Wednesday Hero

This post was suggested by Michael

Col. Roger Donlon   79 years old from Saugerties, New York   7th Special Forces Group
 

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while defending a U.S. military installation against a fierce attack by hostile forces. Capt. Donlon was serving as the commanding officer of the U.S. Army Special Forces Detachment A-726 at Camp Nam Dong when a reinforced Viet Cong battalion suddenly launched a full-scale, predawn attack on the camp. During the violent battle that ensued, lasting 5 hours and resulting in heavy casualties on both sides, Capt. Donlon directed the defense operations in the midst of an enemy barrage of mortar shells, falling grenades, and extremely heavy gunfire. Upon the initial onslaught, he swiftly marshaled his forces and ordered the removal of the needed ammunition from a blazing building. He then dashed through a hail of small arms and exploding hand grenades to abort a breach of the main gate. En route to this position he detected an enemy demolition team of 3 in the proximity of the main gate and quickly annihilated them. Although exposed to the intense grenade attack, he then succeeded in reaching a 60mm mortar position despite sustaining a severe stomach wound as he was within 5 yards of the gun pit. When he discovered that most of the men in this gunpit were also wounded, he completely disregarded his own injury, directed their withdrawal to a location 30 meters away, and again risked his life by remaining behind and covering the movement with the utmost effectiveness. Noticing that his team sergeant was unable to evacuate the gun pit he crawled toward him and, while dragging the fallen soldier out of the gunpit, an enemy mortar exploded and inflicted a wound in Capt. Donlon's left shoulder. Although suffering from multiple wounds, he carried the abandoned 60mm mortar weapon to a new location 30 meters away where he found 3 wounded defenders. After administering first aid and encouragement to these men, he left the weapon with them, headed toward another position, and retrieved a 57mm recoilless rifle. Then with great courage and coolness under fire, he returned to the abandoned gun pit, evacuated ammunition for the 2 weapons, and while crawling and dragging the urgently needed ammunition, received a third wound on his leg by an enemy hand grenade. Despite his critical physical condition, he again crawled 175 meters to an 81mm mortar position and directed firing operations which protected the seriously threatened east sector of the camp. He then moved to an eastern 60mm mortar position and upon determining that the vicious enemy assault had weakened, crawled back to the gun pit with the 60mm mortar, set it up for defensive operations, and turned it over to 2 defenders with minor wounds. Without hesitation, he left this sheltered position, and moved from position to position around the beleaguered perimeter while hurling hand grenades at the enemy and inspiring his men to superhuman effort. As he bravely continued to move around the perimeter, a mortar shell exploded, wounding him in the face and body. As the long awaited daylight brought defeat to the enemy forces and their retreat back to the jungle leaving behind 54 of their dead, many weapons, and grenades, Capt. Donlon immediately reorganized his defenses and administered first aid to the wounded. His dynamic leadership, fortitude, and valiant efforts inspired not only the American personnel but the friendly Vietnamese defenders as well and resulted in the successful defense of the camp. Capt. Donlon's extraordinary heroism, at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty are in the highest traditions of the U.S. Army and reflect great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of his country. You can read more about Col. Donlon here 

 These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives just so others may get to enjoy freedom. For that I am proud to call them Hero.

 Those Who Say That We're In A Time When There Are No Heroes, They Just Don't Know Where To Look

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go  here.

Wednesday Hero

This post was suggested by Michael


Tech Sgt. Charles Coolidge  92 years old from Chattanooga, Tennessee   3rd Battalion, 141st Infantry Regiment, 36th Infantry Division
   
 Tech Sgt. Charles Coolidge was born in 1921 in Tennessee, where he still lives and works in the family business. In 2006 he was awarded the Légion d'honneur by officials of the French consulate.
 From his Medal Of Honor citation: Leading a section of heavy machine guns supported by 1 platoon of Company K, he took a position near Hill 623, east of Belmont sur Buttant, France, on October 24, 1944, with the mission of covering the right flank of the 3d Battalion and supporting its action. T/Sgt. Coolidge went forward with a Sergeant of Company K to reconnoiter positions for coordinating the fires of the light and heavy machine guns. They ran into an enemy force in the woods estimated to be an infantry company. T/Sgt. Coolidge, attempting to bluff the Germans by a show of assurance and boldness called upon them to surrender, whereupon the enemy opened fire. With his carbine, T/Sgt. Coolidge wounded 2 of them. There being no officer present with the force, T/Sgt. Coolidge at once assumed command. Many of the men were replacements recently arrived; this was their first experience under fire. T/Sgt. Coolidge, unmindful of the enemy fire delivered at close range, walked along the position, calming and encouraging his men and directing their fire. The attack was thrown back. Through 25 and October 26, the enemy launched repeated attacks against the position of this combat group but each was repulsed due to T/Sgt. Coolidge's able leadership. On October 27, German infantry, supported by 2 tanks, made a determined attack on the position. The area was swept by enemy small arms, machine gun, and tank fire. T/Sgt. Coolidge armed himself with a bazooka and advanced to within 25 yards of the tanks. His bazooka failed to function and he threw it aside. Securing all the hand grenades he could carry, he crawled forward and inflicted heavy casualties on the advancing enemy. Finally it became apparent that the enemy, in greatly superior force, supported by tanks, would overrun the position. T/Sgt. Coolidge, displaying great coolness and courage, directed and conducted an orderly withdrawal, being himself the last to leave the position. As a result of T/Sgt. Coolidge's heroic and superior leadership, the mission of this combat group was accomplished throughout 4 days of continuous fighting against numerically superior enemy troops in rain and cold and amid dense woods.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives just so others may get to enjoy freedom. For that I am proud to call them Hero.

