AmericanSpring 2008 Valor A publication of The American Veterans Center - World War II Veterans Committee - National Vietnam Veterans Committee Quarterly American Valor Quarterly A Quarterly Publication of the American Veterans Center www.americanveteranscenter.org World War II Veterans Committee National Vietnam Veterans Committee www.wwiivets.com www.vietnamvetscommittee.org Spring 2008

Chapters -In This Issue- Special Feature Stories of Valor American Veterans Center’s Tenth Annual Awards For the past decade, the American Veter- 7 Each year on Veterans Day, the American Veterans ans Center, with the World War II Veterans Center honors the U.S. military’s greatest heroes from Committee and the National Vietnam Veter- every generation, World War II through today. Here, ans Committee, has brought together we share their stories, and print the award citations. America’s greatest military heroes, past World War II Chronicles and present, for an annual Veterans Day High school students line up to shake conference. There, they meet with and hands with veterans of the 442nd The Black Sands of Iwo Jima with Charles W. Tatum, speak to an audience of hundreds of stu- Regimental Combat Team of World War II at the 10th Annual Conference. 12 Donald Mates, and James White dents, fellow veterans, and citizens inter- A first-hand account of the most legendary - and brutal ested in hearing the stories of our most distinguished veterans. - battle in the history of the U.S. Marine Corps. In this issue, we share with you several of those stories recounted at the WWII: The Japanese American Experience Center’s 10th Annual Conference last Veterans Day weekend. 18 In the battle against prejudice at home and America’s enemies abroad, Japanese Americans proved to be heroes on two fronts. A New Legacy of Valor

Korea: Remember our Heroes The Battle of Tarin Kowt 32 An excerpt from Veterans Chronicles Valor at Chosin with Maj. Jason Amerine, leader of the Special Forces team that 22 Captain Thomas J. Hudner, Jr. linked up with Hamid Karzai early on in Operation Enduring The first Medal of Honor recipient of the Korean War Freedom, recounts his incredible story. recalls his attempts to save the life of his fellow Naval Aviator and friend.

Valor: The VeTerans of VieTnam Operation Phantom Fury: The Second Battle of Fallujah 24 37 with Col. Willy Buhl, SSgt. David Bellavia, and Sgt. We Were Soldiers: The Battle of Ia Drang with Jeremiah Workman Lt. General Hal Moore, Joseph Galloway, and the men The fighting experienced by the Marines and soldiers in made famous by their acclaimed book Operation Phantom Fury was the toughest urban combat Against an overwhelming enemy force, the men of the 1st since Hue City during the Tet Offensive, 40 years ago. Cavalry Division (Airmobile) are put to the ultimate test, Here, the heroes of Fallujah recall the defining battle of demonstrating the courage and honor that would become Operation Iraqi Freedom. commonplace among the U.S. servicemen in Vietnam. Coming this November! The American Veterans Center’s 11th Annual Veterans Conference In the coming pages, you will read the stories of some of America’s greatest military heroes told at the American Veterans Center’s 10th Annual Conference. If you missed seeing them live in 2007, don’t fret! You still have an opportunity, as we invite you to join us for the upcoming 11th Annual Conference, to be held from November 6-8, 2008 in Washington, DC. From the heroes of World War II, Korea, and Vietnam to those serving us today, it will be a weekend none who Jimmy Doolittle’s B-25 launches from the USS Hornet for attend will soon forget! his legendary raid on Tokyo in 1942. The 11th Annual To request information on attending the 11th Annual Conference, call Conference is your opportunity to meet heroes like the Doolittle Raiders, and many more! 703-302-1012 ext. 203 or e-mail [email protected] FROM THE EDITOR Honoring Their Sacrifice By Tim Holbert

“Humility…humility…should be the portion of a person who are the transcripts from a number of the speaker panels receives fame or acclaim based on the blood of his subordinates, and that took place at the conference, featuring veterans of the sacrifices of his friends.” World War II, Korea, and Vietnam, along with our brave young men and women who are serving us so gallantly today. These few lines were spoken by retired Lt. General Hal Also included are the citations for the American Veterans Moore, upon being presented with the American Veterans Center’s 2007 award recipients, those veterans and service Center’s Joe Ronnie Hooper Award on November 10, 2007. members who have displayed such valor far beyond the Those words have hung in my mind since that night. Of call of duty and a depth of character that remains long course, they provide a glimpse into his character and the after their own battles have ended. reasons why so many brave men have followed him into battle. But the words really mean much more. They serve For those readers who were not able to attend the as a reminder to each of us—whether we served in battle, conference, this is your opportunity to take part in this served in peacetime, or merely know someone who has gathering of heroes; for those who did attend, we hope served—that it is our duty to not merely remember those that this will provide an opportunity to relive a weekend who have sacrificed, but to share their stories, and to keep that none of us who were there will soon forget. And, as their legacies alive for future generations. always, we ask that when you are finished reading this issue, you share it with at least one young person you know, so We at the American Veterans Center are dedicated to doing that they might gain a new appreciation for the concepts our small part in this mission, and are honored to have of duty, honor, and country embodied by our military men your support along the way. As our readers may know, each and women. Each of these panels, and many more, can year over Veterans Day weekend, we bring together also be viewed by visiting our website at America’s most distinguished veterans for our three-day www.americanveteranscenter.org. annual conference where they share their experiences with hundreds of high school and college students, fellow Regardless, this issue of AVQ, along with the many other veterans, and citizens eager to learn the stories of our programs of the American Veterans Center, is dedicated to uniformed heroes. that one mission—to preserve the stories, teach the lessons, and honor the sacrifices of all those who have worn the In this issue of American Valor Quarterly, we are proud to uniform of the United States military. share several of these stories with you, told at our 10th Annual Conference from November 8-10, 2007. Included AVQ

American Valor Quarterly, Spring 2008 A quarterly publication of the American Veterans Center, 1100 N. Glebe Rd. Suite 910, Arlington, VA 22201. Telephone: 703-302-1012. Fax: 571-480-4140. James C. Roberts - President Tim Holbert - Editor/Program Director The American Veterans Center is comprised of two divisions, the World War II Jim Michels - Director of Development Veterans Committee and the National Vietnam Veterans Committee. American Jordan Cross - Director of Communication Valor Quarterly is mailed to donors to the World War II Veterans Committee or National Vietnam Veterans Committee who make a contribution of $50 or more Andrew Lee - Graphic Illustrator per-year. Contributions help fund the Center and Committees’ various speaker Anna Tyler - Editorial Assistant conferences, student programs, the National Memorial Day Parade, documentary Chris Graham - Researcher and oral history projects, and this publication. To make a contribution or subscribe, Michael Paradiso - Publisher call 703-302-1012 or e-mail [email protected].

American Valor Quarterly - Spring 2008 - 3 The American Veterans Center Presents The 10th Annual Veterans Conference

From November 8-10, 2007, America’s greatest military heroes, past and present, converged on Washington, DC for the American Veterans Center’s 10th Annual Veterans Conference. What began a decade ago as a small gathering of World War II veterans has grown into one of the nation’s largest and most visible Veterans Day celebrations.

Throughout the three days of the conference, distinguished veterans of World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and those young men and women serving us today shared their experiences and lessons on leadership with an audience of hundreds of people—most importantly several hundred high school and college students, who must be counted on to carry the legacy of those who have served in the past into the future.

In addition to three days of speakers and panels, the conference featured wreath laying ceremonies at our nation’s war memorials, evening receptions in honor of America’s heroes and those who have been wounded in the line of duty, and the American Veterans Center’s 10th Annual Awards Banquet, which paid tribute to our greatest service members from every generation.

Over the next few pages, we would like to share with our readers a recap of the event, featuring photos and highlights of the weekend. Following that, we are proud to include the citations for the American Veterans Center’s 2007 award recipients, as we honor their devotion to duty both on and off the battlefield. If you would like information on attending the Center’s 11th Annual Veterans Conference, to be held from November 6-8, 2008 in Washington, DC, call 703-302- 1012 ext. 203 or e-mail [email protected].

Throughout the 10th Annual Conference, veterans of all eras spoke to the assembled audience about their experiences. Topics ranged from D-Day, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa during World War II to the Battle of Chosin Reservoir during the Korean War and the Battle of Ia Drang during the Vietnam War, and to the Battle of Fallujah during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Pictured left is a panel devoted to men who have re- ceived our nation’s highest military award - the Medal of Honor. It was followed by a panel consisting of the most highly decorated service members of Iraq and Afghanistan, demonstrating that valor lives among all generations of Americans.

While the conference provides an opportunity for the public and fellow veterans to meet America’s military heroes, the main pur- pose of the event is, and will continue to be, to expose the younger generation to the lessons that can only be learned by those who have served. Pictured right, several hundred high school and ROTC students join the conference to listen to a panel consisting of men from “The Band of Brothers” in World War II. By meeting these cel- ebrated veterans, students gain a new interest in learning about the sacrifices made by the World War II generation, and those who have served since.

American Valor Quarterly - Spring 2008 - 4 It is the personal connection that students are able to make with our veterans that makes the mission of the American Veterans Center so valuable. Besides simply listening to the speakers and panels at the conference, students are given the opportunity to speak with the heroes of yesterday, and today, one-on-one. In addition to meeting Medal of Honor recipients, (such as Lt. Col. Bruce Crandall, pictured left) students were able to talk to such heroes as the Tuskegee Airmen, the Black Sheep Squadron, veterans of the platoon that raised the flags atop Mt. Suribachi on Iwo Jima, baseball Hall of Fame pitcher and WWII veteran Bob Feller, Adrian Cronauer of Good Morning, Vietnam fame, and several of the most highly decorated service members of today, who often are not much older than the students themselves.

The American Veterans Center—with its two divisions, the World War II Veterans Committee and National Vietnam Veterans Committee— sponsors an annual essay contest for high school students, as well as two youth scholarships. High school students nationwide are invited to submit an essay chronicling the story of an individual veteran or service member who has made a significant contribution to the U.S. military, with the winner receiving a cash prize to help further their studies. Entry topics range from great military leaders and Medal of Honor recipients to the student’s own grandfather. Pictured right is 2007 American Veterans Center Essay Contest winner Rebecca Mitsch with AVC President James C. Roberts. The essay contest finalists (along with the James Trimble III Scholarship recipients, profiled later in this issue), are honored at the annual awards banquet. Each year, the conference conducts wreath laying ceremonies at our nation’s war memorials on the National Mall, in honor of those who have served, and those who have fallen. Medal of Honor recipient Capt. Thomas Hudner (left) leads the wreath laying ceremony at the Korean War Veterans Memorial. Ceremonies also took place at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the National World War II Memorial (below). Pictured are Medal of Honor recipient George Sakato of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team with Marine veteran and hero of Iwo Jima James White, Capt. Hudner, and Medal of Honor recipient for actions in Normandy, Walter Ehlers. Providing color guard for the ceremonies were students from the Young Marines program.

Also included in the 10th Annual Conference were two very special evening receptions. On November 8, a reception was held at the historic Army & Navy Club honoring both the recipients of the Medal of Honor and today’s heroes of Iraq and Afghanistan. On the evening of November 9, the conference honored those young service members who have been wounded in the line of duty, and are recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Their sacrifice is one that none of us can ever forget, and we owe them a debt of gratitude than can never be fully repaid.

American Valor Quarterly - Spring 2008 - 5 The highlight of each year’s conference is always the awards banquet, which calls attention to the greatest stories of heroism from our uniformed men and women.

Pictured right are the American Veterans Center’s 2007 award recipients. From left to right (front row): Lt. Gen- eral Hal Moore, recipient of the Joe Hooper Award; Terry Shima, Joe Ichiuji, George Joe Sakato, and Kelly Kuwayama of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, re- cipients of the Audie Murphy Award; Captain Thomas J. Hudner, Jr., recipient of the Raymond Davis Award.

Standing in the back row are Earl Morse, recipient of the Edward J. Herlihy Citizenship Award and founder of “Honor Flight,” the service which flies World War II veterans to Washington to see the National World War II Memorial; Major Jason Amerine and Sergeant Jeremiah Workman, recipients of the Paul Ray Smith Award; and American Veterans Center President James C. Roberts.

Easily the most moving moment of the entire conference came at the close of the awards banquet, when Lt. General Hal Moore “came out of retirement” for the evening to present Army Sergeant Brent Bretz with his promotion to Staff Sergeant. Sgt. Bretz was severely wounded in the line of duty while serving in Iraq, losing both of his legs, and undergoing countless surgeries throughout a long and ago- nizing recovery. Still, despite many setbacks, he perservered in the finest tradition of the American soldier. Sgt. Bretz had one with prior to being discharged from the Army: To be promoted to the rank of Staff Sergeant. His case was taken up by the Apache Bravo Young Marines, who, along with the American Veterans Center, worked with the Department of Defense to ensure that the promotion that Sgt. Bretz had earned would in fact come to pass.

Conducting the official promotion ceremony, General Moore said to Sgt. Bretz, “This is one of the greatest honors of my life. To be asked to pin the promotion of Staff Sergeant on this warrior who defeated his wounds and his memories. I thank you for your service.”

Of course, the conference had its light-hearted moments as well, and provided plenty of time for attendees to make new friends and catch up with old ones.

Pictured right is Donald Burgett, veteran of the 101st Airborne Division in World War II and author of sev- eral books on the war including Currahee! A Screaming Eagle in Normandy, the only book on the war personally endorsed by Dwight D. Eisenhower. Mr. Burgett is re- ceiving a kiss on the cheek from none other than Edith Shain, who is best known as the nurse from the legend- ary “Times Square Kiss” photo taken on V-J Day by Alfred Eisenstaedt for Life magazine. AVQ

All photos by Joe Portnoy/American Veterans Center

American Valor Quarterly - Spring 2008 - 6 Audie Murphy Award For distinguished service in the United States military during World War II

The most decorated soldier of World War II, Audie Leon Murphy was born to Texas sharecroppers in 1924. He joined the army as a private in 1942, shortly after his 18th birthday. Throughout his three years of active service, Murphy fought with the 3rd Infantry Division in nine major campaigns in the European theatre. He received every medal the Army had to offer including two Silver Stars and three Purple Hearts. He received the Medal of Honor for his valor repelling six German tanks and their supporting infantry near Holtzwihr, France. Murphy also received five medals from France and Belgium. While rising to the rank of Second Lieutenant, Murphy killed over 240 Germans and single-handedly eliminated a tank. He was deactivated on September 21, 1945. After the war, he became nationally known for both his wartime heroism and his leading role in films. Audie L. Murphy is and will remain one of America’s most heroic sons.

Previous Recipients: 2006 - The Doolittle Raiders 2005 - Lt. General Harry W.O. Kinnard The 442nd Regimental Combat Team Represented by:

Joe Ichiuji Dr. Norman Ikari Yeiichi “Kelly” Kuwayama George Joe Sakato Terry Shima December 7th, 1941: “a date which will live in infamy.” The day after Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt declared war against Japan and entered a unified America into the Second World War. A wave of rising fear and resentment against Japanese living in America led to the internment of more than 110,000 Japanese; sixty percent or more of whom were American citizens. Imprisoned in camps, labeled as enemy aliens and ineligible for military service, many Japanese Americans sought a way to prove their loyalty. After almost a year, the enemy alien designation was lifted and an all Japanese American Army unit—the 442nd Regimental Combat Team—was created. More than ten thousand men volunteered for combat from Hawaii alone. The men of the 442nd chose their slogan: “Go For Broke.” This reference to the ultimate gamble represented exactly what these enlisted Japanese Americans were doing. They were risking it all on one great effort to win big. Their gamble, however, was to offer their lives to prove their loyalty. The predecessor to the 442nd was the 100th Infantry Battalion, which fought valiantly through Europe, earning tremendous respect.. Upon arrival in Italy on June 11, 1944, the heroic 100th was re-designated as the 1st Battalion of the 442nd RCT. These soldiers were well trained and ready for battle as they moved into the theatre of war. Following in the footsteps of the hard-fighting 100th, the 442nd rescued many towns in Italy and eastern France, including the town of Bruyeres. The 442nd is also heralded for the famous rescue of the “Lost Battalion” when, during a fierce five-day battle, they fought to free 275 fellow U.S. soldiers trapped by German forces in the Vosges Mountains. Victory came at an astounding cost: the 442nd’s commander reported combat casualties of two to three times the number of rescued. The rescue of the Lost Battalion has gone down in legend as one of the most ferociously fought battles in the history of the U.S. Army. The 442nd’s growing reputation as saviors of those in need continued throughout the duration of the war. A division of the 442nd was among the first of Allied forces to free Jews from the camps at Dachau. Many of those members of the 442nd found the liberation to be highly ironic and bittersweet when thinking of the internment camps they, and their loved ones, were sent to back home. The tremendous record of valor and sacrifice earned the soldiers of the 442nd the nickname of “The Purple Heart Battalion.” Holding the distinction of being one of the most highly decorated units of its size and period of combat in the history of the U.S. Army, the 442nd received more than 18,000 individual awards. The unit produced 21 Medal of Honor recipients, including George Joe Sakato and Senator Daniel Inouye. They also claim more than 5,000 Purple Hearts, 33 Distinguished Service Crosses, 560 Silver Stars, 22 Legion of Merit Awards, and over 4,000 Bronze Stars. Additionally, the 100th and 442nd received the Presidential Distinguished Unit Citation eight times. For their valor, courage and loyalty to country, all of the men who served in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team are being recognized as the recipients of the American Veterans Center’s 2007 Audie Murphy Award. Raymond G. Davis Award For distinguished service in the United States military during the Korean War

Raymond G. Davis was appointed a second lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps in 1938, following his college graduation and ROTC training. Throughout his military career, Davis fought in three wars and fourteen different campaigns. He rose to the rank of general, while earning 18 American and seven foreign awards. Among these included the Navy Cross, earned for actions at Peleliu during World War II, and the Distinguished Service Medal during Vietnam. However, it was in December of 1950, near the Chosin Reservoir in Korea, that Davis would earn the acclaim that has made him legendary. While carrying his wounded along, he led his battalion over icy ridges to rescue a stranded rifle company. During this mission alone he was credited with saving more than 1,000 Marines from certain death and 6,000 additional Marines from possible destruction by the enemy. For this, he was awarded the Medal of Honor, and remains one of the great heroes in Marine Corps history.

