MOH soldier of the month

[fl57caveman]

17 deployments...delta force...salute to him

 

[fl57caveman]

They are in front of us, behind us, and we are flanked on both sides by an enemy that outnumbers us 29:1. They can’t get away from us now!” “Great. Now we can shoot at them from every direction.”



Puller: Hero of World War II and Korea The most decorated Marine in Corps History

Lewis Puller, nicknamed “Chesty” because of his perfect posture and the fact that his torso somewhat resembled a full-size beer keg full of lead bricks, raw muscle and horse steroids. In his thirty-seven years of service to the Corps, Puller would rise through the ranks from Private to General, and become the most decorated Marine in American history.


Lieutenant Puller first established himself as a Marine’s Marine whilst killing rebels in the dense Nicaraguan jungles. In one of his first missions of the campaign, Puller led his platoon up against a much larger force of heavily-armed rebels, charging the fortified enemy positions without even flinching. Over the course of one week, Puller’s men routed the enemy in five separate engagements, completely annihilating the rebel positions while sustaining minimal casualties.

For his bravery in combat, Puller won the Navy Cross – the Marine Corps’ second-highest award for bravery (just below the Medal of Honor, and some say he got jobbed out of the MoH because he refused to play any political games). Another time he was leading his unit through a treacherous mountain pass when all of a sudden these rebels ambushed him from all sides with machine guns, mortars. Four of Puller’s men went down under the initial attack, but he got his men to cover, directed their fire, and then led a flanking maneuver that resulted in the complete destruction of the ambushing forces. Then, on the march back, he was ambushed twice more – both times resulted in the epic loss of everyone who took he and his men on
For getting his platoon back safely with minimal loss of life, Puller received a second Navy Cross. By the time that he left Nicaragua, Chesty was known as “The Tiger of the Mountains”, a nickname he earned presumably by his great ability to destroy his enemy and was so despised by his enemies that the leaders of the rebel guerrillas had put a 5,000 peso reward on his head.

 

[fl57caveman]

PAUL J. WIEDORFER
DETAILS
RANK: STAFF SERGEANT (RANK AT TIME OF ACTION: PRIVATE)
CONFLICT/ERA: WORLD WAR II
UNIT/COMMAND:
2D SQUAD, 2D PLATOON, COMPANY G, 2D BATTALION, 318TH INFANTRY,
80TH INFANTRY DIVISION
MILITARY SERVICE BRANCH: U.S. ARMY
MEDAL OF HONOR ACTION DATE: DECEMBER 25, 1944
MEDAL OF HONOR ACTION PLACE: NEAR CHAUMONT, BELGIUM
CITATION
He alone made it possible for his company to advance until its objective was seized. Company G had cleared a wooded area of snipers, and one platoon was advancing across an open clearing toward another wood when it was met by heavy machine-gun fire from two German positions dug in at the edge of the second wood.

These positions were flanked by enemy riflemen. The platoon took cover behind a small ridge approximately 40 yards from the enemy position. There was no other available protection and the entire platoon was pinned down by the German fire. It was about noon and the day was clear, but the terrain extremely difficult due to a three-inch snowfall the night before over ice-covered ground. Pvt. Wiedorfer, realizing that the platoon advance could not continue until the two enemy machine-gun nests were destroyed, voluntarily charged alone across the slippery open ground with no protecting cover of any kind.
Running in a crouched position, under a hail of enemy fire, he slipped and fell in the snow, but quickly rose and continued forward with the enemy concentrating automatic and small-arms fire on him as he advanced. Miraculously escaping injury, Pvt. Wiedorfer reached a point some 10 yards from the first machine-gun emplacement and hurled a hand grenade into it. With his rifle he killed the remaining Germans, and, without hesitation, wheeled to the right and attacked the second emplacement.
One of the enemy was wounded by his fire and the other six immediately surrendered. This heroic action by one man enabled the platoon to advance from behind its protecting ridge and continue successfully to reach its objective. A few minutes later, when both the platoon leader and the platoon sergeant were wounded, Pvt. Wiedorfer assumed command of the platoon, leading it forward with inspired energy until the mission was accomplished.

 

[fl57caveman]

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty: Captain Ed W. Freeman, United States Army, distinguished hinself by numerous acts of conspicuous gallantry and extraordinary intrepidity on 14 November 1965 while serving with Company A, 229th Assault Helicopter Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile).

As a flight leaderand second in command of a 16-helicopter lift unit, he supported a heavily engaged American Infantry battalion at Landing Zone X-Ray in the Ia Drang Valley, Republic of Vietnam. The infantry unit was almost out of ammunition after taking some of the heaviest casualties of the war, fighting off a relentless attack from a highly motivated, heavily armed enemy force.

