12 Fort Hood Herald ] BIRTHDAY [ Wednesday, June 12, 2019

Ohio nurse’s legacy lives on 50 years a! er death in Vietnam

BY JESSICA HOLBROOK Fitzsimons General Hospital the same respect or recognition as men a simple girl from Canton South who ASSOCIATED PRESS in Denver where she cared who served, Powell said. made a huge impact,” Donnenwirth said. for patients, mainly former “She was just as much a hero as all of The college ensures that new students CANTON, Ohio — A 7-foot-tall monu- soldiers, in the tuberculosis the veterans,” Powell said. know about Lane and her sacrifi ce. ment stands in a courtyard outside of wards and intensive care “She should be honored for her service “Her legacy is alive and we certainly the Aultman School of Nursing. units. Lane several times to America. That she was willing to go honor and respect that here at Aultman,” It’s topped by a life-size bronze statue petitioned to go to Vietnam and serve in the capacity she did: heal- she said. “I hope it goes on a long time. It of a young woman dressed in an Army Lane and in April 1969, the Army ing. She didn’t go into battle, but she certainly will while I’m dean.” uniform. Its base is inscribed with the fi n ally assigned her to the battled for her patients.” Donnenwirth has spoken with Ault- names of 110 Stark County servicemen, hospital in Chu Lai. In the 50 years since Lane’s death, man nursing alumni who went to school and one woman, who died during the Some nurses and doctors didn’t want women have gained more equality in the with Lane. They remember her as being Vietnam War. to tend to the Vietnamese civilians and military. They have opportunities now smart, quiet and introverted. Sharon Lane, a fi rst lieutenant, was prisoners of war in the hospital — they they didn’t have during the Vietnam era, “I haven’t found one person say a nega- killed 50 years ago — June 8, 1969 didn’t want to assist the enemy — but she said. tive word or negative thought about her,” — when a rocket hit the 312th Evacua- Lane volunteered for the job, said Patri- It wasn’t long after Lane’s death that she said. “She just sounds like a sweet tion Hospital’s Vietnamese ward in Chu cia Powell, vice president of the Sharon Canton began plans to honor her. person and looking, at 21 or 22, for a little Lai. She was 25. Lane Memorial Chapter 199 of Vietnam “Fund Drive Set for Memorial to Viet adventure in life.” Lane, a U.S. Army nurse, was the only Veterans of America. Heroine,” read a May 16, 1971, headline “I’d like to have a beer with her,” she American servicewoman killed by direct The Canton-based organization is the in the Canton Repository. Canton City added. enemy fi re during the Vietnam War. only VVA branch named after a woman. Council approved plans for the memo- Museums, including the Wm. McKin- “I think she represents that caring “She was a very loving caring person. rial, which would be inscribed with the ley Presidential Library & Museum in heart. That caring, compassionate side I don’t think she ever looked at what names of all Stark County residents Canton, have gathered artifacts from of nursing,” said Dr. Jo Ann Donnen- nationality people were. She was there to killed in the war, later that month. Lane’s life. This year, the U.S. Army wirth, dean of the Aultman School of help,” Powell said. “She was a very dedi- The drive set a goal of $15,000 for a Medical Department Museum at Joint Nursing. cated nurse. If you needed help, that’s bronze statue. Aultman offered land for Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston “I wish all of our graduates would what she did.” the monument. opened an exhibit about Lane. have the characteristics Sharon Lane Lane was fi nishing up a night shift in The Denver hospital where Lane began Lane’s legacy also isn’t forgotten in exhibited.” the Vietnamese ward when the hospi- her military career had already dedicat- Vietnam. Lane was born July 7, 1943, in Zanes- tal was hit. She was killed instantly by ed the Lane Recovery Suite in her honor. The Sharon Anne Lane Foundation ville. She was raised in Stark County and shrapnel while trying to move patients And a plaque was placed at the evacua- built a hospital in Chu Lai, near where graduated from Canton South High in to safety. tion hospital where she was killed. Lane was killed, in 2002. 1961 and Aultman in 1965. Eight American servicewomen would After months of fundraisers, door-to- Powell, a member of the now-closed or- She took a job in the obstetrics unit die during the Vietnam War; Lane was door campaigning and donations, the ganization, remembers stepping off the at Aultman but didn’t like the work. the only one killed by enemy fi re. statue was fi nished in 1972. plane in Vietnam worried that they’d be So Lane switched to secretarial work, Lane was posthumously awarded the On May 29, 1973, about 250 people gath- greeted with weapons. But the Vietnam- which she found tedious. She returned to Purple Heart, the National Defense Ser- ered in a courtyard at Aultman for the ese people embraced them. nursing and joined the U.S. Army Nurse vice Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, monument’s dedication. The facility is dedicated to women and Corps Reserve in 1968. the National Order of Vietnam Medal, “She has paid the supreme sacrifi ce children in the region. At the time, a Lane was looking for something more and the Vietnamese Gallantry Cross and we join in tribute to someone we pregnant woman who needed a caesar- exciting and challenging, Donnenwirth with Palm. She was the only service- have loved; she was one of our own,” ean section would have to be transported said. woman at the time to receive the Bronze eulogized Canton Mayor Stanley Cmich. by bicycle to a hospital down the moun- “It was a turbulent time,” she said, Star with valor, according to the Purple The memorial was later moved to Ault- tainside. Now, they can receive all the noting the protests and unrest in the Heart Foundation. man’s Seventh Street entrance where it care they need at the clinic, Powell said. U.S. “People were dying in Vietnam but In 2003, she was inducted into the Ohio remains today. The hospital has exhibits The hospital is thriving, Powell said. they were soldiers, not support staff and Military Hall of Fame. dedicated to Lane in its main lobby and A fi tting tribute to someone who’s certainly not health care workers.” Though women served in the military inside the school of nursing. legacy is “her kind compassionate con- Lane was fi rst assigned to the Army’s during Vietnam, they didn’t always get “It’s interesting to me that she was just sideration for all people.” Wednesday, June 12, 2019 ] BIRTHDAY [ Fort Hood Herald 13

