Serving
his CountryStory
and photos of Capt. Christine Dahyl, the nurse who received a Soldiers Medal
for rendering first-aid to a B-54 crew members when their plane crashed in
1944 just inside Italy
Never
leave them behindCol.
Philip McNair awarded Soldier’s Medal for rescues at Pentagon on Sep 11 Oct 01
US
Medal for British Soldier (Soldiers Medal)A
British-born US soldier is to receive a prestigious American medal for
saving the life of a young man.Private Janine Dunn, 36, will be awarded the
Soldier's Medal. It is thought that she is the first woman and first
foreigner to receive the medal. Private Dunn, who is a driver in the US Army
Transport Regiment, rescued a civilian from a burning car in June 1998 Apr
00
Air
Force captain honored for bravery Four Soldier's Medals
presented for Sep 11 attack on Pentagon. The first went to Air Force Capt.
Susan Galvin, and the other three to Spcs. James Jones, Kenneth Pecquet and
Kristopher Sorensen. According to military tradition, it is rare that an Air
Force person receives a Soldier's medalMoreMar 02
Pentagon
Survivor HonoredRetired
Navy Lt. Kevin Shaeffer and Army Sgt. 1st Class Steve Workman. Shaeffer was given the Purple Heart for burns and
respiratory injuries he suffered when terrorists attacked the Pentagon Sept.
11. Workman received the Soldier's Medal for helping save Shaeffer's life.
Shaeffer was the only person who made it out of the Navy Command Center
alive Apr 02
Soldiers
recognized for valor at PentagonSgt. 1st Class Donald
S. "Steve" Workman, was honored April 26 in the Pentagon's
Hall of Heroes, where he was presented the Soldier's Medal. Workman
was credited with saving the life of then-Navy Lt. Kevin Shaeffer, who
was also honored at the ceremony. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Vern
Clark presented Shaeffer with the Purple Heart. More than 40 percent
of Shaeffer's body was burned in the terrorist attack. Secretary of
the Army Thomas White presented the Soldiers Medal April 25 to Col.
George Zahaczewsky. More
(Photo) (May 02)
Story
and photo of Staff Sgt. Christopher Braman who was awarded the Soldier's
Medal and Purple Heart for his wounds and heroic deeds on Sep 11 (Sep 02)
Military,
civilians receive recognition for Sept. 11 sacrificeSeventy
Pentagon personnel were honored Oct. 23, 2001 for their acts of bravery
on Sept. 11 when a jetliner crashed into the Pentagon and sent a rolling
ball of fire through its corridors. About
half of the recipients received the Soldier’s Medal for rescuing
people trapped in the burning inferno. Complete list of Recipients. Fort
Riley Post
Soldier
gets medal after 27 yearsWilfred Hebert received the
Soldier's Medal, the military's highest award for noncombat heroism. Hebert
was 20 and home on leave from Fort Hood, Texas, on Jan. 3, 1975, when he saw
a car on fire. There were three children inside — a 5-year-old, a
3-year-old and a 2-month-old. Hebert rescued each of them. When his
superiors learned what happened, they recommended him for the Soldier's
Medal. The medal was authorized June 18, 1975. (Nov 02)
Honoring
a Hero 31 Years LaterKaren Offutt saved several people
from a fire in Vietnam in 1970. A month ago, she received the Soldier's
Medal for Valor. More than 31 years after her 11-month tour of duty,
she became possibly the first female veteran from Vietnam to receive the
Soldier's Medal for Valor. The medal, which requires the same degree of
heroism as the Distinguished Flying Cross, is given to those who risk
their lives in situations where an opposing army is not involved. Offutt
got the award for running barefoot into a burning Vietnamese hamlet near
her barracks in Saigon on Jan. 24, 1970. She pulled out several adults
and children who were trapped in their cardboard and beer can houses.
She joined the Women's Army Corps, or WAC. Veterans of Foreign Wars
records indicate only about 1,200 women served in the war in roles other
than as nurses. Of those, only about 700 were WACs. St.
Petersburg Times, May 7, 2001
Soldier's
wreck heroics spark move to award him a medalThe day
after a Bethlehem-based National Guardsman risked his life to save a
22-year-old woman from a burning car, a fellow soldier set the wheels in
motion to recognize him with the military's most prestigious peacetime honor.
Maj. John Zuluaga, of Nazareth, said he has gotten the ball rolling toward
honoring Eric Petrevich with the Soldier's Medal. Zuluaga said it can
take up to a year before the medal, if the criteria are met, will be
awarded. In the meantime, Zuluaga plans on honoring Petrevich with the Army
Commendation Medal. Penn Live, PA - 9
Sep 2003
Medic
wins medal for mountain rescueStaff Sgt. Ken Greenleaf was awarded the Soldier's
Medal for braving severe weather and terrain on Dec. 7, 2002 to
rescue an injured snowmobiler on a mountain ridge near the Gulkana
Glacier. Junoempire.com 16 Sep 03
After
more than 50 years, veteran gets his medalslsMilton McDuffie will not show off the medals he
won during World War II, the Soldier's Medal, a Bronze Star, a World
War II victory medal, others for combat and valor, the Philippine liberation.
It is because McDuffie would rather talk about how everyone did their part
for the war, that it was not just a singular effort. The
Telegraph 11 Nov 03
Medical
officer earns Soldier’s MedalLt.
Gen. James R. Helmly, chief of the Army Reserve, pins the Soldiers
Medal on Capt. John Chovanes Dec. 1 at the
Pentagon. Chovanes, a Soldier in the Army Medical Corps, voluntarily
went down into the World Trade Center rubble the night of Sept. 11, 2001
to take care Army Public Affairs 2 Dec 03
Fort
Bragg Soldier Receives Soldier's Medal For HeroismSgt.