When the infantry commander closed the helicopter landing zone due to intense direct enemy fire, Captain Freeman risked his own life by flying his unarmed helicopter through a gauntlet of enemy fire time after time, delivering critically needed ammunition, water, and medical supplies to the besieged battalion. His flights had a direct impact on the battle's outcome by providing the engaged units with timely supplies of ammunition critical to thier survival, without which they would almost surely have experienced a much greater loss of life.

After medical evacuation helicopters refused to fly into the area due to intense enemt fire, Captain Freeman flew 14 separate rescue missions, providing life-saving evacuation of an estimated 30 seriously wounded soldiers -- some of whom would not have survived had he not acted. All flights were made into a small emergency landing zone within 100 to 200 meters of the defensive perimeter where heavily committed units were perilously holding off the attacking elements. Captain Freeman's selfless acts of great valor, extraordinary perseverance, and intrepidity were far above and beyond the call of duty or mission and set a superb example of leadership and courage for all of his peers. Captain Freeman's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.

 

[MauserLarry]

I hope this pilot got the medal of honor. He deserved it.

 

[SAWMAN]

I watched a show on the History or Discovery channel on this man. Extraordinary gentleman.
He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross but cannot remember if he received the MOH. From watching the show,seems he would have.
He saved alot of lives in those days. --- SAWMAN

 

[SAWMAN]

This great gentleman was in fact,awarded the Medal of Honor,by President Bush. --- SAWMAN

 

[MauserLarry]

This great gentleman was in fact,awarded the Medal of Honor,by President Bush. --- SAWMAN

thanks for the heads-up Sawman

 

[SAWMAN]

In my time I have had several interactions with MOH recipients. All were great examples of the American fighting spirit. They were more humble that I could have ever imagined. All associated their award to the dedication of others or stated that they accepted the medal in behalf of their,or others troops.
I even had two show up,unanounced at quarters one morning. My boss was gone and as the leading enlisted man,I introduced them to the troops.
I brought the formation to attention and saluted each man in turn. One of them raised the American Flag at 0800.
Great day for me and the troops. A day that I will remember forever. ---- SAWMAN

 

[fl57caveman]

By the time of the Korean War, Freeman reached the army rank of first sergeant. Although he was in the Corps of Engineers, his company fought as infantry soldiers in Korea. He participated in the Battle of Pork Chop Hill and earned a battlefield commission as one of only 14 survivors out of 257 men who made it through the opening stages of the battle.

 

[Ross7]

My apologies if this Marine has already been listed here.

Navy to name ship after Medal of Honor recipient Robert Simanek

The Navy will name an upcoming support ship after Robert E. Simanek, a Marine who jumped on a grenade to save his friends.

taskandpurpose.com

 

[Raven]

starting this thread for posting positive articles about our nation's finest warriors, and related articles of bravery by those in the face of extreme danger.....
at the time i first posted this on another forum, this man was still alive, passed away march 2, 2012


by the way, you do not "win"this medal, you earn it...

:amen:

BARFOOT, VAN T.
Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army, 157th Infantry, 45th Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Carano, Italy, 23 May 1944. Entered service at: Carthage, Miss. Birth: Edinburg, Miss. G.O. No.: 79, 4 October 1944. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty on 23 May 1944, near Carano, Italy. With his platoon heavily engaged during an assault against forces well entrenched on commanding ground, 2d Lt. Barfoot (then Tech. Sgt.) moved off alone upon the enemy left flank. He crawled to the proximity of 1 machinegun nest and made a direct hit on it with a hand grenade, killing 2 and wounding 3 Germans. He continued along the German defense line to another machinegun emplacement, and with his tommygun killed 2 and captured 3 soldiers. Members of another enemy machinegun crew then abandoned their position and gave themselves up to Sgt. Barfoot. Leaving the prisoners for his support squad to pick up, he proceeded to mop up positions in the immediate area, capturing more prisoners and bringing his total count to 17. Later that day, after he had reorganized his men and consolidated the newly captured ground, the enemy launched a fierce armored counterattack directly at his platoon positions. Securing a bazooka, Sgt. Barfoot took up an exposed position directly in front of 3 advancing Mark VI tanks. From a distance of 75 yards his first shot destroyed the track of the leading tank, effectively disabling it, while the other 2 changed direction toward the flank. As the crew of the disabled tank dismounted, Sgt. Barfoot killed 3 of them with his tommygun. He continued onward into enemy terrain and destroyed a recently abandoned German fieldpiece with a demolition charge placed in the breech. While returning to his platoon position, Sgt. Barfoot, though greatly fatigued by his Herculean efforts, assisted 2 of his seriously wounded men 1,700 yards to a position of safety. Sgt. Barfoot's extraordinary heroism, demonstration of magnificent valor, and aggressive determination in the face of pointblank fire are a perpetual inspiration to his fellow soldiers.