Previous Recipient: 2006 - Hiroshi “Hershey” Miyamura Medal of Honor Captain Thomas J. Hudner, Jr. By mid-October, 1950, the Korean War appeared to be over. Victory was in sight as American-led forces had advanced through most of North Korea. However, on October 25, China entered the war, ending hopes of a quick end to the hostilities. The Battle of Chosin Reservoir is a familiar story: the Marines slogging it out against the Chinese in bitter, sub-zero temperatures. During the fighting and the withdrawal of the Marines, U.S. forces enjoyed full supremacy in the air. Fighter-bombers from the Navy, Air Force and Marines flew armed attacks all day while evacuating the wounded and bringing in replacements. This valiant air support contributed greatly to the success of ground efforts. One of the men flying these support sorties was then-Lt. (Junior Grade) Thomas Hudner of Fall River, Massachusetts. Hudner was born in 1924, and graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1946 before receiving his Naval Aviator Wings in 1949. At Chosin, he was flying alongside his friend Jesse Brown, the Navy’s first black pilot, while providing air support for the Marines in battle. On December 4, 1950, late in the Battle of Chosin Reservoir, Brown’s plane went down on a mountainside after being fired upon. At first glance, the other pilots flying in that mission assumed Brown to be dead. However, while circling the wreckage, the pilots could see Brown, alive, and waving up at them from inside his downed aircraft. After his friend failed to appear from the smoldering wreckage of his plane, Hudner concluded that Brown was probably too injured to free himself. Hudner took action and decided to crash his own plane on the mountainside in an attempt to rescue Brown from his downed plane and the bitter cold temperatures. Upon arriving at the scene of the crash, Hudner tried to lift Brown from the wreckage but was unable to get him clear. He called for a rescue helicopter, a fire extinguisher and an ax. As they waited for help, Hudner offered comfort to his friend by wrapping an extra scarf around Brown’s frozen, exposed hands and even attempted to squelch the brewing fire by placing handfuls of snow on the smoldering coils. Eventually, the rescue helicopter arrived with the requested items. Unfortunately, the fire extinguisher was small and quickly depleted and the axe was useless against the metal of the plane trapping Jesse Brown within the wreckage. Night was approaching, and the rescue helicopter was unequipped to fly in the dark. Brown, gravely injured and now fading in and out of consciousness, spoke a few final words to his fellow aviator and friend: “Tell my wife that I love her.” Jesse Brown was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for service in Korea. For his actions and bravery in the face of immediate danger from the extreme temperature and enemy troops, Thomas Hudner was awarded the Medal of Honor on April 13, 1951 – the first Navy Medal of Honor to be awarded for service in Korea. Daisy Brown was in attendance to pay homage to the man who so valiantly tried to save her husband’s life. Since his service with the Navy during the Korean War, Thomas Hudner has served in a variety of positions including the Executive Officer of the USS Kitty Hawk and Head of Aviation Technical Training in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. He retired in February 1973 with the rank of Captain. For his courageous service and his dedication and devotion to the men he served with, Captain Thomas J. Hudner, Jr. is recognized as the recipient of the American VeteransAmerican Center’s Valor2007 Raymond Quarterly G. Davis Award. - Winter, 2007/08 - 7 Joe Ronnie Hooper Award For distinguished service in the United States military during the Vietnam War

The most decorated soldier in international combat in American history, Joe Ronnie Hooper, a native South Carolinian, joined the military when he was 19 years old. He was deployed with the 501st Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, popularly known as the Delta Raiders in 1966. During his two tours of duty in Vietnam, Hooper killed at least 115 Vietnamese. Surpassing both Sergeant Alvin York and Second Lieutenant Audie Murphy, Hooper earned 37 medals, including two Silver Stars, six Bronze Stars and eight Purple Hearts. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his courage on February 21, 1968 in the battle of Hue during the Tet Offensive. Among his many acts of valor that day, he is credited with single-handedly destroying three enemy bunkers, eliminating the enemy in four more with grenades and killing additional Vietnamese with his rifle and bayonet. He accomplished these feats while he was wounded, refusing medical help until his line was restored. Hooper retired as a captain in 1972 at the age of 34 as one of America’s great heroes of Vietnam. Previous Recipient: 2006 - Colonel George “Bud” Day Medal of Honor Lt. General Harold G. Moore, Jr. November 14, 1965 - Landing Zone X-Ray, Central Highlands of South Vietnam. American soldiers, men of the 5th and 7th Cavalries – commanded by then-Lieutenant Colonel Hal Moore – face off with elements of the People’s Army of Vietnam and a battalion of the National Liberation Front—the Viet Cong. X-Ray presented an array of problems for Moore’s troops: small helicopter landing zones, tall elephant grass and a massive surrounding enemy force familiar with the terrain and unafraid to die in large numbers. Shortly after touching down, and without the full strength of his troops, Moore’s men came under heavy fire. His men were attacked day and night; the fighting was fierce and direct – sometimes even hand to hand. Moore’s troops were also at a disadvantage due to a unit that became separated early on. It was not until very late in the battle at X-Ray that the lost platoon, having sustained a great many casualties, was finally recovered. This intense battle brought out true courage and compassion as well concrete displays of soldiers’ love for each other and their country. This valor and loyalty was also exemplified in the helicopter crews that supported the men on the ground at Landing Zone X- Ray. The courage under fire displayed by the American soldiers at X-Ray was a reflection of their leader. Hal Moore, a veteran of Korea, was the first man off the choppers at X-Ray and the last man to leave that bloody clearing. His instincts and presence of mind during the midst of a ferocious firefight further cemented him as a battlefield legend. To this day, West Point recruits cite Moore as one of their heroes and one of the men they most admire. When the fighting ended at landing zone X-Ray, 79 Americans had been killed in action and 121 wounded. The North Vietnamese suffered thousands of casualties. Though the fierce fighting in the Ia Drang Valley concluded more than forty years ago, the American forces who fought there remain legends. Lt. General Hal Moore and journalist Joseph Galloway co-authored and published a book in 1992, which tells the story of Ia Drang. We Were Soldiers Once … And Young, was made into a feature film a decade later starring Mel Gibson as Moore. The service their work has done to the soldiers who fought, and died, in the Vietnam War has been extraordinary. No longer were those who served in Vietnam portrayed as outcasts and misfits—they were men of honor, as great as any generation of Americans, prior or since. Lieutenant General Hal Moore is an exemplary military man. His courage, unflagging respect for his soldiers, and efforts in telling the story of Ia Drang rank him among the greatest of America’s battlefield heroes. With his bravery, regard, and convictions in mind, Lt. General Harold G. Moore, Jr. is recognized as the recipient of the American Veterans Center’s 2007 Joe Ronnie Hooper Award. Paul Ray Smith Award For distinguished service in the United States military during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom Paul Ray Smith was born in Texas in 1969. He enlisted in the United States Army in 1989 and was deployed with Bravo Company of the 3rd Infantry Division to Kosovo in 2001, rising to the rank of sergeant first class the spring of 2002. In January of 2003, he was deployed to Kuwait in preparation for what would become Operation Iraqi Freedom. On April 4, 2003, two weeks after the invasion, Smith’s unit found itself engaged in heavy combat against superior numbers of enemy forces near Baghdad International Airport. In the heat of the battle, Smith ran under heavy fire to a nearby mounted machine gun. While maintaining this exposed position, he killed nearly 50 enemy fighters before he was mortally wounded. His selfless actions saved the lives of more than 100 soldiers and repelled the enemy attack. For his valor, he posthumously was awarded the Medal of Honor—the first American service member to receive the military’s highest honor for Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. Previous Recipients: 2006 - SSgt. Anthony Viggiani (Afghanistan) Sgt. Timothy Connors (Iraq) Major Jason Amerine Operation Enduring Freedom On September 11, 2001, as terrorists attacked the World Trade Center and Pentagon, then-Captain Jason Amerine and the men under his command of Operational Detachment A-Team within the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) were already in the Middle East, in the Republic of Kazakhstan where they were training Kazakh paratroopers in counter- insurgency operations. Upon hearing of the attacks in New York and Washington, Amerine knew that the country was at war, and where it was going to take place—Afghanistan, ruled by the tyrannical regime of the Taliban. On November 14, 2001, Amerine led ODA 574 into Afghanistan on a mission whose outcome would be of vital importance. Acting in concert with Afghan freedom fighters, Amerine’s men were to spearhead one of several coordinated efforts to topple the Taliban regime, and remove from power the men who had brutalized the country while providing a sanctuary for Osama bin Laden and his Al Qaeda terrorist training camps. The Special Forces of ODA 574 were experts in unconventional warfare and foreign internal defense, and could operate independently from U.S. ground forces while retaining the ability to call in naval and Air Force systems to any point on a given battlefield. Their training and expertise would prove invaluable in Afghanistan—a country with terrain so rugged, it was infamous as being a place foreign armies would meet their doom. Amerine’s men were not a foreign army, however, but were allies of the indigenous freedom fighters. One of the leaders of the Afghan opposition was Hamid Karzai, who for years had struggled against Taliban rule. Upon their entry into Afghanistan, Amerine and ODA 574 linked up with Karzai and his band of 200 freedom fighters to begin operations in an effort to rid Afghanistan of the Taliban, and install a democratically elected government. On November 16, Karzai’s Afghan force, along with ODA 574, entered the town of Tarin Kot. After conferring with local leaders, Karzai notified Amerine that the Taliban had gathered a large force into a convoy of more than 100 vehicles at the city of Kandahar. From there, they planned to advance through the mountain passes and retake Tarin Kot. At 0200 the next morning, reconnaissance reports alerted Amerine that a large convoy was approaching from the south. Based on word from Karzai that any northbound convoy would be Taliban, he gave his response: “Well, smoke ‘em.” He then led his men and a few dozen of Karzai’s fighters south to take up positions on a mountain where they could cover the Taliban’s avenue of advance. When the enemy appeared, Amerine called in massive air strikes, destroying much of the convoy. The Taliban continued its advance toward Tarin Kot, but was fought off by the men under Amerine and Karzai’s command. The enemy convoy was decimated, and the few vehicles that attempted to flee to Kandahar were completely destroyed. Following this early victory, Karzai was able to assemble a formidable force, and negotiated the surrender of several Taliban groups. Soon, with the assistance of ODA 574, he moved south against the Taliban’s stronghold at Kandahar, and on December 5, 2001, they surrendered the city. The Taliban would be routed from Afghanistan, and Hamid Karzai would go on to become the president of the country in a new beginning for this war-torn land. Without the direct assistance of ODA 574 under Jason Amerine, the ultimate victory would have come at a much higher cost. The men of ODA 574 were awarded three Silver Stars, four Bronze Stars for Valor, and three Bronze Stars—all eleven members received Purple Hearts. For his leadership and valor in one of the most pivotal moments in the liberation of Afghanistan, Major Jason Amerine is recognized as the recipient of the American Veterans Center’s 2007 Paul Ray Smith Award. Sergeant Jeremiah Workman Operation Iraqi Freedom

On November 7, 2004, a force of several thousand United States soldiers and Marines, supported by troops from the Iraqi Security Forces, gathered outside the city of Fallujah. The next day would see the launch of Operation Phantom Fury, a battle that would rank among the toughest and fiercest in American military history. Throughout early 2004, the Iraqi city of Fallujah, with a population of about 300,000, had become a hornet’s nest of terrorist and insurgent activity. Following an attempt to gain control of the city in April, coalition commanders agreed to let local forces, dubbed the “Fallujah Brigade,” provide security for the city in return for a promise to keep insurgent fighters out of Fallujah. That promise was quickly broken, as Fallujah once again descended into a bastion for insurgent operations, and became the headquarters for Iraq’s most notorious terrorist, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. By fall, the situation was untenable. Fallujah, the capital of the insurgency in Anbar province, had to be cleared. Marines and soldiers under the command of then-Major General Richard Natonski, descended on Fallujah to reclaim the city from the insurgents. What they faced was a tenacious enemy of several thousand terrorists, thugs, and foreign fighters who had months to fortify the city, booby-trapping buildings, and using materials provided by the United States for the local Iraqis against the coalition forces. Many of these jihadists were high on drugs—liquid adrenaline, amphetamines, and “Agent Buzz,” a hallucinogenic chemical weapon. They were impervious to pain, and had come to Fallujah for one purpose—to die, and to take the Americans with them. Fighting house to house, the Americans and their Iraqi allies slowly and methodically cleared the city. By late-December, the city was in shambles, with wreckage of battle strewn throughout the streets. Still, insurgents, holed up in houses and waiting for an opportunity to strike, still proved a deadly and dangerous foe. On December 23, 2004, then-Corporal Jeremiah Workman, serving as a squad leader for the Mortar Platoon, Weapons Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, saw that a group of his fellow Marines were trapped inside of a building, under fire from a force of enemy insurgents. Displaying a valor common among Marines of all generations, Cpl. Workman immediately organized his squad in an attempt to enter the building and rescue the trapped Marines. Despite facing enemy automatic weapons fire and a barrage of grenades, he laid down a base of fire, allowing the trapped Marines to escape. After freeing the isolated Marines, Cpl. Workman regrouped the men, tended to the wounded, and proceeded to lead another assault into the building to eliminate the insurgents and extract the remaining Marines. Once again, he exposed himself to intense fire while providing cover to his men. Despite being wounded by shrapnel from an exploding grenade, Cpl. Workman would lead a third assault on the house, clearing the insurgents and extracting the Marines. In the end, 40 insurgents would fall—24 of them from Cpl. Workman’s fire. Three Marines were lost. Jeremiah Workman was awarded the Navy Cross for his actions on that day. But it is because of his selfless devotion to his fellow Marines in the heat of battle—the same devotion demonstrated by the Marines at Iwo Jima, Chosin, and Hue—that he has become a hero within the Marine Corps, and is recognized as the recipient of the American Veterans Center’s 2007 Paul Ray Smith Award.

The Greatest Heroes of the Latest Generation THE MEDAL OF HONOR

Paul Ray Smith Michael Murphy Jason Dunham

American ValorAlways Quarterly Remember - Winter, 2007/08 - 10 February 19, 1945. At 08:59—one minute ahead of schedule—United States Marines stormed ashore on the black sands of Iwo Jima. The first moments were eerily quiet, but the calm was not to last. Iwo Jima would become a hell on earth, where a great many heroes were made, and a great many brave men were lost—nearly 7,000 Americans killed and 20,000 wounded. It would go down as one of the great and tragic battles in history.

At the 10th Annual Conference, three of the battle’s survivors, who witnessed the horror—and heroism—that was Iwo Jima, recounted their experience. Chuck Tatum, Donald Mates, and James White were just three of the thousands for whom “uncommon valor was a common virtue.”

Chuck Tatum: Hello, I’m Chuck Tatum, and I was a member of B Company, 1st Battalion of the 27th Marines at Iwo Jima. And as I look in the audience, I see an awful lot of young people here, some of whom don’t look any older than I was when I was at Iwo Jima. Well, some people haven’t heard of Iwo Jima; it’s been over 60 years, and has started to fade into history. Why was there an Iwo Jima? It’s just eight square miles of volcanic rock out in the middle of the ocean. And its only value was that it was big enough to build a landing strip big enough to land a B-29 on, and if you had a place to land B-29s, you could fly it all the way to Tokyo and hit it with the big bombers.

I don’t know how many of us invaded on that first day, but in the first wave, there were 9,000 Marines involved. By this time in the war, we had captured the islands of Saipan and Tinian, and from there you could fly the B-29s and bomb Tokyo. But there was one flaw in the plan: Iwo Jima was halfway between Saipan and Tinian, and Tokyo—600 miles from Tokyo. And on Iwo Jima, the Japanese had fighter planes that could rise up to fight the B-29s as well as radar which could alert Japan that the bombers were coming. The losses of the B-29s were astronomical; they were losing more than 30 percent of flights. So somehow or another, Iwo Jima became the most valuable piece of real estate in the world at that time. The orders came out from Washington to capture Iwo Jima by force of arms. And this meant sending in the United States Marines. The Marines had fought in a number of battles already, but Iwo Jima was to turn out to be one of the greatest battles in history.

