Disabled veteran, who was not D.B. Cooper, passed away

He died claiming to be a disabled veteran. But many believe he was hijacker D.B. Cooper.

The Washington Post
By Morgan Krakow
July 11, 2019

Rackstraw, a former Army helicopter pilot who had been awarded a Silver Star for valor, didn’t surface as a suspect until the late 1970s, according to news reports. He’d been arrested on charges of murdering his stepfather, but was acquitted in a trial in 1978.

A man who some believed to be the elusive D.B. Cooper died Tuesday in Southern California.

Robert Rackstraw, who was featured in a 2016 History Channel documentary about the notorious criminal, was pronounced dead at home in the early hours of July 9, according to the San Diego Medical Examiner’s Office. He died of a “long-standing heart condition,” according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Cooper, known for the hijacking of a flight bound for Seattle from Portland, Ore., is thought to have leaped from the plane with $200,000 in cash. Authorities tracked down hundreds of potential suspects but were never able to find Cooper or his body.

The hijacking, the longest unsolved crime of its kind in FBI history, has baffled official and unofficial investigators for decades. Though the FBI closed the case in 2016, theories about the identity of Cooper have continued to swirl.
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U.S. Army's 75th Ranger will receive Bronze and Silver Star in same deployment

Air Force Operator to Receive Silver, Bronze Star for Same Deployment

Military.com
By Oriana Pawlyk
3 Apr 2019

The U.S. Air Force will award a special tactics airman two medals for valor for separate missions in Afghanistan in which he risked his life to save others.

Tech. Sgt. Cam Kelsch, a tactical air control party operator assigned to the 17th Special Tactics Squadron, 24th Special Operations Wing. (U.S. Air Force)

Tech. Sgt. Cam Kelsch, a tactical air control party operator assigned to the 17th Special Tactics Squadron, 24th Special Operations Wing, will receive the Silver Star and Bronze Star with "V" device in a ceremony at the Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum in Pooler, Georgia, on April 9, Air Force Special Operations Command announced Tuesday.

Kelsch, 29, from Ventura, California, exposed himself to direct enemy fire while accompanying members of the U.S. Army's 75th Ranger Regiment during a night raid on April 25, 2018, in support of Operation Freedom's Sentinel/Resolute Support in Afghanistan. The team was reportedly sent out to neutralize a high-value target, but the service did not disclose where the raid took place, or how long the battle lasted
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Marine Raider took out armored vehicle with Javelin

A Marine Raider was awarded a Silver Star for taking out an armored-vehicle IED with a Javelin

Marine Corps Times
Shawn Snow
February 12, 2019

A Marine Raider and sniper with 2nd Marine Raider Battalion has been awarded the nation’s third highest award for combat bravery for his heroic actions during the outset of the campaign to liberate Mosul, Iraq, from ISIS fighters, according to military officials.

A U.S. Marine fires an FGM-148 Javelin, a shoulder-fired anti-tank missile near At Tanf Garrison, Syria, Sept. 7, 2018. (Cpl. Carlos Lopez/Marine Corps)

The elite Marine commando with Marine Forces Special Operations Command, or MARSOC, is the only Marine thus far to be awarded the Silver Star for actions against ISIS militants in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, according to Marine Corps Manpower and Reserve Affairs.

Marine Corps Times agreed to withhold the name of the Marine out of operational security concerns as he is still operating with MARSOC.

On Oct. 20, 2016, the Marine Raider was a staff sergeant serving as an assistant element leader with 2nd Marine Raider Battalion as his unit assisted other forces in an operation to isolate Mosul for its future liberation.

During the day, his team was hit with sustained enemy fire and the unit decided to occupy a point between two enemy controlled villages, according to details in his award citation obtained by Marine Corps Times.
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Green Beret was shot twice but kept fighting

Green Beret killed 6 insurgents and saved his men despite being shot twice and hit with a grenade
Military Times
By: J.D. Simkins
1 day ago

A 12-man team from the Colorado-based 10th Special Forces Group was advising Iraqi National Police on Sept. 10, 2007, during a mission to capture a high value target from the Islamic State of Iraq in the area of Samarra, Iraq.

