Updated: 6 April, 2010
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Silver Star |
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Example of a WWII era Silver Star Medal Quan Engineering |
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Sergeant awarded Valor Medal Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper, left, prepares to award a Silver Star and Purple Heart to Sgt. Kevin D. Vance. The military has awarded two Air Force Crosses, nine Silver Stars, eight Bronze Stars for Valor, 19 Bronze Stars for support and other decorations to personnel who fought at Takur Ghar. tylerpaper.comJan 03 |
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Honor
and valor Just before dawn on March 4, Capt. Nate Self
led nine Army Rangers on a Chinook helicopter to rescue a Navy Seal from
an Afghan mountaintop. As soon as the helicopter reached its landing zone, the Rangers
encountered an ambush by al Qaida fighters armed with machine guns and
rocket-launched grenades. The helicopter, with a total of 21 U.S. troops
on board, crash-landed in a barrage of bullets and grenades. Within
seconds, four were dead, including three Rangers in Self's group. |
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F-15E weapons officer receives Silver Star A weapons systems officer here received a Silver Star for his participation in the battle of Roberts Ridge during Operation Anaconda. The award came exactly eight months to the day Capt. Chris Russell and three other men from the 335th Fighter Squadron came under intense enemy fire while providing close air support to Army and Air Force ground troops during the battle. The other three crewmembers, Captain Rieckhoff, Major Short and Colonel Fairchild, will also eventually receive Silver Stars. There have been only six Silver Stars awarded to F-15E Strike Eagle aircrew members. All six have been from the 335th FS, said Lt. Col. Spanky Dennis, the 335th FS commander. Air Combat Command Dec 02 |
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Korea Veteran Earns Medal 50 years, six months and 13 days after he led a dozen men in a night attack on a hill in central Korea - the United States government awarded Lt. Ray Sargent the Silver Star. the medal, the third highest a soldier can receive, came with a presidential citation, which reads, "Lt. Sargent's actions, professional competence and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, the 224th Infantry Regiment and the United States Army." Daily Nexus - 11 Feb 2003 |
Katy family honors hero son (U.S. Army Cpl. Anthony Mata nominated for a Silver Star) (Mar 02)
Maumee ceremony honors a veteran During three years as a combat medic in the Pacific Theatre during World War II, Donald J. Koontz earned two Silver Stars, two Bronze Stars, two Purple Hearts, the combat medical badge for heroism under fire, and other citations and medals. Toledo Blade, OH 19 Jun 03
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Silver
Star awardees help nation mark 9-11 anniversary
Army Chief of Staff Gen. Peter
Schoomaker pins the Silver Star Medal on
Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Adamec Sept. 10. Adamec was awarded the nation's
third-highest medal for valor for destroying four Iraqi armored personnel
carriers during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Chief
Warrant Officer Donald Tabron, Master Sgt. Patrick M. Quinn, 1st Sgt. Dennis
Caylor, Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Adamec and Cpl. Jeremiah C. Olsen were awarded
the nation's third-highest medal for valor in wartime, visited the
Washington, D.C., area to commemorate the second anniversary of the Sept. 11
terrorist attacks. Army Public Affairs 10 Sep
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Ex-Marine receives Silver Star after group researches claim Former Marine Millard Pearson wore a star yesterday that he has awaited for more than three decades. The Silver Star for ''conspicuous gallantry'' was pinned to his chest yesterday for action he took April 13, 1966, in Vietnam. A lance corporal, Pearson had crawled through the entrance of a concealed bunker and encountered Viet Cong under a false bottom inside. Tennessean.com 3 Nov 03
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Enterprise veteran recalls action-packed tour in Vietnam George Heneveld, highly decorated retired pilot, while in Vietnam through January 1970, earned a Silver Star, a Distinguished Flying Cross, a Bronze Star, 43 Air Medals - one with a Valor device, an Army Commendation Medal with V device, the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Silver Star and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Silver Star, along with campaign medals. The Southeast Sun online edition 5 Nov 03 |
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Airman given medal for heroismTech. Sgt. Keary J. Miller, a Kentucky Air National Guard member who braved a firefight in Afghanistan to save 10 wounded American fighters received the Silver Star. He is the only person to receive the award for heroism while serving with the Kentucky Air National Guard. Miller, a pararescueman from the 123rd Special Tactics Squadron, received the medal for his actions during a 17-hour firefight against al-Qaida and Taliban forces on March 4, 2002, on a 10,200-foot ridge in southeastern Afghanistan. courier-journal.com 02 Nov 03 |
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Officer won two Silver Stars in Germany James L. Pepper, 86, who received a Silver Star with Oak Leaf Cluster, a Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Cluster and other valor medals for his actions during World War II, has tried to forget his war experience. Daily American Republic 10 Nov 03
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Korean War vet named parade grand marshal Retired U.S. Army Col. Bill Coghill lost his leg in the First Battle of the Naktong Bulge. He earned the Silver Star for gallantry in action. Daily Republic 10 Nov 03 |
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Lost medal finds rightful resting place U.S. Army Cpl. Manuel B. Hernandez of Flagstaff was killed in action in 1950 while fighting in the Korean War.He managed to save eight other soldiers before he was brought down by enemy fire. The U.S. Army posthumously awarded Hernandez the Silver Star for his gallantry on the battlefield. azdailysun 11 Nov 03 |
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Soldier's Bravery finally Saluted Ed Farnham won a Silver Star and a Purple Heart 52 years ago in Korea. Farnham has one more medal to get -- a Bronze Star, also earned 52 years ago -- and the Army tells him it's on the way. Modbee.com 9 Nov 03 |
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Ceremony will honor fallen Freehold soldier Cpl. Philip A. Reynolds was killed in action U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Philip A. Reynolds was posthumously awarded the Silver Star. The citation issued in his name states: "For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity while serving as a machine gunner of Company E, 2nd Battalion, First Marine Regiment, First Marine Division (Reinforced), in action against enemy aggressor forces in Korea on 29 November 1950. With his company under attack by a vastly outnumbering hostile force, Cpl. Reynolds repeatedly exposed himself to a devastating barrage of enemy automatic weapons and small arms fire to deliver a large volume of accurate fire on the attackers. Mortally wounded while attempting to clear his gun and put it back in operation after it had jammed during the furious action, Cpl. Reynolds served to inspire his comrades to heroic efforts and contributed immeasurably to the successful repulse of the enemy attack. His outstanding courage and loyal devotion to duty in the face of overwhelming odds were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country." News Transcript 27 Nov 03 |
Lt. Col. Darwin G. Edwards Lt. Col. Darwin G. Edwards, 67, of Warner Robins, Ga., has died. He was a highly decorated combat veteran with 33 years of exceptionally honorable military service and 14 years of distinguished service to the Robins AFB Museum of Aviation. His combat service came in Vietnam with the 20th Special Operations Squadron and in Europe with the 7th SOS. During these tours he was recognized as an outstanding pilot and adept leader. He also served at Robins AFB as a tanker crew member; at Homestead, Fla., where he commanded a search and rescue unit; and at Washington, D.C., with the elite 1st Helicopter Squadron. Among his numerous awards and decorations were the Silver Star, two Distinguished Flying Crosses, three Meritorious Service Medals, the Purple Heart and the Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry. After retiring from the Air Force in 1989, he became curator of the Robins AFB Museum of Aviation. The Post-Searchlight 22 Nov 03