Scott Smullen earned the Soldier's Medal -- the highest peacetime
award for heroism. Back in April, Smullen ran through a minefield in
Afghanistan to rescue a soldier who stepped on a land mine and lost his
foot. WRAL 18 Dec 03
Close
encounters with land mines, heroism earns two medalsSgt
Scott Smullin has been awarded the Bronze Star and the Soldier's
Medal for Heroism. The incident that led to the two awards came while
Charlie Company of the 27th Engineering Battalion was clearing a minefield
around Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. Rutland Herald 23 Dec
03
NCO
receives Soldier's Medal for minefield rescueStaff Sgt. Scott Smullen,
while serving as a squad leader in C Company, 27th Engineer Battalion,
in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, risked his life
to save an injured Soldier and was presented the Soldier's Medal
by Lt. Gen. John R. Vines, XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg
commander. Army Public Affairs 30 Dec 03
GI
who saved two in Vietnam awarded posthumous medalSept.
29, 1966, Staff Sgt. Sandy Sanders pulled a drowning South Vietnamese
soldier out of the swift and dangerous Ba River. They had just reached
shore when Sanders heard the screams of another Vietnamese soldier. For
a second time, he dove into the treacherous water to drag a man to
safety. In honor of those actions, the Army gave Sanders the Soldier's
Medal. Sandy Sanders fought in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. His
military service earned him many awards, including the Bronze Star, the
Purple Heart and the Distinguished Service Cross, but his children said
he cared little for medals or recognition. Fayetteville
Online 11 Jan 04
Medal
of Honor sought for fallen Alabama soldierPeople in several
communities across south Alabama have signed petitions in recent weeks as a
rolling billboard traveled the nation's highways in a push to award the Medal
of Honor to a soldier from Conecuh County. U.S. Army Sgt. Troy Jenkins,
a Repton native, died April 24 from injuries he had sustained days earlier
in an explosion in Baghdad. According to military accounts provided to his
mother, Connie Gibson, and to servicemen who were present, Jenkins, 25,
threw himself on a cluster bomb brought to a group of soldiers by a child.
The blast tore away one of Jenkins' legs and mangled his other limbs. Some
soldiers have said that his action saved their lives and the lives of
civilians, including children standing nearby. Within weeks of his death,
Jenkins was granted the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart and the Soldier's
Medal for Heroism. al.com 25 Jan 04
GI
earns top medal for saving civiliansA soldier from the
1st Battalion, 6th Field Artillery Regiment earned the Soldier’s
Medal — the highest medal awarded for noncombat heroics — last
week for his actions following an April 27, 2003, car accident on B22.
Sgt. Matthew Sims was driving to Würzburg on B22 when he saw two
vehicles collide head-on. Both vehicles were traveling about 60 mph. estripes.com
8 May 04
Soldier
honored for saving civilian's lifeTexas Guardsman is making room for some special honors.
Sgt. Joseph Burkett rescued an elderly woman from a train track in
Virginia. Burkett jumped into the Metro track bed and pulled the woman
off less than a minute before a train would have hit her. Burkett was
awarded the Soldier's Medal, an honor given for actions above and beyond
the call of duty. news8austin.com 3 May 04
Alumnus
earns Bronze Star, Soldier's Medal for actions in IraqPenn State Harrisburg graduate Gordon R. Moon has earned
the Bronze Star and Soldier's Medal for his actions in Iraq with the U.S.
Army's 101st Airborne Division. Moon, a captain and company commander in
Operation Iraqi Freedom, was awarded the Soldier's Medal for his
actions in helping save a fellow soldier's life when a fire erupted in a
captured munitions supply in Mosul. He was presented the Bronze Star
for other actions during the conflict. live.psu.edu 28 Jun 04
Iowa
Soldiers Nominated For Medals In Kosovo EffortsTwo Iowa
soldiers could receive Soldier's Medals. Spc. Jason Stoos (left)
and Spc. Josh Pickner were members of a quick reaction force called out
to protect a Serbian church from a violent mob in March and were among
those who helped rescue an elderly Serbian couple from a burning home. theiowachannel.com
7 Jul 04
Sergeants
earn Soldier's Medals after Baghdad UN Building bombed
Maj. Gen. Walter Wojdakowski, V Corps deputy commander, pins the Soldier
Medal on to Staff Sgt. Eric Hartman. Two
Soldiers assigned to V Corps' 159th Medical Company (Air Ambulance),
421st Medical Evacuation Battalion, received the Soldier’s Medal.
Staff Sgt. Eric Hartman and Sgt. Douglas Holm received the medals for
their actions Aug. 19, 2003, when they helped evacuate victims of the
bombing of the United Nations building in Baghdad. army.mil
14 Oct 04
Two
Crash Specialists Get Soldiers Medal For Heroism In IraqAn Army
Reservist from Oklahoma is one of two members of a unit based in El Dorado,
Kansas to be honored for heroism in Iraq. Sergeant Kenneth Miller of Ponca
City and Staff Sergeant Chuck Elliott of Neodesha were presented the Soldier's
Medal, the Army's highest award for non-combat heroism. Elliott and
Miller are in the 323rd Engineer Detachment, a firefighting unit
specializing in plane crashes. They were in a helicopter flying to the
Baghdad airport a year ago when another helicopter was shot down. A rocket
just missed their chopper as it landed near the twisted wreckage and Elliott
began separating the dead from the injured, while Miller established
defensive positions in case of an enemy threat. There were 20 survivors of
the 36 soldiers on board the crashed helicopter. kotv.com
22 Nov 04
Soldier
Medals
Sergeant First Class Clint Wisdom and Sergeant Don Cleary were members
of the Second Battalion, 130th Field Artillery based in Hiawatha. The
two died November 8 when their vehicle was struck by a car bomb as they
were protecting a convoy of dignitaries in Baghdad. The soldiers
families will be presented with the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Army
Good Conduct Medal, and the Kansas Medal of Excellence.
