Every woman that has ever served in the American military has volunteered to do so. Today more women serve in the armed forces of the United States than at any other time in our nations history, in ways never before possible.
This courageous heritage can be traced back to the Revolution where women donned men's clothes and took up arms against the British. And though none had the right to vote, hundreds of women participated in the Civil War as nurses, spies and soldiers. Of the 33,000 women who served their country during the Great War, some 300 lost their lives. More than 700,000 women defended America in WW II, Korea and Vietnam. As of 2014, over 150 female patriots have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Monday, August 10, 2015
Thursday, July 30, 2015
Sergeant First Class Alwyn C. Cashe,
On October 17, 2005, sacrificed his life to save those of the troops in his care. With his unit under enemy fire, SFC Cashe, his uniform soaked with fuel from a roadside explosion which ruptured the fuel tank of his Bradley Fighting Vehicle and set it afire, repeatedly entered the fiery interior to rescue his men who were trapped inside. Even with his uniform burned away and his flesh ablaze, SFC Cashe managed to pull six soldiers from the flaming interior. Four of them later succumbed to their burn wounds as did, some three weeks later, SFC Cashe.
For his incredibly selfless valor, SFC Cashe was awarded the Silver Star, an award that seems to many of us in the military and veteran communities, insufficient to the events of that terrible day. Colonels have been known to be awarded the Silver Star for monitoring and directing ground combat from the relative comfort of an overhead helicopter. I would wager that among all warriors, soldiers, sailors, aviators, etc., fear of death by burning or being horribly injured and disfigured by fire is greater than any other dread associated with combat. Yet SFC Cashe overcame that fundamental fear and charged directly into the flames repeatedly to save his young soldiers. A Silver Star seems a bit inadequate to reward that level of courage and self-sacrifice.
Among those who feel that Cashe’s bravery deserves more is the officer who was his battalion commander at the time, now Brigadier General, Gary Brito. According to this account in the LA Times, then Lieutenant Colonel Brito, was unaware of the full extent of Cashe’s actions because those soldiers immediately involved were too seriously wounded to provide many details and soon most would die from their injuries. And more so than for any other combat valor award, detailed documentation and corroboration are required for the Medal of Honor.
However, one of the two survivors and an eyewitness, now retired Army Sergeant Gary Mills, who was himself pulled from the burning vehicle by SFC Cashe, says there is no doubt in his mind that Cashe’s gallant actions warrant the highest award for valor and sacrifice. BG Brito, SGT Mills and Cashe’s sister, Kasinal Cashe White have been conducting a campaign for several years but the Obama Department of Defense seems unable or unwilling to do the right thing despite support for the award from multiple general officers.
One of the phrases frequently found in citations that accompany awards for valor, particularly those awarded posthumously, is “with selfless concern for his fellow soldiers and complete disregard for his own safety,” and a wonderful example of how deeply imbued that trait was in SFC Cashe is revealed in the Times article.
Cashe's sister, Kasinal Cashe White, spent three weeks at her brother's bedside at a military hospital in Texas as doctors treated his extensive burns. She knew nothing of his actions during the bomb attack until a nurse asked her, "You know your brother's a hero, don't you?" When Cashe was able to speak, White said, his first words were: "How are my boys?" — his soldiers, she said. Then he began weeping, she said. He told her: "I couldn't get to them fast enough." Cashe died Nov. 8, 2005.
"My little brother lived by the code that you never leave your soldiers behind," White said. "That wasn't just something from a movie. He lived it." White says her family hopes Cashe is awarded the medal while his mother, who is 89, is still alive.
“How are my boys?” I have to tell you that this old former combat infantryman choked up on reading that account for the first time. Enduring unbelievable pain and suffering from a horribly burned body for three weeks, SFC Cashe’s first conscious words were of concern for his troops. I don’t know if that quote can be included in a Medal of Honor citation but it damned well should be. It should also be inscribed above the command entrance of every NCO academy in the United States Army.
An interesting aspect of this issue is the absence of support from the Congressional Black Caucus. Why are they missing in action? Are they too busy pontificating and demonstrating on behalf of dubious heroes to convene their members in the office of the Secretary of Defense and demand action on behalf of a genuine hero, of whom all of America, black and white, can be unified in their pride and admiration? They should pause the racial grandstanding long enough to secure a richly deserved Medal of Honor for SFC Cashe. Perhaps then his elderly mother can be brought to the White House for the presentation of the medal so that she can then go to her grave knowing her son’s valor and sacrifice have finally been recognized and rewarded by a genuinely grateful nation.