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Battlefield bravery honored Sgt. 1st Class Benjamin Jones is presented the Silver Star by Lt. Gen. Philip Kensinger, the U.S. Army Special Operations commander. As well, Capt. John Anderson was awarded the Bronze Star with a valor device and Staff Sgt. David Langer, a Army Commendation Medal with a valor device. Fayetteville Online 13 Jan 04 |
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WWII vet gets medal 59 years after heroic actions Ignacio Servin dons an Army uniform before he was awarded the Silver Star for bravery during World War II. Servin and buddy Charles "Chico" Samario volunteered to destroy a tunnel loaded with ammunition. The two crawled down a hill with 24 pounds of explosives and one rifle to blow up the ammunition dump on Peleliu Island in the Asian-Pacific theater. Their heroic action helped destroy the enemy's hold on the island and is credited with saving the lives of soldiers and Marines. The Arizona Republic 6 Dec 03 |
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101st Airborne Division Soldier Receives Silver Star The Silver Star awarded to 101st Airborne Division combat medic Pvt. Dwayne Turner. Pvt. Dwayne Turner, a combat medic assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, provided life-saving medical care to 16 fellow soldiers April 13 when his unit came under a grenade and small-arms attack 30 miles south of Baghdad. defenselink 11 Feb 04 |
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NYPD priest, army chaplain dies in Queens Msgr. John McCullagh (l.) welcomes Mother Theresa on her visit to America in 1981 as an unidentified priest and nun look on. Msgr. John McCullagh, a New York City Police Department chaplain for two decades and highly decorated military chaplain while serving with U.S. Army paratroops in Vietnam. McCallagh made more than 200 jumps with airborne troops in Vietnam and was bestowed with the Silver Star, two Bronze Stars and two Legions of Merit as well as the Vietnamese Medal of Gallantry. Times Ledger 26 Feb 04 |
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After 32 years, El Pasoan awarded Silver Star Col. Glenn Mitchell, left, applauded retired Army Sgt. 1st Class Ruben Cadriel on Monday after Cadriel received the Silver Star medal for gallantry in action. elpasotimes.com news 11 Feb 04 |
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The story behind LBJ's Silver Star Navy Lt. Cmdr. Lyndon Baines Johnson, the first member of Congress to enter active duty in World War II, was awarded the Silver Star in 1942 for gallantry in action on a flight over enemy territory. But historians have called Johnson's decoration one of the most undeserved Silver Stars in history, and CNN's review of the historical record raises new questions about the circumstances of its award by Gen. Douglas McArthur nearly 60 years ago. CNN.com |
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SMC Bob Monzingo receiving Silver Star from Admiral Zumwalt Task Force 116 |
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History of the Judge Advocate General's Corps Combat in the European Theater of Operations was bloody and brutal. 1LT Samuel E. Spitzer was well aware of this on the morning of July 31, 1944. Laying down his weapons, Spitzer walked down the center of a small French town, calling out in German for the German soldiers to surrender. As a result, 508 Germans were captured. Spitzer's bold action saved numerous American lives, and for his courage, the young lieutenant was awarded the Silver Star. gordon.army.mil |
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Silver Star Awarded Brig. General Bryant E. Moore awards the Silver Star to Pfc. Lacey Cox, Jamaica, New York, for knocking out an 80-ton tank in Netphen, Germany. 8th Inf Div WW11 |
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Silver Star Presentation CPT Mark Carr (Silver Star), Chester Duncan (DFC) and Merlin Safrit "Smoky" and others Aug 68. 571st Med. Phu Bai. Dustoff.org |
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Silver Star Awarded Twenty year old Corporal Mike Everett has just been presented with the Silver Star Medal by the Commanding Officer of Marine Air Station Beaufort (SC) in June 1970. Mike was cited for action on 15 April 1969 as a crew/chief with HMM-165. |
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Special
Forces soldier awarded Silver Star for heroism in Afghanistan
Master Sgt. Anthony S. Pryor (right) of the 5th Special Forces Group looks on
as he is applauded by 5th SFG commander Col. John Mulholland after receiving
the Silver Star Medal. Army Public Affairs 16 Jun 03
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OPERATION ANACONDA: F-16, copter pilots receive Silver Stars After receiving the Silver Star medal Monday, 1st Lt. Thomas Cahill describes the challenge of flying a Pave Hawk helicopter under enemy fire last year in Afghanistan. Lt. Col. Burt Bartley, an F-16 pilot, and 1st Lt. Thomas Cahill, an HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter pilot, were each given a Silver Star medal. reviewjournal.com 4 Feb 03 |
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Carl L. Keller was Clay County's first soldier to enlist during World War II and was awarded to Silver Star. |
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Pfc Otto F Metzger C Co 254th receives Silver Star Medal for gallantry in action on 3 Mar 45 near Hartungshof, Germany. History of the 63rd Infantry Division |
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Fort
Riley commander awarded Silver Star for Operation Iraqi Freedom
Lt. Col. Jeff Ingram, commander of the 1st Infantry Division’s 2nd
Battalion, 70th Armor, received the Silver Star in Baghdad for
conspicuous gallantry in combat during Operation Iraqi Freedom. army.mil
20 Nov 03 |
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Twins awarded Silver Stars Following a Silver Star and Purple Heart award ceremony for Capt. Dave Hibner at the U.S. Army Human Resources Command, he and his identical twin Capt. Dan Hibner wear the Silver Star medal. The awards recognize the twins’ actions during the 3rd Infantry Division’s assault on Baghdad. army.mil 22 Oct 03 |
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Quinn earns Silver Star Master Sgt. Pat Quinn, a team sergeant in 2nd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group, was awarded the Silver Star Sept. 10 for his actions during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He was awarded the medal for leading his team and a group of Kurdish militia during a battle with an Iraqi armored unit April 2-5. During the battle, Quinn's actions resulted in, among other things, the destruction of two tanks, four armored personnel carriers, 30 dead Iraqi soldiers and the seizure of 30 kilometers of ground. army.mil 21 Oct 03 |
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CSA awards Silver Stars for Anaconda valor Five other soldiers were awarded the Silver Star earlier for actions in Afghanistan: Chief Warrant Officer 2 Stanley Harrison of the 3rd Special Forces Group; Master Sgt. Jefferson Davis, Sgt. 1st Class Daniel Petithory and Master Sgt. Anthony Pryor of the 5th Special Forces Group, and Lt. Col. Paul Lacamera, commander of Task Force 1-87 Infantry. Army.mil 22 Jan 03 |
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BG Schweiter, received the Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Air Medal and one other award (Distinguished Flying Cross?) 173rdairborne |
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Rick Tedder received the Silver Star, Bronze Star and Air Medal. Vietnam Photos |
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Lt. William J. Greeves receives the Silver Star Medal from Capt. William J. Caspari, commanding Officer, USS England (DLG-22) at ceremonies held on board. - September 2, 19645 |
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Dr. Lyle Joseph Bouck, Jr. US Army Awarded Presidential Unit Citation, Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart with two Oak Leaf Clusters... |
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Cpl Flarnt Hale USMC - Silver Star recipient in WWI. |
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James Milton JeffersonLieutenant
Colonel virtualwall.org |
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Lloyd Francis MousseauStaff
Sergeant virtualwall.org |
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PFC George R. Weiland - Third Battalion, Seventh Marines, First Marine Division - Awarded Silver Star |
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Sam
Thorgesen, Tank Driver, 2nd
Cavalry Group, 2nd Cavalry Reconnaissance Squad (Mechanized),
attached to Patton's Third Army awarded Silver
Star.