(Left to right) Halbisengibbs, Lindsay, Chaney. (Army)

Two helicopters were originally scheduled to deliver the men at 2 a.m. to a field on the outskirts of the village, but when the pilots saw the planned landing zone covered in water, they had to set the assault teams down closer to the target.

The noisy arrival alerted the bodyguards of Abu Obaeideah, the area’s kingpin who had been wanted for a year for killing Iraqis — and their families — who considered joining the police force.

Over the course of a hellish 10 minutes, the three-man assault team killed Abu Obaeideah and 11 of his crew and helped free a hostage.

“Pretty much the three of them single-handedly secured that objective,” Maj. Will Beaurpere, the men’s commander, told Stars and Stripes.

All three would recover from their injuries.

For his actions, Jarion Halbisengibbs received the Distinguished Service Cross, the Army’s second highest award for valor.

Capt. Matthew Chaney and Sgt. 1st Class Michael Lindsay were presented with Silver Stars.
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PBS National Memorial Day Concert Had Tribute to Military Women

PBS National Memorial Day Concert

Tribute to military women

Allison Janney pays tribute to Women in Service on the 2018 National Memorial Day Concert

And yes, Dr. Mary Edwards Walker being the only woman to wear the Medal of Honor, was mentioned. 

Stolen Valor: Topped off applying for job with city of St. Lucie?

Florida man passes himself off as decorated war veteran to land job, police say
Local10.com
By Peter Burke - Managing Editor
April 4, 2018

Edward Liroff, 46, arrested after real veteran notices discrepancies on form

Among the discrepancies Byrne noted were that the Distinguished Service Medal was only awarded to four U.S. Army soldiers between 1983 and 2013 -- Liroff was not among them -- and that his Silver Star Medal was spelled incorrectly.

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - A Florida man who passed himself off as a war hero and applied for a job with the city of Port St. Lucie was arrested after it was discovered that he never served in the military, police said.

Edward Liroff, 46, was arrested Tuesday on felony charges of fraudulently obtaining a Florida driver's license, uttering a forged instrument and unlawful use of uniforms, medals or insignia.
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Honored Vietnam Veteran Speaker May Have Lied

Vietnam veterans claim of 9 Purple Hearts raises questions
Times Free Press
December 31, 2017

"I've got 57 medals," Holloway proudly proclaimed, remarking that some were pinned to his chest by President Lyndon B. Johnson himself.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The Times Free Press in November 2016 published a story that included information about Vietnam veteran Stephen D. Holloway, who was speaking at a Veterans Day event in Pikeville, Tenn., and claimed to be the most-decorated veteran of the Vietnam War. Holloway's public claims were challenged by veterans of Vietnam and other conflicts, and the Times Free Press has spent more than a year investigating his military record. To date, Holloway maintains his claims are accurate, though few of his medals and awards have convincing documentation. This is part 1 of a two-day series.

Silver Star. Bronze Star.

Prisoner of war in Vietnam.

Nine Purple Hearts.

Sounds extraordinary, but that's what 69-year-old Vietnam veteran Stephen Douglas Holloway claims.

For three of those claims, the Hixson resident's DD-214 — the official document every military veteran who serves is given when discharged from duty — backs it up.

One of Holloway's multiple DD-214s, anyway.

If Holloway's Purple Heart claims are true, veterans who study military awards, documents and records say, he would be the most decorated service member to serve in the Vietnam War.

But so far, the Times Free Press has been unable to verify any of those claims through military channels, or through Holloway himself.

A fake Purple Heart claim flies in the face of the people who have legitimately received them. 