Approximately 350 soldiers from the unit have been in Iraq since
February. In all, nearly 2,000 Kansas National Guard soldiers and airmen
are deployed overseas. wibw.com 2 Dec 04
Two
Receive Soldiers Medal for Lifesaving Heroism Army
Staff Sgt. Spencer A. Howell, medic, and crew chief Army Spc. Eric S.
Burns of the 507th Air Ambulance Company each received the Soldiers
Medal on Dec. 18 in recognition of heroics performed on March 29.
After hearing a loud noise and seeing a flash of light, the duo realized
two helicopters had collided. After both pilots were released and
carried to safety, Howell rendered medical aid to all four pilots and
accompanied them to the battalion aid station. defenselink.mil
23 Dec 04
Three
Alabama soldiers receive Army's highest peacetime medalThree Alabama Army National Guardsmen will receive the
Army's highest peacetime medal for their acts of heroism during Hurricane
Ivan, when they rescued a pregnant woman who was about to give birth and a
severely ill man. Maj. Gen. Mark Bowen will present the Soldier's Medal
to Master Sgt. James Swann of Greenpond, Sgt. Paul Barnes of Mobile and Spc.
Darryl McNeal of Theodore. al.com 14 Apr 05
CW2
White Vowed to Never Leave a Fallen Comrade Chief
Warrant Officer Kyle R. White will receive the prestigious Soldier's
Medal for his heroic search and rescue efforts on January 25, 2004 aimed
at recovering two fellow pilots whose plane crashed in the Tigris River
while on a combat search and rescue mission in Iraq. While on a search and
rescue mission to recover a Soldier whose boat had capsized, Chief Warrant
Officer Kyle White found himself in a dire situation when his fellow rescue
aircraft crashed into the Tigris River. Faced with rescuing the pilots of
the initial search and rescue mission, Chief Warrant Officer White sprang
into action. He acquired a boat from a local national and made his way to
the crash site, at which he tied a rope around his waist and entered the
water to search for his fallen comrades. He remained at the site for the
next several days to aid in the search, and was instrumental in briefing the
Naval Dive Team tasked with recovering the crew. He also used his knowledge
of the crash site and river currents to assist in developing a search grid
of the area. prnewswire.com 10 May 05
Army
chief awards Rangers for valorGen. 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
1st
ID sergeant receives Soldier’s Medal for heroismArmy
Staff Sgt. War E. Mobley, Jr., 1st Battalion, 37th Armor Regiment,
receives the Soldier’s Medal during a Wednesday awards and
promotion ceremony in Friedberg, Germany. Pinning on the ribbon is his
wife, Senait, and Command Sgt. Major Mark K. Schindler. GI
made valiant attempt to rescue comrades from burning tank. estripes.com
2 Sep 05
Vietnam
veteran 'welcomed home' In 1968, Erna La Belle received
a letter from her son, Frank, who was serving in the Vietnam War for
the U.S. Army. "He wrote me a letter and said 'Mom, nothing's
happening here. I just put out a small fire,'" Mrs. La Belle
said. It wasn't until a month later when she received a letter from
the Red Cross with congratulations on her son's heroism that Mrs. La
Belle found out that "small fire" was in an ammunition dump.
On Oct. 16, 2005, approximately 37 years later, she watched as
Congressman Michael Fitzpatrick pinned the Soldier's Medal on
her son's chest in the living room of his Quakertown home. berksmontnews.com
18 Oct 05
Slain
RP peacekeeper given high US awardStaff Sgt. Antonio
Batomalaque received the Soldier’s Medal posthumously, becoming
the first Filipino to earn the highest US award for noncombat gallantry.
In a citation read by Lt. Commander Victor Loschinkohi, US President George
W. Bush cited the Filipino scout ranger for making the ultimate sacrifice
when he used his body as a shield to cover his fellow peacekeepers in
Port-au-Prince, Haiti on April 14 this year. He was 39 when he died.
“Staff Sgt. Batomalaque exposed himself to incoming rounds... to provide
covering fire for Colonel (Robert) Casias and his fellow soldiers... His
selfless heroism, valor and devotion to duty during the firefight against
Haitian criminal gangs are deserving of the Soldier’s Medal and reflect
great credit upon himself and the Philippine Army,” the citation read.
Batomalaque’s courageous act allowed Casias, who was then deputy
operations officer of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti, to
crawl forward to a covered position to avoid the line of fire. manilastandardtoday.com
16 Dec 05
Soldier
gets medal for helping victims of auto accidentBetter
late than never, as the saying goes. But for four people trapped in a
burning vehicle after careening off icy roads in January 1996, Capt.
Kevin Beagle showed up just in time. Nearly 10 years after the
accident, Beagle was presented with the Soldier's Medal at a
ceremony at the Billings Armed Forces Reserve Center. billingsgazette.com
21 Dec 05
Two
at Fort Eustis awarded Soldier's Medals for rescue Army
Spc. Aaron Wittrock, left, and Spc. Andrew Roe, back left, are
congratulated after receiving Soldier’s Medals. Wittrock
and Roe retrieved six Afghan men from a burning building at the
Kandahar airport during a year long deployment. It was April 4, 2005 ,
during a training exercise. Then: flames. Three soldiers ran to the
building, then inside. Using basic commands in Pashtu , the local
language, the MPs from Eustis’ 202nd MP Company ordered the men
trapped inside to get out. The building apparently had been ignited by
a blowtorch on the roof, where repairs were being made.home.hamptonraods.com
23 Jan 06
Fort
Eustis Soldiers Awarded For ValorTwo Fort Eustis soldiers
who rescued a group of Afghan men from a burning building have received Soldier's
Medals. Army Specialists Aaron Wittrock and Andrew Roe received the
honors for their actions at the Kandahar airport in April 2005. Roe is a
20-year-old native of Newkirk, Oklahoma. Wittrock is 22 and he's from
Savage, Minnesota. The men were completing a training exercise when they saw
flames burst from a nearby building. They ran inside the burning building
and pulled six local men out to safety. Officials later determined the fire
had been started by a blowtorch on the roof where repairs were being made. wtkr.com
25 Feb 06
Cop
Who Is War Vet Recognized For Off-Duty Heroism A
Los Angeles police sergeant and decorated Iraq war veteran has been honored
for saving disabled people from a burning hotel nearly eight years ago. Sgt.