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Private
Janzen and his |
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Staff
Sgt.’s valor earns him Silver Star When
his gun truck was hit with two rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms
fire, Staff Sgt. Gerald A. Wolford pressed on to lead his heavy machine
gun section through a four-hour battle to secure three river crossings
in Ah Samawah, Iraq. Wolford was awarded the Silver Star for his
actions, the third-highest decoration for valor in combat. “Staff Sgt.
Wolford’s action served to inspire other Soldiers on the battlefield
and motivated his section to continue to firefight despite physical
injury, vehicle damage and fatigue,” the citation said. army.mil
25 Mar 04 |
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Army Honors Football Star Killed in Afghanistan Pat Tillman has been awarded the Silver Star posthumously. Tillman, who played professional football for the Arizona Cardinals, turned down a $3.6 million contract from the team to sign up with the Army in 2002. The Army previously posthumously promoted him in rank from specialist to corporal. Tillman died at age 27 when his patrol was ambushed close to the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Tillman led the lead section of a platoon when the platoon's trailing team came under enemy fire. While his part of the platoon was out of danger, Tillman maneuvered his team back toward the fray in order to protect the rest of the platoon, and directed gunfire at the enemy. It said he lost his life, but his efforts helped prevent the rest of the platoon from suffering any casualties. reuters.com 30 Apr 04 |
Carmian's unit decimated in attack in Afghanistan Narrative for the award of the Silver Star to CW2 Bruce E. Price, Operational Detachment Alpha 313, Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C. Chief Warrant Officer 2 Bruce E. Price, United States Army, distinguished himself by gallantry in action and extreme heroism above and beyond the call of duty as the assistant detachment commander for Operational Detachment Alpha (ODA) 313, Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-Afghanistan in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM during an armed reconnaissance mission near Musa Qalay, Afghanistan on 15 May 2004. On this date, CW2 Price and his detachment were part of a combined patrol consisting of U.S. Special Forces and soldiers from the 1st Kandak, 3rd Brigade of the Afghan National Army. The purpose of the mission was to disrupt anti-coalition militia (ACM) activity in this known enemy sanctuary. CW2 Price commanded the lead vehicle in a convoy composed of two ground mobility vehicles (GMV) and two non-tactical vehicles. While moving through a small, restricted village, the patrol was ambushed at extremely close range from multiple prepared positions. CW2 Prices' GMV was immediately struck head-on by two rocket propelled grenades (RPG) and machine gun fire, disabling the vehicle. Within seconds of the ambush, all personnel in CW2 Price's vehicle were wounded or unable to return fire. The determined enemy swept the vehicle with repeated volleys of machine gun and RPG fire. CW2 Price immediately rallied his men and tried to gain fire superiority in order to break the enemy attack. He quickly realized that the enemy force was concentrating its fire on the lead and trail vehicles of the patrol in an effort to trap the friendly forces inside a prepared kill zone. With his vehicle in flames and under a mounting volume of fire, CW2 Price gave the order to dismount and seek cover. CW2 Price then exited the vehicle and without hesitation began engaging enemy directly to his front from the exposed door machine gun position on his vehicle. The ACM force immediately began concentrating its fire on CW2 Price. With total disregard for his own life, his continued to man the machine gun until he was mortally wounded by small arms fire. CW2 Price's courageous efforts to destroy the enemy enabled his teammates to reach cover and continue to fight. His valorous leadership and spirited actions served as the call to action, which inspired the entire patrol to drive the entrenched enemy from the field. CW2 Price's conspicuous personal heroism, extraordinary valor and selfless courage saved a number of his detachment members from certain injury and possible death at the cost of his life. The gallantry in action and absolute bravery in the line of fire by Chief Warrant Officer 2 Bruce E. Price reflect great credit upon himself, the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-Afghanistan and the United States Army. carmitimes.com 20 May 04
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Always a role model, now a hero U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Alvin James Monday was heroic by any standard, in any war, at any time. And his family, until recently, never knew of the deeds that earned him a raft of medals and claimed his life in the hills of Vietnam in September 1968. Believed now to be the most decorated serviceman from Eunice to fight in the Vietnam War, Monday earned the Silver Star, in addition to the Bronze Star for valor, the Navy Commendation Medal for valor, the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, the Purple Heart, a Combat Action Ribbon, and assorted outstanding unit citations. dailyworld.com 5 Jul 04 |
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GI awarded Silver Star for role in Iraq fight Maj. Gen. John R.S. Batiste, 1st Infantry Division commander, pins a Silver Star Medal on Staff Sgt. Raymond Bittinger, of the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment at Forward Operating Base Gabe near Baqouba, Iraq, on July 19. Bittinger earned the award, given for gallantry against enemy forces, for his actions during a mission to secure the governor’s mansion April 9 in Baqouba and Behriz. estripes.com 29 Jul 04 |
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Vet receives medals 59 years later Staff Sergeant Teddy Sutherland served in the United States Army during World War II. He was drafted in January 1943 and honorably discharged in October 1945. Among his awarded decorations and medals are the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle-Eastern Campaign medal with three bronze stars, World War II Victory Medal, two Combat Infantry Badges and two Marksmanship Badges with four qualification bars. Sutherland's heroism, for which he was awarded a Silver Star, is documented in the Combat History Three Hundred Twenty-Fourth Infantry Regiment by Army & Navy Publishing Company: "On one occasion, a machine gun manned by Sergeants Herrity and Sutherland was surrounded, but they refused to yield. In an effort to knock them out, a direct attack of 25 enemies was launched against them. However, the Sergeants waited until the [Germans] had advanced to within 25 yards, when they poured in heavy fire, killing four enemy and wounding or driving off the remainder. Only when directly ordered to withdraw, did Herrity and Sutherland leave their position." claycountydemocrat.com 24 Jul 04 |
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Decorations awarded posthumously Sunday A retired Army chaplain's curiosity helped reveal information that provided answers to 50 years worth of questions for the daughters of a Korean War hero. Capt. James W. Conner, a chaplain in the U.S. Army Reserve Corps killed in action in 1954, was posthumously awarded the Silver Star Medal 54 years after his death. Conner's two adult daughters accepted the medal -- the third-highest decoration for heroism-- on his behalf in an emotional ceremony. newbernsj.com 26 Jul 04 |
