than 3,200. "I wedged my vehicle between the insurgents and the men in my convoy to protect them from grenade and small-arms fire," McLendon said in a matter-of-fact tone of the November 2004 attack that could have cost him his life. McLendon's armored sport utility vehicle shielded three buses -- filled with 150 soldiers -- from attackers along Route Irish in Taji, Iraq. He and a soldier in another SUV flanked the buses for about eight miles, ramming anything that dared to get close. Their vehicles came away scarred by the shrapnel and small-arms fire. montgomeryadvertiser.com 22 Jan 06
Senior enlisted receives Bronze Star Medal Dozens of enemy rocket propelled grenades, several thousand rounds of machine-gun fire spraying from AK-47 assault rifles and handfuls of grenades all coming from three directions pinning down a company of Marines sounds like a scene out of the movies, but it’s the real-life experience for Sgt. Maj. William S. Skiles, sergeant major of Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squardon-267, Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton. The Bronze Star Medal with combat distinguishing device was awarded to Skiles for his actions April 26, 2004 while on the outskirts of Fallujah, Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom II. Skiles was the first sergeant for Company E, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force at the time. Realizing the critical requirement to relieve the platoon of their wounded Marines, he drove the evacuation vehicles and personnel directly to the embattled platoon’s position under intense enemy small arms fire. Upon reaching the platoon, he dismounted the vehicle and coordinated the evacuation of four severely wounded Marines, personally laying down suppressive fire, encouraging Marines and handing out M-16 magazines and fragmentation grenades to riflemen low on ammunition. He then jumped in the Humvee and drove through enemy fire and Fallujah’s rubble-strewn streets to his battalion’s forward operating base. Finally stopping at the field hospital, he consoled his wounded Marines and strengthened the resolve of the entire company by his steady, sturdy leadership, said the awards citation. marines.mil 27 Jan 06
Like father, like son at medal ceremony The Purple Heart was a long time coming for retired Army Sgt. William Hall of Fort Worth — 53 years, in fact. But the delayed award became more special when his son, Army National Guard Sgt. 1st Class Roland Hall, received the Bronze Star for service in Iraq in the same ceremony. William Hall was wounded in his left leg on June 16, 1953, during action with the 40th Infantry Division when his platoon was ambushed near Kumwha, South Korea, during the Korean War. Despite his wound, Hall rallied and encouraged his men while remaining exposed to heavy enemy fire until reinforcements arrived, his citation states. Roland Hall was decorated for exemplary work as a platoon sergeant providing patrols, convoy escorts and security missions and later as an operations sergeant providing resources and equipment to support troop missions. mysanantionio.com 29 Jan 06
Doctor to receive Bronze Star for valor in Iraq Amid a heavy firefight between Marines and insurgents in Fallujah, Iraq, Dr. Richard Jadick worked to save the lives of seven badly injured Marines caught in an ambush. The Navy doctor serving with the Marine Corps unit fought his own fear during the November 2004 firefight and at times couldn't even control his legs. Later, while crammed inside a truck with the injured Marines, a rocket-propelled grenade slammed atop the roof of the vehicle. It didn't go off. "I can't even describe scared," said Jadick, now a urology resident at the Medical College of Georgia and Augusta Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Centers, recalling that day. While the doctor felt fear, others saw tremendous courage and bravery. For his courageous forays into the bloody firefight in Fallujah, where he is credited with saving Marines in the midst of battle, Jadick will be awarded the Bronze Star with a combat V for valor. "I had never seen a doctor display the kind of courage and bravery that Rich did during Fallujah," said Lt. Col. Mike Winn, the executive officer for 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, who nominated Jadick for the award. "You just don't see it out of a battalion doctor. He personally saved the lives of 30 Marines." There have been 31 such medals awarded to Navy medical personnel attached to Marine units since September 2003, according to the Marine Corps public affairs office in Quantico, Va. ledger-enquirer.com 29 Jan 06