Soldier who battled in Fallujah to receive highest military honor

BY JOE LACDAN COURTESY OF DAVID ARMY NEWS SERVICE BELLAVIA Staff Sgt. WASHINGTON — Former David Staff Sgt. David Bellavia will Bellavia, be awarded the Medal of le! , in . Honor for his bravery during Bellavia will some of the deadliest fi ght- be presented ing in Iraq, President Donald The Medal Trump announced Monday. of Honor on Trump will present the June 25 for to Bellavia on his actions June 25. during the A squad leader during the second second battle of Fallujah, Bel- battle of lavia, now 43, exposed himself Fallujah. to enemy fi re as he defended his soldiers on Nov. 10, 2004. Third Platoon, A Company, Task Force 2-2 was with U.S. Marines facing about 1,500 to 3,000 insurgents who had been using the mostly abandoned city as cover. A Company learned six to eight insurgents were hiding somewhere in a block of 12 buildings, and the company would have to search each one to try and fi nd them. After unsuccessfully searching the fi rst nine buildings, pla- toon members entered the next structure and encountered heavy gunfi re from within. Bellavia used his M249 squad automatic weapon to suppress and counter the insurgent tion and the close combat that inside. He then fought his For his actions during the enamored with the military attack, allowing Third Platoon followed shocked Bellavia, who way up three fl oors, using his fi r efi ght, Bellavia received the life at a young age and at 23, he members to escape the house. had limited experience with rifl e and grenades to kill four . His other com- left college and enlisted in the The platoon then began tak- enemy contact at the time. enemy insurgents and mor- mendations include the Bronze Army in July 1999. ing fi re from insurgents on the “Never in my life had I seen tally wound another. The fi rst Star and the State Bellavia left active duty in house’s rooftop. Bellavia, real- anything like that,” he said of insurgent Bellavia killed had Conspicuous Service Cross. 2005 and currently hosts his izing the only way to keep his the fi ghting. been loading an RPG launcher The native of Waterport, own radio show in the Buffalo, platoon from taking casualties Bellavia called for an M2 to fi re upon Third Platoon. New York, grew up listening to New York area. He is also the was to eliminate the enemy, Bradley Fighting Vehicle to Bellavia’s actions ultimately stories from his grandfather, a co-founder of Vets for Free- re-entered the house. provide suppressing fi re with saved three squads of Third World War II veteran who still dom, a conservative political The intensity of the situa- its 25 mm cannon as he headed Platoon. resides in the area. He became advocacy organization. 14 Fort Hood Herald ] BIRTHDAY [ Wednesday, June 12, 2019