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Johnson shares tale of valor On April 16, 1966, while flying his 25th combat mission, Congressman Sam Johnson was shot down over Vietnam sustaining a broken arm, broken back and dislocated shoulder. He was captured and spent seven years as a prisoner of war in the prison called the Hanoi Hilton. During his 29-year career in the Air Force, Johnson served as director of the Air Force Fighter Weapons School (Top Gun) and flew with the Air Force Thunderbirds precision flying demonstration team.He received several awards including two Silver Stars, two Legions of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, one Bronze Star with Valor, two Purple Hearts, four Air Medals, and three Outstanding Unit Awards. kaufmanherald.com 6 Aug 04 |
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It’s
all about survival Richard
Yeats was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1967. He was 23 years old.
Following basic training at Fort Benning, he went to Vietnam with the
1st Brigade of 27th Infantry, 25th Division, arriving there February
1968. One citation for silver star reads, “For gallantry in action: Private First Class Yeats distinguished himself by heroic actions on 24 May 1968, while serving with Company B., 11th Battalion, 27th Infantry in the Republic of Vietnam. While on a combat operation, Private Yeats’ squad came under intense enemy fire. Private Yeats moved his squad to cover and pinpointed the enemy’s position. With complete disregard for his personal safety, Private Yeats crawled through the intense enemy fire and destroyed two enemy bunkers. His valorous actions contributed immeasurably to the success of the mission and the defeat of the enemy force.” Yeats received a second silver star as the result of an incident that occurred in July 1968, when Yeats and his squad’s position was overrun and the artillery was being destroyed by enemy fire. Yeats and one of his squad members repulsed the attack, counter-attacked and destroyed the enemy positions. zwire.com 3 Aug 04 |
Silver Star with Extraordinary Heroism received after 35 years On March 31, 1969 Radioman Seaman Bruce McIver was wounded by a Viet Cong rocket propelled grenade that struck his T-131-7 boat during an intense ambush on the Giao Hoa Canal south of Ben Tre in Kien Hoa Province. After putting out a gasoline fire started by the flying shrapnel, Seaman McIver rushed over to attend to the serious wounds of a hospital corpsman who was along on the operation. Realizing that the corpsman's life was threatened, McIver performed an emergency tracheotomy. After loading the corpsman on a medevac helicopter, Seaman McIver returned to help suppress the Viet Cong ambush. BM1 John Thibadeau, Boat Captain of T-131-7, began the process of putting Mr. McIver in for the Silver Star Medal for his heroics. Somewhere along the line the recommendation was lost or not followed up on. Bruce and John found one another in 2003 after many years of searching. Soon after John contacted the Secretary of the Navy regarding the Silver Star award. The paperwork was re-initiated and Bruce received his much deserved Silver Star Medal 34 years after his heroic efforts. riverinsesailor.com Aug 04
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Actions earn 1st Cav Soldier Silver Star Maj. Gen. Peter Chiarelli, commanding general of the 1st Cavalry Division, congratulates Pfc. Christopher Fernandez for earning the Silver Star Medal. Chiarelli awarded Fernandez the Army’s fifth highest medal at the division's 5th Brigade Combat Team headquarters Aug. 13 at Camp Ferrin-Huggins in Baghdad. Fernandez was awarded the Silver Star for his actions on the night of May 5, when his unit came under attack. Fernandez, a Tucson, Ariz. native, was on a patrol through Baghdad’s Saidiyah neighborhood when insurgents ambushed his unit. An improvised explosive device hit the patrol’s rear vehicle. Immediately following the explosion, the patrol was barraged with small-arms fire. The patrol’s crew-served weapons, an M-240B machine gun and a .50 caliber machine gun, immediately returned fire. The IED explosion killed two U.S. Soldiers, wounded five others and rendered their vehicle inoperable. army.mil 16 Aug 04 More kcentv.com 18 Aug 04 |
John Kerry's Mysterious Combat “V” Kerry's DD 214 lists a Silver Star with a combat “V” (for valor). As the major correctly observes, the “V” is never awarded with the Silver Star. frontpagemag.com 20 Aug 04
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18 Year Old Earns Silver Star An 18 year old 1st Cavalry Division's Private, Christopher Fernandez, has earned the first Silver Star medal awarded to any of the 32,000 American soldiers currently serving in the Iraqi capital, after helping fight off a deadly guerrilla ambush in May that killed two of his companions and wounded five. Fernandez, a Humvee machine gunner, is credited with holding a band of insurgents at bay while his companions gathered wounded and dead soldiers from a vehicle disabled by a roadside bombing. The ambush took place May 5 in west Baghdad. military.com 4 Sep 04 |
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Pentagon investigates Kerry's war medals In a fresh blow to John Kerry's flagging presidential campaign, the Pentagon has ordered an official investigation into the awarding of the Democratic senator's five Vietnam War decorations. The inquiry is to be carried out by the Inspector-General's office of the US Navy, for which Senator Kerry served as a Swift Boat captain for four months in 1968, making two tours of duty. He was wounded in action and subsequently awarded three Purple Hearts, a Silver Star and a Bronze Star. But, for the past month, the details of Senator Kerry's military service in Vietnam have become shrouded in a controversy that the navy now feels warrants a full-blown search for the truth. smh.com.au 6 Sep 04 |
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Navy Halts Kerry Medal Probe The Navy's chief investigator has halted a formal investigation into questions about Sen. John Kerry's Vietnam combat decorations without answering key questions about the circumstances of those awards. "Our examination found that existing documentation regarding the Silver Star, Bronze Star and Purple Heart medals indicates the awards approval process was properly followed," Navy inspector general Vice Adm. R.A. Route said in a memo to Navy Secretary Gordon England. "In particular, the senior officers who awarded the medals were properly delegated authority to do so. In addition, we found that they correctly followed the procedures in place at the time for approving these awards." newsmax.com 17 Sep 04 |
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Phillips
veteran awarded Silver Star Vietnam
veteran Henry Thomas is pictured with the Silver Star he received 36
years after it was awarded for his heroic action as a squad leader
during a search and destroy mission in the A Shau Valley, Republic of
Vietnam. He was cited for exposing himself to hostile fire while
administering aid to a wounded comrade, remaining with him until