Martin B. Spann was presented with The Soldiers Medal for heroism
outside enemy conflict. Spann saved several people from a Los Angeles hotel
on December 11, 1998. He was off-duty at the time and was treated for burns
and smoke inhalation. He was nominated for the medal after the fire, but the
paperwork was lost. cbs2.com 22 Apr 06
Arkansas Guardsman Receives Soldier's Medal for BraveryTo Sgt. 1st Class Curtis Haines of Hope, Ark., being presented the
nation's highest awards for non-combat related bravery. He earned the
honor for his actions in the aftermath of a car bomb explosion at a
military checkpoint in Baghdad, Iraq, May 6, 2004. After getting word
of the detonation, then Staff Sgt. Haines led his squad to the scene
and quickly secured the site. Disregarding his own safety, Haines dove
into a burning vehicle to extract an Iraqi citizen who was seriously
injured and on fire. Haines pulled the person away from the raging
fire and carried him over 50 yards to safety before immediately
administering medical aid. He transferred the citizen to more
qualified medical personnel, ultimately saving the man's life, and
then went right back to work, directing his troops and extending the
area perimeter.emilitary.org 30 May 06
Solider earns medal for saving two livesFort Riley soldier was recognized for going above and beyond the call of
duty and was awarded the Soldier's Medal. Sergeant First Class Ted
Steckler jumped into Milford Lake last April and saved a kid from drowning.
Just two weeks later, during a training accident in the field, he pulled
fellow soldiers from a vehicle. 49abcnews.com 23 Jun 06
Honored
for ValorStaff Sergeant Curtis H. Haines exhibited heroism
on May 6, 2004, when, in the aftermath of a vehicular bomb incendiary
explosive device at Checkpoint 11, he jumped into a fiery car and pulled a
burning Iraqi civilian from the car that had just exploded. He received the Soldier's
Medal Award, the first Arkansas soldier to receive such an honor since
World War II. hopestar.com 22 May 06
Sheboygan soldier earns prestigious medal
A soldier has been awarded one of the
Army's most prestigious medals for risking his life trying to save three
fellow soldiers from a fiery vehicle crash in Iraq last year. Sgt. Jeffrey
Diederichs, 37, was awarded the Soldier's Medal in front of more than
600 members of his battalion and five visiting generals. Diederichs, who
received the medal with Staff Sgt. Tyler Gerrits, 26, of Green Bay, is only
the fifth soldier to receive the medal in Operation Iraqi Freedom. sheboygan-press.com
20 Jun 06
How Does My Lai Compare to the Incident at Haditha-
What transpired at My Lai? Company C of the 1st Battalion, 20th
Infantry, which was part of the 11th Infantry Brigade, 23rd Division was
commanded by Capt. Ernest Medina. His men, expecting to find the VC force,
instead found women, children, and old men. Medina’s men, particularly
those in 1st Platoon led by 1st Lt. William Calley, Jr., ran wild. They
indiscriminately shot people and then rounded up survivors, led them to a
ditch and shot them. More villagers were killed when their huts and bunkers
were destroyed by fire and explosions. The killing only ceased when
helicopter pilot Warrant Officer Hugh Thompson landed his chopper between
the soldiers and the fleeing Vietnamese. According to a museum at My Lai 504
Vietnamese perished that day. In 1998 Hugh Thompson and two other members of
his chopper crew were awarded the Soldier’s Medal for gallantry,
the seventh highest award a soldier can earn. hnn.us 2
Jul 06
Local veteran receives medals from wife of US senatorLate was most certainly better than never for one World War II veteran who
was honored. Retired Cpl. Kohn Whitley got a bevy of medals during the brief
ceremony. In addition to his American Campaign medal and commendations for
working with tanks and being a carbine gunner, Whitley received the Soldier’s
Medal and the Silver Star. irontontribune.com 22
Jul 06
Medal-winning Tucson GI a lifesaverThere's a humming noise a cable makes when it is about to snap. On an
awful morning in Iraq, the sound echoed in Kraig Lemme's head. When he
heard it, the 24-year-old Tucson soldier was chest-deep in filthy
water, standing atop an Abrams tank that had flipped into a canal with
three crew members inside. The peril Lemme put himself in to help
rescue his comrades that day has earned him one of the Army's highest
honors for heroism not involving enemy contact. Here was awarded the Soldier's
Medal. azstarnet.com 26 Sep 06
Ft.
Gordon sergeant awarded Soldier’s Medal for braverySgt.
1st Class Christine Gilson doesn’t consider herself a hero. “I did
what needed to be done – a life was at stake, and I wasn’t going
to let someone perish,” said Gilson, who was awarded the Soldier’s
Medal for rescuing a neighbor from a house fire Nov. 6, 2005. Last
autumn, Gilson, a drill sergeant with the 297th Military Intelligence
Battalion at Fort Gordon, Ga., was relaxing at home when she heard
unusual noise outside her apartment. When she looked out, she saw
someone trying to throw a chair through her neighbor’s window. “I
thought there was a fight going on,” she said. “I knew something
was wrong because I’d just seen my neighbor 30 minutes before.”