Army recruiter receives Distinguished Service Cross

BY AMANDA SURMEIER Since that day, Waters has done ev- U.S. ARMY RECRUITING COMMAND erything he can to live up to his distin- guished award. DETROIT — Life fl ipped upside down “My dad always told me that if you’re for Sgt. 1st Class Gregory Waters on going to do something, do it right, and July 30, 2008, when an improvised ex- if you tell someone you’re going to do plosive device caused massive damage something, do it,” he said. “I told him to his vehicle in Afghanistan, leaving that I was going to be a good medic, so I him and his fellow soldiers injured and did it, and I just applied that to the rest unconscious. of my life.” Waters, a native of Indianapolis who Waters’ career took a turn in 2013 now serves as an Army recruiting sta- when he transitioned from an Army tion commander in Eastpointe, Michi- combat medic to an Army recruiter. gan, was initially awarded a Silver “A s a recruiter, I tell worried par- Star Medal for his follow-on actions ents that their child will always have that day; however, a recent Pentagon someone to look after them,” he said. review board determined his acts of “If your child doesn’t show up for work, valor were worthy of the Distinguished there will be an entire team of soldiers Service Cross. sent out to fi nd them, just like you Instead of running for cover after the would do if they didn’t show up for din- explosion, then-Spc. Waters ignored his ner. We are a family, and we take care of own injuries and engaged the enemy our own.” while dragging three injured soldiers A means for educational funding from the vehicle to safety. Under intense LARA HARTMANPOIRRIER | ARMY turned into a career and a sense of enemy fi re, Waters provided cover for Maj. Gen. Frank Muth adjusts Sgt. 1st Class Greg Waters newly pinned Distinguished Service Cross fulfi llment knowing that each day how the rest of his platoon until air support Medal. he makes a living truly matters. arrived, stabilized the injured soldiers “The family-like nature of the Army and continued to engage the enemy fellow soldiers to safety that day, saving Reserve in 2003. makes it easy to continue serving,” while directing the medical evacuation. their lives.” While a soldier in the Army Reserve, Waters said. Maj. Gen. Frank Muth, who leads the Like many who receive medals for Waters took classes and worked for Waters knows no soldier gets far in U.S. Army Recruiting Command, pre- heroic actions, Waters maintains he home construction and rock climb- their career without a support system, sented the Distinguished Service Cross was just doing his job. ing companies. Eventually, though, he and he credits his parents, sister and to Waters June 5, during a ceremony “I was a medic and I did my job tak- transitioned to active duty and moved wife as integral parts of that system. at Selfridge Air National Guard Base ing care of wounded soldiers,” he said. to Fort Campbell, Kentucky. “I’m a direct refl ection of my mom in Michigan. The award is the second “I would not have changed anything. “The soldiers I met there became my and dad’s parenting,” he said. highest military medal a soldier can Someone had to be in that seat; if I second family, ” he said. “I never had Both of his parents served in the Air receive, just below the Medal of Honor. wasn’t me, I would be putting someone to eat a meal alone. It was a tight-knit Force; his dad was an engineer and his “People who don’t understand sac- else in harm’s way.” community of soldiers and families.” mom was in the medical fi eld. Waters’ rifi ce or commitment to service may Saving the lives of fellow soldiers in He and his “family” deployed to sister currently serves as a military think Sgt. 1st Class Waters was in the Afghanistan was not something Waters Afghanistan, and the 12-man platoon policewoman. wrong place at the wrong time. I believe ever thought he’d do. Growing up in experienced the impact of July 30 “His Army story is refl ected in the he was in the right place at the right Indiana with two Air Force veteran par- together. Waters still keeps in contact lives of the soldiers he saved that day. time,” Muth said. “His decision to join ents, Waters hadn’t planned to follow with those soldiers. It’s refl ected in his sister’s decision to the Army ensured he was right where their footsteps into service. He dreamed “We take care of each other, whether serve. It’s refl ected in his beautiful fam- he needed to be when he was needed. of attending art school, but he knew to it is a wounded soldier on the battlefi eld ily,” Muth said. “His story is his par- His skills and training enabled him to fulfi ll that dream, he needed fi nancial or someone struggling in garrison, we ents’ sacrifi ce, his guidance counselor’s maintain his composure and get his assistance. He enlisted in the Army take care of our own,” he said. advice and his family’s legacy. ” Wednesday, June 12, 2019 ] BIRTHDAY [ Fort Hood Herald 15