Capito to present medals to family of fallen soldier Medals earned by a soldier who died 62 years ago in the line of duty were to be presented to his family. Sgt. Herbert Mucklow served in the U.S. Army during World War II, was killed in action in France on Sept. 24, 1944. A native of Nicholas County, he served as an Army infantryman. His company came under mortar fire about one mile north of Mosseux, France, and Mucklow died in the ensuing battle. Awards to be presented to his sister in his honor today include the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Good Conduct Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge First Award, and the Honorable Service Lapel Button. dailymail.com 3 Feb 06
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Vice presents valor award at Camp Liberty Gen. Richard A. Cody presents the Bronze Star Medal for Valor to Sgt. Jeremy McDonald at Camp Liberty, Iraq. McDonald, who is assigned to 2/502nd Infantry ,101st Airborne Division, was presented the award for his heroic actions in combat Jan. 15. Serving as the squad leader, and placing himself as the lead element, McDonald attempted to stop the vehicle for inspection. The vehicle’s occupants commenced an unprovoked attack. McDonald was wounded but continued to return fire. He was struck by point-blank range AK-47 fire five times. His Soldiers, inspired by his fearlessness, entered the fray and defended their leader, who continued to fire at the terrorists even as his Soldiers pulled him away from the vehicle. McDonald continued to secure the area with his Soldiers until he was forced to evacuate 45 minutes later. army.mil 15 Feb 06 |
Marines' 'Doc' Is Awarded Bronze Star for Bravery The first three rocket-propelled grenades missed the Humvee, but the fourth slammed into its side. The explosion and shrapnel nearly severed the right arm and right leg of a young Marine, and what had been a fight with the enemy suddenly became a fight to save the life of Cpl. Mark O'Brien. Navy corpsman Nathan "Doc" McDonell was awarded a Bronze Star with a V for valor for his bravery and resourcefulness in saving O'Brien from dying from shock or loss of blood. McDonell, O'Brien and three other Marines — all members of Golf Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Regiment, 1st Marine Division — were in a firefight with insurgents in Ramadi on Nov. 8, 2004, when their Humvee was struck. Through it all, according to the official citation, McDonell showed "bold leadership, wise judgment and complete dedication to duty." latimes.com 18 Feb 06
Profile of a newsmaker: Soldier born in Norwich awarded medal Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Ramos, a Norwich native, recently was awarded the Bronze Star for meritorious achievement and gallantry while serving in Iraq. Ramos, who led 37 soldiers in the 3rd Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, was in Iraq for a year and returned home Jan. 3. "I'm very proud of my soldiers," Ramos said. "I was lucky and had good soldiers." norwichbulletin.com 2 Mar 06
National Guard soldiers honored Complete list of recipients:
Bronze Star with Valor
Spc. Jennifer Beck
Spc. Joshua Birkel
Spc. Richard DeLancey
Spc. Michael Sharples
Purple Heart
Staff Sgt. Jeremy Preister
Sgt. Terence Ricketts
Sgt. Matthew Rouse
Sgt. Chad Schroetlin
Spc. Richard DeLancey
Spc. Justin Diggins
Spc. Jacob Graff
Spc. John Harris
Spc. Kelsey Lamb
Spc. Fenton Phan
Spc. Rachelle Spors
Army Commendation Medal with Valor
Sgt. Eric Nesiba
Spc. Jacob Graff
Spc. Donald Harrer
Spc. Nathan Reitz journalstar.com 24 Feb 06
Award: Security Forces officer receives Bronze Star, team earns medals The commander of the 66th Security Forces Squadron received the Bronze Star Medal for his service in direct support of Operation Iraqi Freedom during the 66th Air Base Wing commander's call Feb. 15. Maj. Michael E. Gimbrone, along with three noncommissioned officers from the 66th SFS, received awards for their efforts while deployed to Southwest Asia during the first half of 2005. The team stood up the first-ever purely U.S. Air Force unit responsible for law and order operations at a U.S. Army installation within Iraq. Among the NCOs who were recognized, Master Sgt. Jody L. Laffon received the Meritorious Service Medal for contraband sweeps, unit morale assurance, and personnel and equipment accountability. Sergeant Laffon seized two rifles, more than 100 bottles of alcohol and unauthorized cellular phones, military articles, ballistic vests and digital cameras. Seizing this contraband material prevented their use in future possible terrorist attacks. Staff Sgt. Jason R. Lussier earned the Army Commendation Medal for his services as noncommissioned officer in charge of the supply section, crime scene photographer and member of a contraband sweep team. Sergeant Lussier's efforts safeguarded $500,000 worth of military equipment, provided key photographic evidence to military investigations, and uncovered possible intelligence gathering equipment and weapons leading to investigations of six people. Staff Sgt. Theodore R. Yost II also received the Army Commendation Medal for his work in customs, victim response and investigation assistance. Sergeant Yost detained one suspect after an intelligence-based sweep of local national interpreters, which protected against possible bomb-making materials. He also assured no harmful materials were transported into the continental U.S. while working with the customs division. blackanthem.com 3 Mar 06