Meanwhile, the night manager hurried to her neighbor’s door, but
when he opened it, clouds of smoke poured out. Gilson retrieved a
flashlight from her truck and headed into her neighbor’s home.
Finding him unconscious on the floor, she pulled him from the flames
to safety. Her neighbor suffered burns on two-thirds of his body and spent five
days in the burn unit at Doctors Hospital before being transferred to
a Veterans Administration Hospital out of state. Gilson, who hails
from Louisiana and is a 16-year Army veteran, said she was surprised
to have received the medal. “To me, that day was just another day in
the life of a Soldier,” she said. www4.army.mil
25 Sep 06
Army nominates Fort Bragg soldier for highest award for valorArmy Capt. Bryan Ash watched in horror as the van in
front of him flipped several times as it tumbled down an embankment. After
stopping his car, the 39-year-old Huntington native stationed at Fort Bragg,
N.C., saw a man hanging upside down from the mangled van. He appeared to be
unconscious. As Ash ran toward the man, the van burst into flames. Ash said
he crawled on his belly to reach the driver, but thick smoke kept him from
being able to unhook the man's seat belt. He backed off, but went back in
and managed to free the driver on his second try. He pulled the driver from
the burning van and with the help of another passer-by, they dragged the
injured man from New Jersey up to the highway minutes before the van
exploded. For his efforts, Ash's superiors at Fort Bragg are recommending
him for the Soldier's Medal, the Army's highest award for valor in a
stateside, non-combat situation. heraldsun.com 18 Oct 06
Omaha
Soldier To Recieve Medal For Saving Lives In IraqA
National Guard soldier from Omaha will be honored for evacuating Iraqi
poll workers from a burning building at the Al Asad Air Base in Iraq.
The Nebraska National Guard said Sergeant Steven Stienike is credited
with saving at least four people when the fire broke out on October
10th, 2005. At the time, Stienike was in Iraq for a one-year tour of
duty with the Nebraska Army National Guard's 67th Area Support Group
based out of Lincoln. He returned home in the fall. Governor Dave
Heineman will present Stienike with the U.S. Army Soldiers Medal.
ketv.com 14 Jan 07
Fort
Knox Master Sergeant Saves Trainees, Earns Soldier's MedalMaster Sgt. Jose Rodriguez Ramos doesn't remember the Mustang heading
toward his trainees. He doesn't remember grabbing one trainee and
pushing him out of the way, or the car slamming into him. At the time,
Rodriguez Ramos - who has spent 23 years in the Army since he joined
from his childhood home in Puerto Rico - was the first sergeant for
Fort Knox's Company B, 2nd Battalion, 46th Infantry Regiment, a job
he'd held for about a year and a half. On May 5, he and one of his
drill sergeants were near the post's Victory Field, administering a
last-chance Army Physical Fitness Test to five trainees on the morning
of their basic training graduation. That's when the Mustang, driven by
a Soldier who was impaired by alcohol he had consumed the night before,
changed everything. Rodriguez Ramos can't tell anyone what happened.
Because of the injuries he suffered when the car hit him, he can't
remember anything that happened. He remembers driving home after his
unit's "family day" held the day before, and he remembers regaining
consciousness in the hospital many days later. Ramos has been awarded
the Soldier's Medal
for his actions. army.mil 23 Jan 07
Army medical instructor receives
Soldier's Medal for Benning ...
Accepting the Soldier's
Medal
for his gallant attempt to rescue a drowning motorist from a Fort
Benning creek was a bittersweet moment in the life of Staff Sgt. Jeffry
Feliciano. Feliciano was driving near the Post Exchange on
Marne
Road in April 2005 when he noticed a crowd gathering at the bridge that
crosses Upatoi Creek. Told that a car had plunged into the
frigid
and rain-swollen waters of the creek, Feliciano rushed down the 30-foot
embankment and dove into the stream. The sergeant and two others were
able to drag the driver out of his car and Feliciano, who has medic
training, applied cardiopulmonary resuscitation to the victim until
rescue personnel arrived on the scene. Unfortunately, the
driver
was dead upon arrival at the hospital. ledger-inquirer.com
26 Jan 07
United States -SF
soldiers recognized for valor in battleLt. Gen. Robert Wagner,
commanding general of Army Special Operations Command, presented a host
of awards, including two Silver Stars, one Soldier’s
Medal and
11 Bronze Stars
for valor.
Group Support Company, Seventh Special Forces Group, was
recognized with the Meritorious
Unit Commendation. Chief
Warrant Officer 2 Angel DeJesus and Staff Sgt. Erasmo Espino Jr. from
3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, were awarded the Silver Star for their actions during a May
19 ambush. The Silver Star is the Army’s third-highest medal
for combat valor. When their detachment
was attacked by as many as 200 enemy fighters, DeJesus and Espino
orchestrated a fighting escape and saved many lives, the news release
said. The Soldier’s
Medal, the
Army’s highest recognition for heroism unrelated to combat,
was presented to Staff Sgt. Gary Wedemann, who earned the award for his
actions on a combat rescue operation in May 2005.
Wagner also presented Bronze Stars for valor
to:
• Sgt. 1st Class
Michael A. Bergstrom
• Staff Sgt.
Elisha R. Bremmer
• Warrant Officer
Luis Chamorro
• Staff Sgt. Jose
A. Guitierrez
• Sgt. 1st Class
Carl F. Harris
• Staff Sgt. Mark
R. Hawver
• Staff Sgt.
Craig G. Kubala II
• Sgt. 1st Class
Antonio D. Pastor
• Staff Sgt.