Iwo Jima was more than just a battle; it was actually a 36-day descent into hell. Hell on earth. We lost 8,776 American lives. There were 21,000 Americans wounded, 1,500 suffered from combat fatigue, and 22,000 Japanese Imperial soldiers and sailors lost their lives defending Iwo Jima. So it became a very pivotal battle in the Pacific, and with Iwo Jima in our hands, we would control the bombing of Tokyo, which would culminate in the B-29 that dropped the bomb. That’s why we had to have Iwo Jima. Other than that it was useless. Eight miles of sulfur, volcanic ash. National Archives

American Valor Quarterly - Spring 2008 - 12 My personal experience there happened on the morning of them down, shooting his machine gun from the hip, and they all February 19, 1945. We landed in the first wave, and immediately fell dead. Later on, I figured that it was probably a mercy killing, we started climbing these sand terraces you might have seen in because those men were already dead. the pictures. And when I looked back at the beach, I could see one solitary Marine standing up. This was Marine Gunnery Sergeant At that point, he handed me back my machine gun, and gave us John Basilone, the Medal of Honor recipient at Guadalcanal. He the signal to follow him. And 18 or 19 of us followed Basilone could see that the invasion had sort of ground to a halt, so he from the beach across the lowlands through an area of scrub was motivating everybody by cuss words and kicks to the seats brush until we hit the Number One airstrip. We had hoped to of the pants to get them underway. Well, my position was about catch the airstrip that day, but we were out there by 10:00 that three or four terraces up. I was a machine gunner, and when morning. And now we were receiving fire from Mt. Suribachi, Basilone came to my position, he pointed out a target, and by from the mortars on the other side of the airstrip, and worst of looking down his arm I could see a giant Japanese pillbox, and all we were receiving fire from the United States Navy. We were he indicated I should start firing on it. too far advanced, and they were putting the rolling barrage over us. I thought we should have gotten out of there, really. But Basilone When I pulled the trigger, the gun wouldn’t fire; it had been stopped that, and said, “You’re staying here come hell or high fouled by the black sands of Iwo Jima. So at that point my water! I’m going back to get more Marines, and we’re going to assistant gunner had to take a toothbrush out of my pack to fight our way across this island!” clean the breach and blow the sand out of it. He stuck the belt back in, and I could see the tracers hitting close to the pillbox. And he left us there, and he went back to the beach. Now, I And Basilone didn’t like that, so he indicated I should move couldn’t tell you in real time how long he was gone. Because obliquely to my right to fire at it, which we did. But then they when you’re in combat, there’s no recognition of time. And pretty closed the steel doors, which left the bullets merely bouncing off soon, we looked over where we had come from, and Basilone of it. Basilone then found a demolition man, who handled the was leading a group of Marines across the same way we had explosives. As I was firing at the pillbox, he walked up the line of come from toward the airstrip. And all of a sudden, you could fire, and about ten feet from it, he tossed the composition of hear the shrill sound of incoming mortar rounds. And you could C2—about ten pounds of it—and it blew the doors off. Basilone see the mortar hit right amidst Basilone and the C Company indicated that I should commence firing into the aperture. Marines. Nobody moved. America, at that moment, lost its number one hero, Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone on the shores At this time, he found a flamethrower man, and the flamethrower of Iwo Jima. It wasn’t 10:30 in the morning, and this caused a man walked up the line of fire and when he was almost there, shockwave throughout the troops because if John Basilone could Basilone whacked me on the helmet to tell me to quit firing. He get killed, we all wondered what was going to happen to the rest inched the last few feet, and shot three bursts of napalm into the of us. We lost our hero, his wife lost her husband, his mother, Japanese pillbox. You know, that turned it into a giant inferno father and brother lost their son and brother, and America lost its right there—it looked like the beginning of hell. Basilone then number one hero. John Basilone had already received the Medal reached down and unhooked the machine gun from the pin hook, of Honor at Guadalcanal for the elimination of a Japanese and he grabbed it and put his arm through the belt, and he regiment. And he later received the Navy Cross for his exploits screamed at me to get the belt. So I got the belt, and he ran up on Iwo Jima in knocking out the Japanese pillbox. Thus, he became the front of this pillbox, looking over the back where they had the only Marine enlisted man in World War II to receive the Navy entered, and out the back of it came seven or eight Japanese Cross and the Medal of Honor. defenders on fire—napalm all over them. And Basilone mowed That was the first hour and a half on Iwo Jima, and the rest of it only got more intense.

Donald Mates: Jim White, who’s sitting next to me, and I served in the Third Marine Division. We belonged to a special platoon, it was the Fourth Platoon. And to get into that platoon, you had to be a graduate of the Combat Intelligence School in Camp Lejune. Combat Intelligence School taught you a little Japanese, nighttime patrolling, rubber boat reconnaissance, map reading, demolition, and how

to operate a 300 or 564 radio. In our platoon, U.S. Marine Corps Photo Corps Marine U.S. there was one man that didn’t go through that school, and that was Jim White. The reason why he made the platoon was because he was the only U.S. Marines land on Iwo Jima, as Mt. Suribachi looms in the background - February 19, 1945. American Valor Quarterly - Spring 2008 - 13 person I know who, as a I was with an eight man squad, and we went to go ashore to clear fact, captured a Japanese a 200 by 200 area for General Erskine, our commanding General, soldier. I know people who to set up his sleeping quarters and his command post. And as we have talked to them and walked into this acre, south of the first airfield on D+2, Jimmy brought them out of caves, Trimble was with me, and he looked off to the left and said, “If but he actually went in and we’ve got to go up that mountain, we’re going to die.” He was captured somebody, and it pointing toward Suribachi. Thank God the Third Marine Division happened on Guam. Plus, didn’t make a left turn; we made a right turn and the Fifth Division, he was an outstanding 28th Marines went up that mountain, and some of those boys are scout on Guam, and they here with us today. changed his MOS and they moved him into our We knew we were in trouble when I took a phosphorous grenade platoon—and thank God. and I threw it into a pillbox. And a fella by the name of Rodney Harm turned around and said, “Donald!” And I turned around, Also in our platoon was a and smoke from the grenade was coming out of a hole, pluming Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone, one young man from 30 feet behind me. We then realized that there were tunnels of America’s greatest heroes of World Washington, DC. His name throughout the island. There were 17 miles of tunnels. All the War II. His story will be portrayed in the was Jimmy Trimble, and he bombing, all the strafing, all the shellfire—all it did was rearrange upcoming HBO series, “The Pacific,” went to at St. Albans the volcanic ash on this island, and the Japanese I don’t think felt produced by Stephen Spielberg and School. He was an one concussion— Tom Hanks, and scheduled to air in outstanding baseball pitcher they were all 2008. Chuck Tatum has served as an advisor on the project, and will also be and had signed with the underground. portrayed in the series. Washington Senators, receiving a $5,000 bonus— After we went a lot of money in 1943. However, instead of sending him to a ashore, and the farm team, the team’s owner, Clark Griffith, sent him to Duke headquarters was set University to go to college and play on their baseball team. Jimmy up for the General, I Trimble, in turn, left Duke and enlisted in the Marines, went did guard duty with through Combat Intelligence School with me, and we ended up Trimble. We guarded in the same platoon with Jim White. We left Guam, where I had the General’s tent for been a replacement, for Iwo Jima on February 8, 1945. On three days, and that February 10, I turned 19 years of age. was good duty. But Jimmy Trimble, who before joining the our lieutenant called Marines was a top pitching prospect for the We were told, our platoon and our company, that in all probability for eight volunteers Washington Senators, was thought by many to be the next Bob Feller. we would not go ashore. It would be over in 72 hours. Well, that to go out on a was b.s. In 48 hours, I was climbing down the side of the ship patrol, and this patrol was to find out where the spigot mortars with 84 pounds of material on my back and heading toward the were. Now, a spigot mortar is the size of a 55 gallon oil drum. beach, and all that food that I was eating didn’t stay down. I got It’s rocket propelled, and 168 mm. Years ago, and maybe they seasick, and so did everyone else on that Higgins Boat—it was show it now on TV, there were the Bugs Bunny cartoons with the just a mess. Road Runner and the coyote. The coyote is always looking up to watch as a piece of furniture was falling on him, or a car or truck When I landed on Iwo, it was D+2, and I was in for the shock comes at him to lay him flat. Well, when you see a spigot mortar of my life. I had never seen anything like it, and never expect to coming at you, that’s what happens to you. They can’t aim them, see anything like it again. There were bodies all over. There were but they can lob them into you. After the rocket fires burn out, it pieces of bodies. There were bodies without heads, without arms. tumbles, and you can see it tumbling. And it would clear out an There were bodies that were completely eviscerated. They hadn’t area the size of this room. Erskine wanted to know where these started to bury the dead, and it was just one holy mess. There was spigot mortars were coming from, so he sent out an eight man equipment all over, much of it broken. There were dead Japanese, patrol at night, so he could see them better. and dead Americans floating in the water. The odor of a decaying body you will never forget. And there’s an odor that, when you I’ll never forget them, the eight of us that went. There was Cpl. first smell it, you don’t know what it is. But once you do smell it, Reed, who was married and been stationed in Cuba. Joe you will recognize it immediately. It is when someone is hit in the McCloskey, who that night just disappeared, and they found him neck artery, and you smell the fresh blood. It is one of the most in pieces later on. Warren Nietzel who was wounded. Garrett, absolutely stressful things to watch happen to a friend of yours— the old man of the outfit, with three children—he was 26 years you can do nothing about it. old. There was Jimmy Trimble and me, and we were in a foxhole, U.S. Marine Corps Photos and behind me, thank God, were two guardian angels—Jim White American Valor Quarterly - Spring 2008 - 14 and Lee The password that night was “Presidents.” I named every President Blanchard. We of the United States from George Washington to Roosevelt, and set up on Hill Jim White and Lee Blanchard came out of their foxhole to get 362A. The hills me and drag me about 50 feet back to safety. Jim did a magnificent had numbers job in stopping the flow of blood, and put on a tourniquet. My because that bandages were blown off, so he took his bandages, which he was the elevation wasn’t supposed to do, took his sulfa drugs, and bandaged me above sea level, and up and packed me real good. That was about 3:00 in the morning. we sat up there to see if In the meantime, Reed—the fellow who had been stationed in we could see the Japanese Cuba—was dead. Garrett was dead. McCloskey was missing. mortars before they were sent out. Nietzel was wounded. Trimble was dead. And in the hole was Jim White, Lee Blanchard, and me. By the way, the only two At exactly midnight, we were overrun survivors today are Jim and I. If I wasn’t there, what Jim White by the Japanese. Now, I’ve been is going to tell you, you wouldn’t believe. But I know for a fact, criticized in the past about what I’m because I saw it. We were ahead of the lines, and behind us were going to say, but will say it anyway: the the mortar platoons. He hollered out for them to move up and Japanese were absolutely fearless join us. He got a halftrack to come up and fire on the Japanese, fighters. You never, ever saw anything and held them at bay. And in from the left came a Marine from like it in your life. At night, they’d come the 5th Division. His name was Brown. At the same time he came right at you. No monkeying around, in, machine gun fire came flying across and hit me in the foot, you knew they were there. They were fracturing the bone, going through and killing Brown. A hand called “Kuribayashi’s Roving Wolves.” grenade came in, but was a dud—thank God. It took 57 years There were no banzai charges—they before Jim White was recognized for what he did, and he was came at you with hand grenades, the first recipient of the Chesty Puller Award from the World bayonets, mines strapped to their bodies, War II Veterans Committee. Anything that I have today, I owe to rifles, and they were after food and water, Jimmy and Lee Blanchard. There’s no way I can pay them back. and out to kill us. I knew we were in trouble, because We’re the best of friends, and we have a pact that we’ll go to each as the Japanese came towards us, on the back of their necks they other’s funeral, whoever goes first—he’s older than I am! had a little phosphorous pin that they wore. And as they came forward, you could hear their officers from behind, giving them From March 1, 1945 until August of 1946, I was in Naval instructions, telling them to go to the left, to the right, and to stop. Hospitals. The problem was not with the healing of my legs, it When a star shell went over—one of our flares—you could see was that I wasn’t evacuated until the morning of March 3, and them drop to the ground. When I turned around, and I looked gangrene had set in. I’m allergic to penicillin, and it took years to back, I could see the phosphorous buttons, and I knew we were clear up. There are a lot of questions that people ask me. There is in trouble. From midnight until about 2:30 in the morning, there one question people invariably ask, and I tell them I have three was a really heated pitched battle. If it hadn’t been for hand children and seven granddaughters, and none of them are adopted. grenades on our side, we would have been completely wiped So things worked out in that department! out. We almost were.

About 2:30, the Japanese got close enough to bayonet Trimble. He didn’t make a sound. He turned to me, and the only thing he said was, “Grenades!” I was laying prone. The Japanese grenades have to be hit against something—they don’t have a pin like ours do. You hit them to ignite them, and then throw them. They lobbed two grenades into our shell hole; one landed between my legs, and one landed up near Jimmy Trimble. He turned, and felt the full blast of the hand grenade. The one went off between my legs, and broke both of my legs. I pulled myself out of the hole, and was bleeding profusely. And I reached in to give Jimmy Photo Corps Marine U.S. Bottom: Archives; National Top: Trimble a hand. He turned, and at the exact same time, a Japanese had jumped in the hole with a mine strapped on him. He wrapped himself around Jimmy Timble, and the two of them just evaporated. Just before that, a Japanese had crept up to the hole, and he was holding what looked like a stick of dynamite. And I General Graves Erskine, Commanding Officer of the Third Marine Division, directed that the baseball field on Guam be named in honor killed him, took the stick of dynamite which turned out to be a of Jimmy Trimble following his death on Iwo Jima. wooden box, and stuck it in my pocket. American Valor Quarterly - Spring 2008 - 15 picked up off a dead officer, but that was it. So I was practically alone.

We picked out a shell hole to jump into, watched as I saw the Japanese coming at me. I wasn’t really afraid—I had seen com- bat in Guam and it didn’t bother me, so I started shooting. I used Blanchard’s ammo, and he’d hand me a clip which I’d have in there in about two seconds. It was a good thing we had a lull every once in awhile, though, because the rifle got so hot that the metal was expanding and it was getting hard to pull the trigger. From time to time, they would stop, which would give us a breather, but pretty soon they started coming at us again. This went on all night long.

Several years ago, the American Veterans Center created an annual In the course of the fighting, I heard the sound of one of our scholarship in memory of Jimmy Trimble, presented annually to a guys. He was howling, and giving the cosign to the password. I member of the Young Marines program who demostrates the same said to Blanchard, “I think that’s one of our guys! We’d better go character, promise, and dedication as Trimble during his all-too-short life. get him!” So we crawled over, and there he was. He was a bloody Pictured above are Jimmy Trimble’s platoon mates, Jim White (left) and mess—a hand grenade had landed right between his legs. Blood Don Mates (center) with one of the two 2007 James Trimble III was all over his trousers, and just everywhere. When I finally did Scholarship recipients, Daniel Noel. Also pictured are American Veterans see him again, it was at a reunion in 1997. And I had a lot of Center President James C. Roberts and Joseph Bles, Inspector General things to say to him, because I didn’t know what had happened of the Young Marines. The photo in the background is of Trimble. to him after that night. Fifty-five years later, I was invited back to Iwo Jima by the History Channel. They were doing a documentary, and they asked me I patched him up as best as I could, and saw two corpsmen and other Marines to meet with the Japanese Iwo Jima survivors. coming up—but they both, separately, got shot by the Japanese. Before that, I wouldn’t eat Japanese food, or go to a Japanese They could tell they were a corpsman because they didn’t carry a restaurant. My wife belonged to a hospital auxiliary and they were rifle, but instead carried this little bag that was a first-aid kit. Fi- having a fundraising event, and there was a Japanese theme to it. nally, the third one who tried to come up got through. Mean- But I wouldn’t go. Before going back to Iwo, they asked if you while, I’m continuing to shoot, as fast as I possibly could, and the had any personalized souveniers. Remember that box that I took Japanese just seemed to drop. A couple of them got right up to from the dead Japanese? It was a mahogany box, which you slid the side of the hole before I got them—right up on top of us. open, and inside were a set of ivory chopsticks and a little gold When the corpsman got to us, the first thing he did was give Don Buddha. And his name was etched into it. I took a picture of it, a shot of morphine, and that calmed him down. Before that and gave it to the tour managers, and lo and behold, the fellow’s happened, I had told him he either had to be quiet or I would grandson came and presented it to him. I met 11 Japanese knock him out! He had done his best to keep quiet, though. survivors, and I saw that they were human—old, nice gentlemen. And I had some closure. People ask me if I would go back and I had forgotten about this until Don reminded me, 50-some do it again, and I say, “Yes, I would.” They ask if I would let my years later, that the last thing he remembered was me telling son do it, and I say, “Absolutely not.” I was on Iwo Jima for ten Blanchard to save three cartridges in that .45, because we weren’t days, and there isn’t one day that goes by that I don’t think of going to be taken prisoner. Well, I never would have done some- Iwo Jima and Jimmy Trimble. thing like that—I’m quite a religious guy and it was against my principles to commit suicide, especially in front of the enemy. Jim White: When all hell broke loose on the night of March 1, But he was able to keep quiet until the corpsman got there. I just 1945, it was a little after midnight. The Japanese came at us, a big couldn’t figure out how he lived through that, he was so shot up. group of them from straight ahead. They came over the ridge I found out that he wrote a letter to the and out of their caves up the paths, and right over the top where officer in charge, but he never told us we were. They were shooting flares to see where they were going, about it, so we never knew that he was and one of our guys who was shooting at them was killed right still alive. away. We had no officers around, so I just tried to use my head. Iwo Jima: Red Blood, Black Sand by Charles W. I yelled for anybody who could hear me to contact our mortar Tatum can be ordered by calling 209-478-2790 men and send them up. I gave the password, said it three times, or Amazon.com. and said that if there was no answer, I would shoot anything that moved. I said it three times, and nobody gave the answer, so I Video of this panel can be seen at started blazing away. All I had was an M1—eight shots. Blanchard, www.americanveteranscenter.org/AVCvideos.

