American soldier in Iraq given Medal of Honor

[Guest Cerebus]

Link:

 

Sgt. 1st Class Paul R. Smith, who spent his boyhood in Tampa, became a man in the Army and died outside Baghdad defending his outnumbered soldiers from an Iraqi attack, will receive America's highest award for bravery.

...

What Paul Smith did on April 4, 2003, was climb aboard an armored vehicle and, manning a heavy machine gun, take it upon himself to cover the withdrawal of his men from a suddenly vulnerable position. Smith was fatally wounded by Iraqi fire, the only American to die in the engagement.

...

Smith is the first soldier from the Iraq war to receive the medal, which had not previously been awarded since 1993. In that year, two Army Special Services sergeants were killed in Somalia in an action described in the bestselling book Black Hawk Down.

...

Sgt. Smith volunteered to create a holding pen inside a walled courtyard. Soon, Iraqi soldiers, numbering perhaps 100, opened fire on Smith's position. Smith was accompanied by 16 men.

 

Smith called for a Bradley, a tank-like vehicle with a rapid fire cannon. It arrived and opened up on the Iraqis. The enemy could not advance so long as the Bradley was in position. But then, in a move that baffled and angered Smith's men, the Bradley left.

 

Smith's men, some of whom were wounded, were suddenly vulnerable.

 

Smith could have justifiably ordered his men to withdraw. Lt. Col. Smith believes Sgt. Smith rejected that option, thinking that abandoning the courtyard would jeopardize about 100 GIs outside - including medics at an aid station.

 

Sgt. Smith manned a 50-caliber machine gun atop an abandoned armored personnel carrier and fought off the Iraqis, going through several boxes of ammunition fed to him by 21-year-old Pvt. Michael Seaman. As the battle wound down, Smith was hit in the head. He died before he could be evacuated from the scene. He was 33...

[2GOLD 0]

Why haven't I heard a thing about this man until now?

This seems like it would have been an outstanding story for the news and I don't remember a peep.

[Guest Cerebus]

Amazingly enough, i had not heard it until an old Navy buddy of mine had emailed it to me.

[Vern Gagne 0]

Wow. I got choked up reading that story.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

Why haven't I heard a thing about this man until now? This seems like it would have been an outstanding story for the news and I don't remember a peep.

Just for you, Jobber...

 

Gimmie a B...

 

 

Gimmie an I...

 

 

Gimmie a G...

 

 

Gimmie a M...

 

 

Gimmie an E...

 

 

Gimmie a D...

 

 

Gimmie an I...

 

 

Gimmie an A...

 

 

What's that spell?...

[Spaceman Spiff 0]

GimmieaBGimmieanIGimmieaGGimmieaMGimmieanEGimmieaDGimmieanIGimmieanA ?

[Guest Cerebus]

That's way more effort for a post than I expected out of you KKK.

[Dr. Tom 0]

He just wanted to show off his collection of cheerleader pics...

[Guest fk teale]

Another couple of stories with happier endings:

 

1st Lieutenant Neil Prakash receives Silver Star:

 

Because enemy dismounts were attempting to throw hand grenades into the tank’s open hatches, Prakash ordered the tanks to open protected mode – bringing the hatches down, leaving them open only a crack.

 

As the lead vehicle, Prakash’s tank took the brunt of the attack, sustaining blasts from multiple IEDs and at least seven standard and armor piercing RPGs. The enemy fired mainly at the lead tanks, aiming for the few vulnerable spots. One round blew the navigation system completely off of the vehicle, while another well-aimed blast disabled his turret.

 

Although unable to rotate the turret, Prakash continued in the lead, navigating with a map and maneuvering his tank in order to continue engaging the enemy with the main weapon system and his .50 caliber machine-gun. He watched as men on rooftops sprayed down at his tank with machine-guns and small arms.

 

By battle’s end, the platoon was responsible for 25 confirmed destroyed enemy and an estimated 50 to 60 additional destroyed enemy personnel. Prakash was personally credited with the destruction of eight enemy strong-points, one enemy re-supply vehicle, and multiple enemy dismounts.

 

Marine Captain Brian Chontosh awarded Navy Cross:

 

While leading his platoon north on Highway 1 toward Ad Diwaniyah, Chontosh's platoon moved into a coordinated ambush of mortars, rocket propelled grenades and automatic weapons fire. With coalition tanks blocking the road ahead, he realized his platoon was caught in a kill zone.

 

He had his driver move the vehicle through a breach along his flank, where he was immediately taken under fire from an entrenched machine gun. Without hesitation, Chontosh ordered the driver to advanced directly at the enemy position enabling his .50 caliber machine gunner to silence the enemy.

 

He then directed his driver into the enemy trench, where he exited his vehicle and began to clear the trench with an M16A2 service rifle and 9 millimeter pistol. His ammunition depleted, Chontosh, with complete disregard for his safety, twice picked up discarded enemy rifles and continued his ferocious attack.

 

When a Marine following him found an enemy rocket propelled grenade launcher, Chontosh used it to destroy yet another group of enemy soldiers.

 

When his audacious attack ended, he had cleared over 200 meters of the enemy trench, killing more than 20 enemy soldiers and wounding several others.

 

Too bad the good news isn't generally deemed fit to print.

[Jobber of the Week 0]

Well, the reason stuff like that doesn't get print is because it's hard to balance the bravery involved without glorifying war.

 

Unfortunately, too many editors are simply unwilling to try and take a stab at it these days.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

That's way more effort for a post than I expected out of you KKK.

I am full of surprises...

[Guest Vitamin X]

Gimmie an E...

 

This made me happy.

[CheesalaIsGood 0]

There really isn't a smiley WORTHY of a salute here. But thanks for the post Cerberus.

 

 

~Tip of the hat~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We all may be men but not all of us are heroes.

[Hogan Made Wrestling 0]

Why haven't I heard a thing about this man until now?

This seems like it would have been an outstanding story for the news and I don't remember a peep.

There's why. Jessica Lynch sells so much better to the people that are home during the day watching stuff like Anderson Cooper 360 and other pseudo-news shows.