For his incredibly selfless valor, SFC Cashe was awarded the Silver Star, an award that seems to many of us in the military and veteran communities, insufficient to the events of that terrible day. Colonels have been known to be awarded the Silver Star for monitoring and directing ground combat from the relative comfort of an overhead helicopter. I would wager that among all warriors, soldiers, sailors, aviators, etc., fear of death by burning or being horribly injured and disfigured by fire is greater than any other dread associated with combat. Yet SFC Cashe overcame that fundamental fear and charged directly into the flames repeatedly to save his young soldiers. A Silver Star seems a bit inadequate to reward that level of courage and self-sacrifice.
Among those who feel that Cashe’s bravery deserves more is the officer who was his battalion commander at the time, now Brigadier General, Gary Brito. According to this account in the LA Times, then Lieutenant Colonel Brito, was unaware of the full extent of Cashe’s actions because those soldiers immediately involved were too seriously wounded to provide many details and soon most would die from their injuries. And more so than for any other combat valor award, detailed documentation and corroboration are required for the Medal of Honor.
However, one of the two survivors and an eyewitness, now retired Army Sergeant Gary Mills, who was himself pulled from the burning vehicle by SFC Cashe, says there is no doubt in his mind that Cashe’s gallant actions warrant the highest award for valor and sacrifice. BG Brito, SGT Mills and Cashe’s sister, Kasinal Cashe White have been conducting a campaign for several years but the Obama Department of Defense seems unable or unwilling to do the right thing despite support for the award from multiple general officers.
One of the phrases frequently found in citations that accompany awards for valor, particularly those awarded posthumously, is “with selfless concern for his fellow soldiers and complete disregard for his own safety,” and a wonderful example of how deeply imbued that trait was in SFC Cashe is revealed in the Times article.
Cashe's sister, Kasinal Cashe White, spent three weeks at her brother's bedside at a military hospital in Texas as doctors treated his extensive burns. She knew nothing of his actions during the bomb attack until a nurse asked her, "You know your brother's a hero, don't you?" When Cashe was able to speak, White said, his first words were: "How are my boys?" — his soldiers, she said. Then he began weeping, she said. He told her: "I couldn't get to them fast enough." Cashe died Nov. 8, 2005.
"My little brother lived by the code that you never leave your soldiers behind," White said. "That wasn't just something from a movie. He lived it." White says her family hopes Cashe is awarded the medal while his mother, who is 89, is still alive.
“How are my boys?” I have to tell you that this old former combat infantryman choked up on reading that account for the first time. Enduring unbelievable pain and suffering from a horribly burned body for three weeks, SFC Cashe’s first conscious words were of concern for his troops. I don’t know if that quote can be included in a Medal of Honor citation but it damned well should be. It should also be inscribed above the command entrance of every NCO academy in the United States Army.
An interesting aspect of this issue is the absence of support from the Congressional Black Caucus. Why are they missing in action? Are they too busy pontificating and demonstrating on behalf of dubious heroes to convene their members in the office of the Secretary of Defense and demand action on behalf of a genuine hero, of whom all of America, black and white, can be unified in their pride and admiration? They should pause the racial grandstanding long enough to secure a richly deserved Medal of Honor for SFC Cashe. Perhaps then his elderly mother can be brought to the White House for the presentation of the medal so that she can then go to her grave knowing her son’s valor and sacrifice have finally been recognized and rewarded by a genuinely grateful nation.
Friday, July 17, 2015
Chris Kyle
Sniper
United States Navy SEAL and the most lethal sniper in U.S. military history with over 160 confirmed kills.
Survived 1000 days of deployment in combat zone
Born: April 8, 1974, Odessa, TX
Died: February 2, 2013
Spouse: Taya Kyle (m. 2002–2013)
Siblings: Jeff Kyle
Movies: American Sniper
American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History
Men such as this deserve our gratitude and honor, but he was killed by a not so honorable, and troubled individual. I hope you understand his sacrifice and read his book as well as that of his Wife, to get the full picture of his story. Thank you Chris for risking your life for freedom of the American people. Thank you Taya for all you have done in the wake of your husbands untimely and tragic death. God Bless
Will Cannon
Will Cannon, An Unrecognized War Hero
Petition published by Brenda Edwards on Oct 20, 2012
Petition Background (Preamble):
We, the undersigned, call upon President Barack Obama to bestow the Medal of Honor on Will Cannon for his gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his own life above and beyond the call of duty on July 18, 1965.
On July 21, 1965, General George Simler prepared a Nomination, but it was lost in military channels and has never been heard from again. Due to the hostile public opinion about the Vietnam War, Will did nothing to further his Nomination, but his Dad and other family members, and other friends have kept up the fight to have this honor awarded to him.