nightfall and then moving him to safety. The action for which the Silver Star was awarded took place on April 24, 1968 and at that time, Thomas had only 12 days left of his tour. phillipswi.com 16 Sep 04 |
Senator Johnson presents Purple Heart, Silver Star to Spearfish veteran Wayne Mundt was in the Army from March 24, 1970, until Nov. 23, 1971. He was a combat medic and arrived in Vietnam on Sept. 9, 1970, with the 2d Bn 327th Inf, 101st Airborne Division. He was wounded on a couple different occasions before March 11, 1971, when he was awarded a Purple Heart Medal and a Silver Star Medal. He was awarded the Army Commendation Medal on March 27, 1971, and the Bronze Star Medal on Aug. 22, 1971. In addition to these four medals he also received the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal with two bronze service stars, the Combat Medical Badge, and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Ribbon with Device. The action on March 11, 1971, was recorded as follows: "When an intense enemy mortar attack wounded several men at the firebase, Specialist Mundt immediately rushed to the wounded personnel. While maneuvering through the impacting enemy mortar rounds he received several wounds from flying shrapnel. Disregarding his own wounds, he treated the other injured men and helped to carry them to a medical evacuation helicopter. His actions were instrumental in saving the lives of his comrades." zwire.com 28 Sep 04
Jim Emmons, gardener and writer, dies Jim Emmons, a Navy lieutenant during the war, served as a PT boat commander in the South Pacific, receiving the Silver Star for "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action" as commanding officer of PT Boat 149. newspjournalonline.com 22 Oct 04
War medal awarded for WWI vet Glenn Wray McCune often talked to his son about crawling on his stomach to find breaks in the communication lines between the front lines and headquarters while bullets flew around him during World War I battles.But he never told his son, Belmont resident Glenn Robert McCune, 85, why he was awarded a Silver Star for heroism in combat. Or why he never physically received it. "He just slipped through the cracks," McCune said Monday while accepting a posthumous Silver Star on his father's behalf. Adj. Gen. Robert C. David ordered that Signal Corps Pvt. 1st Class Glenn W. McCune be awarded a Silver Star for gallantry in action in the battle of Meuse-Argonne, one of the eastern front lines, in a citation order dated June 5, 1919. sanmateocountytimes.com 26 Oct 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
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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 |
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Veteran honored for valor, courage World War II Veteran Robert Flachbart poses in front of a case holding his wartime commendations, including a silver star, two purple hearts and three bronze stars. His silver star was earned for heroics during one night of combat in Anzio, Italy. townonline.com 11 Nov 04 |
Hero Posthumously Awarded Medals for Vietnam Kevin Bishop served in the US Navy as a Hospital Corpsman 1st Class in the Vietnam War. Bishop was highly decorated, returning from Vietnam with 6 Silver Stars, a Bronze Star, Purple Heart, and the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry. nwanews.com 11 Nov 04
Rev. Joseph O'Malley, WWII veteran The Rev. Joseph T. O'Malley, a Cleveland native who died Oct. 20 in Houston, received the Silver Star for gallantry during World War II. The 83-year-old Roman Catholic priest won the honor while serving in the Army as a radio operator with the 397th Infantry Regiment in northern France in November 1944. According to a letter from 95th Infantry Division officials, O'Malley was among the first to be wounded during an attack on a German stronghold. Yet he refused medical attention and continued to advance, carrying his radio set and transmitting all messages from the battalion commander. O'Malley also voluntarily crawled into areas exposed to enemy fire in order to recover food, ammunition and medical supplies dropped by friendly planes. "During the entire operation, Technician Fourth Grade O'Malley's gallant behavior, reflecting honor upon himself, was in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service," the letter says. cleveland.com 19 Nov 04
60 years, 10 children and an infinite love After 60 years of marriage, nothing could keep Elmer and Lorene Portscheller apart for long - not even death. Elmer, 84, had taken care of his chronically ill wife for the past seven years. He was diagnosed with painful pancreatic cancer just three weeks ago. He died Sunday. Lorene, 85, was saddened at the loss of her husband but glad he was out of his misery. After he died, she was ready to let go. She died Tuesday. Elmer enlisted with the Marines, earning a berth with the elite Marine Raiders and fighting battles at Midway and Guadalcanal. He was awarded the Silver Star and a battlefield commission for gallantry at Iwo Jima. pjstar.com 2 Dec 04
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Air Force Silver Star honors combat "warrior" Maj. Gen. Frank Scoggins, left, presents the Silver Star to Tech. Sgt. Kevin Whalen in a ceremony yesterday for his bravery in a firefight against al-Qaida and Taliban fighters in Afghanistan. seattletimes.nwsource.com 5 Dec 04 |
Guardsman to receive Silver Star for bravery A Washington Air National Guardsman will receive the Air Force's Silver Star for bravery he displayed during a firefight with two dozen al-Qaida and Taliban fighters. Tech. Sgt. Kevin Whalen of Hawks Prairie took a round in the arm July 19, 2003, after trying to reload an automatic grenade launcher atop an armored Humvee in Afghanistan. He dressed his own wound and the wounds of two others, then called in air support and helped fend off the ambush for several minutes before Harrier jets hit the target. Whalen, 33, is the first Washington National Guardsman to receive the Silver Star since Master Sgt. Larry Gibson, who earned the award for valor in combat in Vietnam in 1966 but didn't receive the medal until 2000 because the nominating records had been lost. seattlepi.nwsource.com 4 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
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Davenport veterans receive medals for heroics and bravery Delmar Lybarger of Davenport receives medals 60 years after he earned them during the Battle of the Bulge, including the Silver Star. He also received the Bronze Star Medal, Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge 1st Award and Honorable Service WWII lapel button. Delmar entered the military at age 27 and earned the nickname “Dad.” qctimes.com 23 Dec 04 |
Soldier who fought in WWII finally gets his medals When Delmar Lybarger returned from military service after World War II, he didn't talk much about his heroic acts on the battlefield during the Battle of the Bulge. Last week, Delmar was presented with the prestigious Silver Star, Bronze Star Medal, Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge 1st Award and Honorable Service WWII lapel button. wcfcourier.com 26 Dec 04
World War II vet, Joseph Frelinghuysen dies In November 1942, as an Army captain in North Africa, Mr. Frelinghuysen was ambushed and captured by the Germans while trying to rescue his battalion commander. He was later awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in action for this effort. zwire.com 13 Jan 05