Brandon B. Pechette
• Staff Sgt.
James H. Sanchez
• Sgt. 1st Class
Joseph A. Serna
Seventeen soldiers
received Purple Hearts:
• Staff Sgt.
Matthew A. Binney
• Sgt. 1st Class
Melvin Candelario
• Sgt. 1st Class
John Fishetti
• Warrant Officer
Luis Chamorro
• Staff Sgt.
Craig G. Kubala II
• Staff Sgt.
James H. Sanchez
• Sgt. 1st Class
Eric C. Horton
• Sgt. 1st Class
Joseph A. Serna
• Sgt. 1st Class
John C. Hunnings
• Capt. Matthew
N. Johnsen
• Sgt. 1st Class
Richard Lopez
• Sgt. 1st Class
Darren S. Markwick
• Warrant Officer
James A. Mayernik
• Sgt. 1st Class
Sean D. Mullins
• Sgt. Joshua S.
Parton
• Sgt. Jimmie L.
Russel
• Sgt. 1st Class
Oscar B. Wynne
Sanchez and Johnsen
received double awards
of the Purple Heart.
Soldiers who received double Commendation Medals for
Valor were:
• Master Sgt.
Keith Fedo
• Sgt. 1st Class
Sean D. Mullins
• Sgt. 1st Class
Joseph A. Serna
Soldiers who received the Army Commendation Medal for valor
were:
• Staff Sgt.
Ariel Aponte
• Capt. James D.
Ballard
• Staff Sgt.
Elisha R. Bremmer
• Sgt. Dustin E.
Davis
• Warrant Officer
Luis Chamorro
• Capt. David W.
Gunther
• Sgt. 1st Class
Gregory Hankel
• Staff Sgt.
Robert Martinez
• Sgt. 1st Class
Johnny Moses
• Staff Sgt.
David M. Nolan
• Sgt. 1st Class
Donnie M. Ochiltree
• Sgt. 1st Class
Eddy Rojas
• Staff Sgt.
Rumaldo Rosas III
• Staff Sgt.
James H. Sanchez armytimes.com 23 Feb 07
Soldier who
rescued family of 8 receives medalStaff Sgt. Thomas
Broadbent was at the right place at the right time in the early morning
hours of March 9, 2007. Broadbent was traveling back
to his office in Fort Hood, Texas, when he noticed a house on
fire. Through his heroism that day, the lives of eight people
were saved. For that selflessness, he has been awarded the prestigious Soldier's Medal. On
that evening, he was on the freeway when he noticed the quaint brick
and stucco home on fire on a large piece of property. "I
noticed
there were no emergency vehicles at the home," said the 36-year-old.
"While dialing 9-1-1, I drove right up to the home, got out and kicked
in the door." Upon walking into the home, Broadbent saw much
of
the house was engulfed in flames. "I went in yelling for
people to
get out and as I was doing that a little boy came out into the hall,"
he said. Using flames as his light, Broadbent made two trips
into
the home and saved the family of eight, the youngest being a
7-month-old boy. Once the family was safe, Broadbent drove
away,
returning to his assignment as an Army criminal
investigator. On
Feb. 1, Broadbent, who served a tour of duty in Iraq in 2004-2005, was
awarded the Soldier's
Medal, given to a member of the armed forces who has
distinguished himself by heroism at personal risk, not in a combat
situation. dailybulletin.com 16 Mar 08
David
Berry, Soldier's Medal Recipient, Killed in IraqLast month in Iraq, insurgents
killed a Kansas man who was quiet and heroic publicly, but also known
as a life-long jokester. Though National Guardsman David Berry
was always reluctant to talk to strangers, he was plenty bold when it
came time to rescue one. Four years ago, he pulled an unconscious man
from a flaming pickup truck that was wrecked on a remote stretch of
highway near Wichita. Berry won the Soldier's Medal for
saving the man's life. Berry's life was taken late one night last night
near Bagdad.
Soldier
cited for valor before he deployedCol. Sean MacFarland, commander
of 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division pins the Soldier's Medal on
Sgt. Christopher Cafaro, at a ceremony in Friedberg, Germany. Cafaro
was awarded the Army's highest peacetime honor for saving lives during
a fire at the Joint Maneuver Training Center in Hohenfels, Germany in
October, 2005. estripes.com 6 mar 07
Airman saves four lives,
earns Soldier's Medal A staff sergeant from the 99th Civil Engineering Squadron here was awarded the
U.S. Army Soldier's Medal for saving the four
Soldiers' lives. On June 15, 2006, while deployed to Forward Operating
Base Falcon, Iraq, three EOD Airmen were returning to FOB Falcon after disarming
an improvised explosive device. They were in the second vehicle of a
five-vehicle convoy when the convoy came to a narrow road beside a water-filled
canal. "We were driving along in my team's Hummer when we realized that
we had become the lead vehicle. So everyone started looking around to try to
find out what had happened to the actual lead. Then the dust settled and we saw
the lead Hummer in the canal," Sergeant White said. Once Sergeant White
realized what had happened, he and Tech. Sgt. David Fitzgerald, from Mountain
Home Air Force Base, Idaho, jumped into the canal. After removing the gunner, driver, and back passenger, and all the
weapons, Sergeant White realized that the team they were saving consisted of
four people, the team chief, who sits in the passenger seat, was submerged and
was unable to free himself of his restraints. Sergeant White ran back to
the vehicle got the team chief free from his restraints. For the next
five hours, Sergeant White performed perimeter security duty until the recovery
team arrived to retrieve the disabled vehicle. Sergeant White was also the recipient
of a Purple Heart on the same deployment. af.mil.16 May 07
ND Sergeant Receives
Soldier`s MedalA North Dakota soldier was given a special award at the
Capitol. Staff Sergeant Justin Lampert earned the Soldier`s Medal for his
actions in saving the lives of others. Lampert was vacationing in Las
