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From Iraq and Afghanistan, a few American heroes you've never heard of
By Robert J. Caldwell
April 16, 2006
On any given day, American soldiers and Marines fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan perform extraordinary feats of courage and sacrifice in the service of their country. Hundreds of these unsung heroes have been awarded this country's highest decorations for valor in combat, often given posthumously: Navy Crosses, Silver Stars, Bronze Stars, Distinguished Service Crosses and, in one case so far, the Medal of Honor.
Yet, with rare exceptions – Army Sgt. First Class Paul R. Smith's Medal of Honor among them, fortunately – these acts of valor go mostly unreported and unknown outside the brotherhood of arms that is the United States military.
The Media Research Center, a conservative watchdog group that monitors television news, complained last fall, for example, that the major television networks (ABC, NBC and CBS) devoted only eight stories from Jan. 1 through Sept. 30, 2005, reporting on the heroism of American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. By contrast, the networks devoted 79 stories during this same period to instances of alleged mistakes or misconduct by U.S. military forces.
This imbalance – more precisely, bias – can only be called shameful. The bravery and devotion to duty demonstrated on a daily basis by tens of thousands of U.S. servicemen and women, volunteers all, who put their lives on the line get short shrift, eclipsed by a drumbeat of negative coverage.
No single column or commentary can right that grievous wrong, but consider this one a start. What follows are capsule accounts, based on official U.S. Army and Marine Corps records, of just a few of the heroes (though none wants to be called that) whose valor in combat merits the gratitude and respect of every American.
Army Sgt. First Class Paul R. Smith, B Company, 11th Engineer Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division, Iraq – Medal of Honor, posthumous:
On April 3, 2003, Smith and his task force were at Baghdad International Airport when they were suddenly attacked by hundreds of enemy troops from Saddam Hussein's elite Republican Guard. Smith quickly organized a defense and personally engaged the enemy with hand grenades and anti-tank weapons. He then rescued three wounded Americans from an armored personnel carrier wrecked by a rocket-propelled grenade.
Realizing that the enemy attack was threatening to overrun more than 100 American soldiers, Smith climbed atop an armored vehicle under a hail of Iraqi fire and manned its .50-caliber machine gun. Firing constantly from his exposed position, he covered the evacuation of more wounded Americans, killed at least 50 of the attackers and broke the enemy assault. He was mortally wounded by a bullet to the throat. Smith's Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military decoration for valor, was the first and to date only one given in the Iraq war.
Marine Staff Sgt. Anthony Viggiani, 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, Afghanistan – Navy Cross:
On June 3, 2004, Viggiani and members of his unit were conducting a cordon-and-search operation for Taliban insurgents in a remote village. About 20 armed enemy combatants were spotted fleeing the village. While Viggiani led the pursuit, two of his Marines were wounded by enemy machine-gun fire. In the face of continued hostile fire, Viggiani ran 100 yards to rescue the two downed Marines. On the way, he killed several insurgents firing on his men from a concealed cave. Wounded in the leg, Viggiani refused evacuation, continued to lead his troops and routed the insurgents, killing several more in the process. His Navy Cross is the Department of the Navy's highest decoration for valor short of the Medal of Honor.
Army Sgt. James Witkowski, 729th Transportation Command (a California-based Army Reserve unit), Iraq – Silver Star, posthumous:
Witkowski was killed in action on Oct. 26, 2005, during a combat logistics convoy battle near Ashraf, Iraq. Witkowski's convoy was ambushed and came under fierce, sustained attack; first from small-arms fire and roadside bombs, then by more small-arms fire, onrushing insurgents throwing hand grenades and by rocket-propelled grenades throughout a mile-long kill zone. Witkowski manned a .50-caliber machine gun on his armored truck and held the attackers at bay with sustained suppressive fire. An enemy grenade landed in his gun turret. Had he jumped aside, the grenade explosion would have killed three fellow soldiers. Witkowski stayed at his post, continued firing, and took the full blast of the grenade.
Witkowski's Silver Star was only the second awarded to an Army Reserve soldier serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Marine Capt. Joshua L. Glover, 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Iraq – Silver Star:
Glover was a Marine lieutenant and mortar platoon/quick reaction force platoon leader in his battalion's weapons company on April 13, 2004. During this second of his three deployments to date in Iraq, Glover and his platoon were recovering classified material from a downed CH-53 helicopter in the insurgent stronghold of Fallujah. Insurgents attacked the platoon with machine-gun fire and a shower of rocket-propelled grenades. Glover skillfully maneuvered his men and led a successful counterattack, inflicting numerous enemy casualties. That evening, Glover and his unit were sent to assist in rescuing a besieged Marine rifle platoon deep behind enemy lines. Glover's platoon engaged a much larger company-sized insurgent force. Repeatedly exposing himself to enemy fire, Glover fought insurgents at point-blank range while successfully directing the trapped platoon's relief and coordinating recovery operations.
Army Sgt. Leigh A. Hester, 617th Military Police Company, 503rd Military Police Battalion (Airborne), Iraq – Silver Star:
A team leader in her MP company, Hester led her soldiers on a devastatingly effective counterattack against Iraqi insurgents who had ambushed an Army convoy with machine guns, assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenades. Maneuvering her fire team through the ambush kill zone, she assaulted an enemy trench line with grenades and rifle fire. With her squad leader, Hester cleared two additional trench lines and eliminated three Iraqi insurgents with her M4 rifle. The counterattack she led saved the lives of numerous American soldiers pinned down by enemy fire in the ambushed convoy.
Three years of war in Iraq and four years of fighting in Afghanistan have produced hundreds of examples of such heroics. By any measure, America's armed forces have performed with exemplary skill, courage and professionalism. More than 2,600 young Americans have died in Iraq and Afghanistan and more than 7,000 others have been wounded seriously enough to require evacuation from the war zones. Many of these wounded have been maimed for life.
The least we owe these warriors is proper recognition of their valor and sacrifice