****side note, this MOH soldier is still alive and still fighting, see below;

And the anti American flag drumbeat in this country continues.
Col. Van T. Barfoot, a 90 year old Medal of Honor recipient and veteran of three wars, has been ordered by his Henrico, Virginia home owner association to remove a flagpole in the yard of his home by Friday afternoon or he will face legal action and related fees if he refuses to do so.
A law firm representing the HOA sent Col. Barfoot a letter claiming he was in violation of his community’s covenants, conditions and restrictions even though his daughter says there are no specific prohibitions on flagpoles in the CC&Rs. Evidently people on the HOA board responsible for enforcing the CC&Rs felt that Col. Barfoot’s flagpole was aesthetically offensive so they ordered him to remove it back in July, probably hoping to get the thing out of the ground just in time for Independence Day celebrations.
To date Col. Barfoot has resisted efforts to force him to tear down his flagpole but at 90 years old and up against the juggernaut of an unbending HOA group and a law firm that couldn’t resist the opportunity to harass one of the few remaining Medal of Honor recipients left in our country in exchange for a few dollars (paid for in part by his own HOA dues) time is surely running out for the military veteran who, according to the U.S. government, bravely and unselfishly put his life on the line in defense of our country.
This appears to be yet another assault against our flag here in America by people who clearly hate or are terribly confused about what this country and her stars and stripes truly stand for.
Hopefully word of this outrageous situation will quickly circulate throughout our country and enough pressure will be brought to bear on the Sussex Square community HOA board in Henrico Virginia that they will pull their arrogant heads out of their collective asses and cut this honorable veteran of three wars and man who earned the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government some slack here.



***
let's hope he wins this..




P.S.

i hate homeowner associations....bunch of condo commando wannbe's

caveman

This HOA don't know who they're messing with

 

[Duckyou]

This HOA don't know who they're messing with

He won that fight, but he has since passed.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/van-t-barfoot-va-medal-of-honor-recipient-who-won-fight-to-fly-flag-in-front-yard-dies-at-92/2012/03/05/gIQARDTdtR_story.html

 

[War-Buff]

In my time I have had several interactions with MOH recipients. All were great examples of the American fighting spirit. They were more humble that I could have ever imagined. All associated their award to the dedication of others or stated that they accepted the medal in behalf of their,or others troops.
I even had two show up,unanounced at quarters one morning. My boss was gone and as the leading enlisted man,I introduced them to the troops.
I brought the formation to attention and saluted each man in turn. One of them raised the American Flag at 0800.
Great day for me and the troops. A day that I will remember forever. ---- SAWMAN

I worked for one MOH recipient, Col Kern Dunagan, and I met another, Col Patrick Brady, both at the Presidio of San Francisco in the 1978-1980 timeframe. Both were modest but outstanding individuals.

 

[fl57caveman]

My apologies if this Marine has already been listed here.

Navy to name ship after Medal of Honor recipient Robert Simanek

The Navy will name an upcoming support ship after Robert E. Simanek, a Marine who jumped on a grenade to save his friends.

taskandpurpose.com

not many who jump on a grenade...live to speak of it.

 

[Raven]

not many who jump on a grenade...live to speak of it.

Highly motivated, truly dedicated

 

[fl57caveman]

Desmond Doss:
The Real Story​

On April 1, 1942, Desmond Doss joined the United States Army. Little did he realize that three and a half years later, he would be standing on the White House lawn, receiving the nation's highest award for his bravery and courage under fire.
Of the 16 million men in uniform during World War II, only 431 received the Congressional Medal of Honor. One of these was placed around the neck of a young Seventh-day Adventist, who during combat had not killed a single enemy soldier. In fact, he refused to carry a gun. His only weapons were his Bible and his faith in God.

President Harry S. Truman warmly shook the hand of Corporal Desmond Thomas Doss, and then held it the entire time his citation was read aloud to those gathered outside the White House on October 12, 1945. "I'm proud of you," Truman said. "You really deserve this. I consider this a greater honor than being president."
The journey that had brought young Desmond to this day had been a challenging one. When Pearl Harbor was attacked, he was working at the Newport News Naval shipyard and could have requested a deferment—but he wanted to do more for his country. He was willing to risk his life on the front lines in order to preserve freedom.