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Fallen Marine Honored; House Approves Military Family Relief The parents of Deryk Hallal received the Bronze Star in the presence of several of the men who fought with their son in Iraq. The North Central High School graduate died during combat in April of 2004. The award is for valor. Hallal was serving as a rifleman when he was killed in 2004 during hostile fire in the Anbar province west of Baghdad. He was 24 years old when he died. Immediately following the presentation the House voted unanimously in favor of a bill to create a new military family relief trust fund. The fund would provide financial help to the families of Indiana reservists or members of the National Guard called to active duty after the terrorist attacks in September 2001. wishtv.com 27 Feb 06 |
Hero G.I.'s Bronze Star turn Fighting 69th hero Daniel Swift accepted the Bronze Star with Valor - for risking his life to save injured comrades in Iraq. Christian Engeldrum, a 39-year-old married father of three, and Wilfredo Urbina, 29, were killed instantly on Nov. 29, 2004. Their Humvee patrol was ambushed and hit with 300 pounds of explosives on a rural road in Taji. Swift's Bronze Star is recognition of how he crawled through the smoking wreckage to care for several wounded soldiers. Swift suffered shrapnel wounds, spent two weeks in a German military hospital, months rehabilitating in the U.S. and still has limited vision in his right eye. nydailynews.com 18 Mar 06 |
Lives to remember: Pilot had 'vast experience' and a passion for flying When Glenn Alden Leister joined the Army in 1956, he thought it was for six months. He ended up staying for 26 years. Leister was a retired Army lieutenant colonel and a master Army aviator. During his service, he was awarded numerous medals. He flew two tours of duty in Vietnam and earned 19 Air medals, the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Palm, and a Bronze Star with one oak leaf cluster. But in addition to courageous flying, Leister worked to better his craft and its students. He received a Legion of Merit award for his work in rewriting the Airman’s Information Manual and Standard Instrument Departure Procedures and a second Legion of Merit for developing procedures used in air traffic control, flight advisory and flight assistant to users of national airspace. newsadvance.com 18 Mar 06
Admiral Urlich to award medals to Macedonian soldiers Two Macedonian soldiers, members of ARM's task force within Macedonian troop contingent in Iraq, will receive medals by the US Army. The visiting US Admiral Harry Urlich III, Commander of the Allied Joint Force Command in Naples and Commander of US Naval Forces Europe, will award bronze star medals to two Macedonian soldiers. makfax.com.mk 28 Mar 06
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Silver and Bronze Stars awarded to Weapons Company Marines Marine Maj. Gen. Richard Natonski, flanked by Lt. Col. John Merna, left, congratulates Sgt. Timothy Cyparski, right, as he waits to be awarded with a Bronze Star, his second such medal for service in Iraq. 1st Lt. David T. Russell, middle facing left, was awarded with a Silver Star for his service in Iraq. The two Marines say they were just doing their jobs when they led their troops in beating back an insurgent assault last year in Ramadi, Iraq. The Defense Department says they did a lot more, and awarded a Silver Star to 1st Lt. David Russell and a Bronze Star with V for Valor to Staff Sgt. Timothy Cyparski.for "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity" in action after a group of 13 insurgents attacked a roadside checkpoint on May 3, 2005. Russell, 25, was cited for having crossed a 100-yard open area to resupply one his Marines who had run out of ammunition, rescuing an Iraqi soldier attached to the unit and putting himself in the line of fire so Cyparski and the rest of his troops could mount a counter-assault. Cyparski, 27, joined his lieutenant in helping to resupply the Marine out of bullets and in directing the counterattack and now has two Bronze Stars, having been awarded the first for a similar display of courage during fighting in Fallujah in the spring of 2004. nctimes.com 31 Mar 06 |
Hurt in Iraq, Joliet soldier gets medals A soldier who was severely injured in Iraq received the Bronze Star Medal and the Purple Heart. Senior Airman Daniel E. Acosta II received the awards for serving as an explosive ordnance disposal technician Dec. 7 with a team assigned to investigate a crater for explosive devices. Acosta discovered and detonated one device, but another one exploded. Acosta lost an arm. Acosta, 21, had been in Iraq three months as part of the 477th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron. During that time, he'd been involved in 399 missions in the Baghdad area and successfully made safe 23 improvised explosive devices, or IEDs. suburbanchicagonews.com 4 Apr 06 |