Joe Portnoy/American Veterans Center who was with me, didn’t have his rifle, only a .45 that he had AVQ American Valor Quarterly - Spring 2008 - 16 The Rededication of Trimble Field By James C. Roberts A long-time dream of the U.S. Naval Forces Marianas and several hundred others, including American Veterans Center was a delegation of more than 100 from the U.S. as part of a tour realized on March 9 when the organized by Military Historical Tours. newly refurbished Trimble Field was dedicated in Yona, Guam. During the ceremony, letters were read by Congressman Darrel The field is named in honor of Issa, whose Issa Family Foundation provided much of the funding Marine private James Trimble for the field, and by President George W. Bush. The legislature of III for whom the Center’s youth Guam also adopted a resolution commemorating the dedication scholarship is also named. and a copy was presented to the American Veterans Center.

Trimble was an outstanding Following the dedication ceremony, a group of students from the baseball pitcher at St. Albans Young Marines program in the U.S. played a game against a local School in Washington, DC. and team from Yona. The day’s events were capped off with a lavish Duke University. Offered a fiesta featuring native foods and a demonstration of local dances. lucrative contract by the A bronze bust sculpture of Jimmy Washington Senators at age 17, In a happy coincidence, the U.S. Marine Corps has announced that Trimble greets visitors and Trimble turned it down to serve the 3rd Marine Division (Trimble’s’ old division) will be relocated ballplayers at the new Trimble Field in the Marine Corps in 1944. from Okinawa to Guam in the next few years, and thus Trimble in Yona, Guam. The sculpture and Field will be an important resource for the families of the Division restoration of the field was led by On Guam he was the leading as well as the people of Guam. the American Veterans Center, and pitcher for the 3rd Marine made possible with a grant from the Division’s All-Star team, getting The completion of the new Trimble Field is a proud accomplishment Issa Foundation and contributions from numerous donors. a win in the “Little World Series” of many people, including Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Feller who game played on Saipan. served as chairman of the fund raising effort for the field. Despite Deployed to Iwo Jima with the 3rd Division, Trimble served as a being a decorated veteran of World War II, Feller says, “I’m no personal guard for Gen. Graves Erskine, the Division commanding hero. Heroes don’t come home,” Jimmy Trimble certainly fits that officer. Trimble left the relative safety of this position to volunteer description. Trimble’s story is as inspiring today as it was 60 years as a scout on a dangerous scouting mission on the night of March ago. In the words of Gen. Erskine (which will be inscribed on the 1, 1945, in which he was killed in fierce hand-to-hand combat. memorial), “His name will not be forgotten and his brave spirit will Following Iwo Jima, Erskine ordered the 3rd Division ball field be strengthen and inspire us in the hard battles that still lie ahead.” named Trimble Field in honor of the fallen hero. James C. Roberts is President of the American Veterans Center.Below is the Fittingly, the new Trimble Field is located less than a mile from the text of the letter from President Bush read at the dedication ceremony. original. The American Veterans Center led the effort to raise funds AVQ for the new field, with approximately $70,000 collected to date. The New The White House - Washington Trimble field includes an enlarged I send greetings to those gathered for the dedication of Trimble Baseball Field in honor of the life playing field, new fences, bleachers and of Private James Trimble III, USMC, who fought and died on Iwo Jima. scoreboard as well as a memorial featuring a life-size bust of Trimble Throughout our history, loyal citizens have assumed the duty of military life and upheld a great fashioned by sculptor Terry Karselis, tradition of honorable service. Brave Marines, like Private Trimble, served courageously on Iwo Jima as they fought for our security and advanced the cause of liberty. Americans continue to be inspired who has done numerous sculptures of by the valor and integrity of those who fought this battle and in World War II. When it mattered Marine Corps heroes. The memorial most, an entire generation of Americans showed the finest qualities of our nation and humanity. features the inscription: As part of the Yona, Guam community, this baseball field will serve as a lasting tribute to Private Private James Trimble II USMC Trimble, a talented baseball player and outstanding Marine whose exemplary service in combat 1925 – 1945 rd reflected how he lived his life with character and courage. The Trimble Baseball Field will encourage Pitcher for the 3 Marine Division new generations of athletes to strive for excellence. All-Star Team Killed on Iwo Jima March 1, 1945 I applaud the people of Yona, Guam, Mayor Jose Terlaje, the Young Marines, the members of the World War II Veterans committee, and all who were involved in making this baseball field a reality. Presiding over the ceremony was Yona Your hard work, determination, and patriotism inspire others. Mayor Jose Terlaje. Also in attendance Center Veterans American were numerous members of the Guam Laura and I send our best wishes. legislature, the Deputy Commander of - George W. Bush American Valor Quarterly - Spring 2008 - 17 WWII The Japanese American Experience

“Go For Broke.” That was the motto of the 442nd Regimental Combat In addition, a small but wise group of government officials Team, which served as a reminder of how each man in the all-Japanese obtained President Roosevelt’s approval to form an all-volunteer, American outfit had to prove himself on the battlefield in order to prove his segregated Japanese American unit for combat in the European loyalty to his own country. While the internment of Japanese Americans Theater. This unit was called the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. during World War II is an example of an unfortunate mistake made by a Eventually, 13,000 Japanese Americans served in the 442nd in great country, the fact that a great many Japanese Americans fought so hard Europe and 3,000 served in the Asian Pacific Theaters—many in for the U.S. despite such treatment is a testament to America’s goodness. combat units on the front lines.

At the 10th Annual Conference, several Japanese American veterans of World A total of 33,000 Japanese Americans, men and women, served War II gathered to tell their stories. For Joe Ichiuji, Grant Hirabayashi, in the armed forces—many with great distinction. Eight hundred Grant Ichikawa, Kelly Kuwayama, and Medal of Honor recipient George of them made the ultimate sacrifice. We are here to tell you their Joe Sakato, World War II provided the stage to show that they, too, belonged story. among the Greatest Generation. The panel was moderated by Terry Shima, veteran of the 442nd RCT and Executive Director of the Japanese American To the panelists: During World War II, your loyalty was questioned. Veterans Association. There was blatant discrimination and prejudice. How did you deal with this? Terry Shima: The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on December 7, 1941 changed the lives of Japanese Americans Joe Ichiuji: I’d like to answer by saying that I volunteered for the forever. They were tarred by their own government and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. I wanted to prove that I was a American people with the same brush that was used to condemn loyal American and wanted to fight for my country during a time the Imperial Japanese. The Commanding General of the Western of war. And I also wanted to prove that the U.S. government Defense Command reflected that attitude when he said, “A Jap is was wrong in the internment of Japanese Americans and to treat a Jap, regardless of who he is.” “Jap” of course is a derisive us as enemy aliens. So I felt that this was the only way to get my word, and the U.S. Congress has passed a resolution banning it friends out of the camp. from use, and we prefer and request that it not be used. The government fanned this hysteria. Grant Ichikawa: On February 19, 1942, President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which in effect gave Lt. General Japanese Americans already in the service, like Joe Ichiuji, were John DeWitt, Commander of the Western Defense Zone kicked out of the military and joined the 120,000 Japanese including the states of California, Oregon, and Washington, the Americans who were involuntarily removed from their homes authority to put all Japanese Americans—many of them U.S. and placed in 10 U.S. Army guarded camps located in America’s citizens—into stockades ringed with high barbed-wire under the wasteland. At the same time, the Military Intelligence Service quietly guard of the U.S. Army. recruited Japanese Americans to serve as translators, interrogators, communication interceptors, and infantrymen to work behind That was the blackest moment of my life—being treated as an enemy lines to sabotage their operations. enemy alien. In fact in September 1942, the draft board reclassified us as 4-C, meaning enemy alien unfit for draft, unwanted by the Above photo: Men of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team march U.S. Army. Yet in November 1942, there was a recruitment team

National Archives through France in late 1944.

American Valor Quarterly - Spring 2008 - 18 that came from the Army’s military intelligence looking for sergeant who told me to come to his office. He told me that I volunteers to fight against Japan. had been discharged for the convenience of the government. I didn’t know why they were discharging me—I didn’t do anything My question was, “Why are they visiting us seeking recruitments wrong. But it was because the government had decided that I when we were all considered to be loyal to Japan?” That was the was no longer fit for service because of my Japanese ancestry. reason why we were in the camps to begin with. But anyway, I wanted to prove my loyalty and asked my parents if I could So after saying goodbye to my new buddies, I went home to volunteer. They said, “This is your country. Volunteer if you must. help my family prepare for the evacuation, and we shipped to a But do not bring shame to this family.” So I volunteered and relocation camp in Arizona. Even though I had not been in went to Ft. Snelling with about 25 others, and we were sworn in Arizona before, the camp in many ways reminded me of life in as privates in the U.S. Army. When I put on that uniform, I felt the Army. You lived in temporary barracks, you went to a mess whole again and regained my self-esteem. I was happy to have hall and ate the same food, and there were community bathrooms. the opportunity to prove that we were loyal Americans. The major difference was that the armed guards pointed their guns in at us, and not out. Grant Hirabayashi: As a soldier, I was exercising my right and duty as a citizen, but in the back of my mind, I knew I faced two We made the best of it. We tried to maintain a normal life behind wars: one against the enemy abroad and one against the enemy the barbed wire fence. We helped the camp director with of prejudice at home. I felt that if I did my best, it might hasten administration of the various departments—health, food, security, the release of my parents and siblings who were behind barbed education, social activities. We worked five days a week and played wire. sports in our free time. In the evenings we had dances, and on Sundays we went to church. George Joe Sakato: When I first volunteered, they told me that I was 4-C and an enemy alien. How can I be an alien? I was born In 1943, the Army War Department authorized the formation and raised here! of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. They asked for volunteers from Hawaii and the camps. When the recruiters came to my The 100th Battalion, which was a reserve unit in Hawaii, allowed camp, I was among the first to volunteer. As I said, I wanted to Nisei (second generation Americans of Japanese ancestry) to serve. prove that I was a loyal American and I also felt that this was the After training at Camp McCoy in Wisconsin and Camp Shelby, only way to get my family out of the camp. After training, we Mississippi, they deployed to Europe. They became known as were sent to Europe, landed in Naples, assembled and headed the “Purple Heart Battalion” after fighting in Italy and earned a north, where the 100th Infantry Battalion became the 1st Battalion reputation for fighting hard despite huge casualties. General Mark under the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. We entered combat Clark told the Army to send him more men like this, so President in June of 1944 and fought for three months to push the Germans Roosevelt finally signed the decree allowing us to join the Army. northward. In September 1944, we were sent back for rest and replacement, and were then transferred to the Seventh Army for That is when I volunteered. I volunteered for the Air Force but combat duty in France. when I got to the camp, there were no planes. “You’re in the infantry,” they told me. So I became a part of the 442nd Regimental Terry Shima: In combat, what was it that motivated you? Combat Team. Kelly Kuwayama: I came from New York City where there Terry Shima: Both Mr. Sakato and Grant Hirabayashi volunteered were quite a few recent immigrants, and many descendants of for the Air Force, but were not accepted. Only three Japanese Italians and Germans. So there were few questions regarding our Americans were able to serve in air combat duty as gunners, and loyalties. We always began our day in school with the Pledge of none served in the cockpits as pilots or navigators. But that would Allegiance, and we believed in “One nation, under God, indivisible, change after the war. with liberty and justice for all.”

Joe Ichiuji was drafted before the war, and was already in the When we went into combat, we entered into the lines above military before Pearl Harbor. Joe, tell us your story. Rome. We met no resistance entering the lines in the early daylight, but began to hear fire during the night. As we crossed a bridge, I Joe Ichiuji: After being drafted, I was sent to Camp Roberts, saw laying at one end two Germans, and at the other, two California for basic training and field artillery. I had just completed Americans—they were all dead. I realized that this was equal basic training when Pearl Harbor was bombed. That is when combat. These men were young, and about my age. things changed for me. I felt that we had to fight, and to go forward. I was scared going I spent about 45 days on maneuvers along the coast of Washington up to the lines, and thought to myself, “Well, this is it.” That day, while stationed at Ft. Lewis. One day, I was called by the first the commander of the 2nd Battalion was killed. He was from

American Valor Quarterly - Spring 2008 - 19 Hawaii and classmates with many of the men in the 442nd. They tried to cross the meadow in the valley to get to the hill, the held him in the highest respect. After we were hit, I became so machine guns and mortars would start on us. We realized that to engaged in what we were doing that despite the shells, mortars, take the hill, we would need to go around it, at night, to take it and machine gun fire coming in, I was no longer scared. I was from behind. too busy, and in combat, you learn to obey orders and push forward. We marched all night, holding on to each others’ backpacks so we didn’t get lost in the dark. At dawn, we started the attack. I was a medic. And whenever I heard that word yelled I would Now, we had the Germans surprised, and my unit was able to run forward and flash my Red Cross flag. The Germans respected take their machine guns out. The others took the mortars out. I that and did not shoot me there in Italy. It seems like we fought was in a foxhole while Kelly was attending one of the wounded on hill after hill, constantly, taking casualties along the way. I mainly soldiers when he got a “German haircut.” The bullet hit and spun worked to stop the bleeding, put on a tourniquet or bandage, around in his helmet before dropping down—one inch more and stabilize them for the squad to take them away. and he wouldn’t be with us here today.

In combat, it’s a day to day proposition. You live from day to I had a Thompson submachine gun I had taken from a disabled day and minute to minute, and you’re scared every time you head tank, which I just fired until I ran out of ammunition. I was down up to the front line. But once you’re in combat, you’re too busy. in my foxhole, filling up my clips, when the Germans went and The need to constantly move swallows you up. For me, it was the took the hill back from us. I told the others to watch out for the need to give the wounded as much comfort as possible. incoming fire, when one of my buddies stood up and got shot. I crawled over and picked him up, and he died in my arms. I just Terry Shima: George Joe Sakato was awarded the Medal of lost it then, and picked up the Thompson and charged the hill. Honor for his actions in France, going beyond the call of duty. In late 1944, the 442nd attacked the Germans near the town of We captured a great many prisoners there, before heading back Biffontaine, near the German border. Its objective was to take to camp. A few days later, the 442nd was sent to rescue the Lost Hill 617, which was held by the enemy and overlooked the railroad Battalion—a battalion from the 141st Infantry Regiment from line from Strasbourg to Paris. George, you led an assault on the Texas—that had been surrounded by the Germans. There were hill that day, which was responsible for its capture, killing seven 280 men in that battalion. Over 800 of our men in the 442nd and capturing over 30. What led you to undertake such an action? were killed or wounded in the rescue attempt of these 280, over half of our roster. I had been wounded before the rescue. I George Joe Sakato: When I volunteered for service, I had no Company returned with 12 men standing, and K Company had idea what I was getting into. I remember early in battle, with the 17. When it came time for the review of the troops, only a handful explosions all around, I couldn’t tell what was incoming and what appeared. Commanding General Maj. General John E. Dahlquist was outgoing. I remember at one point hearing an asked where the rest of the troops were, and our colonel, Lt. incoming shell, which exploded near me, Col. Virgil Miller, said, “This is all there is!” knocking me ten feet from where I was standing. I picked myself up, and I was in the hospital for nine months before returning to duty. patted myself down to make sure Fifty-two years later, President Clinton gave me this Medal of I was alright, and I noticed the Honor. That is my story. fellow next to me, lying on the ground, shot through the Terry Shima: And in 2004, at the dedication of the World War jugular vein. And I couldn’t II Memorial, President Bush told this same story. stop the bleeding—it was just coming out. Then the artillery Grant Hirabayashi served in the 5307th Composite Unit started coming in again. So I (provisional)—better known as the famed Merrill’s Marauders— crawled into my helmet behind enemy lines in Burma. Later in the war, he interrogated and asked myself why in Japanese prisoners, one of whom accused him of being a traitor. the hell I volunteered for this. Grant Hirabayashi: This prisoner was brought in to us on a stretcher after he was wounded. I asked the guard to give him Hill 617 was located first aid treatment, then bring him in early the next morning for across a valley from interrogation. And when I inquired how his treatment was, he where we were coming looked me in the eye and said, “You are a traitor.” from. Every time we A squad leader in the 442nd RCT scans for German movements across a “Traitor?” I said. “You can see that I am an American. I’m an American soldier fighting for my country. You are Japanese—a

U.S. Army Photo Army U.S. valley in the mountains of France. November, 1944.

American Valor Quarterly - Spring 2008 - 20 “Shoot you?” I said. “I don’t have the bullets to waste on you. But I do have a sword. You can commit Hara-kiri and demonstrate how it is done before the enlisted men.” And I left.