 Those Who Say That We're In A Time When There Are No Heroes, They Just Don't Know Where To Look

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go   here.

@USArmy announces 2013 photo of the year

posted at  Milblogging.com

Wednesday Hero

This post was suggested by Michael

Maj. Richard Bong  24 years old from Poplar, Wisconsin  49th Fighter Group, V Fighter Command  September 25, 1920 - August 6, 1945    
 Maj. Richard Bong is the United States' highest-scoring air ace, having shot down at least 40 Japanese aircraft during World War II. He was a fighter pilot in the U.S. Army Air Forces (USAAF) and a recipient of the Medal of Honor. All of his aerial victories were in the P-38 Lightning fighter aircraft. You can read more on Maj. Bong  here 


 These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives just so others may get to enjoy freedom. For that I am proud to call them Hero.

 Those Who Say That We're In A Time When There Are No Heroes, They Just Don't Know Where To Look

 This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go  here.

Help @USArmy choose photo of the year 2013

Via Milblogging.com

Help @US Army  choose photo of the year 2013

The United States Army plans to announce the best photo of the year (2013), based on votes by Facebook users this Monday, January 6, 2014.

To vote, simply visit the 2013 Army Year in Photos website and click the Facebook "share" button located directly under your favorite image.

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And Congratulations! to JP of Milblogging.com and his wife on the birth of their daughter :)

Operation Warrior Watch

Wanted to pass on the word that  Operation Warrior Watch (which was formerly Toys for Troops) is a great way to support our deployed troops!  They helped support our own soldier while he was deployed, and every single time I have passed on to them the name and address of a servicemember who needs support.....they have responded with fantastic love, support and care(packages:) !

So, check them out  here  , great bunch of folks! :)

The Granite Men of Henri-Chapelle

I was privileged to receive 

 The Granite Men of Henri-Chapelle: Stories of New Hampshire's WW II Soldiers by Aimee Gagnon Fogg

for my birthday back in October (thanks,Mom! :)

This book featured the stories of 38 New Hampshire World War II soldiers buried in Belgium,one of those being her own uncle,  and it was a fascinating read about each soldiers life, both before the war and during their service in the military.

It meant a great deal to me because my own uncle is also buried in Belgium , and so the stories that Aimee was able to find out about the men could have so easily been about my uncle and the men who were buried with him,also. So I highly recommend this book!

Another reason I felt very privileged to receive this book was that it's written by someone I've 'known' online from way back to 2006, when I first 'met' Aimee while she was blogging, and began following her writing. She's an excellent author!

A Vietnam Veteran begins to find peace

Awhile back, I was contacted by a Vietnam veteran because of a post I had written back in 2006 on the original version of this blog about my aunt's service in Vietnam
For My Aunt...a Thank You to an Army Nurse Corps Vietnam veteran

The veteran who contacted me was looking to see if my aunt could help him find a particular nurse, from when he had been cared for at the 91rst Evac.  Although she wasn't able to help him with his search, the veteran and I had exchanged a number of emails, and so I was pleasantly surprised to receive an email from him after Thanksgiving, that he'd been featured in an article in his hometown newspaper.

With Mr. Baker's permission, I'm passing on the link to that article at codyenterprise.com
Finding Peace 45 years later by Corey Morris

as I think it's an important article to pass on. Until I saw this interview with Mr. Baker, it had never occurred to me that retirement for some Vietnam veterans could lead to them having to deal with lingering memories that they'd been able to suppress prior to their retirement.

(If the link above doesn't work, please try copying and pasting this
http://www.codyenterprise.com/news/people/article_aea6c6d6-4731-11e3-80a2-001a4bcf887a.html  to your browser)

Although my aunt and I were unable to help Mr. Baker with the original reason he contacted us, as so often happens on the Internet, his contacting me led to my being privileged to converse with him and to have him share this article with me.

Thank you, Larry Baker, for contacting me...and thank you, always, for your service to our country!