M. Thomas, won medal for bravery in W.W. II Michel Thomas, a linguist who earned the prestigious Silver Star for bravery during World War II, has died. He was 90. Mr. Thomas' medal citation said he fought alongside American troops as an attached member of the Army's 45th Infantry Division. The Silver Star was given for his bravery and for leading patrols in enemy territory. mercurynews.com 12 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
Salina soldier in Iraq earns Silver Star/Soldiers's blog 1st Lt. Neil Prakash was awarded the Silver Star in Baqubah, Iraq, a spokesman for the 1st Infantry Division who did not yet have the details of what Prakash did that was heroic enough to earn the military's third-highest honor. The details will be available soon. syracuse.com 15 Jan 04
World War II Remembered Recognition for two heroic achievements in connection with military operations in the European war theater has come to Pfc. Francis M. Josephs, Army medical corps, in the form of the Bronze Star medal and Bronze Oak Leaf cluster. Pvt. Lester Krumpos, whose death in action on Nov. 30, 1945 has been officially reported, has been awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in action, headquarters of the 95th Infantry division on the Western front has announced. greenbaypressgazette.com 16 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
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War vet makes it home after 37 years Colonel and Mrs. Peter Frederick during the ceremony where General Dwight D. Eisenhower presented the Colonel with the Silver Star for gallantry in action during the Korean War. thevillagenews.com 21 Jan 05 |
American desi and Iraq war hero It wasn't just in the summer of '99 on Kargil heights that an Indian soldier went back for more battlefield action. Lt. Neil Prakash did that in the summer of 2004. In Baqubah, Iraq. Only, he was fighting for the United States, his adopted country. For courage under fire, the India-born Prakash, a tank platoon leader from the 2nd Battalion, 63rd Armor Regiment of the US Army, was awarded with the Silver Star Medal. timesofindia.indiatimes.com 22 Jan 05
Area soldier gets medal An Oregon Army National Guard soldier from Bend was awarded the Silver Star and became the first Oregon Guard member to receive it since World War II. Sgt. Matthew Zedwick was awarded the Silver Star in a ceremony in Iraq for his actions in a June 2004 ambush near Baghdad. bendbulletin.com 10 Feb 05
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First Reserve Soldier receives Silver Star for Iraq Army Reserve Chief Lt. Gen. James Helmly congratulates Pfc. Jeremy Church, 724th Transportation Company, after awarding him a Silver Star for valor in Iraq April 9 when his convoy was ambushed. army.mil 28 Feb 05 |
Soldier from 724th receives Silver Star The 724th Transportation Company is honoring one of their men with a Silver Star. Specialist Jeremy Church is the first army reservist to receive such valor. He got it for gallantry in action the day Matt Maupin was captured. Maupin remains the only U.S. Army soldier listed as captured in Iraq or Afghanistan. The Army says Church's disregard for his personal safety and leadership under fire, saved the lives of at least five soldiers and four civilians. waow.com 25 Feb 05
Army Reserve unit of captured soldier marks U.S. return Spc. Jeremy Church of Hudson, Ill., was awarded the silver star, making him the first Army reservist honored for such high valor in Iraq. Sgt. Matthew Bohm, a gunner who lost his left eye in the ambush, was awarded a bronze star. wdtimes.com 26 Feb 05
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Father Pins Silver Star on Son in Baghdad Staff Sgt. William Thomas Payne, his father Carl and Maj. Gen. Pete Chiarelli, stand together after Payne was awarded the Silver Star at the cross sabers monument in central Baghdad. Payne of the 1st Cavalry Division received the award for heroism in combat Feb. 27. Although Maj. Gen. Pete Chiarelli, the division's commander, was on hand to present the award, Payne took the unique opportunity to have the medal pinned on him by his father, Carl Payne, a Department of the Army employee working in Iraq. blackahthem.com 2 Mar 05 |
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Green Berets awarded Silver Star for gallantry in Iraq Lt. Gen. Philip Kensinger, right, pins a Silver Star on Master Sgt. David Miles, 37, of Powellton, W.Va., center, as Master Sgt. Kelly Mahon, 40, of Virgil, Kan., left, waits for his medal. Master Sgts. David Miles and Kelly Mahon say they were just doing their job in 2003 when they saved the lives of their team members while under fierce enemy fire in Iraq. armytimes.com 11 Mar 05 |
Family recognizes Marine in historic photograph The historic picture published recently in The Times of the flag-raising on Iwo Jima brought back a flood of memories for a Bay City family when they recognized one of their own in the photograph. U.S. Marine Cpl. Eugene A. Castaneda, helmet cocked to one side, glances forward at the camera as other members of his platoon raise the first flag atop Mount Suribachi on Feb. 23, 1945. A pole was found and a flag was attached. Four men stood the flag pole upright and the Stars and Strips whipped crisply in the breeze. Sgt. Louis R. Lowry took the photograph and facing the camera just behind the flag raisers was Cpl. Castaneda. Moments after the picture was taken, a Japanese soldier threw a grenade toward Lowry who jumped backward off the mountain. He rolled and fell about 50 feet according to historic accounts but the camera's film was not damaged. However, Marine officers below said the flag was too small and ordered a larger flag be raised. Six Marines went up the mountain with another flag and another photographer who snapped the now-famous photograph of the second flag-raising. Two weeks later, Castaneda was engaged in a firefight that would end his combat career and earn him the Silver Star for "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the Japanese." mlive.com 8 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
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
David P. Richardson Mr. David Patton Richardson died March 13, 2005. He served in the U.S. Army from 1965-67, and was wounded in combat in Vietnam. He was awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in action, the Bronze Star for heroism in ground combat and the Purple Heart for wounds received in action. zwire.com 13 Mar 05
World War II Remembered A summary of war-related events as reported in the Green Bay Press-Gazette from March 20 to March 26, 1945: The Purple Heart and Air Medal awarded to 1st Lt. William Boncher, Jr., have been received by his wife. Flight Officer Carl B. Van Vonderen has been awarded the Oak Leaf cluster to the Air medal. Lt. Gregory N. Martens received the fourth Oak Leaf cluster to the Air medal. Pvt. M. Leon Berk has been awarded the Purple Heart. Cpl. Harold Kliefoth was recently awarded the Bronze Star for heroic action while serving in a field artillery unit in Italy. The Purple Heart awarded to Pfc. Paul K. Lochman for wounds received in action. Platoon Sgt. Robert R. Pratt has been awarded the Bronze Star for heroic achievement on Saipan. Sgt. Lloyd Van Nelson was recently wounded in action in Germany and has been awarded the Purple Heart. T/4 Otis P. Huss has been awarded the Bronze Star medal, according to an announcement from the Phillipines. Pfc. Victor Beaudry has been awarded the Bronze Star medal. William E. Notz was recently awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in action on the Fifth Army front in northern Italy, according to an announcement from the Fifth Army Public Relations section. The Bronze Star medal awarded to Pfc. Elwood D. Baumann, a prisoner of war in Germany has been received by his parents. greenbaypressgazette.com 20 Mar 05