When I came back, he said to me, “Mr. Interpretor, I have had a change of thought. Please get me out of here.” From that point, he became much more cooperative.

Terry Shima: On July 15, 1946, President Harry Truman reviewed the 442nd RCT on the Ellipse after they marched down Constitution Avenue. This was the first time in history that the U.S. President reviewed a unit as small as a regiment. He told the Nisei soldiers, “You fought the enemy abroad and you fought prejudice at home—and you won.”

The Nisei who served on the European and Pacific fronts in The members of the Japanese American veterans panel at the 10th Annual Conference meet with high school students following their World War II solved, once and for all, the question of loyalty. presentation. Afterward, the veterans met with the students individually Discrimination and prejudice were no longer an issue. Positions to be interviewed for their school projects. in all branches of the service began opening up, and by the time of the Vietnam War, Japanese Americans served in the most loyal Japanese soldier fighting for your country. If you were to sensitive war planning positions. There have been 35 Japanese cut our veins, the same blood would flow. But don’t you call me Americans promoted to the rank of general and admiral since a traitor.” Vietnam—a remarkable record when compared to World War II when the highest rank held by a Japanese American was that Well, he called me a traitor again, and I had him placed in the of major. This demonstrates the greatness of America—a nation center of the stockade. When I arrived, he pulled me aside and that recognized it had made mistakes, corrected them, and moved

said, “Mr. Interpretor, I’d like to die.” I asked how he would like on to become a stronger country. And we are proud to defend Center Veterans American to die, and he said that he wanted me to shoot him. the freedoms and ideals that this country represents.

AVQ You’ve Read Their Stories, Now Hear Them First Hand! As you know, the mission of the American Veterans Center is to preserve and promote the legacy of America’s uniformed men and women from the Greatest Generation to the latest generation. For the last decade, the AVC, the World War II Veterans Committee, and the National Vietnam Veterans Committee have had the panels from each of the annual conferences recorded to share with the public, and with future generations.

Now, you are able to watch video of the conference panels from the comfort of your own home! The AVC has posted video from the conference, as well as its many other events, on our webpage at www.americanveteranscenter.org. If Lt. Col. Richard E. Cole, co-pilot of Jimmy you are not able to attend the conference yourself, this is your opportunity to Doolittle on the legendary raid on Japan in 1942, learn about American military history from the men and women who made it. speaks at the American Veterans Center’s conference. Panels Include: The Doolittle Raiders - The Band of Brothers - We Were Soldiers: The Battle of Ia Drang - Valor: The Medal of Honor - The Heroes of Today AND MUCH MORE!!! To watch video of America’s greatest heroes telling their stories, visit: www.americanveteranscenter.org/avcvideos

American Valor Quarterly - Spring 2008 - 21 Valor at Chosin The Story of Thomas Hudner and Jesse Brown The American Veterans Center’s 10th Annual Conference included a panel probably a signal to the North Koreans that if they wanted to devoted to America’s “Forgotten War”—Korea—on November 10, 2007. take over South Korea, they could do so without worrying about Included in the panel was Captain Thomas J. Hudner, Jr., whose incredible the United States. story of heroism is among the greatest of the war. Hudner was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions in the attempted rescue of Jesse Brown, his Now, if my history is correct, the dictator of North Korea, Kim friend and fellow aviator whose plane had crashed during the Battle of Chosin Il-Sung, wanted to take over the South, but checked with the Reservoir. We were honored to have Capt. Hudner tell his story at the Chinese first to see if they would give him support. Mao Zedong, conference, and are proud to share his remarks below. the Chinese premier, assented, but in such a way that the North could not expect his help should they get into trouble. Stalin also I received my wings in 1949. I had gone through the Naval gave him his assent, though the word was essentially the same— Academy, and was there during World War II. That was “if you get into trouble, don’t come to us.” acknowledged as being the worst war in the history of mankind, with tens of millions of people being killed throughout the world. With that, Kim made his attack on South Korea, and it almost There were so many times in World War II when we could have turned into a disaster for the South. Fortunately, President Harry Truman (who was at the time not considered to be an especially strong leader, especially following Franklin Roosevelt) had the knowledge, the background, and a real sense of history to realize that if the whole country of Korea became communist that all of East Asia would be in danger. And communism would become a great threat to the peace of the whole world.

We continued operating in the Mediterranean for another month, flying operations and becoming better trained, when out of the blue we got word that we were going to Korea, because our forces were in desperate straits. Due to the surprise of the attack, the North Koreans forced the South Koreans all the way to the south, to the Pusan Perimeter at the extreme end of the peninsula where they were almost forced into the water. But they were able to hold out while our forces arrived to help the South Koreans.

Ensign Jessie L. Brown, the U.S. Navy’s first black aviator, was On September 15, 1950, while we were still en route from the one of the Navy’s most promising young pilots during the Mediterranean, the allies invaded at Inchon, behind the North Korean War. He was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Korean lines, which completely turned the war around. The North Flying Cross for his service, and the frigate, USS Jesse L. Brown, was forced back, as they did not have the logistical support to was named in his honor. maintain them that far from home. In the meantime, we arrived come close to losing it, but when it was over in 1945, we felt as if and began operations on October 10. By then, the allied forces, we had finally wiped out our adversaries. At that time, I was at with the Americans, were pushing the North Koreans up toward the Naval Academy, graduating a year later. When we graduated, the border with China. Incidentally, the Chinese warned the U.S. we felt like we had no real mission, since the war was over. After that if they got too close to China, they would enter the war. This I got my wings, we were sent to the Mediterranean for a traditional, caused a great deal of concern among the Joint Chiefs of Staff, annual cruise around the area, and it was while there that we got who worried that we might tempt the Chinese to enter the battle. the word that North Korea had invaded South Korea. A fellow by the name of Jesse Brown was in our squadron. Jesse We didn’t even know where Korea was. Korea wasn’t much of was born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, the son of a sharecropper. a factor in World War II; while the Japanese did have several He was a good student and athlete in school, and always wanted bases that they used during the war, other than that, it was not to fly but could never get into military aviation because blacks, as ever on anybody’s mind. As far as those of us in the fleet were far as he knew, were not allowed to fly, outside of the Tuskegee concerned, Korea was just “there.” As a matter of fact, on January Airmen. Still, he was encouraged to get into aviation while at 20 of 1950, six months preceding the invasion, Secretary of State Ohio State University, and ended up getting his wings and became Acheson said in a widely publicized press conference that Korea the first black Naval aviator. As a young officer, he was assigned was outside our sphere of interests, indicating that no matter to the same squadron as I was, and was considered to be one of

U.S. Navy NewsStand what happened there, we would not get involved. Well, that was the most promising pilots in the squadron. American Valor Quarterly - Spring 2008 - 22 Jesse and I were conducting an armed reconnaissance mission in we had to get out of there. He said there was no way we could support of the men fighting at the Battle of Chosin Reservoir on fly in those mountains in the dark with the instrumentation that December 4, 1950, when he called and said he had lost oil we had. So we had to leave Jesse. We told him that we didn’t pressure—probably from ground fire which had pierced his oil have the equipment to help him, and that we were going back to line. He crashed on the side of a mountain and, because of the get it and come back—which we knew was not so. I don’t know intensity of the crash, his plane buckled at the cockpit so the if he even heard us, because he had probably already died. fuselage was bent at a 20 to 25 degree angle, and smoke billowed out from under the cowling. There was no doubt in the minds I was taken to a Marine camp about 15 miles away at Hagaru-ri, of those of us flying overhead that he had perished in the crash. near the foot of the Chosin Reservoir. and was put up in a small So the flight leader left us and climbed to a higher altitude to get tent, designed for only four people, with ten others. It was the better communications and call for a rescue helicopter to retrieve coldest night I ever experienced, and the weather was so bad Jesse from the wreckage. they couldn’t send in an airplane to take me back to my carrier. Three days later—on December 7, the ninth anniversary of Pearl While he was gone, however, Jesse had opened the canopy of Harbor—they did send an airplane in, and was taken back to my the cockpit and waved to us, to let us know that he was alive. But ship. Because communications were so poor, they weren’t sure for some reason he didn’t get out of the airplane. We received whether Jesse had been saved or if he had died. When the captain word from the flight leader that the rescue helicopter was on its finally received the word on what happened, he ordered aircraft way, but would take at least a half-hour before he could get there. I felt that because of the smoke, the plane could burst into flames before the helicopter could get there, and the fire would overtake Jesse. So I decided to land as close as I could and pull him out of the cockpit, and wait for the rescue helicopter. I was able to land, since it wasn’t as if I was crashing into the side of a mountain, but more of a slight upslope with about two feet of snow covering the ground. It was cold, probably about zero degrees that day, but it got down to about 35 below at night in the elevations around 3,000 feet above sea level. When I got to Jesse’s plane, I could see that he wasn’t able to get out due to the way the fuselage was bent—it had pinned him into the cockpit so that his knee was jammed between the side of the cockpit and the control panel. Well, the snow on the soles of my boots made them just like ice so that I couldn’t get any leverage or firm footing to try to free him or pull him out. I went back to my airplane, which was not flyable though the radio still worked, and asked that the rescue helicopter bring a fire extinguisher and an axe if they had not left yet. It turned out that the helicopter had already Lt. (jg) Hudner, with his family behind him, is presented the Medal of left, but when the pilot heard that there were two of us to rescue, Honor by President Harry Truman on April 13, 1951. He was the first he had to go back to drop off his crewman, but was able to get American serviceman to receive the nation’s highest miltiary award for the Korean War. the extinguisher and axe. Helicopters in those days were quite delicate, and he could not carry more than three people. He was off to the site to drop napalm on mine and Jesse’s planes, to also delayed when he arrived, because he could not find a suitable incinerate them and keep them from the enemy. It was also a place to land on the side of the hill. I later learned that he was cremation for Jesse, so he would not be left there the way he was. worried that if he landed in the wrong place on the snow, the helicopter might have rolled over down the mountain, and we We operated in the area for a few more weeks, and after the would all be in trouble. He eventually landed successfully, but withdrawal from the Chosin Reservoir, the allies reestablished even the two of us working together could not get Jesse out of themselves in South Korea, and the war lasted for another 2 ½ the cockpit. years, swinging back and forth until a truce was finally signed on July 27, 1953. Most people do not realize that, officially, the war I had been talking with Jesse throughout, and despite his injuries, never ended. And while it might be the “Forgotten War,” and he had remained very lucid—he was not panicked at all. I can’t some feel that we may have lost it, it was in reality a victory.

believe how calm he was. He was giving me more confidence, South Korea is today one of the most advanced industrial Library Online Center Historical Naval but I should have been giving him confidence. But after a time, countries in the world, while the North is a disaster, and is he would lapse off, falling unconscious from the fatigue of what unfortunately one of the greatest threats to world peace today. he had gone through. When it became clear to Charlie and I—the pilot’s name was 1st Lt. Charlie Ward—that we couldn’t move AVQ Jesse, he pulled me aside to tell me that because dusk was coming, American Valor Quarterly - Spring 2008 - 23 American Valor Quarterly - Spring 2008 - 24 Joseph Galloway: It is an honor and a pleasure for us to be here today, and it’s kind of a rare occasion for all of us to sit at the same table and have a chance to talk to a good audience about the experience and what it has meant to us all over the years. Coming up will be the 42nd anniversary of that Sunday: 14 November, 1965, when Lt. Col. Hal Moore took his battalion into a place called Landing Zone X-Ray in the Central Highlands in a place called the Ia Drang Valley.

My own memories began just after dark when I bummed a ride off of the man near the end down there with the gray hair, wearing the black hat—”Ancient Serpent Six,” Bruce Crandall, gave me a ride in. I was very eager to get that ride. He also gave me a ride out on the 16th of November, and I was pretty eager to get that ride, too! Through the years, I have cursed him for the ride in, and thanked him for the ride out. But, in truth, I wouldn’t have missed it for anything in the world. It truly did change my life, and I think it changed all of Then-Lt. Col. Hal Moore with North Vietnamese casualties at LZ X-Ray during our lives who were there and survived, and it certainly the Battle of Ia Drang. changed the lives of our brothers who fell there and their families. poorer and far different and far less. We all love him. He’s a hard taskmaster. He’s still working my ass off, as we finish another My most enduring moment, though, has to be on the morning book, which will be published in August 2008. The title is WE of the 15th, about ten minutes before 7:00 AM, when literally all ARE SOLDIERS STILL: A Journey Back to the Battlefields of hell broke loose and a couple of battalions attacked Bob Vietnam, and I think it’s a pretty good story, but he is sure working Edwards’s Charlie Company at the perimeter, and I learned me hard. Hal, over to you. rapidly what it meant to be in the beaten zone. Everything they fired at Charlie Company that didn’t hit something passed right Lt. General Hal Moore: Thank you Joe. In short, the battle at through our command post, which was a rather barren termite LZ X-Ray, 14-16 November 1965, constituted the major turning hill, and I was laying flat on my belly, feathering out at the edges, point in my life. I had commanded my battalion for 14 months cursing my buttons and zippers while there were a lot of pops at Ft. Benning, Georgia. I knew all my troopers well, though we and zips buzzing over my head. Then I felt a thump in my ribs, got a new batch of troopers in just before we left Ft. Benning. and carefully turned my head sideways to see what it was that But I had great company commanders, two of whom are sitting had hit me. And it was a size 12 combat boot on the foot of Sgt. at this table with me—Tony Nadal and John Herren. We got to Maj. Basil L. Plumley, a bear of a man out of West Virginia, and Vietnam, and there was little or no action. We went to a base he leaned at the waist and shouted over the din of battle, and camp outside of An Khe village, and did some patrolling. You what he said was this: “Can’t take no pictures laying there on the may recall that in those days, it was a draftee Army; there were ground, sonny!” And I thought, “Well, he’s right!” I later would very few regular Army voluntary enlistees. Most of my troopers learn that sergeants major are always right. And it passed my mind, were drafted; one of whom was the great soldier sitting to my at that point, that I was with the 7th Cavalry, a unit I had heard of left, Bill Beck, a 19-year-old kid out of Pennsylvania. When we before, in a river valley, surrounded by an overwhelmingly superior went into the Ia Drang Valley, the authorized strength of my force of the enemy. And it hadn’t worked very well about 100 battalion was 750 officers and men, and due to soldiers returning years before in a place called Little Big Horn. So it seemed to me to America for discharge, a few men wounded, and a few men that we might all die here today, and if we did, there could be down with malaria and other tropical diseases, my total strength nothing finer than to get mine standing up alongside a man like was approximately 450 officers and men. So we entered battle Sgt. Maj. Plumley, so like a fool, I got up. And everything was gravely under strength. But you don’t think about that—you just okay after that. All the fear went away, and I did my job, and think about accomplishing your mission. History Military of Center Army U.S. photos: right and Left other jobs as were needed. So that’s my memory. We were sent out to the Central Highlands west of Pleiku for Now, I’m going to introduce to you Lt. General, retired, Harold patrolling on the 10th of November, and we patrolled around G. Moore, Jr. Hal, who was our battalion commander, is, since the Plei Me Special Forces Camp for a few days, but made no those days, my best friend in life and my co-author. I don’t know contact worth mentioning; we captured a prisoner, and evacuated what my life would have been if I hadn’t met him, but surely far him. At 5:00 in the afternoon on November 13, the brigade

American Valor Quarterly - Spring 2008 - 25 commander, Col. Tim Brown showed up at my location, dropped we went on a lot of other operations, and Hal would always tip in on a helicopter, and said, “Hal, you’re going to go into the Ia me off, wherever I was hiding out, and I would scoot up from Drang Valley tomorrow morning. We’ve got 16 helicopters, and Saigon or down from Da Nang, and I generally always marched your mission is to search for and destroy the enemy.” with Alpha Company. Tony and his radio operator and I would dig a hole on some hillside, and if it was quiet enough, lay back, So I said, “What is the enemy’s situation, Colonel?” He said, “There smoke a cigarette, look at the stars, and talk about what we might are three battalions of fresh North Vietnamese, fresh off the Ho do and what we might become when all this was over. And we Chi Minh Trail that just crossed over the border from Cambodia never lost track of each other, and we’re still best friends today. into the Ia Drang Valley. Your mission is to find and kill those Tony, take it away. three battalions.” An up-to-strength North Vietnamese battalion in those days was 500 officers and men. So we were going up Col. Tony Nadal: We have been best friends for a long time. against a possible 1,200 to 1,500 of the enemy, with my 450 men. Sometimes I used to smoke cigars, which I stole from Bruce The major problem I had, having selected my landing zone, was Crandall; he had them in his helicopter, and I’d take them when I getting all the troops in before the fight started. That was my big jumped in the helicopter. First, last, and always, my memories of concern. There was about a 25 minute round trip by helicopter X-Ray are about my soldiers. The quality of service given by the from the pickup zone near Plei Me Special Forces camp to the young men of this battalion was extraordinary. At this table sits a landing zone at X-Ray. So my apprehension was that we would lot of the leadership of the battalion, and I will immodestly say get into a hell of a fight before I had all of my under strength that the battalion had good leaders. But it all finally came down battalion in. And that’s exactly what happened. to the rifleman pulling the trigger and holding his position and assaulting the enemy. And Bill Beck represents the best of the I was the first man on the ground, out of then-Maj. Crandall’s soldiers in our unit. As General Moore said, it was a draftee helicopter. Me, the Sergeant Major, my two radio operators, and army; we went in with soldiers who had 14 days left in the army, my intelligence officer—Captain Metzker—hit the ground, fired and they gave their all in the battlefield. Secondly, the other memory our rifles into the trees and ran across a dry creek bed. But we that will be with me forever will be that of Hal Moore. He is just made no contact. I was very happy about that. It told me that I a man of great virtue, and a great leader. Honest, great integrity, would be able to at least get a few of my men in before we and has been a role model to me for most of my life. made contact. But that was a hope which didn’t work out. We captured a prisoner—Captain Herren’s company—and I rushed After a day’s fighting, when we’re tired, worn out, very thirsty— over to that prisoner with my interpreter. It was a scared teenager; we had all run out of water. There is a Rudyard Kipling poem no weapon, empty canteen, and he thought we were going to kill called Gunga Din, which begins with a paragraph that says: him. We asked him what the situation was, and he told us there were three battalions of North Vietnamese on the mountain, and You may talk o’ gin and beer they wanted very much to kill Americans, but they hadn’t found When you’re quartered safe out ‘ere, any. At that point I ordered Captain Herren to intensify his An’ you’re sent to penny-fights an’ Aldershot it; reconnaissance in that area, and shortly after that all hell broke loose. By then I had Tony Nadal on the ground with his company, and I had never heard such a loud cacophony of noise. I pulled the chain on everything I could put my hands on—fighter-bombers, field artillery, mortars. That started the fight, and it went on non-stop for two days and three nights. I lost 79 men killed, 121 wounded, and none missing. The proudest accomplishment of my life is that I never left one man missing in action or taken as a prisoner of war on the battlefield.