"There's only one person that's been awarded nine Purple Hearts. His name was [Albert L.] Ireland. He was a staff sergeant in the Marine Corps. And he has officially been awarded nine Purple Hearts. No one else in history has," said Kendrick, who received the Purple Heart four times and has the documents to prove it. read more here

Most decorated American soldier in US Military history

The title of most decorated American soldier probably goes to Robert Lewis Howard, a US Army soldier and Medal of Honor recipient of the Vietnam War. Howard was born July 11, 1939 and he died at age 70 on December 23, 2009. Robert L. Howard was wounded 14 times while serving over 54 months of combat. He was awarded 8 Purple Hearts, 4 Bronze Stars, and was nominated for the Medal of Honor in three separate cases.

Robert L. Howard enlisted in the US Army at Montgomery, Alabama and retired in the rank of Colonel. read more here

Ten time a hero, Curry T. Haynes
Having recovered from malaria, he was “good to go” a second time and reported back to his unit. With one Purple Heart to his credit, if Haynes was wounded two more times he would earn a trip back to CONUS, the Continental United States. The rule was: Three Purple Hearts earned a soldier the much-sought-after ticket home on the Freedom Bird. Most likely the architects of the “three-strikes-and-you’re-out of the war” rule had meant the policy should be applied to three separate engagements. Hayes earned nine more Purple Hearts in one engagement.

Silver Star For Air Force Thunderbolt Pilot

A-10 pilot who braved 'hailstorm of anti-aircraft fire' to save soldiers receives Silver Star
Air Force Times
By: Stephen Losey
June 30, 2017

Thornton and his leader fought for 33 minutes, braving "the ever-increasing hailstorm of anti-aircraft fire," and destroyed or demobilized three T-72 tanks, six armored personnel carriers and several utility vehicles that were within striking distance of the U.S. troops, the citation said.

In the opening days of the Iraq war, soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Division's 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment were advancing on Baghdad when they ran into fierce resistance from the Iraqis.

Tanks and armored infantry fighting vehicles dug in on the eastern side of a bridge across the Tigris River unloaded on the troops.

In his A-10 Thunderbolt overhead, then-Capt. Gregory Thornton saw the task force's lead element taking fire and swung into action. He flew through a blinding sandstorm, dodged heavy anti-aircraft fire, and took out the Iraqi armor holding back the troops.

On Friday, Thornton — now a retired lieutenant colonel — will be honored for his bravery that day, April 6, 2003, by receiving the Silver Star, the nation's third-highest award for valor.
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A-10 Thunderbolt

After 45 Years "The army recognized what we did that day."

Glendale Vietnam veteran awarded Silver Star 45 years after rescue
The Republic
Perry Vandell
May 9, 2017

Smoke and fire enveloped the afternoon of April 18, 1972.

The town of An Lộc in South Vietnam was under siege by the Viet Cong, who had the area surrounded. Hercules C-130s tried dropping supplies to the defenders, but the Viet Cong’s anti-air weaponry often shot at them before they could make the drops.

Spc. 4 Leonard "Bruce" Shearer, who now lives in Glendale, was part of a four-man crew manning a Bell UH-1H Iroquois or "Huey" helicopter tasked with reporting enemy troop movement. The helicopter crew had to cut its reconnaissance mission short, however, when Shearer noticed a C-130 engulfed in flames as it streaked across the sky.

It never happened — until the Air Force got involved.

In 2005, the Air Force held a ceremony in Little Rock, Ark. where it awarded Silver Stars to the six U.S. C-130 crewman. It also recognized Shearer and his former crewman — who were in attendance — for their efforts, but was surprised to learn the Army hadn’t done the same for them. Air Force officials began asking questions the rescuers had kept to themselves for decades.
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A Vietnam Hero Finds the Real War Is on the Home Front

PENNDEL: Captain David Christian, most decorated Vietnam War veteran, to keynote ‘The Traveling Wall’ visit to Bucks County
Bucks Local News
Feb 2, 2017

PENNDEL
Captain David A. Christian (Retired), the most decorated veteran of the Vietnam War, will deliver the keynote speech when the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall visits Penndel in July of 2017.

