Happy 243rd Birthday, Army!

On June 14, 2018, the United States Army officially turns 243 years old. And what a history it has.

This year’s theme is “Over There: A celebration of Army heroes from World War I to present day.” Since the beginning of WWI in 1914, the Army has deployed soldiers to support missions in multiple wars and conflicts in numerous countries across multiple continents.

U.S. Army MWR notes:

Men and women, whether draftees or volunteers, and regardless of component—Regular Army, Army National Guard, or U.S. Army Reserve—have banded together for the last 100 years to undertake whatever mission the Nation asked of them. And the Nation has asked a lot: carrying out combat on mountains and in jungles, deserts, and cities; standing guard to preserve the peace in Germany, Korea, and the Sinai; intervening to protect civilians in Bosnia; bringing hope and relief to the stricken and suffering; and fighting terrorism around the world.

With each conflict, during each fight, many soldiers emerged as heroes for their selfless service, commitment to their comradess, and as patriots to their country. To celebrate the Army’s birthday, AWN would like to share with you the legacy of some Army heroes of major U.S. conflicts, from WWI to the present. If asked, most of these individuals would likely not see themselves as heroes.

While all of the stories we share below led to awards for bravery and valor, we understand that there are also everyday acts of heroism that may not lead to recognition. While we may not be able to note them by name or action, we know they’re out there, and we salute them, too.

World War I, 1914-1918 (U.S. Army actively involved from 1917-1918)

Congressional Medal of Honor

During WWI, 126 men received the Congressional Medal of Honor for their heroic actions during that conflict. Of those, 88 were soldiers of the U.S. Army, 25 of whom were posthumously awarded the medal.

Capt. Edward Allworth, 60th Infantry, 5th Division, earned the Medal of Honor for his actions near Clery-le-Petit, France on Nov. 5, 1918. When a bridge over the canal was destroyed, Allworth chose to swim across the canal under fire, encouraged his men to follow him, pushed back the enemy by one kilometer, and went on to lead his unit to capture 100 prisoners, more than the number of men in his command. It enabled American forces to re-establish a bridgehead over the canal and successfully advance the troops.

Silver Star Medal

Pvt. Daniel Richmond Edwards earned the Silver Star for his efforts in Cantigny, France, on May 27-31, 1918, with Company C, 3rd Machine Gun Battalion, 1st Division, American Expeditionary Force. Edwards refused to leave his gun and continued firing, despite being wounded, and after the other men of his crew had been killed. Edwards earned two more decorations during WWI: a Distinguished Service Cross for the same timeframe as his Silver Star and a Congressional Medal of Honor for later actions in July 1918.

Other notable recipients of the Silver Star Medal include Gen. Douglas MacArthur (Colonel and Brigadier General, at the time), who earned numerous silver stars, and Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., (Major at the time) who earned two Silver Stars during WWI and would later be killed on Utah Beach during the Invasion of Normandy.

World War II, 1939-1945 (U.S. Army actively involved from 1941-1945)

Congressional Medal of Honor

During the war, 471 military personnel earned the Congressional Medal of Honor. Of that number, 293 were soldiers, 63 of whom were awarded the medal posthumously.

One hero most commonly known from WWII was then 2nd Lt. Audie Murphy, one of the most decorated soldiers from WWII, who received every military combat award for valor from the U.S., but also five awards from France and Belgium for his actions. In 1945 in France, Murphy climbed a tank destroyer that was on the brink of explosion to man the .50-caliber to eliminate enemy forces. He was alone and surrounded on three sides by German forces. Murphy forced the German forces back, took out a German squad, and arranged a counter attack despite being shot in the leg.

Other notable individuals include Brig. Gen. Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. (the second pair of father and son to receive the Medal of Honor) and former democratic U.S. Senator Daniel Inyoue from Hawaii (only one of 22 Asian-Americans to receive the Medal in WWII).

Staff Sgt. Edward A. Carter, Jr. was one of seven African-American soldiers awarded the Medal of Honor for actions during WWII. While discrimination may have delayed his receiving the medal, Carter did finally receive it posthumously for his actions in Germany in 1945. His tank was destroyed by enemy fire, so Carter arranged a three-man team, which he voluntarily led across an open field. When the other members of his team were wounded or killed and could not go on, Carter went alone. He was wounded five times, but killed six of the eight enemy soldiers who shot at him. He extracted valuable information from the remaining two enemy soldiers and used them as a shield to continue across the field.

