It's oficial: US Army NCO Awarded Medal of Honor

[tomahawk6]

http://www.sptimes.com/2004/webspecials04/medalofhonor/default.shtml

NCO's like SFC Smith are in every Army. We see them every day doing what they do best - lead, train and motivate their soldiers. Sometimes they give their lives. Now in death SFC Smith can inspire soldier's everywhere to be the best they can be.

 

[Big Foot]

Good to see he is being reckognized for his ultimate sacrifice for his men.

 

[chk2fung]

First Medal of Honor to be awarded in Operation Iraqi Freedom
March 30, 2005

WASHINGTON (Army News Service, March 30, 2005) -- The White House announced March 29 that President George W. Bush will honor Sgt. 1st Class Paul R. Smith by presenting his family the Medal of Honor on April 4, the second anniversary of his courageous actions during the Battle of Baghdad Airport.

Smith is the first to receive the military's highest award for actions in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

In action near the Baghdad Airport on April 4, 2003, Smith, a Soldier in Company B, 11th Engineer Battalion, working with units of the 3rd Infantry Division, was tasked to build a compound to hold enemy prisoners, when his small force came under attack by more than 100 enemies.

Smith threw two grenades and fired rocket launchers at the enemy before manning a .50-caliber machine gun on an M-113 Armored Personnel Carrier to protect his troops. While engaging an enemy attacking from three sides, Smith fired more than 300 rounds from the machinegun before being killed.

He prevented the enemy from overtaking his unit's position, protected his Task Force's flank, and defended the lives of more than 100 Soldiers, according to his award citation.

Smith was serving as a platoon sergeant in Bravo Company, 11th Engineer Battalion, Task Force 2-7, 3rd Infantry Division. He had been serving in the Army since October 1989.



There's a more concise article about his actions that earned him the Medal of Honor  at  http://www.army.mil/medalofhonor . 

 

[Rubes]

There's a website dedicated to him that has a rundown of what he did, with little diagrams to help picture it.  He really is a hero.  When their Bradley fighting vehicle was damaged from an RPG and the crew of the APC was injured from another, he took up the .50 cal and protected his men.  He deserves it.  It is a shame that his wife has to be the one to recieve it, and not him.

 

[Devlin]

Here's a link http://www.lbeh.org/moh/  to some pictures taken during the MOH (Medal of Honor) ceremony for Sgt. Paul Ray Smith. Some really great pictures that most folks would never usually get too see, unless they attended the ceremony This isn't the official website for Sgt. Smith, this one was setup by a person who does a lot for US service people. The official website can be found here http://www.army.mil/medalofhonor/.


Quote from website:

On Monday, April 4th, 2005, at 3pm in the afternoon, Preseident George W. Bush presented the Medal of Honor (posthumously) to Sergeant First Class Paul Ray Smith, B Company, 11th Engineer Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division, United States Army.

 

[pilot_hopeful]

There was another soldier who was nominated for a congressional medal of honor in Iraq as well.
I believe he covered a grenade with his helmet, saving several troops, but succumed to his injuries not long after. I remember seeing it somewhere on CNNs website.

 

[aesop081]

There was another soldier who was nominated for a congressional medal of honor in Iraq as well.

Its called " the medal of honor" not " the congressional medal of honor" !

 

[muskrat89]

Apparently, its not that big a "faux pas" to call it the "Congressional Medal of Honor"....

From the Congressional Medal of Honor Society official website (http://www.cmohs.org/) :

Generally presented to its recipient by the President of the United States of America in the name of Congress, it is often called the Congressional Medal of Honor.

 

[aesop081]

Apparently, its not that big a "faux pas" to call it the "Congressional Medal of Honor"....

From the Congressional Medal of Honor Society official website (http://www.cmohs.org/) :

I realise that but when i was on exchange at fort leonard wood, that fact was pointed out to me very clearly by the battalion CO and the command sagent-major. Not that i care or anything, just thought i would point that out.