Capt. Christian will headline a roster of distinguished guests and speakers at the opening ceremonies for the Wall at 8:30 a.m. on July 14. Following the opening ceremonies, the wall will be on display through Sunday evening, July 16, at the Penndel Memorial Ball Field on PFC John Dalola Avenue in Penndel.

Capt. Christian has a long and illustrious service history, enlisting in the US Army at age 17. After completing Officers Candidate School at age 18, he went on to complete Airborne and Special Forces training. During his time in country, his reconnaissance unit was known as one of the Army’s best. After receiving significant injuries during an engagement for which he was thrice nominated for the Medal of Honor, he retired from Army service in 1969 at age 21, having been awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, two Silver Stars, the Bronze Star, and seven Purple Hearts.
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This is from PEOPLE in 1981

A Vietnam Hero Finds the Real War Is on the Home Front
PEOPLE
BY DAVID CHRISTIAN

POSTED ON SEPTEMBER 14, 1981

With his blond hair and blue-eyed good looks, David Christian could pass for a movie war hero sent up by central casting. In real life Christian was barely 18 when be became the youngest second lieutenant ever to graduate from the Army’s Officer Candidate School. During an eight-month tour in Vietnam he collected two Congressional Medal of Honor nominations, seven Purple Hearts, two Bronze Stars, two Silver Stars, a Distinguished Service Cross, two Vietnamese Crosses of Galantry and a chestful of other medals. Disabled by napalm burns in 1968, be left the military at 21 and became the Army’s youngest retired captain. Christian’s fighting didn’t stop on the battlefield, however; finding a war-weary and often hostile public back borne, be launched a campaign for veterans’ rights and a barrage of criticism at government policy toward returning GIs. Now 32, be lives in Washington Crossing, Pa., with Peggy, his wife of 14 years, and three children. Last month Christian declined the No. 2 position in the VA to continue as executive director of the United Viet Nam Organization, which be started in 1978. He talked to PEOPLE’s Margot Achterberg about his fights at the front and at home.read more here

David A. Christian Home of record: Turnersville New Jersey
In little more than one month time, from September 23 to October 29, 1968, David Christian earned the Distinguished Service Cross and TWO Silver Stars.

Air Force Afghanistan Veteran Receives Silver Star

Airman receives Silver Star for battlefield bravery in Afghanistan
Air Force Times
By: Charlsy Panzino
November 4, 2016

(Photo Credit: Airman Miranda A. Loera/Air Force)

Under fire and drenched from head to toe in the frigid waters of Afghanistan's Bala Murghab River, former Airman 1st Class Benjamin Hutchins refused to leave the two soldiers who needed his help.

Hutchins, a tactical air control party airman, fought back and refused to give up on the two soldiers, who were being swept away by the river's current, until reinforcements arrived.

For his actions on that day in 2009, Hutchins on Friday was awarded the Silver Star, the nation's third-highest award for valor.

"It's not a medal for me," Hutchins, who is now medically retired, told Air Force Times. "It's a medal for all the other folks who are slaving away right now and doing the same stuff but not getting the recognition."

Hutchins, who was assigned to the 14th Air Support Operations Squadron at Fort Brag, North Carolina, was honored Friday, exactly seven years after his actions in Afghanistan.
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Black Hawk Down Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Wayne Bray Passed Away

Air Force veteran whose story was told in 'Black Hawk Down' dies
The Courier-Tribune (Tribune News Service)
By Judi Brinegar
Published: October 29, 2016

S/Sgt. Jeffrey Wayne Bray's actions in Somalia in 1993 earned him a Silver Star and were later portrayed in the movie, “Black Hawk Down.” He died Oct. 24 at the age of 49. COURTESY BRAY FAMILY

ASHEBORO — A recognized hero, Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Wayne Bray, 49, a Randolph County, N.C. native, died Oct. 24 at Columbus Regional Healthcare.