Pfc. Joe E. Mann‘s platoon found itself outnumbered, isolated, and surrounded by enemy soldiers in Best, Holland, in September 1944. Acting as lead scout, Mann approached an enemy artillery position and, despite enemy fire, destroyed an 88mm gun and ammunition dump. He remained exposed while taking out enemy targets one by one, being shot four times in the process. He was bandaged after the engagement and continued to fight the next morning. The enemy engaged with hand grenades and, unable to raise his arms due to the bandages, Mann sacrificed himself by throwing himself on a grenade to protect those around him.

Silver Star Medal

If you’ve read Tom Brokaw’s book, The Greatest Generation, then this story may be familiar to you. It was Feb. 10, 1944, in Anzio, Italy, when the German military was bombing the area. First Lt. Mary Roberts had been asked if she and her nurses would like to be evacuated, but she refused. As shrapnel ripped through the operating tent of the 56th Evacuation Hospital, she and other nurses and medical staff continued their work at three operating tables during the more than 30 minutes of bombing. Thousands were killed during the bombing in Anzio, including six nurses. As the story goes, Wilson yelled at entertainer Bob Hope to get out of the way or get to work. She and two other nurses received their Silver Star Medals a few days after the bombing, but Wilson has been recorded as the first woman to receive the medal.

Korean War, 1950-1953

Congressional Medal of Honor

Of the 145 United States military personnel who earned the Congressional Medal of Honor in the Korean War, 92 were Army soldiers. Of that number, 66 were awarded posthumously.

Private First Class Dimension Rivera originally received the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions in Korea, but it was upgraded to the Medal of Honor in 2014 after reviewing cases that may have been originally downgraded due to discrimination. Rivera was a rifleman for 2nd Platoon, Company G, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division in Changyong-ni, Korea. On May 23, 1951, Rivera held his position while his platoon was attacked at night. When his rifle jammed, he engaged with his pistol and hand grenades. He eventually crawled toward the enemy and had to fight the enemy hand-to-hand to force them back. He was down to one final hand grenade, when he waited for the enemy to approach. He pulled the pin and held it, taking out four enemy soldiers and injuring himself. His granddaughter, Army Sgt. Ashley Randall, accepted the Medal on his behalf in 2014.

Cpl. Tibor Rubin was a Jewish Holocaust survivor who spent 14 months in the Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria. He immigrated to the United States from Hungary in 1948. He deployed to Korea with Company I, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. His award is for his actions from July 23, 1950 through April 20, 1953. Rubin was assigned to stay behind, alone on a hilltop, to allow the rest of his unit to safely retreat. He spent 24 hours there, fighting wave after wave of North Korean forces. On Oct. 30, 1950, his battalion was surrounded by Chinese forces. Rubin chose to man the only .30-caliber machine gun, fighting until the ammunition was depleted, again allowing some of his battalion to retreat. Rubin, however, was captured by the Chinese and became a Prisoner of War. The Chinese offered Rubin the chance to return to Hungary, but he refused; instead, Rubin remained in the camp, sneaking out to steal food rations from enemy storehouses and gardens to feed other POWs. He also helped provide medical care and moral support for the sick and wounded. It is reported that he saved the lives of at least 40 POWs in the camp.

Silver Star Medal

Pvt. 1st Class Tony Laboa, Company B, 5th Regimental Combat Team, 24th Infantry Divison received the Silver Star for actions taken in Kumsong, Korea, on Oct. 18, 1951. When Laboa’s unit was overwhelmed by a larger enemy force, Laboa chose to stay behind to provide covering fire with a machine gun while his unit took the time to regroup. While alone and exposed to enemy fire, he killed or wounded more than 35 enemy fighters. His efforts allowed his unit to return and fight off the remaining enemy attackers.

Vietnam War, 1955-1975

Congressional Medal of Honor

Of the 260 United States military personnel who earned the Congressional Medal of Honor in the Vietnam War, 174 were soldiers. Of that number, 106 were awarded posthumously.

Sgt. Joe R. Hooper received the Medal for his actions as squad leader with Company D, 2nd Battalion (Airborne), 506th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile) in Hue, Republic of Vietnam, on Feb. 21, 1968. When the company was assaulting an enemy position, they came under heavy fire. Hooper rallied other soldiers and stormed enemy bunkers across a river bank. It inspired the rest of the company to attack. He braved the gunfire to pull wounded soldiers to safety, getting wounded in the process, though he refused aid to stay with his men. He stormed three enemy bunkers alone and joined with his men to destroy three buildings that housed enemy riflemen. He fought in close quarters with a bayonet, his rifle, and hand grenades, suffering additional wounds in the process. He destroyed four more enemy bunkers using hand grenades, rescued another wounded soldier stuck in a trench, and helped reorganize the remaining soldiers, refusing any personal treatment until the others were handled.