Vegas when he stopped a gunman who began firing at bystanders in the New
York-New York hotel and casino on July 6. Governor Hoeven expressed his
gratitude. "In a crowded environment where people are being shot, he
steps up risks his life," Hoeven says. "He takes care of the situation and he
saves others. We talk about heroes. That`s a hero." kfyrtv.com 14 Mar 08
Medals
go to heroes of Iraq rollover
More
than four years after the fact, the Army got around to decorating two
men who saved the lives of five fellow soldiers and spared the
Army's first Stryker brigade from further calamity on its combat debut
in Iraq. Staff Sgt. William Rose and Brett Moore were each
presented with the Soldiers
Medal
for heroism for rescuing their comrades from a Stryker that flipped
into an irrigation canal near Samarra. Because they reacted so
quickly, because they didn't take the time to think better of it, five
of our fellow soldiers are alive today. The accident occurred Dec. 16,
2003, early in the 3rd Brigade's first tour in Iraq. thenewstribune.com
25 Mar 08
Campbell
GIs receive Soldier’s MedalsSmoke and flames did nothing to deter two Fort Campbell, Ky., soldiers
from choosing to risk their lives to save someone
else’s. Their bravery on the home front was rewarded at
a Fort Campbell where each received a Soldier’s Medal,
an award for heroism not involving conflict with an enemy. The
soldiers, Sgt. Jerry Klatt and Sgt. Tom Hayes, are with 159th Combat
Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, both veterans of tours in
Iraq. Returning to post with his stranded comrades, Sgt. Eric
Santiago and Spc. Jeremy Brower, Klatt rounded a corner and saw the
undercarriage of a car lying on its side with the driver’s door
against the ground. “The accident was right on the border of
post. The driver had veered off the road, I guess he lost control, and
made a sharp right into the post of this big yellow swing gate,”
Klatt said. The driver, Pfc. Craig Bowers, was alone, unconscious,
bleeding, belted into his seat and pinned in by several loose items,
including his rucksack, that had landed on him in the crash. There
were flames coming out of the undercarriage, said Klatt, who parked his
vehicle and ran toward the 2-door sports car with Santiago and
Brower. While Santiago went to find a fire extinguisher, Brower
began kicking the car’s back window and Klatt peered into the
passenger window to check on his fellow soldier. They dragged him
about 75 yards away from the car and within three minutes, Klatt said,
“the car was completely engulfed in flames.” Twelve
days later in another part of town, Sgt. Tom Hayes, 28, was driving
back to Fort Campbell after a burrito lunch when he saw a good deal of
smoke coming from a house. “As I was driving by I saw flames
coming from the back of the house,” said Hayes, who is with 563rd
Aviation Support Battalion. The situation was developing quickly
and there were no fire engines on the scene so Hayes drove to the end
of the one-way street and doubled back, unable to driver over the
center median in his sports car. When he got to the house, a
neighbor who was calling emergency services on his cell phone
didn’t know the name of the street, so Hayes ran to the end of
the street and back to get the name. “I heard a lot of
banging and glass breaking so I knew there was someone inside the
house,” Hayes recalled. Within moments, he had decided to
walk through the front door where he found two men trying to move the
home’s disabled occupant down the front hallway through thick
smoke. “They were trying to drag him, he was an older
disabled guy with a scooter,” Hayes said. He estimated the man
weighed about 275 pounds. Once outside the front door, Hayes said,
one of the men who was helping ran away gasping for air and he and the
second man, plus a third who came to help, dragged the victim to
safety. armytimes.com 12 Mar 08
Haltom Junior ROTC instructor receives medal
for capturing bank robberMaster
Sgt. Donald Murrah knew something wasn’t quite
right. He
was in the parking lot of a north Fort Worth bank, chatting with a
fellow soldier, when he saw a bearded man wearing a hat, heavy jacket
and long pants get out of a taxi cab, carrying a briefcase. "I
said, 'Look at that guy. I think he is going to rob the
bank,’ " Murrah said. Moments
later, the man ran out of the bank brandishing a gun and attempted to
carjack a van occupied by a woman and two children. Murrah grabbed him
by the collar and slammed him to the ground, while his friend, retired
1st Sgt. David Long, wrestled his gun away. "I just reacted,"
Murrah said. ". . . I don’t know
why I reacted,
but I did." Murrah
— who retired from the Army in October and is now a Junior
Reserve
Officer Training Corps instructor at Haltom High School —
received the Soldier’s
Medal for
heroism during a short ceremony at the school. star-telegram.com
19 Feb 09
Army
Awards 7 Fort Campbell soldiers for heroism The
Army Chief of Staff presented seven Fort Campbell soldiers with awards
for their heroism in Iraq and at home. Silver
Star and two received Soldier's
Medal. One soldier was awarded the Bronze Star. Two of
the Silver Stars
were presented to Sgt. Raphael J. Collins and Spc. Brendan T.
Quinn—they fought off six armed men and saved the lives of
their team
members during an attack on Jan. 6, 2008, near Balad. First Lt.
Nicholas Eslinger, a West Point graduate from Oakley, Calif., was
awarded the Silver Star.