Rangers among fi rst leaders of America’s Army

BY GARY SHEFTICK ARMY NEWS SERVICE

WASHINGTON, D.C. — When Con- gress established the on June 14, 1775, the original 10 Rifl e Companies were composed heavily of frontiersmen and some of the militia leaders already fi ghting were veterans of a unit known as Roger’s Rangers. Roger’s Rangers were skilled woods- men who fought for the British during the . They fre- quently undertook winter raids against French outposts, blended native-Ameri- can techniques with pioneering skills and operated in terrain where tradition- al militias were ineffective. The American ranger tradition actu- ally began back in the early 17th century on the frontier, according to historian Glenn Williams at the U.S. Army Center of Military History. “They would ‘range’ between one post and another,” said Williams, explaining that the rangers were usually full-time soldiers drawn from the militia and paid by colonial governments to patrol between frontier posts and “look for Indian signs” to provide early warning of hostile Indian intent. In 1675, Benjamin Church of Massa- chusetts established a unit that mixed frontiersmen with friendly Indians to carry out raids against hostile native SARAYUTH PINTHONG | AIR FORCE Americans. Some consider his memoirs U.S. Army Rangers get to shore a! er swimming across Victory Pond during the Best Ranger Competition, April 12, 2019, at Fort Benning, Ga. — published in 1716 by his son — the fi r st American military manual. border from Bennington, Vt., was one RIFLE COMPANIES and could be reloaded three times as of the most strategic in the early years When the New England militias fast. The sturdier, stouter muskets could ROGER’S RANGERS of the Revolution, according to CMH found themselves battling the British at also mount bayonets. When the French and Indian War historians. Lexington and Concord in the spring of Rifl es, though, had three times the began, Capt. Robert Rogers of New The British were marching toward 1775, Continental Congress gathered to range and could be effective up to 300 Hampshire recruited frontiersmen in Bennington to acquire horses for their discuss a unifi ed effort. On June 14, they yards away. The sharpshooters in the 1755 for companies that could support cavalry and supplies for their main authorized the establishment of 10 Rifl e Continental Army companies often the by conducting long- Army, Williams said. Their defeat in Companies: six from Pennsylvania, two picked British offi cers off from a dis- range patrols through the wilderness Bennington kept the main force from from Virginia and two from Maryland. tance, Williams said, bringing com- in all weather and diffi cult terrain to receiving much-needed supplies and “They fi gured (the rifl e) was a weapon plaints that the colonials “didn’t fi ght gather intelligence, take prisoners or contributed to the eventual surrender that would strike terror into the British fair. ” conduct raids. of the British Northern Army following defending ,” Williams said. In effect, the Rifl e Companies func- The Rangers also attacked the villages the . Rifl es, at that time, were used pri- tioned much like the Army Ranger units of hostile Indians such as the Abenakis, Stark went on to become a major gen- marily by frontiersmen in the middle today, he said. in retribution for raids against settle- eral and commander of the Northern colonies of Maryland, Pennsylvania and “They were specialized light infantry,” ments. Later, Rogers moved the Rang- Department of the Continental Army. Virginia, according to Williams. The Williams said, that conducted inde- ers west to capture Fort Detroit for the He later coined the phrase “live free or New England militias strictly used mus- pendent long-range scouting missions, British, along with a number of other die,” which became the kets, he said. Muskets were more effec- because they were accustomed to operat- French posts on the Great Lakes. state motto. tive for massed volley fi re, he explained, ing that way on the frontier. When the American Revolution broke out in 1775, some colonial militia units were led by veterans of Rogers Rangers. One of these was John Stark.

JOHN STARK John Stark commanded the 1st at the outbreak of the American Revolution. His unit was involved in the before it became part of the Continental Army. Stark gained fame during the , in 1777, by enveloping a British infantry force that included Indians, Torries and Hessians. The American victory across the New York