Army honors slain soldier 61 years later As 1944 dawned, Kwajalein Atoll was the administrative center of the Japanese-held Marshall Islands. The atoll was 73 miles long, with eighteen islands clustered together. During the Battle of Midway, radio stations on Kwajalein listened to traffic between Hawaii and Midway. When the Americans moved through the Marshalls in early 1944, Kwajalein was a primary target. A sustained air campaign from Gilbert airplanes and from aircraft carriers pounded the atoll for days before the landings on Jan. 31. Twenty-five-year-old Pvt. Clement Anderson was part of an elite Army reconnaissance unit that was among the first wave to hit the atoll. He was on patrol that first day when he and his men ran into an ambush. According to the Silver Star citation he received for his actions that day, Anderson crawled forward under heavy fire to deliver machine gun ammunition and to help operate the machine gun. argusleader.com 7 Apr 05
First Cavalry Division Medic To Receive Silver Star Spc. Andrew Lamkin, a combat medic with Fort Hood’s 2-5 Cavalry, will receive a Silver Star Medal for braving heavy gunfire in September 2004 to reach, treat and rescue two injured infantrymen in the volatile Sadr City area of Baghdad. “SPC Lamkin demonstrated his expert marksmanship, medical skills and conspicuous gallantry; he is truly the epitome of the combat medic,” says the narrative summary of Lamkin’s gallantry. kwtx.com 25 Mar 05
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Last
of 2-162 Soldiers return to Oregon today Staff Sgt., Matt
Zedwick was awarded the Silver Star. bend.com 31
Mar 05 |
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Brig. Gen John A. Brooks III US Air Force - Retired For his leadership and heroic action he was awarded the nations second highest military medal, the Distinguished Service Cross. In addition to the DSC, John's awards include 3 Distinguished Flying Crosses, The Silver Star, 6 Air medals, 3 Legions of Merit and many other citations. littlefiends.co.uk |
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Fallen Soldier’s Family Accepts Award At Tearful Ceremony Private First Class Daniel B. McClenney died during battle in Afghanistan in 2004. He was 19 years old. McClenney’s father Randy was given the Silver Star in his son’s honor. On the day he was killed, Private First Class McClenney's team came under intense attack. They were ambushed from two different positions. newschannel5.com 22 Apr 05 |
GI killed in Afghanistan was with Special Forces The U.S. soldier killed in an Afghanistan ambush was a member of the 7th Special Forces Group. Sgt. 1st Class Allen C. Johnson, 31, was killed April 26 in Khanaqin when his patrol was attacked by an unknown number of fighters using small arms. Johnson, of Los Molinos, Calif., was a medic with the 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group from Fort Bragg, N.C. Johnson was posthumously awarded a Silver Star, a Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal and the Combat Medical Badge, officials said. estripes.com 2 May 05
Vietnam Vet, Journalist Hackworth Dies Retired Army Col. David Hackworth, a highly decorated Vietnam veteran who spoke out against the war and later became a journalist and advocate for military reform, has died. He was 74. At 40 he became the youngest full colonel in Vietnam, where he served for nearly six years. He won some 80 medals in his career, including two Distinguished Service Crosses, 10 Silver Stars and eight Purple Hearts. He came under fire because of his role in a 1996 Newsweek investigation of whether Adm. Michael Boorda wore medals for valor that he did not deserve. Boorda, the Navy's top admiral, committed suicide rather than face disgrace, and some in the Pentagon blamed Hackworth. Then, CBS reported that Hackworth may have worn a ``Ranger'' tab he did not earn. An audit by the Army's chief of awards and decorations, found he was issued the Ranger tab improperly, but that he should have been issued other medals and was not. There was no indication Hackworth wore any medals beyond those issued him by the Army. guardian.co.uk 6 May 05
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Troops honored for efforts at Fallujah Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, V Corps commander, presents Capt. Paul A. Fowler with a Silver Star during the 1st Infantry Division's welcome home ceremony in Kitzingen, Germany. 1st ID Silver Stars Lt. Col. Peter Newell 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment Newell deployed a 550-soldier mechanized task force on 72 hours’ notice to Fallujah in November 2004, leading a continuous 12-day attack in the heavily fortified Askari district. His forces overwhelmed resistance in the first 14 hours, ultimately killing 330 enemy fighters, capturing 48 others, destroying 38 weapons caches, two roadside- bomb factories and one car-bomb factory while becoming the first battalion in the division to achieve its objective. On Nov. 12, Newell was caught in an ambush following an 11-hour night attack. Narrowly escaping enemy fire, he left his tracked vehicle and personally assisted in the evacuation of a mortally wounded officer. Capt. Thomas H. Johnson Jr. Troop F, 4th Cavalry Regiment On April 10, 2004, Johnson led two platoons on a dismounted assault of four reinforced enemy positions across 600 yards of open fields and three irrigation ditches, at the same time directing fire from artillery and attack helicopters. The assault resulted in the deaths of several enemy fighters and an entire mortar team. On June 17, 2004, Johnson occupied a rooftop exposed to enemy fire during a 12-hour firefight in Buhriz so he could give better command and control to his troops. He was nearly killed several times, but his unit killed 13 enemy fighters without any friendly casualties. Capt. Paul A. Fowler 2nd Battalion, 63rd Armor Regiment During the November 2004 battle for Fallujah, Fowler executed a successful armored assault against several hundred enemy fighters in the northeastern part of the city, securing the flanks of battalions on either side. During a 14-hour firefight, he remained in position at the head of his company during house-to-house fighting in which nearly all of his tanks were attacked with grenades and small arms. On the third night of the operation, Fowler led a house-to-house assault in southeast Fallujah that ended after 12 hours when his company destroyed a strong point occupied by 30 enemy fighters. Capt. Kirk Mayfield Troop F, 4th Cavalry At the beginning of the attack on Fallujah, Mayfield occupied an attack-by-fire position on the northeast edge of the city. From there he spent eight hours directing artillery, mortar and direct fire against an entrenched enemy platoon while himself under constant small-arms, grenade, sniper and mortar attack. His