He was leading a patrol on foot in Samarra, Iraq, north of Baghdad,
when a grenade was tossed in the middle of his platoon. "I saw
the hand
come over the wall and I quickly did a hop, skip and a jump and landed
on my side pinning the grenade between the ground and my chest,"
Eslinger said. Eslinger was able to grab the grenade and toss
it back
over the wall, where it exploded seconds later. No soldier was killed
or wounded that night. Silver Star
was awarded to Staff Sgt. Mark Quigley. The Soldier's Medals
were awarded to Sgt. Barrett M. Kerr and Sgt. Stephen Noble. Noble help
pull a motorist from a burning vehicle near the military installation
on the Tennessee-Kentucky state line in 2007. mercurynews.com
16 Mar 09
Ore. soldier honored for bravery in mall shootingSgt. Johnny Palmer had
been back from Iraq for only five days when he heard shots fired in a
Tacoma, Wash., mall in November 2005. While most people fled, Palmer
and two other members of his unit went farther inside, helping guide
shoppers to safety and dressing the wound of a shooting victim. The
Dorris, Calif., resident received the Soldier's Medal
during a ceremony in Klamath Falls. The award is given to soldiers who
perform heroic acts not involving enemy combat. Palmer says he and
fellow soldiers were only doing what they were trained to do. ktvz.com 7 Dec 08
Wainwright soldier earns medal for rescue
A
Virginia soldier stationed at Fort Wainwright has been awarded the Soldier’s Medal
for rescuing a comrade trapped in a Stryker vehicle
that rolled into an Iraqi canal. Spc.
Ricardo Farrell of Annandale dove
into what soldiers call the “hell hole,” a small
opening
between the
compartment and driver’s seat, to rescue his
driver. Farrell
was on combat patrol in a Stryker vehicle Dec. 22 when the driver
swerved to avoid an oncoming vehicle. The
vehicle rolled into a canal, leaving a foot of breathable air in the
rear of the vehicle. Farrell
says he heard the driver shouting for help and then go silent. He dove
in, moved gear out of the way and pulled the driver out by his arm and
body armor. armytimes.com 29 Jun 09
Reserve
soldier honored for Parkland fire rescue
An Army Reserve soldier who rescued a 5-year-old boy from a burning
home in Parkland will be given the Soldier's
Medal. Staff
Sgt. Richard A. Giertz Jr. was in a car driving through Parkland on
Feb. 15 when the driver noticed a house fire and they stopped. When a
man said his son was trapped inside, Giertz broke a window, carried the
boy out and helped firefighters give first aid. Giertz was
later
treated for cuts and smoke inhalation he suffered during the rescue.seattletimes.nwsource.com 2 Oct 09
NCO gets Soldiers Medal for Rescue An American noncommissioned officer deployed to the U.S. Joint Special
Operations Task Force-Philippines was awarded the Soldier's Medal
Nov. 27 for risking his life to save three Philippine college students
from drowning last year. Staff Sgt. Ruben D. Gonzalez heard calls
for help Sept. 30, 2007, along the shores at Naval Station Zamboanga in
the Southern Philippines, and he sprang into action. Arthur M.
Atilano witnessed the events. He said, "One of the kids got pulled by
the current and brought him in the deep area below the pier. Then, two
teenagers tried to save the kid. The two teenagers were also pulled to
the deep water. That was when they started calling for
help." Students and staff of Zamboanga's MEIN College were
enjoying a day at the beach, celebrating the college's "Foundation
Day," when the three students got caught in the dangerous current and
were dragged into deep, unsafe water. "The water current that day
was incredibly strong; even the LCT [a 65-ton naval vessel] could not
dock at the pier," said Sgt. Sausha T. Jones of the
JSOTF-P. Gonzalez was in the area performing logistics work.
Seeing and hearing the situation begin to unravel, he quickly dove
headfirst into the water and went for the most exhausted swimmer first.
Grabbing the victim around the chest, Gonzalez swam him to the
nearest pier piling, which served as a makeshift life-preserver.
Telling the student to hold the piling as tightly as possible, Gonzalez
swam back out for the other two distressed swimmers, pulling them both
through the current to the nearest pier piling. "I was so tired
and exhausted, I could not hang on [to the piling] and accepted that I
was going to die," said the first swimmer Gonzalez rescued. Seeing
Philippine Navy personnel throwing floatation devices down to the
distressed swimmers, Gonzalez shouted out words of encouragement to
hang on a little longer. Upon reaching the beach, Philippine Navy
medics tended to the victims. After it was clear the students were
ashore and in good hands, Gonzalez left the growing crowd of onlookers,
unnoticed. He got back in his vehicle and, despite several cuts on his
arms, hands, legs, and feet, returned to duty. army.com 2 Dec 08
Major Steven Hall Receives Soldier'sMedal, Highest Peacetime AwardMajor Steven Hall and Chief Warrant Officer Ricky Bullinger received the Solider's Medal
for risking their lives to help rescue a woman who was in danger of
drowning or electrocution at the Lake Hamilton Resort in Hot
Springs. "On August 23, 2008, the Garland County Sheriff's
Department responded to an electrocution/drowning at the Lake Hamilton
Resort on Lake Hamilton. "Three people, a fourteen-year-old girl, a
seven-year-old boy, and a forty year-old woman were swimming in the
lake by the dock area when the automatic lights came on. A short caused
the dock and water to become electrified. Major
Steven Hall and CWO Bullinger were in the dock area and heard the
screaming. Major Hall jumped into the water and was shocked to the
point that his muscles were paralyzed and he sank. Major Hall was able
to come back up to the top of the water and assist CWO Bullinger with a
rescue of the woman who was stuck on a metal ladder on the dock. CWO
Bullinger said he touched the lady and was shocked. They were able to
break the woman free from the ladder with Bullinger stating he received
a bad shock from this action. They were also able to rescue the woman's
son. Major Hall was still in the water trying to find the
fourteen-year-old girl, Sara Crotts. CWO Bullinger joined Major Hall in
the water to look for the girl. They continued diving for about 15
minutes but were unable to find her, and each time they entered the
water, they were shocked. ashleycountyledger.com 11 Jan 10