Fallen Marine from Plymouth to receive Bronze Star Medal A Marine corporal who died in combat in Iraq in November 2004 will receive the Bronze Star. Cpl. Brian R. Prening, who served with Fox Company, 2nd Battalion, 24th Regiment of the Marine Corps Reserve in Milwaukee, was killed Nov. 12, 2004 by enemy fire in the city of Yusufiyah, during a firefight with Iraqi insurgents. Prening was trying to help a fellow Marine with a jammed machine gun when he was fatally injured. sheboygan-press.com 7 Apr 06
What does it take to win a Bronze Star? A Beaver County native has been awarded the Bronze Star Medal for his work dismantling explosives in Iraq. A former Marine who is now in the Navy, Petty Officer 1st Class Kevin Hutchinson, 26, was cited for his achievement in combat operations in Iraq as an explosive ordnance disposal technician from October 2004 to January 2005. It was his second tour of duty in Iraq. Hutchinson helped answer 488 calls for explosive disposals in an 87-day period, according to the citation. "His efforts were integral to the success of the battalion. By his zealous initiative, courageous actions and exceptional dedication to duty, Staff Sergeant Hutchinson reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service," the citation says. timesonline.com 9 Apr 06
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Amid chaos of blasts, a selfless act of valor Nathaniel R. Leoncio's heroic actions in Iraq are the pure stuff of legend. Leoncio, a 24-year-old corpsman, received the Bronze Star. The Navy petty officer third class was on patrol with Marines in southern Ramadi on Oct. 4 when they were struck by a series of roadside bombs. The explosives killed one Marine and seriously injured three other men, including Leoncio. At least two of the bombs detonated under the 6-ton Humvee that carried Leoncio, flipping it upside down and on top of him, severing his right leg just below the knee. Although his right thighbone was shattered and he was bleeding internally, Leoncio refused to be evacuated. He ignored his wounds and cared for a severely injured Marine, likely saving the man's life. “There have only been maybe 50 Bronze Stars awarded to corpsmen during the Iraq war. This award is rare because it is a combat award and the criteria for such a high award is very strict,” Moriarity said. signonsandeigo.com 7 Apr 06 |
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France bestows honor on two Wichitans Hank Harvey, left, and Bill Paschal recently received France's greatest honor - Knight of the Legion of Honor - for their service during World War II. Harvey served in the 320th Infantry Division, working under fire in the front lines, running telephones and communications wire to units serving under Gen. George S. Patton. He often worked from Patton's headquarters and knew Patton well. In August 1944, Patton personally ordered Harvey to sneak telephones and wire to the 30th Division's "Lost Battalion," near Mortain, France. Harvey was awarded the Bronze Star for bravery. Bill Paschal was a scout in an Army infantry platoon that repeatedly attacked German machine gun nests; Paschal, along with his close friend Calvin Brown from North Carolina, fought side by side through many battles and killed many German soldiers. Both received the Silver Star for gallantry in action, and Brown saved Paschal's life at least a dozen times before Brown was killed at Paschal's side by a sniper's bullet. Paschal also received three Bronze Stars for valor in combat. He was captured by a German SS unit, beaten and starved down to 90 pounds before the end of the war. In April 1945, while being force-marched to what they were sure was their own execution, Paschal and other Allied prisoners attacked their German guards, overpowered them and walked for several days until they were rescued by Patton's tanks. kansas.com 9 Apr 06 |
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SOTG instructor awarded second Bronze Star Medal In Iraq, leaders have sought the recipe for building a viable police force capable of maintaining the peace and security of a nation torn at the seams. Last year, Capt. Thomas “Tad” Douglas and the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit’s Force Reconnaissance Marines cooked up something special by throwing 12 members of the Iraqi Police into combat and ultimately creating one of the finest fighting organizations in Iraq – the 500 member Hilla Special Weapons and Tactics team. In addition to his work in shaping Hilla SWAT, Douglas was responsible for leading more than 70 unilateral, joint and coalition combat missions against anti-Iraqi forces throughout the northern Babil and southern Baghdad area of operations, earning his second Bronze Star in the process – an award presented to him April 24 by the 24th MEU commanding officer, Col. Ronald Johnson. usmc.mil 24 Apr 06 |