Joseph Galloway: Next up is our good friend Tony Nadal, retired Colonel. A captain when I met him, Alpha Company, 1st Battalion 7th Cavalry, Company Commander. And if I have a spiritual home in the Army, that’s it. After X-Ray, U.S. Army Center of Military History

American Valor Quarterly - Spring 2008 - 26 Joseph Galloway: A helicopter flew in, and they unloaded a marmite can full of split pea soup, that was still warm. And you know there for a moment, I thought if the U.S. Army could actually get a can of hot soup out to a company of troops— infantry—doing an operation, maybe we could win this goddamn thing! But we didn’t.

Sitting next to Tony is one of my absolute favorite of all people, I smile when I see him. He just lightens my heart. Lt. Col. George Forrest, retired, Company Commander of Alpha Company 1/5 Cav., “Tail-End Charlie” of the company going to LZ Albany, about to walk into one of the greatest disasters to befall an American company in Vietnam. He did something remarkable: the battalion commander—not Col. Moore, I might point out, but another man—commanding the 2/7 Cavalry, as they were Cyril Richard “Rick” Rescorla, a platoon leader at Ia Drang, in the famed approaching the clearing called Albany about three miles away photo that appeared on the cover of We Were Soldiers Once...And Young. from X-Ray, he called all the company commanders in the column Rescorla was decorated with the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, and the to march forward. And they went forward with their first Purple Heart, and retired a colonel. sergeants and their radio operators, and they were a long way His heroism did not end in Vietnam, as after retirement from the from their men when the hammer went down on a fierce ambush, military, he would become Director of Security for Dean Witter (now and about 155 American boys were killed in the next six hours. Morgan Stanley), based in the World Trade Center in New York City. He And most of the company commanders were away and trapped, personally took charge of the evacuation of the building following the away from their men; they had been called to the head of the 1993 bombing, and was the last person to leave. Tragically, he was killed column. George Forrest’s men were at the back of the column, in the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, again about 600 meters. And when the first mortar shells landed, George while evacuating his fellow employees. The example of Rick Rescorla is turned on his heel, his two radio operators behind him, and he yet another demonstration of the concepts of duty and honor com- ran 600 meters through the middle of the enemy ambush to get monly displayed among the veterans of Vietnam - then and now. to his men, and save most of their lives. His two radio operators running behind him were not so fortunate—they didn’t make it. But when it comes to slaughter But George ran the fastest 600-meter dash that’s ever been run in You will do your work on water, the history of mankind. George Forrest, the mic is yours. An’ you’ll lick the bloomin’ boots of ‘im that’s got it. Lt. Col. George Forrest: First of all let me say what an honor And that was absolutely correct, because under the adrenaline- it is for me to be here with this group of long-time friends. But pumping situation of battle, you become very thirsty, and you before I make my remarks, I want to just send a tribute to all the drink all of your water very rapidly. By 5:00 we were out of young men and women who are fighting for what we believe is water and all thirstier than hell. Plus, we’d been fighting all day freedom. And so my hat goes off to you, young men and women, and had casualties. We had to go on an assault, and I knew the because you are doing what this country needs to have done. troops were worn and tired, so I gathered them together at a creek bed, and gave them a little speech that there was a platoon One of my recollections, or lessons learned, was never be attached. out there that was our soldiers, and we have to go get them. I tell Attached is like being the red-headed stepchild. I was the company this story because the reaction of the soldiers was superb. Their that walked into X-Ray, and walked out of X-Ray, because my response was to say, “Yeah! Let’s go get them, let’s help them!” parent battalion, as Joe said, was 1/5. I want to piggyback on Nobody hung back. We went out on the assault, and I’m standing what Tony had said, that the fondest memories of my youth out in the middle of this field, and a machine gun opens fire, and were the men who looked to me for leadership. Joe talked about on one side of me is my artillery forward observer and his radio this run I made, and depending on the audience and the number operator and on the other side of me is one of my radio operators, of beers I’ve had, the run gets longer every year and the older I and this machine gun opened fire and killed the lieutenant to my get. I get a little faster, too. But this may sound melodramatic, but right—I watched as the compass on his chest exploded. Then the the only safe place on the battlefield, because again, I was attached, man on my left—Sergeant Jackie Gell—one of my good friends I didn’t know anybody in that battalion that I was attached to. So in the company—fell dead. In that circumstance, the only thing my guys, and where there was safety for me, was at the end of you think about is that I’ve got a job to do. I grabbed another that column. So this run that everybody talks about, was more soldier, put the radio on him, and continued our mission. for me because it allowed me to be able to get back to safety, and in the midst of all that chaos—and again, I know it sounds Peter Arnett/AP

American Valor Quarterly - Spring 2008 - 27 melodramatic—but it helped me, because when I got back there, I consider myself very fortunate, for many reasons. For one, I’m I was with my own men who made my job a lot easier. here. Two, when I joined the 1st Cav—it was the 2nd Infantry and then became the 1st Cav—I trained under Hal Moore for Unfortunately, as I said, I didn’t have the pleasure of serving over a year. My company went through the air assault training under Hal Moore, and did not meet him personally where he and he was a terrific leader and trainer, and he trained us hard. would know who I was until after the book was written. And And it paid off. I remember the runs, and the physical activity, when Joe contacted me to participate in the writing of the book and the discipline. He instilled that in us. And that meant a lot. to make my contribution, I declined. Because on that day that we And then of course, I was with him in combat. He was a fantastic walked out of LZ X-Ray, I lost 17 young men who I often commander, and he made the right decisions. He didn’t commit wonder what they could have been had they survived. The thing the whole battalion when I had my platoon cut off, but he played that haunts me is, did I do enough to save these bright young the battle the way a great commander does. When I got into the Americans? And I remember Joe, when he talked to me, because fight at LZ X-Ray, I went in with Bruce Crandall, a great aviator I told him about these nightmares that I was having, he said that I had been training with already, who I had been getting cigars I could approach this two ways: you could think about those 17, from as well, along with his people, including Ed Freeman. And or you could think about the other 90 or so that did make it then, once we were in there, and the battle developed, who did I because of what you did. That came home to me last year when have on my left but Tony Nadal, a classmate of mine from West I met the grandson of one of my troopers, who said to me that Point and a great soldier, and I had my left flank covered. At a “my father is here, that I am here, because of what you did for particular time in the battle when we were engaged, I moved my father.” And so I thank you for this opportunity to be here, around to an open area, because I happened to have direct contact and these guys who are sitting here at this table are among the with a North Vietnamese scout, and my M-16 fell apart—not a greatest Americans. We talk about the Greatest Generation, but good situation—so I moved around the left, and there was Bill for me, they are sitting at this table. Thank you. Beck with his machine gun. So I said, “Bill, they’re in that creek bed.” And of course he started firing in that direction. I was Joseph Galloway: George, you were the hardest nut to crack. going to mention Joe Marm, who received the Medal of Honor, He hid from me for six months, but I wasn’t going to give in. because I watched him assault the anthill in a move to go after the I’m glad that he finally took that phone call. platoon I had that was cut off. And then, of course, we had Joe Galloway reporting all of this. I remember when we brought the Next up is Col. John Herren, another great platoon out on stretchers, all these reporters had come in by friend, and another great leader on the Chinook, and they all were trying to get the story, but I wouldn’t battlefield, Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, talk to them. It was all very traumatic moment for me with my 7th Cavalry. A steady, strong, good leader, men being taken out on the stretchers, but Joe never harassed me and a good commander all the way like that, and of course he was a great reporter. through, and a good friend to ride the river with. John, take it away. I think one of the reasons that this battalion did so well was because of the men we had, and the NCOs. I had Col. John Herren: Thank noncommissioned officers who had fought in Korea. I had one you Joe. First off, I’d like to platoon sergeant who enlisted at the age of 16 to go into the recognize a special guest Army and go to Korea. He got over there and they found out he here today, Specialist was 16, and they sent him right back. I had another one who Travis Webb, a double blew a bridge at the Chosin Reservoir in the Korean War who, amputee from unfortunately, was killed with the platoon that was cut off. He Walter Reed, who was killed covering the platoon’s move into a defensive position was with the 7th so they could hold out for the next 24 hours. They were great Cavalry in Iraq. NCOs; they, and the men, were fantastic, as the others have mentioned.

I’ve been asked over the years, “Did you ever think that you wouldn’t make it?” And I never did. Because of, number one, Hal Moore. I knew that as long as Hal Moore was in command, we were going to make it. And because of the NCOs and men in my company as well as the other companies. I guess finally, one of the greatest honors I had was that I had one of my officers and one of my soldiers who named their sons after me. And that certainly meant a lot. U.S. Army Center of Military History

American Valor Quarterly - Spring 2008 - 28 Joseph Galloway: We’re going to bring up next Specialist-4 Bill the ones who are with us today, and the ones who made it here Beck, assistant machine gunner, A Company, 1st Battalion, 7th to Washington, DC on Veterans Day. I’ve been coming down Cavalry, LZ X-Ray. You know in 1993, all of us here at this table here for 25 years—so have Tony and the rest of us. And I’ve went back to Vietnam on a very special trip, and we went back always wondered why they did that year after year. But it is to eventually to the battlefields with the enemy commanders. But meet those who are still around, and to share the good times and before we did, we were all at a dinner on a floating Chinese the good memories, and never forget guys like Travis, that have restaurant on the West Lake in Hanoi, and they scattered us at sacrificed and are sacrificing today. He will never be forgotten. different tables, and Bill was seated at a table with George Forrest, And to have the privilege to sit at this table. How many people and one of Col. An’s infantry colonels, who had been a lieutenant can say one of their best friends, and the guy they served next to, at the battle of X-Ray, and through the interpreter he asked Beck, is a Medal of Honor recipient? That’s Bruce Crandall, here to my “Where were you?” And Beck grabbed a napkin, and drew a right. I’m so honored to be with all of these gentlemen. Thank quick sketch of the battlefield and the dry creek bed, and put an you, General Moore, and captains and colonels, and Joe Galloway. “X” right beside it. And George helpfully reached over and next Without you, the rest of us would have been swept under the to the “X” drew the symbol for machine gun. And the North rug, and nobody would have ever heard of us. Thank you very Vietnamese colonel much. turned white, and his mouth fell open, and Joseph Galloway: he gasped, and Before I turn from Bill through the Beck, I want to tell interpreter he said to you that I go over to Bill, “Your machine see him and his wife, gun killed my Jenny, every once in battalion. Four awhile, and we’d go hundred men. My partying a little bit in best friend, among his hometown in them, and I am Steelton, PA, kind of godfather to his a rough mill town. daughter. I just They’ve got a lot of married her off last good bars there, and month. This is very we explored them all. hard for me.” And And what I found Beck looked at him Men from Bravo Company under then-Captain John Herren advance at the X-Ray perimeter. was that Bill Beck is a and nodded, and hero in Steelton for said, “Well, it wasn’t all that easy for me, either.” Bill, your mic. what he did on the battlefield, but he was a hero before that. On a very tight game for the state championship basketball in Bill Beck: Thank you, Joe. Those were tough times. It wasn’t Pennsylvania, which, believe me, is almost as big as high school easy for us, either. Those men killed and wounded my friends— football in Texas, Bill Beck sacrificed himself. The other team my best friends—guys to the right and left of me. What I would had a guy who would later go on to play and coach in the NBA like to say right now is that I’m very humbled and honored to be and be a star, and he was kicking their butts. This guy was a 30-40 at this table, with these great Americans here. These combat point a game guy, and he was doing it to them, and Beck came veterans who I fought with elbow to elbow. I’ve seen their actions up and just drew back and nailed him right on the chin, put him in combat. I’ve seen what kind of men they were, and how brave down and out, and Steelton won the game! They had to have a they were, and I followed them. I must have been out of my police escort out of town, but they won! mind then! But when my company commander said, “Let’s move!” we followed him. Each and every one of us. Because we Bill Beck: That’s not something I’m proud of! believed in our leadership. And we had the best-damned leadership you would ever want. I’m privileged to know these gentlemen Joseph Galloway: He says he’s not proud of it, but Steelton is! and I thank you all. I know their actions, and the rest of our And you won’t find a better friend in a foxhole or a watering friends who fought there, are some of the reasons I’m here today. hole than Bill Beck. Everyone put in 110%, and it was called survival. And together

as a team, most of us made it back. George made a hell of a Now, flying “Tail End Charlie” on this panel is another great History Military of Center Army U.S. statement just a minute ago that I had never heard. For years, I friend and raconteur, and equally adept at foxholes and watering dwelled on the men we lost. My best buddies that I would never holes around the world: “Ancient Serpent Six” Bruce Crandall, see again. I would only have memories of them. But George otherwise known as “Ol’ Snake Shit.” We were all there in February said it best. We’ve got to focus on the ones who made it home, this year, when President Bush hung that blue silk ribbon and six

American Valor Quarterly - Spring 2008 - 29 pointed star around his neck, 40-some years late—but better late For the next year, I jokingly said that people at this table were than never. A recipient of the Medal of Honor, the third of our trying to get me killed for the whole damn year! I didn’t know comrades from the Ia Drang battles to receive that signal honor. who the enemy was exactly! But I lifted these guys for a year, and I don’t know of a battle where they handed out more, though felt like I was given a wonderful opportunity to do so. We trained there may have been a battle where they handed out as many. with them, and that’s one of the things that made us so effective. Bruce, your mic. One of my aircraft that was supporting us on that day disappeared on the 28th of December, and we never found them. So I had Lt. Col. Bruce Crandall: Thank you. I want to first observe four MIAs, and that’s really tough to have. A KIA I could do that I learned a long time ago from John McCain after I insulted something about; I could write the letter saying how sorry I was. him on the mic, and he got the mic afterward, to try to be the last But how do you write a letter saying that I can’t find your husband one on the mic. In case one of these guys tried to go after me, I’d to a woman that you’ve known for several years, and you know have a little more time to get even! their kids? That’s the tough part. It is hard to sit yourself down to write the As you noticed, I do have the Medal letter, when you finally realize that the of Honor, but I wouldn’t put it on guy is not going to be found. So MIAs with this group. They all deserve it, should not be forgotten. and I felt that for years. And I love them all. I think I would be much One more thing that I would like to wealthier today if they hadn’t been say, is if you saw George Forrest come stealing my cigars all those times! I lost running down through your area, all my flight pay to cigars just to Tony! you’d probably let him go too! He is as fast as he says he is, and he’s quite a We had a saying at that time; I come bit bigger than maybe he should be! out of the assault helicopter company, No, everybody at this table is a friend and the saying of Army aviation is I would walk through hell with, and I “Above the Best.” And it didn’t mean suspect that we’d be welcomed there that we were better than those on the by some of our friends! ground, but it meant that we were above the best people in the world Question from the audience: You who were on the ground. We mentioned Sgt. Maj. Plumley. Where supported our infantry, and we loved is he now, and can you talk a little them. We took all of the harassment about his background? that they gave us, the nonsense about us flying back to the base camp, Joseph Galloway: Delighted to. sleeping under sheets, fooling around Sergeant Major—now retired- Joseph Galloway served three tours in Vietnam for with nurses, and having massages— United Press International. He would be awarded the Command Sergeant Major, one of the that was all true, but still! We tried to Bronze Star with Valor for rescuing wounded American first people to hold that exalted rank cover it up! soldiers while under enemy fire during the battle at LZ in the U.S. Army—retired after 33 X-Ray, the only civilian to receive that award from the years service in Columbus, Georgia. On the fourth trip into X-Ray, we Army during the Vietnam War. Did 15 more years working for the received some ground fire, then on Army at Martin Army Hospital on Ft. the fifth lift all hell broke loose. Out of my 16 aircraft, eight of Benning. Retired again, and he’s 87, I think, this year. He is crustier them got to the ground on the fifth lift and four of them had to than Sam Elliot could even portray in the movie. Not a man to be grounded when we got back to the base and Plei Me. My trifle with. A man of few words. Listen carefully when he says radio operator was shot through the throat—he was a young something, even today. He lives with his wife in Columbus, and radio operator from the infantry who never got off the aircraft. still occasionally travels around and makes a talk or two. If he People were hit before they were able to get off. So it turned to comes anywhere near you, he’s worth listening to. hell. And for the next few hours, until about 10:30 at night, we were going in and out of that landing zone. One of the things He joined the Army in 1941 and became a paratrooper. I asked that I remember most about it is that Hal Moore would be on him, “Why did you become a paratrooper, Sergeant Major?” He the radio, and I would be talking to him, and he’d be so damn came out of West Virginia, out of the hills and hollows, and he calm that I wondered if he knew what was going on. Because said, “I joined the Army to keep from starvin’ to death, Joe.” He people were trying to kill me, and it didn’t seem to be a big joined the paratroopers because it was worth $60 more a month concern to him! in pay. He made, and survived, all four combat jumps of the 82nd Airborne in World War II—Sicily, Salerno, Normandy, and Joseph L. Galloway

American Valor Quarterly - Spring 2008 - 30 practices. Part of that training leads to trust. Trust is hard to get, it’s easy to lose, and once you lose it you don’t get it back. And execution is what your people do as a result of those first three elements.