When he joined the Army, Desmond assumed that his classification as a conscientious objector would not require him to carry a weapon. He wanted to be an Army combat medic. As luck would have it, he was assigned to an infantry rifle company. His refusal to carry a gun caused a lot of trouble among his fellow soldiers. They viewed him with distain and called him a misfit. One man in the barracks warned him, "Doss, as soon as we get into combat, I'll make sure you won't come back alive."
His commanding officers also wanted to get rid of the skinny Virginian who spoke with a gentle southern drawl. They saw him as a liability. Nobody believed a soldier without a weapon was worthwhile. They tried to intimidate him, scold him, assign him extra tough duties, and declared him mentally unfit for the Army. Then they attempted to court martial him for refusing a direct order—to carry a gun. But they failed to find a way to toss him out, and he refused to leave. He believed his duty was to obey God and serve his country. But it had to be in that order. His unwavering convictions were most important.

Desmond had been raised with a fervent belief in the Bible. When it came to the Ten Commandments, he applied them personally. During childhood his father had purchased a large framed picture at an auction. It portrayed the Ten Commandments with colorful illustrations. Next to the words, "Thou shalt not kill" was a drawing of Cain holding a club and standing over the body of his dead brother Abel. Little Desmond would look at that picture and ask, "Why did Cain kill Abel? How in the world could a brother do such a thing?" In Desmond's mind, God said, "If you love me, you won't kill." With that picture firmly embedded in his mind, he determined that he would never take life.

However, there was another commandment that Desmond took just as seriously as the sixth. It was the fourth commandment. His religious upbringing included weekly church attendance, on the seventh day. The Army was exasperated to discover that he had yet another personal requirement. He asked for a weekly pass so he could attend church every Saturday. This meant two strikes against him. His fellow soldiers saw this Bible reading puritan, as being totally out of sync with the rest of the Army. So they ostracized him, bullied him, called him awful names, and cursed at him. His commanding officers also made his life difficult.

Things began turning around when the men discovered that this quiet unassuming medic had a way to heal the blisters on their march-weary feet. And if someone fainted from heat stroke, this medic was at his side, offering his own canteen. Desmond never held a grudge. With kindness and gentle courtesy, he treated those who had mistreated him. He lived the golden rule, "…do to others what you would have them do to you…" (Matthew 7:12 NIV).

Desmond served in combat on the islands of Guam, Leyte, and Okinawa. In each military operation he exhibited extraordinary dedication to his fellow men. While others were taking life, he was busy saving life. When the cry, "medic" rang out on the battlefield, he never considered his own safety. He repeatedly ran into the heat of battle to treat a fallen comrade and carry him back to safety. All this, while enemy bullets whizzed past and mortar shells exploded around him. Several times, while treating a wounded soldier, Desmond was so close to enemy lines, he could hear the whispering of Japanese voices.

In May, 1945, as German troops were surrendering on the other side of the world, Japanese troops were fiercely defending, to their last man, the only remaining barrier (Okinawa and the Maeda Escarpment) to an allied invasion of their homeland. The men in Desmond's division were repeatedly trying to capture the Maeda Escarpment, an imposing rock face the soldiers called Hacksaw Ridge. After the company had secured the top of the cliff, the Americans were stunned when suddenly enemy forces rushed them in a vicious counterattack. Officers ordered an immediate retreat. Soldiers rushed to climb back down the steep cliff. All the soldiers except one.
Less than one third of the men made it back down. The rest lay wounded, scattered across enemy soil—abandoned and left for dead, if they weren't already. One lone soldier disobeyed orders and charged back into the firefight to rescue as many of his men as he could, before he either collapsed or died trying. His iron determination and unflagging courage resulted in at least 75 lives saved that day, May 5, 1945, his Sabbath.
Eventually, the Americans took Hacksaw Ridge. Okinawa was captured inch by bloody inch. Several days later, during an unsuccessful night raid, Desmond was severely wounded. Hiding in a shell hole with two riflemen, a Japanese grenade landed at his feet. The explosion sent him flying. The shrapnel tore into his leg and up to his hip. He treated his own wounds as best he could. While attempting to reach safety, he was hit by a sniper's bullet that shattered his arm. His brave actions as a combat medic were done.
But not before insisting that his litter-bearers take another man first before rescuing him. Wounded, in pain, and losing blood, he still put others ahead of his own safety. He would choose to die so another could live. After all, that's what he read in his Bible. Such was the character demonstrated by Jesus Christ.