Below is a narration of the events of July 18, 1965, as recounted by General George Simler in his Nomination of Will Cannon for the Congressional Medal of Honor.
21 July 1965
This nomination of First Lieutenant William P,. Cannon, 63766A, for the Medal of Honor arises out of his having distinguished himself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his own life above and beyond the case of duty on 18 July 1965. On that day, I left my office at Headquarters, 2nd Air Division located at Tan Son Nhut Air Base, in my staff car, for the purpose of seeking additional housing for my incoming senior Air Force officers, this housing being necessitated by our recent buildup of forces. The staff car was being driven by my Vietnamese civilian driver, Mr. Tau. I sat in the left rear seat, my aide-de-camp, First Lieutenant William P. Cannon, was in the right rear seat.
As we checked house after house we neared the outskirts of Saigon and found ourselves in an area with which I am unfamiliar. It was approaching dusk, and we were travelling down a narrow road, more highway than street. At this time, my staff car was motioned to a halt by two Vietnamese men wearing the uniform of the Q.C. (Vietnamese M.P.) who were armed with what appeared to be American M-16 rifles. The two men dressed as Q.C. spoke rapidly to my Vietnamese driver in Vietnamese. I do not speak Vietnamese, so I do not know what was said, however, my driver suddenly bolted out of the car door and into the ditch running along the left side of the road.
It was shocking enough to see my driver run like he did so suddenly, but I was even more shocked when I looked to the right front of the staff car (approximately 30 feet ahead and to the right of the car) and saw two Viet Cong swing a 30 caliber machine gun with a tripod up onto a little embankment on the far side of the right hand ditch. They were obviously setting up the machine gun to fire on my staff car. These two men were joined immediately at the crest of the embankment by 10 to 15 other Viet Cong bearing rifles. They were all dressed in black pajamas, and a few wore helmets. It was an ambush, and we were greatly outnumbered.
It was at this point that Lt. Cannon began to distinguish himself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the certain risk of his own life above and beyond the call of duty, for I was convinced at that moment that he was going to his own death. (It should be born in mind that Lt. Cannon is not my bodyguard, but merely my aide-de-camp. However, Lt. Cannon has spent the past six months stationed at Bien Hoa with the Air Commandos, and he is much more attuned to rapid action than I am.) However, to continue, I should point out that about one month ago I had had mounted on the back of the front seat of my staff car a rifle rack in which I keep a loaded double barreled shotgun. Lt. Cannon grabbed this shotgun and, without the slightest hesitation, rolled out the right rear door of the staff car with it. With a single blast he killed the two Viet Cong who were manning the machine gun, taking one man’s head completely off.
Lt. Cannon immediately fired off the other shotgun round as he rolled into the ditch, killing another one of the attacking Viet Cong. By this time, Lt. Cannon had out his 38 caliber service revolver, and he cleanly killed two more of the on-coming Viet Cong. This sudden depletion in their ranks caused the remaining 10 or so Viet Cong to take cover behind the embankment.
Lt. Cannon began to yell at Mr. Tau, my driver, to get back in the staff car and drive me back to Tan Son Nhut. Mr. Tau was afraid to move. Finally, after shooting another Viet Cong in the face as he peeped over the embankment, Lt. Cannon dashed across the road to the left ditch, grabbed Mr. Tau by the scruff of the neck, and threw him back into the driver’s seat of the staff car. The car squealed out of the turmoil, leaving Lt. Cannon to deal with the Viet Cong on his own.
As we pulled away, I observed and heard a hand grenade explode in the right hand ditch where Lt. Cannon had been only seconds before. I also observed through the rear window as Lt. Cannon shot yet another Viet Cong across the road.
About an hour later, as a rescue mission was being organized, Lt. Cannon made his way back to his duty station at Tan Son Nhut. He reported to me that the Viet Cong had evidentially been panicked by the sudden depletion in their ranks and had retreated back into the shadows of Saigon shortly after I left the scene of the battle.
I can honestly say that in all my years in the United States Air Force I have never before seen an individual of any rank conduct himself with such selfless individual courage and with such complete disregard for his own life and safety. I am absolutely certain that Lt. Cannon saved the life of this Air Force General Officer on this occasion, as well as saving the life of the Vietnamese civilian, Mr. Tau. Lt. Cannon’s actions were in the highest traditions of the United States Air Force and reflect great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of this his country.”
On July 21, 1965, General George Simler prepared a Nomination, but it was lost in military channels and has never been heard from again. Due to the hostile public opinion about the Vietnam War, Will did nothing to further his Nomination, but his Dad and other family members, and other friends have kept up the fight to have this honor awarded to him.