Naval Hospital Rota Medical Officer Earns Bronze Star Cmdr. Bryan P. Schumacher, family physicians staff at U.S. Naval Hospital Rota, Spain, was presented with the Bronze Star for his service in Iraq during a six-month deployment, October 2004 through March 2005. Schumacher earned the Bronze Star for his role in the battle of Fallujah in November 2004 and his role during the first Iraqi elections in January 2005. The certificate that accompanied the award notes how Schumacher championed the augmentation of the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment Aid Station with a Shock Trauma Platoon, which provided critical advanced trauma stabilization for nearly 100 combat casualties. “He obtained invaluable armored ambulances (M113s) for division units within the city,” the award certificate explains. “On multiple occasions, he responded heroically to treat wounded Marines injured by improvised explosive devices and mortar attacks. He worked with local Iraqi physicians and Battalion medical personnel to craft the mass casualty contingency plans for the historic Iraqi elections Jan. 31, 2005.” Schumacher was responsible for the medical readiness and medical care of more than 25,000 Marines, Sailors and Soldiers in the 1st Marine Division area of operations, including two Marine Expeditionary Units, two Regimental Combat Teams, an Army Brigade and various independent battalions. He also assisted with the pilot program Operational Stress Control and Rehabilitation (OSCAR), provided environmental health and preventive medical care for 31 Division-forward operating bases, and worked closely with all division staff. news.navy.mil 26 Apr 06
Spartan commander honors PRT accomplishments The Task Force Spartan commander Col. John Nicholson recognized the valor and accomplishments of 14 PRT individual and unit accomplishments of the Jalalabad Provincial Reconstruction Team. Soldiers recognized include: Bronze Star medal for valor - Capt. Brian Weber for gallantry in action as a member of Combined Joint Task Force - 76. Weber also received a Defense Meritorious Service Medal for joint service. Bronze Star medal for superior meritorious joint service - Lt. Col. Lynda Granfield, Capt. Joe Ybarra, Capt. Chris Corsten, Master Sgt. Douglas Rhea and 1st Sgt. Larry Rayburn received for service during Operation Enduring Freedom. Joint Service Commendation Medal - Sgt. 1st Class Luis Deleon, Spec. Jose Ledezma, Spec. Carlos Saldana and Spec. Rodrigo Zapata for outstanding OEF service. Army Commendation Medal - 1st Lt. Alfredo Cavazos, Staff Sgt. Luis Morales, Sgt. Ricardo Quijano and Sgt. Ricardo Carrillo for exceptionally meritorious service during OEF. Morales earned a second medal for outstanding leadership during the deployment. Carillo also received a Joint Service Achievement Medal for outstanding meritorious joint OEF achievement. blackanthem.com 29 Apr 06
Medals Given for Valor in Afghan Fighting Sgt. 1st Class David Lowe and his Special Forces A-team were in their last week in Afghanistan on June 10, 2005, when their base received an urgent call: A small group of 82nd Airborne paratroopers was pinned down in a firefight near the Pakistan border and needed support. Lowe's bravery in the Afghan mountains that sweltering summer day was rewarded with a Silver Star. It was midafternoon last June when Lowe's team, accompanied by Afghan forces, began climbing a steep mountainside to reach the 82nd Airborne paratroopers fighting off pockets of enemy on all sides. Lowe's team moved through the brush without talking. The sun cast shadows on the hills, making it difficult to see. Lowe was uphill providing cover ahead of Sgt. 1st Class Victor Cervantes, who walked below through a dry streambed, when fire from a Kalashnikov broke out near Cervantes's position. Lowe turned and dashed back, catching a glimpse of a camouflage coat and a figure ducking between the trees and rocks. Lowe fired at it with his M-4 and the gunfire stopped. Then he began yelling, "Vic!" "Vic!" trying to find his teammate. "So anyway, Vic was dead," Lowe recalled, choking up at the memory. But Lowe, the team medic, said he controlled an urge to charge blindly up the hill in revenge. Instead, according to his medal citation, during a six-hour firefight, Lowe moved deliberately to aid the wounded -- at one point dashing over 150 yards of open ground. He climbed an exposed rock pinnacle to shoot down a fighter who had a teammate pinned down, and helped kill six other attackers, including some who shot at the soldiers as they attempted to carry out Cervantes's body. Chief Warrant Officer 3 Jason Hope, 39, of Tulsa, also received the Silver Star for his daring leadership during a hastily executed spring 2005 raid on a fortified Taliban camp in Paktika province that killed a senior regional Taliban commander for southeastern Afghanistan. As soon as they got off the helicopter near the camp, Hope's team came under withering fire from about 20 enemy fighters awaiting with rocket-propelled grenades, AK-47s, and machine guns with armor-piercing bullets. The team fought its way up a ridge overlooking the camp, and then, to reach the stronghold, Hope led a flat-out race across 600 yards of open desert. Following Hope, Staff Sgt. Charles Maxwell watched as bullets chopped up dust around his feet. "I wasn't going to let him go without me," said Maxwell, 32, who was awarded a Bronze Star for valor. washingtonpost.com 19 May 06