unit ultimately destroyed the enemy position, killing 30 insurgents just before the main attack. Once the assault began, he maintained his position ahead of the force and continued to direct fire against the enemy. His unit killed 75 insurgents during the first 30 hours of battle. Early in the battle, his unit opened a key highway and cut off the line of retreat for the insurgents. On the fourth day, he volunteered his troops in an 18-hour effort to clear 60 houses, battle enemy fighters literally room-to-room, killing 25 insurgents. Capt. Sean P. Sims 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment (posthumous) Sims planned and executed the task force’s main attack against entrenched enemy forces, then held position under constant fire to establish a foothold in northeast Fallujah. He led a 14-hour house-to-house fight, frequently leaving the safety of his Bradley fighting vehicle, then led a fight to seize, then hold Highway 10 against constant enemy counterattack. His company killed more than 40 enemy fighters, destroyed 35 homemade bombs and a dozen weapons caches. He was shot and killed while clearing a building in Fallujah Nov. 13. Spc. Larry Underwood 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment Underwood was aboard one of two Bradley fighting vehicles returning soldiers from dismounted operations July 21, 2004, when a roadside bomb struck the other Bradley, setting it afire and instantly killing the driver. Underwood and his team dismounted their Bradley and, after a brief unsuccessful attempt to free the driver’s body, heard the screams of five soldiers trapped in the rear because the handle had jammed in the explosion. Hampered by heat, smoke and the sound of exploding ammunition, the men couldn’t unjam the door — until Underwood thought to use his rifle as a pry bar. He opened the stuck door and freed the trapped soldiers just seconds before the Bradley’s fuel cells exploded. 1st Lt. Karl Gregory Troop F, 4th Cavalry Regiment Gregory led a quick-reaction force mission from Forward Operation Base Warhorse in Baqouba June 24, 2004, to a traffic circle in the city center. After two rocket-propelled grenades hit his Bradley fighting vehicle, temporarily blinding his gunner, Gregory took over the gun and killed at least three foreign fighters while his platoon got into position. Maneuvering toward the stadium under intense fire, Gregory’s Bradley absorbed three more grenade hits. He stayed in the exposed turret and continued firing even after taking shrapnel wounds in his face. During his unit’s withdrawal, another grenade and a roadside bomb hit his vehicle, knocking him briefly unconscious before he recovered and reorganized his force. 1st Sgt. Peter L. Smith 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment Under heavy fire during the battle for Fallujah Nov. 12, 2004, Smith organized the evacuation of his company executive officer, who was fatally wounded. The next day he led the company during 18 hours of intense house-to-house fighting after the company commander also was killed in action. Sgt. Christopher Rich 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment Rich was instrumental in ensuring that a multiple car-bomb attack against his unit in Samarra on Oct. 19, 2004, was defeated. estripes.com 18 May 05
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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 |
Kewanee Marine died 60 years ago saving comrades' lives on Okinawa 21-year-old Corporal Louis T. Van De Walle earned a Silver Star which was presented posthumously. According to the citation, the Kewanee Marine was in charge of supplying ammunition to his rifle platoon on Okinawa. While repelling continuous counterattacks on the night of May 9, Van De Walle observed that the prolonged battle had depleted their supply of ammunition. He then took it upon himself to resupply the front lines, over difficult terrain, and in spite of constant small arms and grenade fire, completing seven self-imposed missions before dawn. "Loyal and stouthearted in the face of extreme danger, Cpl. Van De Walleenabled his platoon to repulse the enemy's desparate attempts to overrun the gallantly defended position," the said the citation he never got to see. The Van De Walle's were also presented a Gold Star "in lieu of a second Silver Star" awarded posthumously to their son for actions on May 29 in which he was killed. As acting squad leader of his rifle platoon, Cpl. Van De Walle was directed to locate and destroy a concealed Japanese machine gun position which had struck down several members of his company in an effort to claim Shuri Castle, on Okinawa."Coolly and courageously (Van De Walle) rendered himself a clear target for the Japanese weapon, thereby drawing hostile fire and tricking the enemy into revealing the hidden gun position," said the second citation. "Although severely wounded as a result of his daring maneuver, Cpl. Van De Walle, by his dauntless spirit of self-sacrifice, cool decision and unwavering devotion to duty under critical conditions, enabled his men to locate and wipe out the Japanese strong point thereby making it possible to evacuate his stricken comrades without further casualties. He gallently gave his life for his country," said the citation read to his parents at the presentation ceremony. starcourier.com 31 May 05
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Marine sergeant awarded Silver Star for charge in Fallujah Former Marine Sgt. Leandro F. Baptista, 25, right, shakes hands with Major General Richard Natonski just after receiving the Silver Star Medal. "For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy," on April 7, 2004, 60 insurgents in fortified positions ambushed Baptista's 25-man platoon while they rode in a five-vehicle convoy just south of Fallujah. With six men wounded and two vehicles out of action, Baptista "sprinted across a shallow canal, climbed a 10-foot berm, and charged towards the enemy." Under fire, he knocked out one gun emplacement and grabbed three other Marines to help continue his charge. After disarming an improvised bomb that threatened backup forces, Baptista split his men up, and the ad hoc team charged a group of 11 insurgents from two angles. Baptista killed at least four of them himself "at close range," while his team attacked the other seven, the citation said. nctimes.com 4 Jun 05 |
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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
Decorated war hero became softball's Santa Claus If there was anyone in need, John Montalvo Gutierrez would find a way to help, even if it meant giving the shoes off his feet. Gutierrez, a lifelong resident of San Bernardino, died of colon cancer May 23 at St. Bernardine Medical Center. He was 58. He was a combat medic serving in Vietnam. At age 20, he was awarded the Silver Star in 1967 for gallantry and heroism. sbsun.com 15 Jun 05
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Army awards MPs for turning table on ambush Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester, vehicle commander, 617th Military Police Company, Richmond, Ky., stands at the position of attention before receiving the Silver Star at an awards ceremony at Camp Liberty, Iraq, June 16. Hester is the first female Soldier serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom to receive the Silver Star. army.mil 16 Jun 05 |