You might not know his name, but his actions in Somalia in 1993 earned him a Silver Star —and those actions were later portrayed in the movie, “Black Hawk Down.”

Bray was born in Randolph County in 1966, the son of Martha Woodell Lindsey of Asheboro and the late John Franklin Bray.

Bray was a decorated veteran of the U.S. Air Force, a Senior Airman who served with a Combat Control Team.
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Airman Receiving Silver Star for Bravery in Afghanistan

Airman to receive Silver Star for watery heroism, battlefield bravery in Afghanistan
Air Force Times
By: Stephen Losey
September 23, 2016

"By his gallantry and devotion to duty, Airman Hutchins has reflected great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force," the citation said.

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. -- A tactical air control party airman will be honored with the Silver Star for a dangerous and watery rescue of his fellow soldiers in Afghanistan, and charging a Taliban position in a subsequent battle two days later.

Then-Airman 1st Class Benjamin Hutchins, a tactical air control party airman, was deployed to Afghanistan in November 2009, serving alongside soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division's 4th Brigade Combat Team, said Gen. Hawk Carlisle, head of Air Combat Command, in a speech Tuesday at the Air Force Association's Air Space Cyber conference. Hutchins and the soldiers were on the west bank of the Murghab River one cold morning, watching a resupply airdrop of cargo containers when one fell off-target and splashed down in the river, Carlisle said.

Two soldiers jumped in to recover it, Carlisle said, but misjudged how fast the river was flowing and were quickly pulled downriver. Hutchins sprang into action, Carlisle said. He stripped off his armor, helmet and other gear that would weigh him down, and dove in after them.
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MOH Sammy Davis Returns From Vietnam

Veteran whose actions were adapted for ‘Forrest Gump’ returns to Vietnam
WTTV CBS News
By Russ McQuaid
JULY 4, 2016 

"I stood on the exact same piece of dirt that I earned this medal on.  I been waiting to go back for forty years." Sammy L. Davis

OWEN COUNTY, Ind.-- Truth be told, Sammy L. Davis doesn’t remember the last time he left Fire Support Base Cudgel west of Cai Lay in what was then called South Vietnam 48 years ago. Davis was choppered off the battlefield, severely wounded, after a night of war that saved the lives of three fellow Americans, held off an enemy onslaught and resulted in Davis being awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.

This Independence Day, the night of November 18, 1967, is once again fresh in Davis’ memory as the Mooresville native has just returned from his first visit back to the riverbank where Hoosier-bred heroics were displayed and lives were changed nearly a half century ago.

“I stood on the exact same piece of dirt that I earned this medal on,” said Davis as he held the honor that hung from a sky blue ribbon around his neck during a recent memorial service. “I been wanting to go back for forty years.

Davis was promoted to sergeant for what he did at Fire Support Base Cudgel. He also received the Medal of Honor, a Silver Star and two Purple Hearts.
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Fort Carson Green Beret Receives Silver Star

Green Beret receives Silver Star for refusing to leave fallen leader behind
Army Times
Kyle Jahner
June 15, 2016

When he saw a rocket-propelled grenade explode near fellow Green Beret Staff Sgt. Richard Harris during the battle following a 2011 ambush in Afghanistan, then-Staff Sgt. Bell thought: “I’m pretty sure Rich is dead.”

Sgt. 1st Class Richard Harris in Wardak province in winter 2011

(Photo: Courtesy of Sgt. 1st Class Richard Harris)

Harris was not dead; the blast against a wall about 7 feet behind him was closer to the beginning of his fight than its end. After momentarily losing consciousness, he recovered and valiantly fought, largely to protect his fallen team leader, Master Sgt. Danial “Slim” Adams. He braved close-range enemy fire multiple times to protect Adams from the insurgents, even after realizing Adams had died from his wounds.

Nearly five years later, during a June 3 ceremony at Fort Carson, Colorado, now-Sgt. 1st Class Harris received a Silver Star Medal — the Army's third highest valor award — for charging into open territory with a grenade launcher in one hand and an M4 firing in the other.
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Soldier Saved Hundreds But Did Not Get Medal of Honor?