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Darkhorse Marine Decorated for Valor Maj. Gen. Richard Natonski presented the Bronze Star Medal with Combat Distinguishing Device to 1st Lt. Alfred L. Butler IV, Weapons Company executive officer, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment. “This is his third deployment to Iraq, and he’s done a marvelous job over here.” The 27-year-old from Jacksonville, N.C., earned the award for his actions and leadership while commanding an 81mm Mortar Platoon on Dec. 23, 2004 during combat operations in Fallujah. military.com 22 May 06 |
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EODMU 2 Sailors Receive Silver, Bronze Stars Members of Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit (EODMU) 2 were recognized for their bravery and dedication while supporting the global war on terrorism. Rear Adm. Donald Bullard, commander, Navy Expeditionary Combat Command, presented 14 members of EODMU 2 with Bronze Stars with Combat Distinguishing Device and presented the Silver Star to Senior Chief Aviation Ordnanceman (EOD) William A. Bastable, pictured left, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy while serving as a Joint Task Force Lead Navigator, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom on 25 June 2003. Receiving Bronzse Stars were: Gunner's Mate 2nd Class (EOD) Clifford Sabo, Machinist's Mate 2nd Class Tempie M. Devers, Gunner's Mate 2nd Class Bradley J. Sharp, and a final Bronze Star was awarded to Lt. Dominick Floyd for his outstanding service as commander, Explosive Ordnance Detachment 28 and advisor to the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Force, March to August 2005. news.navy.mil 26 May 06 |
WW II veteran belatedly receives medals - World War II veteran Charlie Potter, who served in the Asiatic-Pacific Theatre and was twice wounded in battle on April 17 and 18, 1945, was finally presented with each his nine service medals, earned in action almost 60 years earlier. Included was a Bronze Star and Purple Star Sep 02
Medal for 'Hawk' NY Hero. Jeff Quinn was presented the Bronze Star almost 10 years after the U.S. military's humanitarian mission left 18 servicemen dead in an assault featured in the movie "Black Hawk Down." Quinn received the medal, with a special notation for valor, after his unit in the New York Air National Guard picked up the paperwork and the lobbying effort that stalled a decade ago.New York Post, NY - 24 Apr 2003
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Veteran gets medals after 58-year wait Lou Schneibel receives Purple Heart, Bronze Star, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign, World War II Victory, Good Conduct, Philippine Liberation and CIB. On Feb. 22, 1945, Schneibel's 22nd birthday, he was wounded by an exploding hand grenade during a battle in Manila. A sergeant with the 37th Division, Company K, 129th Infantry, Schneibel also was wounded in the Battle of Bougainville. He was shot in the shoulder. Denver Post, CO - 9 Apr 2003 |
Special Boat Team Receives Commendation; SEAL Gets Bronze Star - Naval Special Warfare Boat Team (SBT) 12 was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation, and a SEAL (SEa, Air, Land) was awarded the Bronze Star Medal. SBT-12 received the award for unparalleled success in support of Naval Special Warfare and unified command missions during Operation Enduring Freedom. SEAL, Cmdr. Larry Lasky, received the Bronze Star for his noteworthy achievements in Afghanistan. Navy News Stand Feb 03
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World War II veteran finally getting medals Lee Frost receives eight medals, including the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge 1st Award, American Campaign Medal and World War II Victory Medal for his efforts in a battle on Okinawa in 1944. SouthBendTribuneDec 02 |