Col. Tony Nadal: I think one of the key components of leadership is having a will inside of you to want to lead, and the ability to transmit that to the unit. Hal had that. There’s a quote from Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, the famous German general, and he said, “The battle is not lost until the commander decides it’s lost.” One of the things that happened at X-Ray was that none of us ever thought the battle was going to be lost. Hal Moore never thought of that, I never thought of that, and I know John didn’t. So we were able to transmit that, somehow, to our troops. And they certainly didn’t think we were about to give up. So, the will to win is also the will to excellence, and we’ve got to transmit that will through the chain of command.

Joseph Galloway: Hal, do you want to say a word about leadership?

Lt. General Hal Moore: Over the years, since I was a cadet at Bruce Crandall is presented the Medal of Honor by President West Point, I have come down on a handful of principles which George W. Bush on February 26, 2007 at the White House. have guided my life, and also guided me on the battlefields. And I’ll pass these on to you, for what they’re worth. Number one: in Holland. And then one combat jump with the 187th in Korea, the game of baseball, three strikes, and you’re out. Not so in the that’s five stars on his master jump wings. He also wears the Combat game of life. Three strikes and you’re not out. There’s always one Infantry Badge with two stars on it, World War II, Korea, and more thing you can do to influence any situation in your favor. Vietnam. The U.S. Army only ever gave out 270 of those CIBs. All you’ve got to do is think, “What else can I do?” And after He’s a very special man, and it’s a very small club he belongs to. that, there’s one more thing you can do! And the more “one And I’m proud to call him a friend, and boy, I’m sure glad I was more things” you do, the more opportunities open up. Next, on not an enlisted man in any operation he ever ran! He was tough! the battlefield, I always tried to be where the action was going on. I think that a battlefield leader has got to be seen. His Question: As I sit here and listen to your stories, I realize that I composure, his actions, his tone of voice on the radio, the look in am looking at true American heroes, and some amazing leaders. his eyes. And the same goes in the civilian What was it that made you such good leaders, and what advice world, in many occupations as do you have for those men and women who are serving in the well. military today?

Lt. Col. George Forrest: I think that first of all, training is key. I have, in my second life, developed this formula that I believe can be overlaid on any situation, and I call it LITE: Lead, Inform, Train and Trust, and you’ll get Execution. Good leadership creates good execution. You see, information is a double-edged sword. Good information helps you make good decisions, and bad information can destroy you. As far as training, I often look at professional athletes—I’ll just use Tiger Woods as an example. When Photo Army U.S. Bottom: Photo House White Top: he’s disappointed is not on the good shots, it’s on the bad shots, because he doesn’t expect to make any of those. He practices, and practices and Under enemy fire, Bruce Crandall’s UH-1 Huey drops infantrymen into the combat zone in the Ia Drang Valley.

American Valor Quarterly - Spring 2008 - 31 Joseph Galloway: Well, the general and I have been back six or seven times. Two years ago, I was in Hanoi, Hue, Da Nang, and Saigon, and I hit Saigon as they were having the 30th anniversary of the fall of Saigon to the communists. But they didn’t want to, excuse my French, piss off the Americans because they do a lot of trade with us, somewhere in the vicinity of $8 or $9 billion a year, interestingly about the same amount of trade they do with China. They like to keep things in balance. The Vietnamese are very skillful, very interesting people. So they’re having their victory parade; they scheduled it for 7:00 in the morning, and they post police three blocks in either direction. The public is not allowed to attend the victory parade. Curious, but that’s part of what they wanted to do. They did it for television and broadcast it up north, and that sufficed. But they The Ia Drang panel at the American Veterans Center’s 10th Annual Conference flew in General Vo Nguyen Giap, the victor of on November 10, 2007. fights against Japan, China, the U.S., the French, From left to right: Joseph Galloway, Lt. General Hal Moore, Col. Tony Nadal, Lt. Col. the Cambodians, you name it. They flew him down George Forrest, Col. John Herren, Lt. Col. Bruce Crandall, and Bill Beck. as the grand reviewer of the parade, and I watched him closely—Hal and I have interviewed Another principle that I have employed all my life, since before I him about three times. He was up on the platform and the third went to West Point, is that in any situation, you’ve got to think, or fourth float in the parade was the American Express credit “What am I doing that I should not be doing?” and “What am I card float. And there were Vietnamese girls in Ao Dai costume, not doing, that I should be doing to influence the situation in my dancing around and shaking large American Express cards in the favor?” There’s always one more thing. And finally, next to last, face of this old revolutionary, and the third float after that was trust your instincts. I learned early in my life that your instincts are the Visa card float. And I thought to myself, he’s got to be standing the product of your experience, your reading, and your personality. there saying, “We won the war, but we lost the peace!” I left this And throughout my life, and particularly on the battlefields of last trip feeling that Vietnam had changed, and changed for the Vietnam and Korea—I was a captain infantry officer in the Korean better. That some of the benefits of this new prosperity were War, and fought on Pork Chop Hill twice, Old Baldy, T-Bone, trickling down to the ordinary people on the street and in the Charlie Outpost—I learned you must trust your instincts. And paddies and out in the villages, and that’s a good thing. They’re an when time is critical, your instincts are your best resource. If your interesting people. gut tells you one thing, and your heart tells you another, I go with my gut. Trust your instincts. Lt. Col. Bruce Crandall: My oldest son was in Hanoi about three weeks ago; he is a national banker, and there was a group And finally, as the song goes, “I never promised you a rose garden.” of them who went. And he noticed that the American influence, Life is not a bed of roses. And you’re going to be hit with adversity although we left there and pulled out, the American influence in now and again. And when you’re hit with adversity, I’ve learned the time they were there remained. The people in the South in that you’ve got to believe that you will prevail in the end. Although particular took up free enterprise, and are very much into making it may be a hell of a problem in between. But believe that you a buck. And we noticed when we were there that the currency of will prevail in the end. Now the worst adversity a man can have— the tags on all the goods in Hanoi was in U.S. dollars and the I lost my wife three years ago, after 54 years. Talk about adversity. Vietnamese currency, the dong. It’s been many years since any of To walk into an empty house, it’s no fun. But I believe that I will us fought in that country, but the impact of what we were when see her again. Thank you. we were in that country stayed behind.

Joseph Galloway: We have time for one more question, so make WE ARE SOLDIERS STILL: A Journey Back to the Battlefields of Vietnam it a good one. by Lt. General Hal Moore and Joseph Galloway will be released in August 2008, and will be available in bookstores nationwide and at online Question: Can you tell me what has changed in Vietnam in the distributors such as Amazon.com. years since the war? Video of this, and other panels from the 10th Annual Conference can be seen at www.americanveteranscenter.org/avcvideos. AVQ Left: Joe Portnoy/American Veterans Center; Right: U.S. Army Photo

American Valor Quarterly - Spring 2008 - 32 The Battle of Tarin Kowt An Excerpt from Veterans Chronicles

All Americans remember where they were on September 11, 2001. The then leave. So when I was with them, we were the only Special attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon led the United States Forces team training with them; the only military unit training military to undertake Operation Enduring Freedom—the removal of the with them at the time. Taliban regime and their terrorist allies from Afghanistan. Playing what turned out to be a vital role in the early days of the fight against the Taliban Pell: And you were there on September 11, 2001. was then-Army Special Forces Captain Jason Amerine, whose elite eleven- man team worked with and advised an Afghan opposition leader—Hamid Maj. Amerine: Right, we had been there for about three weeks Karzai—during the battle for Tarin Kowt. The victory achieved by the when September 11th occurred; right there at the end of our allied forces helped to propel Karzai to become President of Afghanistan. training and getting ready to come home. Then, after September 11th, because the air flights were frozen, we ended up staying At the Tenth Annual Conference, now-Major Amerine sat down with Gene another 10 days. Pell, host of the American Veterans Center’s weekly radio series Veterans Chronicles to recount his part in one of the most amazing stories of Gene Pell: What were your thoughts when you heard about the Operation Enduring Freedom. Stationed in the Middle East in Kazakhstan attacks on New York and Washington and the crash in when the attacks occurred on September 11th, Amerine and his men knew Pennsylvania? exactly where they would be going next… Maj. Amerine: It’s funny the clarity one has. I received a phone Maj. Jason Amerine: When I went Special Forces, my first real call from my liaison working at the American embassy in Almaty; assignment was in Kuwait, as part of our rotations there to help we were actually outside of Almaty training the paratroopers at defend Kuwait against Iraq. I commanded two Special Forces the time. He called first to tell us that there had been an accident teams, ODA 572 and then ODA 574. When I took over 574, at the World Trade Center, then he called back later, clearly in our mission was to work in Kazakhstan for the better part of a tears, to tell us that, in fact, the World Trade Center had been year. In the year leading up to 9/11, I spent much of the year attacked and what was going on. And there was no question in flying back and forth to Kazakhstan to train their paratroopers. our minds that it was al Qaeda, and there was going to be a war They had an insurgency that was sponsored by the Taliban called in Afghanistan. We knew it. No doubt, no question. Our thoughts the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan that they were fighting, so were to get back and get ready for the war. There was no special we were really teaching counterinsurgency skills to the Kazaks. intel being fed to us, we were just very aware of the terrorist threats. There was that clarity. Gene Pell: What kind of U.S. presence was there in Kazakhstan, just you and a handful? Ten days later we went back to the United States and went into a deliberate planning process where we did some last-minute Maj. Amerine: Kazakhstan was definitely warming up to the training, and went into isolation in preparation for going into United States; not to anger the Russians, who they also needed as Afghanistan. an ally, but Kazakhstan is and will continue to be afraid of the Chinese, so they see their relationship with the United States as a Pell: One of the things that intrigues me is that when you went in way of countering the threat of China, which goes hand in hand there, you went in with a force of less than a dozen? with their friendship of the Russians. So they’ve been opening up for a number of years, and have had the 82nd Airborne up there, Maj. Amerine: Initially, my team went into Afghanistan with as well as a number of military units. Generally, though, it has not nine, because of weight restrictions, we had to bring in our other been very many at a time. Just one unit will train with them and two guys about four days later. ourselves faced in a giant convoy of Taliban coming after us. Pell: Did you make immediate contact with Karzai’s forces? After that fight was over, that was when Karzai realized that he actually did need an army. So my team found itself at one point Maj. Amerine: Yeah, there were actually two steps to this. Initially all alone because our guerillas abandoned us; the nine men of my we flew down to Pakistan, and we began some of our planning team were sitting outside of town in a couple of pickup trucks there. And when we infiltrated, we infiltrated to this town to the directing American air strikes against somewhere between 500 west of Tarin Kowt in Oruzgan Province. That is where we linked and 1,000 men that were coming to seize the town we were up with what few men Karzai had. At the time, on the ground, holding. This was near the town of Tarin Kowt. you only had about a dozen guys that met us, but later we figured we had a force of somewhere around 40 or 50 guys. Pell: The goal of the campaign, from what I understand, was to retake Tarin Kowt and then strengthen their stronghold in Pell: And what were your impressions of him? Kandahar?

Maj. Amerine: Hamid Karzai speaks English fluently, almost Maj. Amerine: The goal of the campaign was to start in Oruzgan, with a slight British accent. He’s a very intelligent man, and a very the birthplace of the Taliban movement, to seize Oruzgan, and literate man. When you speak to him, you feel then make our way down to Kandahar where like you are speaking to a statesman or at least a we would force the Taliban regime in Kandahar scholar of some kind. He is very insightful and to surrender. Kandahar at the time was really very intelligent. I had to figure out whether or the capital of the Taliban, not Kabul. But, that not whether I trusted him, and he had to figure was where Karzai and I had a bit of a out whether he trusted me and my men. disagreement in terms of what it would take. He viewed it as really a series of negotiations And so it was almost like we had to open up to and nothing more, and I viewed it as a each other immediately; there wasn’t time for negotiation to be accompanied by an iron fist. any games. So I felt like I got to know him to So when we got on the ground and were told the point where I trusted him, that I trusted the that the capital of Oruzgan Province, Tarin insights and the intel that he was providing us in Kowt, had risen up, inviting us to come take terms of what we would be doing in Southern the town, we did it with about 50 guerillas and Afghanistan. And I think he likewise trusted us my team of nine guys, and that was all we had. that we were going to do our best with him. He was always concerned as to whether or not Major Jason Amerine as portrayed in Pell: But this convoy was marshaled to come we were going to abandon him, given the U.S. the America’s Army video game - the take it back? history in the region, and that was something official video game of the United that all I could do was assure him that my team States Army. Maj. Amerine is one of Maj. Amerine: Right, there was a convoy that would do its best to live up to all of our four of the Army’s present day heroes was then marshaled from Kandahar to come to appear as a character in the game. obligations to one another throughout this north and to seize Tarin Kowt from us. So as I campaign. And in the end, we did. say, within 72 hours we didn’t have any guerilla army to speak of, and even then, as soon as the convoy came within sight of Tarin Pell: But his intelligence and achievements aside, did he have any Kowt, the guerillas took off and ran, leaving my team to take inkling toward any military tactics? care of the situation themselves.

Maj. Amerine: Karzai had no military background whatsoever, Pell: Which was done largely by air strikes you called in? and that was actually one of the more difficult things from the beginning. He didn’t believe we actually needed to raise an army, Maj. Amerine: Right, there were two phases to the fight. My or believe that there would be any kind of combat involved in team had found this just incredible ridgeline outside of town, the campaign. He really saw it more as a matter of him negotiating with an enormous valley from which to engage the Taliban when with the tribal belt to get them to roll over and surrender. So my they came up on the attack. And at that point we had about 25- team’s role was to show symbolic support to him and he didn’t 30 guerillas with us. The Taliban convoy came to us exactly when see it going much beyond that. In fact, he didn’t want my team to and where we expected, and the guerillas took off and ran. The go in initially. And this was something that I just had to make problem was that the guerillas had the trucks, and my team didn’t. clear to him; that the Taliban were not going to just roll over and So all we could do was retreat with them back into Tarin Kowt. die. This was going to get bloody. And I don’t think I got that When we got back to Tarin Kowt, we told Karzai what had across to him. It was one of those things that we just agreed to happened. He was pretty surprised to see us so soon—we told disagree, but he said that he would form an army. My team got him we were taking the trucks and heading back out to keep up on the ground on November 14, and on November 17 we found the fight, and for him to send all the men he could. So my team www.AmericasArmy.com

American Valor Quarterly - Spring 2008 - 34 drove back out to the edge of town. At that point the skies were very loudly about what he thought in the long run if the Taliban filling with F-18s and F-14s. We began directing air strikes against regime fell. Over the next few weeks, we continued to build an the convoy. As we were directing the air strikes, the townspeople army, finally raising an army of about 300. We communicated started to come out. It almost looked like carnival on the streets; with the Northern Alliance, making sure that they stayed in the you had old men, young men, children, and you even had women north and stayed out of the Pashtun tribal belt where they might surrounding our trucks there on the edge of town, watching as have restarted the civil war. We also talked to the Taliban and our planes were blowing up the enemy. began to orchestrate the surrender of Kandahar.