This Army hero took out suicide bombers and saved hundreds. Why no Medal of Honor?
Army Times
Kyle Jahner
June 3, 2016

“His efforts contained the enemy to the edge of the airfield, and saved the lives of hundreds of soldiers, coalition partners and civilians,” the narrative said.

Sgt. 1st Class Earl D. Plumlee, right, assigned to 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), is presented the Silver Star by Maj. Gen. Kenneth R. Dahl, I Corps Deputy Commanding General. (Photo: Spc. Codie Mendenhall/Army)

With a new Army Secretary at the helm, Congressman Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., has relaunched his campaign to award the Medal of Honor to a Special Forces soldier whose Afghanistan heroics were once considered for the top award but ultimately downgraded to a Silver Star.

On Aug. 28, 2013, then-Staff Sgt. Earl Plumlee helped to fend off an insurgent attack on Forward Operating Base Ghazni. Plumlee "aggressively advanced" and took out several insurgents, some wearing suicide vests. Plumlee, now a sergeant first class, is credited with saving hundreds of lives.

His nomination for the MoH was endorsed at the time by Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford and Army Gen. Mark Milley, but the Senior Army Decorations Board recommended a downgrade, and the decision was endorsed by then-Army Secretary John McHugh.

“(T)he Silver Star underrepresents SFC Plumlee’s actions," Hunter wrote in a letter to Army Secretary Eric Fanning. "You are in the position to make this right. The Army’s decision to downgrade SFC Plumlee’s nomination for the Medal of Honor is well known in the Special Operations Community — resubmitting his nomination will go a long way to restoring trust and morale among our warfighters at the leading edge of the fight.”
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Green Beret Sgt. 1st Class Earl Plumlee May Get Medal Of Honor

New Army secretary asked to intervene in Medal of Honor case
The Washington Post
By Dan Lamothe
Published: May 24, 2016

WASHINGTON — A year after a Special Forces soldier was denied the Medal of Honor, the nation’s top award for valor in combat, a congressman has appealed to the new Army secretary to review the case.

Green Beret Sgt. 1st Class Earl Plumlee, right, salutes during an awards ceremony at at Joint Base Lewis-McChord on May 1, 2015, after he received the Silver Star for his actions in Afghanistan. A Calif. congressman is requesting that newly-sworn-in Army Secretary Eric Fanning consider whether Plumlee should be awarded the Medal of Honor, a recommendation that was denied in 2015 under then-Army Secretary John McHugh. CODIE MENDENHALL/U.S. ARMY

Army Secretary Eric Fanning was sworn in as the service’s top civilian leader last week, and almost immediately received a letter from Rep. Duncan Hunter, R.-Calif., asking if he would review the case of Sgt. 1st Class Earl D. Plumlee. The Green Beret soldier was nominated for the Medal of Honor for his role in repelling a brutal ambush in Afghanistan in 2013 and received recommendations for the prestigious award from several of the military’s most powerful officers, but was ultimately denied last year by then-Army Secretary John McHugh. Plumlee instead received the Silver Star, which is two levels below the Medal of Honor in recognizing combat heroism.
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The Army denied a Medal of Honor to this Green Beret war hero. What happened?

Hamburger Hill Vietnam Veteran Joe Ybarra Honored

Hamburger Hill veteran Joe Ybarra of Colton honored as ‘Hometown Hero’
The Sun
By Ryan Hagen
POSTED: 05/10/16

COLTON
Joe Ybarra will always remember May 10.

U.S Army Sgt. First Class Chad Bliss says a few words before awarding Army Veteran Joe L. Ybarra of Colton, with the Silver Star medal for his service in the Vietnam War, during a hometown hero banner ceremony in Colton Tuesday.

JOHN VALENZUELA — STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

It’s the day he was born, and it’s the day in 1969 that he and others began the Battle of Hamburger Hill, where his actions earned him the Silver Star.