Special Ops Soldier Killed in Iraqi War Master Sgt. George Andrew Fernandez, 36, died from a gunshot wound April 2 while fighting alongside ethnic Kurdish fighters in Iraq’s northern province. During his career, Fernandez received many medals and commendations. His awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, two Army Commendation Medals, five Army Achievement Medals, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, three Good Conduct Medals, two National Defense Service Medals, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal and the Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon with numeral “3” device. He received the Bronze Star Medal with “V” device, the Purple Heart, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal and the Combat Infantry Badge posthumously. Southern Pines Pilot, NC Apr 03
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Guard unit gets chest of medals Gov. Gray Davis awards Army National Guard Capt. Michael Wise, 39, of Huntington Beach the Bronze Star. 38 weekend warriors marched across a stage to receive medals for service with an elite unit that fought warlords in Afghanistan and helped train the beleaguered nation's new professional army. Davis pinned 28 Bronze Stars and 10 Army commendation medals on the soldiers of the Green Beret unit, the first such awards to members of the California National Guard since the 1991 Persian Gulf War. Orange County Register, CA - 6 Jun 2003 |
WWII veterans may be eligible for one more medal - World War II veterans who earned the Combat Infantry Badge or the Combat Medical Badge are eligible to receive another award to honor their heroism, the Bronze Star. In 1947, the Bronze Star Medal was authorized for all of those who earned a Combat Infantry Badge or the Combat Medical Badge, according to Army regulation 600-8-2, Military Awards. The medal was designed to honor the infantrymen who endured the greatest hardships and the medics who accompanied them on the front lines, officials said. Army News Service, July 3, 2004
Son makes sure father gets medals Andy Varino admires one of his medals Monday. His son Richie Varino stands to his left. U.S. Rep. Rodney Alexander, D-Quitman, presented Varino on Monday with eight medals and badges for service in Vietnam from January 1969 to January 1970.Varino - a mortarman with the U.S. Army's 4th Infantry Division - received the Bronze Star with "V" device, and seven additional medals, ribbons and badges for his service in Vietnam Monroe News Star, LA - 14 Jul 2003
Salem
soldier gets medal A Salem soldier was among 14
decorated at Fort Bliss on Wednesday for bravery during the war in Iraq. |
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Former Windomite receives Bronze Star Medal Army Staff Sgt. Mark Strunk has been awarded the Bronze Star Medal with the “V” device signifying valor for his involvement in Operation Iraqi Freedom. He also received the Army Commendation Medal for participating in Operation Desert Spring in Southwest Asia. Cottonwood County Citizen, MN 12 Sep 03 |
Carlsbad Marine receives valor medals Major Stephen Armes, Advanced Infantry Training Company commanding officer received the Bronze Star with Combat "V" Oct. 10, 2003. Armes was awarded the medal for his actions as operations officer for 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment during Operation Iraqi Freedom. usmc.mil Oct 03
Bronze Star Recipient Sgt. Rolando A. Ortega receives the Bronze Star Medal with Combat 'V' for actions while serving as squad leader, 3rd Platoon, Company I, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, March 25, 2003 during Operation Iraqi Freedom. USMC.mil 17 Oct 03
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After 3 decades, Fairfield man receives Army medals Thirty four years after serving in the jungles of Vietnam, Charles M. Perry was awarded three Bronze Star medals, each with a "V" device for heroism. Perry was also given the Army Commendation Medal, a Vietnam Service Medal with four bronze service stars, a National Defense Service Medal and a Good Conduct Medal. Perry will also be awarded with two Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm. herkimhertelegram.com 20 Oct 03 |
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Former POW receives Medals World War II veteran and ex-prisoner of war Lewis Stanage of Niles displays the Bronze Star and Purple Heart he received. South Bend Tribune 9 Nov 03 |
Man, formerly of Theodore, honored for valor in Afganistan Army Sgt. Thad L. Van den Bosch, 22, formerly of Theodore, has been awarded the Bronze Star with "V" device for valor in combat in Afghanistan. Van den Bosch was awarded the medal for his "heroic actions" during a Sept. 13 firefight against the enemy. The citation said Van den Bosch's actions "saved the life of his team and his squad. Sgt. Van den Bosch displayed bravery in the face of imminent danger and placed the safety and the lives of his soldiers above his own." The citation noted that his "quick decision-making and decisive actions made it impossible for the enemy to maintain fire superiority or place effective fire" while leading his team on point during a patrol. The action took place near Losano Ridge. The citation further stated that Van den Bosch "remained calm and confident throughout the entire firefight. This inspired his men to continue the fight against a strong and determined enemy." During the action, Van den Bosch was serving as a team leader in C Company, 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry. He is in his second tour of duty in Afghanistan. al.com 12 Mar 04