Below is a narration of the events of July 18, 1965, as recounted by General George Simler in his Nomination of Will Cannon for the Congressional Medal of Honor.
21 July 1965
This nomination of First Lieutenant William P,. Cannon, 63766A, for the Medal of Honor arises out of his having distinguished himself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his own life above and beyond the case of duty on 18 July 1965. On that day, I left my office at Headquarters, 2nd Air Division located at Tan Son Nhut Air Base, in my staff car, for the purpose of seeking additional housing for my incoming senior Air Force officers, this housing being necessitated by our recent buildup of forces. The staff car was being driven by my Vietnamese civilian driver, Mr. Tau. I sat in the left rear seat, my aide-de-camp, First Lieutenant William P. Cannon, was in the right rear seat.
As we checked house after house we neared the outskirts of Saigon and found ourselves in an area with which I am unfamiliar. It was approaching dusk, and we were travelling down a narrow road, more highway than street. At this time, my staff car was motioned to a halt by two Vietnamese men wearing the uniform of the Q.C. (Vietnamese M.P.) who were armed with what appeared to be American M-16 rifles. The two men dressed as Q.C. spoke rapidly to my Vietnamese driver in Vietnamese. I do not speak Vietnamese, so I do not know what was said, however, my driver suddenly bolted out of the car door and into the ditch running along the left side of the road.
It was shocking enough to see my driver run like he did so suddenly, but I was even more shocked when I looked to the right front of the staff car (approximately 30 feet ahead and to the right of the car) and saw two Viet Cong swing a 30 caliber machine gun with a tripod up onto a little embankment on the far side of the right hand ditch. They were obviously setting up the machine gun to fire on my staff car. These two men were joined immediately at the crest of the embankment by 10 to 15 other Viet Cong bearing rifles. They were all dressed in black pajamas, and a few wore helmets. It was an ambush, and we were greatly outnumbered.
It was at this point that Lt. Cannon began to distinguish himself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the certain risk of his own life above and beyond the call of duty, for I was convinced at that moment that he was going to his own death. (It should be born in mind that Lt. Cannon is not my bodyguard, but merely my aide-de-camp. However, Lt. Cannon has spent the past six months stationed at Bien Hoa with the Air Commandos, and he is much more attuned to rapid action than I am.) However, to continue, I should point out that about one month ago I had had mounted on the back of the front seat of my staff car a rifle rack in which I keep a loaded double barreled shotgun. Lt. Cannon grabbed this shotgun and, without the slightest hesitation, rolled out the right rear door of the staff car with it. With a single blast he killed the two Viet Cong who were manning the machine gun, taking one man’s head completely off.
Lt. Cannon immediately fired off the other shotgun round as he rolled into the ditch, killing another one of the attacking Viet Cong. By this time, Lt. Cannon had out his 38 caliber service revolver, and he cleanly killed two more of the on-coming Viet Cong. This sudden depletion in their ranks caused the remaining 10 or so Viet Cong to take cover behind the embankment.
Lt. Cannon began to yell at Mr. Tau, my driver, to get back in the staff car and drive me back to Tan Son Nhut. Mr. Tau was afraid to move. Finally, after shooting another Viet Cong in the face as he peeped over the embankment, Lt. Cannon dashed across the road to the left ditch, grabbed Mr. Tau by the scruff of the neck, and threw him back into the driver’s seat of the staff car. The car squealed out of the turmoil, leaving Lt. Cannon to deal with the Viet Cong on his own.
As we pulled away, I observed and heard a hand grenade explode in the right hand ditch where Lt. Cannon had been only seconds before. I also observed through the rear window as Lt. Cannon shot yet another Viet Cong across the road.
About an hour later, as a rescue mission was being organized, Lt. Cannon made his way back to his duty station at Tan Son Nhut. He reported to me that the Viet Cong had evidentially been panicked by the sudden depletion in their ranks and had retreated back into the shadows of Saigon shortly after I left the scene of the battle.
I can honestly say that in all my years in the United States Air Force I have never before seen an individual of any rank conduct himself with such selfless individual courage and with such complete disregard for his own life and safety. I am absolutely certain that Lt. Cannon saved the life of this Air Force General Officer on this occasion, as well as saving the life of the Vietnamese civilian, Mr. Tau. Lt. Cannon’s actions were in the highest traditions of the United States Air Force and reflect great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of this his country.”
We, the undersigned, call upon the President of the United States to bestow the Medal of Honor upon William "Will" Cannon for his service in the Vietnam War.
Specifically, we ask that his Nomination dated July 21, 1965, and signed by USAF General George Simler be confirmed and he be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Specifically, we ask that his Nomination dated July 21, 1965, and signed by USAF General George Simler be confirmed and he be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.
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