And May 10, 2016 is the day 50 friends and supporters surprised Ybarra outside the Stater Bros. on Washington Street with a banner recognizing him as a “Hometown Hero.”

After months of work by his family, the celebration — which included a reception afterward with a caterer, DJ and more — wasn’t a complete surprise, said Ybarra, who arrived wearing a dress shirt and tie.

“It’s overwhelming,” Ybarra said after the ceremony. “I have a lot of family and friends I haven’t seen for years, and for them all to come today, I’m honored.”

Colton, one of many local cities to hold a “Hometown Hero” program, has put up nearly 200 of the banners since it began the program in earnest in 2013, said Deputy City Clerk Sabdi Sanchez, who manages the program.

The banners, displayed on thoroughfares, honor veterans and active-duty military personnel from the city.

Ybarra, who turned 67 Tuesday, volunteered for the paratroopers and wound up in the “Screaming Eagles” of the 101st Airborne Division.
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Green Beret Sgt. 1st Class Matthew McClintock Posthumously Received the Silver Star.

Green Berets honored with Silver Star and eight other valor awards
Army Times
Michelle Tan
May 6, 2016

“These men are heroes, plain and simple,” said Maj. Gen. Bret Daugherty, adjutant general of the Washington National Guard, during the ceremony, according to information released by the Army. “They don’t boast. They don’t draw undue attention to themselves. They just get the job done.”

Sgt. 1st Class Matthew McClintock posthumously received the Silver Star.

(Photo: Courtesy Alexandra McClintock)

As the bullets rained down around him, Staff Sgt. Michael Sargent dragged a fallen Afghan soldier to safety.

Then, without hesitation or concern about his own safety, the Green Beret entered the courtyard in southern Afghanistan again to recover the body of a second fallen Afghan soldier and help a wounded teammate get to cover.

For his actions on that day in December, Sargent was awarded the Silver Star, the nation’s third-highest award for valor.

Sargent and several other members of A Company, 1st Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group were honored last Friday for their actions during their recent deployment to Afghanistan.

In all, the soldiers earned the Silver Star, two Bronze Stars with V device, six Army Commendation Medals with V device, and one Purple Heart.In all, the soldiers earned the Silver Star, two Bronze Stars with V device, six Army Commendation Medals with V device, and one Purple Heart. read more here

Vietnam War Hero Clark Welch Passed Away in Leesburg

Vietnam War hero dies in Leesburg
Orlando Sentinel
Lauren Ritchie
April 22, 2016

Welch served as an Airborne Ranger in the 1st Infantry Division and Special Forces. He spent 31 years in the service and was inducted into the Ranger Hall of Fame. In addition to the Distinguished Service Cross, Welch was awarded three Silver Stars with "V" device signaling valor in combat, two Purple Hearts and the Legion of Merit, among others.

Ret. Army Lt. Col. Clark Welch, a Vietnam War hero, died recently in Leesburg and will be buried later in Arlington National Cemetery.

(Courtesy of the Clark Welch family)

Maybe Clark Welch would still be alive today if the U.S. Army had been a little more gentle with that body of his.


The retired lieutenant colonel — probably Lake County's most highly decorated veteran — had shrapnel permanently jammed against his chest wall, which didn't help when it came to fighting a debilitating lung disease. He had no triceps muscle in one arm — it was blown off in combat. And over his 31-year career in the Army, he had broken more bones than his family could count, which took a lingering toll on his 76-year-old body.

Welch, an Airborne Ranger who loved his soldiers like a father, died April 12 in Leesburg.

The lieutenant colonel owned a piece of history in the Vietnam War that unfortunately was shrouded in lies by the U.S. government until a 2004 book by a Pulitzer Prize winner exposed the truth. For 25 years, the United States had portrayed the 1967 battle at Ong Thanh as a marvelous victory, when in truth it was a heartbreaking rout that left 60 men unnecessarily dead.
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