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Spanish Springs widow receives husband's Bronze Star medal A year after her husband died saving fellow Marines in Iraq, Tina Cline received a medal recognizing the valor of Lance Cpl. Donald J. Cline Jr. Tina Cline accepted the Bronze Star Medal with “V” device. rgj.com 4 Apr 04 |
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From Hurdler to Hero Army Pfc. Glennie Burks, 19, of Fort Worth was awarded a Bronze Star while serving in Iraq. He helped save the lives of two wounded soldiers after an explosion rocked their vehicle. mercurynews.com 5 Apr 04 |
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Here are the latest figures, as of 29 Feb 04 sacbee.com 26 May 04 |
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Dover Soldier Awarded Bronze Star U.S. Army Sgt. Casey Blanchette, of Dover, N.H., will receive a Bronze Star for heroism on the front lines. It's a Bronze Star with valor, which means he went above and beyond receiving a Bronze Star. thewmurchannel.com 20 May 04 |
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First Oregonian killed in Iraq receives Bronze Star Medal The family of the first Oregon soldier killed in Iraq accepted his posthumous Bronze Star medal. The company's single loss of life in Iraq was 19-year-old Army Reserve Specialist Brandon Tobler. Tobler was killed in a truck crash during a nighttime convoy on March 22nd of last year. katu.com 2 May 04 |
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Lawrence awarded Bronze Star with Valor Capt. Tate “Trey” Lawrence III was recently awarded the Bronze Star with the Valor Device for heroism in connection with military operations against a hostile force in Iraq. Lawrence served as the scout leader for the 3-15 Infantry Task Force of the Army’s Third Infantry Division, the spearhead unit during Operation Iraq Freedom. He was also awarded the Army Commendation Medal. The Bronze Star Award reads in part, “Captain Tate Lawrence III is awarded the Bronze Star for heroism in connection with military operations against a hostile force in Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. While serving as scout leader, his courage under fire and unending enthusiasm inspired his soldiers on the battlefield. His capability to perform multiple skilled tasks while under enemy fire facilitated unparalleled success for the Third Infantry Division to defeat enemy forces and liberate Iraq. His exemplary performance of duty in a combat zone reflects great credit upon himself, the Third Infantry Division and the United States Army.” Lawrence’s previous awards and decorations include the Army Achievement Medal, Army Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters. news.mywebpal.com 29 Apr 04 |
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Airmen
get medals Tech.
Sgt. Donnavon Huss, center, waits beside Lt. Col. Patrick Pope to
receive his Bronze Star for valor for fighting with the 82nd
Airborne Division in Iraq. The other airmen who received the Bronze
Star were Tech. Sgts. Lee M. Blackwell, James Seabrooks Jr. and
Michael P. Grilli and Staff Sgts. Colin A. Cannon, Jeffrey W. Leahy
and Charles J. Littlefield. About 70 Bronze Stars eventually will be
awarded to squadron members. Airmen also received Army Commendation
Medals and Air Force Commendation Medals. fayettevillenc.com
21 Apr 04
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Korean War Sailor posthumously awarded Bronze Star medal Capt. James E. Ratte Jr., Commanding Officer Naval Submarine Base New London, presents a Bronze Star with Combat "V" to Joyce Raspanti, wife of Korean War Veteran Hospitalman Third Class James M. Raspanti. zwire.com 8 Apr 04 |
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Soldiers
awarded medals for service in Afghanistan Sgt.
1st Class Eric A. Probst, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group,
embraces his 9-year-old son, Joshua, after receives the Bronze Star
with V device. Three
soldiers received the Bronze Star with V device: Master
Sgt. Michael L. Reynolds, Sgt. 1st Class Eric A. Probst, and Staff
Sgt. Robert S. Farmer. The
following soldiers received the Army Commendation Medal with V
device: Master Sgt.
Kenneth R. Thompson, Sgt. 1st Class Van E. Hines, Sgt. 1st Class
Patrick J. Rosaert, Sgt. 1st Class Timothy S. Bowman Sr., Staff Sgt.
Joseph M. Wilson, Staff Sgt. Christopher D. Walker (not present), and
Staff Sgt. Eugene G. Zawojski (not present). One
soldier received the Purple Heart: Master
Sgt. Michael L. Reynolds. Fayetteville online 12 Mar 04
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