In addition to his Medal of Honor, Desmond Doss received a Bronze Star for valor with one Oak Leaf cluster (signifying he received 2 Bronze Stars); a Purple Heart with two Oak Leaf clusters (signifying he received 3 Purple Hearts); the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with three Bronze Stars, and beachhead arrowhead (signifying he served in 4 combat campaigns including an amphibious landing under combat conditions); the Good Conduct Medal; the American Defense Campaign; and the not so common, Presidential Unit Citation given to the 1st Battalion, 307Inf, 77th Infantry Division for securing the Maeda Escarpment.
The Medal of Honor was established during the Civil War under President Abraham Lincoln in 1862. At the one hundredth anniversary in 1962, the other recipients of that award selected Desmond Doss to represent them at a White House ceremony. He had a pleasant chat with President John F. Kennedy.
Before being discharged from the Army in 1946, Desmond developed tuberculosis. He would spend most of the next six years in hospitals. Cold, wet, sleepless nights, shivering in a muddy foxhole on the islands of the Pacific, had taken their toll. As the illness progressed his left lung had to be surgically removed along with five ribs. For the rest of his life, he survived on a single lung, until it too failed. At the age of 87, Corporal Desmond Thomas Doss died on March 23, 2006, after being hospitalized with difficulty breathing. He is buried in the National Cemetery, Chattanooga, Tennessee.

 

[Southalabama]

Look up William Seay sometime.

Stumbled across his grave in a cemetery just north of Brewton.

 

[poppop]

Audie Murphy and Roy Benevedas are my personal heroes. both Texans

 

[fl57caveman]

On December 13th, 1887 Alvin C. York was born in a log cabin in the sleepy town of Pall Mall, Tennessee. He was one of eleven children in a decidedly poor family. His father died when he was a young man and being the eldest child still at home he helped his mother raise his younger siblings. In order to procure food for his impoverished family he had to learn to become a skilled hunter. It was out of this necessity that he became a exceptionally talented marksman, which would come to be a great advantage for him on the battlefield.

When the time came for York to register for the draft during World War I, he was working as a blacksmith. He was a devout christian and was a member of a pacifist congregation that did not support the war. However, it was mandatory for all males between the ages of 21 and 41 to enroll in the draft. He was put in Company G, 328th Infantry Regiment, 82nd Infantry Division at Camp Gordon, Georgia. Struggling with his faith inspired opposition to the idea of war, he consulted his commanders who were also religious men and with their words of encouragement he was assured that he was doing the right thing. It was fortunate that he came around to this way of thinking, as his performance in combat would prove to be incalculable.
It was on the front lines of the war in France that York's excellent leadership skills thrived and his marksmanship skills proved invaluable. On October 18th, 1918, In Chatel-Chenery. France his company was charged with the mission of penetrating the German lines and dismantling their machine gun defense. By doing so the Decauvilla Railroad, a valuable resource, could be recovered.
During the onset of the attack nine of the members of the group were quickly picked off by Germans. York took charge of the seven remaining members of his team and pushed further into enemy territory. He advanced into machine guns blasting in his direction, all while firing his own weapon off at the enemy. Seven German soldiers in a trench attacked him with bayonets but he shot each one of them before they could reach him. York sniped about seventeen of the German enemy gunners. The German's First Lieutenant surrendered and 132 soldiers were taken captive by York and his men.

It was for his actions during this event that he was awarded the Medal of Honor. Initially he was given the Distinguished Service Cross, but upon further review and investigation, the medal was upgraded to the Medal of Honor.

In 1919, York returned from the war and immediately got back to building his life at home in Tennessee. Shortly after returning, he married Gracie Loretta Williams. He would receive nationwide fame after a news article detailed the story of the reclaiming of the Decauvilla Railroad. However, York would refuse to any offers he got that profited from his story of heroism. instead he put a great amount of effort into the Alvin C. York Foundation which helped to give the youth of Pall Mall, Tennessee and other surrounding areas better educational opportunities.

When American involvement in World War II began he tried to re-enlist. Unfortunately because of his poor health and age he was not admitted back into the army. However, he was given a position of major in the Army Signal Corps. In this position he traveled around the country and visited training camps where he provided encouragement for the trainees.
Alvin C. York passed away on September 2nd, 1964. He was laid to rest in his home town of Pall Mall, Tennessee. He was survived by seven of his eight children. His legacy was memorialized in a movie made in 1941. He also has six buildings using his namesake and a commemorative stamp was made in his honor for the "distinguished soldiers" series.

Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor was awarded to Alvin C. York for his valorous performance in Chatel-Chenery. France on October 18th, 1918. The Medal of Honor is the highest military awarded by the United States. It is bestowed upon the recipient by the President of the United States. The honor is given to those who have displayed exceptional heroism and have gone beyond the call of duty, while in service of the United States.