If you’ve read We Were Soldiers Once and Young or watched the film “We Were Soldiers,” then you may be familiar with Capt. Ed Freeman, who served in the Ia Drang Valley of Vietnam with Company A, 229th Assault Helicopter Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile). The infantry unit in the Ia Drang Valley had been fighting for a while and they were almost out of ammunition after taking heavy casualties against a large group of highly motivated and heavily armed enemy fighters. The commander closed the landing zone, known as LZ X-Ray due to the enemy fire. Freeman knew the unit on the ground needed supplies, so he took it upon himself to fly his unarmed helicopter alone to deliver ammunition, water, and medical supplies. Freeman flew back into the area 14 times, safely evacuating more than 30 soldiers, some of whom would not have survived if he hadn’t acted.

Silver Star Medal

First Lt. Harold Fritz deployed with Company D, 1st Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment to Vietnam. On Nov. 13, 1968, Fritz was in the lead tank when the company came under heavy fire. Fritz led his platoon in several assaults against the enemy bunkers using the tank’s main gun. When the ammunition was exhausted, Fritz picked up his automatic rifle and continued firing until it malfunctioned. He tossed hand grenades, exposing himself to enemy fire multiple times, until an enemy rocket round exploded on the tank, wounding him. Ordered to the rear, Fritz drove the evacuation vehicle and organized evacuation for all wounded soldiers before rejoining the fight. Fritz even evacuated his wounded commander, taking over the vehicle in his commander’s place. His efforts left 28 enemy soldiers dead. He would later earn the Congressional Medal of Honor for actions in 1971.

Global War on Terror, 2001-present

Of the 19 United States military personnel who have earned the Congressional Medal of Honor in the Global War on Terror thus far, 12 have been soldiers. Of that number, 4 have been awarded posthumously.

Congressional Medal of Honor

The events at Combat Outpost Keating may be familiar to you, and if not, they may become familiar with the upcoming release of two new movies. Staff Sgt. Clinton Romesha deployed to COP Keating in the Kamdesh District of Nuristan Province, Afghanistan, with 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. On Oct. 3, 2009, more than 300 Taliban insurgents attacked COP Keating. Romesha rallied fellow soldiers to lead a counter attack, directed close air support, and laid down suppressive fire to get the wounded to aid stations. Despite being wounded, Romesha fought through the 12-hour battle known as the Battle of Kamdesh.

Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta (then a Specialist) was the first living recipient of the Medal of Honor since the Vietnam War. He was deployed to the Korengal Valley in Afghanistan with Company B, 2nd Battalion (Airborne), 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team. On Oct. 25, 2007, his unit was ambushed in the Corneal Valley and began taking casualties. Giunta repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire to pull his comrades to safety. When he saw enemy fighters carrying off another soldier, one of his friends, Giunta went after them on his own. In 2017, Giunta visited the home of the 173rd Airborne Brigade in Vicenza, Italy, to give his Medal of Honor to the unit he served with, believing that it belonged to them all rather than him alone.

Silver Star Medal

Pfc. Andrew Small deployed to Nuristan Province, Afghanistan, as a Squad Automatic Weapons Gunner with Company B, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division. On Aug. 11, 2006, Small’s platoon was ambushed and pinned down.  When a fellow soldier was wounded by a rocket propelled grenade, Small ran into enemy gunfire to allow the wounded soldier to drag himself to cover. Small exposed himself to enemy fire, wounded in the back with shrapnel from an RPG. But he continued to lay down suppressive fire and refuse any treatment until the entire platoon was out of the kill zone. He was outnumbered seven to one. Small’s actions directly saved the lives of three other soldiers.

Sgt. M. Joshua Laughery deployed to Wardak Province, Afghanistan, with the 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division. On Sept. 12, 2011, Laughery’s platoon came under fire while conducting a battle damage assessment. When an insurgent began firing at close range after exiting a nearby building, almost all of his platoon leadership was injured, including the medic. Without receiving any orders, Laughery organized medical evacuation and requested additional security. Then he entered the building. He grabbed a fellow soldier and began clearing, engaging other insurgents in close combat. He handled the medical evacuation while under threat from a nearby enemy RPG team. You can read more about his story here.

Other notable soldiers who earned the Silver Star include Spc. Monica Brown (then Pfc.), the first woman to receive the medal since WWII, and Cpl. Patrick Tillman, the former athlete who quit the NFL after 9/11 to serve in the Army.