- Joined
- Oct 31, 2004
- Messages
- 315
This was in a Florida paper today.
http://www.sptimes.com/2005/02/02/Tampabay/Iraq_hero_joins_hallo.shtml
http://www.sptimes.com/2005/02/02/Tampabay/Iraq_hero_joins_hallo.shtml
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1st Iraq War Medal of Honor Announced !!
- Thread starter sharpetoys
- Start date
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2004
- Messages
- 2,808
A True American Hero !
Thoughts and Prayers go out to his Family....
Thoughts and Prayers go out to his Family....
And, as is often the case, posthumous.
Before Philly Naval Yard was shut down I was based there. Our building was huge and mostly empty. One end and the bottom floor were used as the working spaces, while the other end and upper floor provided the living quarters and heads. The long hallway upstairs was lined with pictures and the citations of the Marine's Medal of Honor. Reading them always left me very sad.
Before Philly Naval Yard was shut down I was based there. Our building was huge and mostly empty. One end and the bottom floor were used as the working spaces, while the other end and upper floor provided the living quarters and heads. The long hallway upstairs was lined with pictures and the citations of the Marine's Medal of Honor. Reading them always left me very sad.
- Joined
- Oct 31, 2004
- Messages
- 315
Quote:
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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 Forces sergeants were killed in Somalia in an action described in "Black Hawk Down."
Those two Deta Force Snipers in the land of the skinnies were Randy Shughart & Gary Gordon who volunteered to protect the surrounded and wounded air crew of a Black Hawk which had been downed by hostile fire.
They were in the lead helicopter on an assault mission in Mogadishu in the middle of an intense firefight when the two Black Hawks were brought down. Shughart and Gordon were tasked to provide protective fire from their own Black Hawk at both crash sites. When Master Sergeant Gary Gordon learned that ground forces weren't available to protect the second crash site he unhesitatingly volunteered to leave his helicopter and protect the aircrew of the downed chopper. The mission commander refused his request because of the extreme threat but upon his third request he finally got the go ahead. He and Shughart fast roped from the Black Hawk to the crash site and engaged the hostile forces until they ran out of ammo and were killed. The pilot of the Black Hawk was captured but survived captivity and was repatriated.
Ooorah Sergeant 1st Class Smith.
Ooorah Sergeant 1st Class Shughart
Ooorah Master Sergeant Gordon
Ooorah to all the men and women of this nation under arms in the defense of America.
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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 Forces sergeants were killed in Somalia in an action described in "Black Hawk Down."
Those two Deta Force Snipers in the land of the skinnies were Randy Shughart & Gary Gordon who volunteered to protect the surrounded and wounded air crew of a Black Hawk which had been downed by hostile fire.
They were in the lead helicopter on an assault mission in Mogadishu in the middle of an intense firefight when the two Black Hawks were brought down. Shughart and Gordon were tasked to provide protective fire from their own Black Hawk at both crash sites. When Master Sergeant Gary Gordon learned that ground forces weren't available to protect the second crash site he unhesitatingly volunteered to leave his helicopter and protect the aircrew of the downed chopper. The mission commander refused his request because of the extreme threat but upon his third request he finally got the go ahead. He and Shughart fast roped from the Black Hawk to the crash site and engaged the hostile forces until they ran out of ammo and were killed. The pilot of the Black Hawk was captured but survived captivity and was repatriated.
Ooorah Sergeant 1st Class Smith.
Ooorah Sergeant 1st Class Shughart
Ooorah Master Sergeant Gordon
Ooorah to all the men and women of this nation under arms in the defense of America.
My thoughts go out to SFC Smiths family for their loss.....But as an American and a former 3rd ID soldier..I'm am proud to hear that another Marne Man put his life on the line for his soldiers and ultimately paid the price for thier safety.
Rock of the Marne!
Rock of the Marne!