When the Taliban got to the edge of town and started to dismount Pell: When did the United States finally come to the decision that from their vehicles, and began attacking the town itself, we were this was to be the horse that they backed? able to get the people to fight off the Taliban. That is where things got pretty dicey again, when we started hearing the small Maj. Amerine: That was an interesting thing about it. Our initial arms fire and seeing the firefights break out around the city, that course of action was to back the Northern Alliance, and I don’t was the second time that morning that I wasn’t sure if we were think we had a very good understanding of the ethnic geography going to hold on to it. When the Taliban reached the city, my air of Afghanistan itself. The biggest portion of the population, 40% power was worthless, but in the end, the townspeople fought of the people, were Pashtun, so the country has historically been off the Taliban who made it into the city. Our aircraft destroyed led by a Pashtun leader. And what we really didn’t realize was the rest of the convoy, and by about noon that morning the trying to install an Uzbek, Tajik, or Hazara Northern Alliance Taliban were in full retreat. leader would have provoked, possibly, another civil war, because the Pashtun would not accept anybody but a Pashtun as the leader Pell: The psychological effect of that had to have been enormous. (at least at that stage). But we had no real Pashtun leaders in the South. Abdul Haq was a Pashtun, who was a warlord, and a Maj. Amerine: Yeah, that was the thing; we would be directing veteran—he was somebody who could have possibly had a major air strikes and have some major battles over the next few weeks, role in the government, but he was captured and executed. When but that was the major event for us in the South. It solidified my team went in with Karzai, nobody really viewed him as a Karzai as more than just an expatriate that was working outside serious political leader initially. It was something that really snuck of Afghanistan who was trying to do good things for the country. up on everybody. Suddenly on November 17, we fight for and He was a leader—a military leader, a statesman, in a more hold Tarin Kowt, and within the next few days, Karzai was rounded manner. Karzai was suddenly the man to speak to in the suddenly on the radar as a very important figure. So it really south—the Pashtun leader in the south. The Northern Alliance wasn’t so much that we decided to back him as it became obvious began talking to him, and he really earned their respect by virtue that he was the person to back. Prior to that, we just didn’t know of that battle. The Taliban had already spoken to him a little enough about him; we didn’t know his capabilities or what he because they were worried about what he was doing in the south. represented. Then, all of a sudden, it became obvious that he They knew he was somewhere running around, but they didn’t was a pretty important leader. My team still didn’t think of him know what he was up to. Now they were definitely speaking as the future leader of the country; we viewed him as an important leader in the future of the country. We certainly didn’t think he was going to be the interim leader, then appointed by the Loyal Jirga, then finally elected popularly as President.

Pell: So where are we today? It’s been a few years since the timeframe we’ve been talking about. What’s your assessment about what’s happened since?

Maj. Amerine: Karzai’s been in power for six years. NATO and the United States have been working very hard to establish good governance in the country, and to promote stability in the Karzai regime. We continue to fight al Qaeda in the border region, and we’ve continued to fight the Taliban. We’ve fought warlordism, and attempted to demobilize a lot of the warlord armies of the country. It’s definitely been an uphill fight, and an ongoing counterinsurgency operation. As such, in a snapshot, what Afghan President Hamid Karzai with President Bush at Camp David in August of 2007. Karzai had rejected the Taliban movement when it fell happened this week and what happened last week, we have good under the influence of foreign terrorists. He returned to Afghanistan in weeks and bad weeks. In the long run, I think things have been Photo House White October of 2001 to help lead the fight against Taliban rule. He became going about as well as they could be, but that isn’t to say that the first directly elected President in the country’s history in 2004. things look like they are all that great. There is still a lot of violence

American Valor Quarterly - Spring 2008 - 35 that, there’s going to be no reason for them to switch unless we go in there and force them to do so. And that’s where we play a delicate game. The harder we fight the opium industry, the harder it is to, at the same time, maintain stability in some parts of the country, because some of the people who are supporting us now are going to turn against us once they see the poppy industry put under intense pressure. So we need to play a delicate game where we stand up the government, the Afghan army, and the Afghan police so they are strong enough to handle it when we see a whiplash from those who are making money off the drug trade.

Pell: So it’s a minefield for Karzai as well?

Maj. Amerine: It’s always been a minefield. I think that in the early years of our work in Afghanistan, while a lot of people Maj. Jason Amerine speaks with Walter Ehlers at the 2007 conference awards banquet. Ehlers was awarded the Medal of Honor for actions were screaming loudly that we were ignoring the poppy crops, it during the invasion of Normandy in World War II. was actually good that we weren’t doing too much. We’re slowly ramping up our efforts, but we are doing it in such a way that we in the country, and it has a long way to go. The most important aren’t overwhelming the government in doing so. thing, though, is that people continue to support the central government and the Karzai regime, and we’re continuing to trudge Pell: There are other sources of income for the Taliban as well along to fight the insurgency and do what we can to rebuild the that continue to be what one would call almost traditional these country. days—insurgents in Pakistan, al Qaeda, Iran.

Pell: What is the basis of the remnants of Taliban sympathizers? Maj. Amerine: Definitely. This insurgency is not based on the poppy trade, and it’s not based on something that is surviving Maj. Amerine: The Taliban are, I think, a very misunderstood only by virtue of that money. You have militants across the border, entity. The Taliban are not a unitary actor. Because they are not a and still have relations between al Qaeda and the Taliban in parts unitary actor, it makes analyzing them tricky. You have Pashtun of the country. It’s a fairly low-tech insurgency that doesn’t require Taliban in southern Afghanistan in the areas where I fought. You a lot of money. When you look at a lot of the tribes that are have Pakistani Taliban in Waziristan that are also mixed with fighting on behalf of the Taliban, they are just alienated tribal Pashtun Taliban there. And all of these groups that you see across elements that live off of subsistence agriculture. They don’t really the country each have their own motivations. In some cases you need money from the opium industry to endure. are talking about tribal elements that simply reject the government. And so they support this overall Taliban insurgency. In other cases Pell: What’s your prognosis? Positive? Negative? Neutral? you have people who truly are radicals, and it isn’t so much that they are rejecting the government that they are embracing the Maj. Amerine: I’m very positive, but I’m only positive from the Taliban ideology: religious extremism. In other cases you have perspective that we’ve been there for six years and Karzai is still tribes that are bought off or pressured by the Taliban. It’s such a in power and things are improving. If, suddenly, people are complicated animal to try to take down that we’re going to see clamoring to see major results in the next five years, or they want very different strategies in the Pashtun tribal belt in Afghanistan us to scale down—something along those lines—then I’d be very from what we need to do in Waziristan to fight the extremists. negative about it. I still see this as being a good 10 to 15 years One of the keys for Afghanistan and the Pashtun Taliban is building before we feel like we’ve really made significant inroads to where good governance, rebuilding the country, and also conducting we can start bringing the troops home. And I think our talks with the tribal elements that support the Taliban, which Karzai commitment is going to have to remain about where it is. It has been attempting to do. might even be better if we had a few more troops over there. I can’t quantify those numbers, but if you look at what we have Pell: Regarding the economy, there was one sector of the right now, I think that while we have the minimum needed, we economy that did not start from zero and continues to be the could have some more over there that would make us more most influential, is it not? I speak of poppies. effective. But regardless of that, whatever number we have is going to have to stay for a long time before we really feel Maj. Amerine: The biggest moneymaker informally in the comfortable bringing people out, or else we would leave the economy is opium. The poppy industry is huge, and growing, Afghan government to collapse into chaos. and it’s never been bigger. Our challenge is to find a way to have the farmers produce something other than poppy. Until we do This, and other episodes of Veterans Chronicles can be heard weekly on Radio

Joe Portnoy/American Veterans Center America stations nationwide, and on our website at www.americanveteranscenter.org. American Valor Quarterly - Spring 2008 - 36 AVQ Operation Phantom Fury The Second Battle of Fallujah

On March 31, 2004, a group of American contractors working in Iraq Our mission was the ultimate mission for an infantryman. We were attacked and dragged from their vehicles in Fallujah, a city in the Al came to Iraq to rebuild it, to stabilize it and to return it to the Anbar province, located about 43 miles west of Baghdad. They were beaten, people of Iraq to allow them to have democracy and to enjoy set on fire, and drug through the streets before their bodies were hung from a some of the blessings and liberty that we’re so privileged to have. bridge crossing the Euphrates River. But it became clear to us that Fallujah had become a sanctuary for insurgents and terrorists, and our mission was to remove These violent actions prompted the United States to launch Operation Vigilant them from the city by force. Resolve, an action intended to capture or kill those insurgent elements responsible for the murder of the American contractors. Despite successes on the ground, We had four Marine infantry battalions and two Army cavalry the offensive was called off before its completion following a request by the battalions that composed the assault force, and a whole host of Iraqi government. Hopes that local forces could provide security while quelling others who ensured that we could cordon the city effectively and the insurgency—which at the time was centered in Fallujah—were not realized, not allow anyone to escape as well as to cover the other lines of and the city fell further into the hands of insurgents and violent jihadists who communication into Baghdad. It was a joint operation and took barricaded themselves in what was essentially a terrorist base. By early fall far more than the six battalions that actually physically assaulted it. of 2004, it was clear that U.S. forces would need to return to Fallujah. This time, they would finish the job. We also integrated a large amount of Iraqi security forces that were shoulder-to-shoulder with us in the city. They really On November 10, 2007, just over three years since the launch of Operation performed their duties very well. It gave us great hope that they Phantom Fury, three of the warriors of Fallujah came together to share would be able to take over and assume the lead in many regards. their experiences at the American Veterans Center’s 10th Annual Conference. The panel was introduced by Marine Col. Willy Buhl, and featured Marine Sgt. Jeremiah Workman: For me, when I got to Iraq it was not Sergeant and recipient of the Navy Cross Jeremiah Workman, and Army a question of if we were going into Fallujah, it was when we were Staff Sergeant and recipient of the Silver Star David Bellavia. going into Fallujah. You got a very eerie feeling when you drove into that city. You could see the houses, and you could just tell it Col. Willy Buhl: The importance of Fallujah is that it lies along was going to be an ugly fight. Once word came down that we the supply route from the Syrian-Jordanian border. It is one of were actually going into the city, morale went through the roof. the last major cities before Baghdad. Fallujah is a big concentrated city, just under 300,000 people. Everything that came from Syria The Marines were ready to go—we don’t like to sit around and and beyond went past Fallujah. wait. I remember thinking to myself, “this is it.” Marines sat there before going in, listening to music, and preparing themselves The city was very concentrated; it was an old city with narrow mentally. November 7 was the day the battle kicked off, and streets, two to three story homes built like fortresses with large while the battle was officially over about a week later, we were walls around it and heavy metal gates. Fallujah is in the heart of tasked to start pushing back through the city almost like squeegee, Sunni Iraq, so many of these folks were empowered and enriched picking up the weapons and ammunition that were left behind. by the regime of Saddam Hussein. It was not a friendly place to be as we tried to stabilize the country after removing Saddam’s During the battle you didn’t have time to stop to clean all that up. Photo Corps Army U.S. regime. We had been doing that for about two weeks while encountering little pockets of resistance.

American Valor Quarterly - Spring 2008 - 37 in the bullets. I got to the top and turned around, and nobody else had come up with me! The stairs went up a bit, then turned to go to the second story. In the corner you were shielded from the fire, so from there I looked down and told my guys to get up there, and they yelled at me to come back down. I lost the war—I had to come back down.

Coming down was as bad as going up. When I got down, we reorganized, and on the second try we made it back up the stairs. We were firing back and forth, when this yellow grenade came flying at us. I’ve never seen anything like it—when it went off, it was like the whole room was on fire. Everybody was alright, though, and they kept fighting. We started to run low on ammo though, and had to leave the house to reload.

A satellite image of the Iraqi city of Fallujah, center of insurgent activity in 2004. When we went back in, it was the same deal— Beginning on November 7, United States soldiers and Marines entered the city from the fighting back and forth with the insurgents. I couldn’t north, pressing due south block by block, and house by house. Sgt. Jeremiah Workman’s tell if they had come out and dragged the downed 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment entered the city from the far north-western edge, Marines into the room with them, but the fighting pressing south along the Euphrates River. Immediately to their right was 3rd Battalion, was intense. One of the Marines with me was a guy 1st Marines under the command of Col. Willy Buhl. Army SSgt. David Bellavia, with named Phillip Levine from the Bronx. There was a Task Force 2-2, entered Fallujah from the extreme north-east side of the city. lot of automatic gun fire flying back and forth, and On December 22, the other section of my platoon went out and all of a sudden, I heard Levine in that thick New York accent got into a bit of a scuffle out in the city. We rotated days to go screaming. I looked back and saw that his arm was literally out, and the next day, December 23, was our day. I had a gut dangling—and I froze. He really didn’t have any use of his arm, feeling that something was going to happen that day. but he was still trying to raise his rifle up with one arm to continue firing. It was that moment right there that is part of the reason I Just like any other day, we pulled up and dismounted. I took my am still a Marine. Seeing what those other Marines were doing guys on the right side of the street and my buddy Sgt. Jarrett motivated me so much to keep going because, at that point, it Kraft took his squad on the left side. I was on the second story was getting pretty ugly in that house. of a house when I heard M249 SAW (Squad Automatic Weapon) fire. It didn’t really surprise me because a lot of times we would We got Levine down to the corpsman who wrapped him up. go into a house and shoot into the closets and beds and couches He was trying to steal my pistol so he could get back into the because these people were hiding. When it started going back house and rejoin the fight. He tried to grab a pistol from every and forth, I could tell that it wasn’t just Marines doing the standard Marine that walked by because he could still fire with one hand. I clearing of a house. So I grabbed my guys and ran across the think that says a lot about the man, and the type of Marines we street. I stuck my head inside the house and looked up at the have today. staircase and saw Sgt. Kraft standing there while the wall behind him was just being disintegrated by enemy fire. I didn’t know By this point in the battle, two of the Marines we had come to who was in there or how many Marines were wounded or trapped rescue were dead. Two other Marines brought their bodies in the house. outside. I saw them and started called for a corpsman to come help. The corpsman kept telling me that they were alright. I kept I grabbed Marines standing around outside; we went into the calling for him and he finally yelled back that there was nothing house and cleared the bottom floor, but there was nothing down he could do for them – they were dead. there. So we stacked up to go up the stairs. For some reason I was number one in the stack, and I can tell you, I was scared out It was like something flipped inside. I wanted to go back into the of my mind. I didn’t want to do it, but nobody else wanted to house and personally eliminate these insurgents. I grabbed whoever do it either. It was one of those things where I thought, ‘You was standing around and ran back into the house. It was really know, this is what being a leader is all about—getting Marines to strange inside because there were so many grenades and so much follow you when they know they might not come back.’ fire that it became black. The insurgents were coming out of this bedroom. It was so creepy because you couldn’t really see their So I got up in the front and ran up the stairs, and it was like whole bodies, but you could see their beards and their faces

Digitalglobe.com something out of a cartoon—when the cartoon character is dancing moving through the smoke. That was something I’ll never forget. American Valor Quarterly - Spring 2008 - 38 Another grenade exploded. It knocked us down, and I just my three hours in the battle of Fallujah. It has changed my life; it remember Sgt. Kraft handing me a grenade. It seemed like nothing has really opened my eyes. I feel bad sometimes because I’ve only we were doing was stopping these guys. I was starting to wonder been to Iraq once. But I’m just thankful for being able to take where they were coming from. I mean, this was two hours now part in the battle of Fallujah and just do my part. I can honestly of continuous fighting. say that some of the things I witnessed, there’s not enough awards to go around. These Marines did some pretty heroic things. I’m I thought I was dying. It was like I was looking through a straw just proud to be a Marine, and glad I had the opportunity to be and it was getting smaller and smaller. I figured that if I was a part of the battle of Fallujah. going to go, I was going in a blaze of glory. I was going to pull the pin on the grenade and I was going to run into the bedroom SSgt. David Bellavia: I joined the Army in 1999 when the Twin and detonate myself in this room. I took one step with this grenade Towers were still up, and everything was great. When the towers and almost got my legs sawed off. Kraft pulled me back – and fell, I started to obsess about my job as an infantryman, knowing thank God he did. If I had taken one more step I would have that something was coming. I was an NCO, which is the thing I been shot right there and dropped the grenade on my guys. will take to my grave–it’s the greatest honor I’ve ever had.

As an NCO, I had nine subordinates under my leadership and care, and I was their surrogate father; I was in charge of nine people’s sons. I made commitments to their parents, and I promised their children and their wives that I was going to do what I could to deliver them home safely.

On November 10, 2004, three years ago today—and my birthday—we walked into a house in Fallujah with some bad guys in it. The district we were in was known as the “soldiers’ district” under Saddam. Some of these houses were upper-middle class and pretty nice. Every house in Fallujah seemed to have been built by siege architects. It seemed like they were fortresses made by a paranoid society. We walked in through the front door. Three squads were in the house, and these insurgents U.S. Marines at Camp Fallujah engage enemy targets with their M-198 unloaded on us with belt-fed machine guns. They were using a 155 mm Howitzer in support of Operation Phantom Fury, stairwell and a Jersey barrier as a make shift bunker in this house. November 11, 2004. We started taking casualties; my kids, my soldiers were screaming out for medics and for help. I don’t know if I was feeling sorry for myself, but I was done at that point. I leaned up against the wall on the staircase with guys One kid got hit under the vest; several were hit in the face. There stepping over me so they could keep fighting. I thought about was glass and metal everywhere. As my guys were screaming out my mother and my wife and I thought that was it. Then I woke for a medic, the insurgents started to mock their screams. It up to the Major slapping me in the face. He grabbed me by my absolutely infuriated me. My kids are yelling, “Medic! Medic!” helmet and dragged me out of the house. That was it; he pulled and these guys are mocking them and laughing at us. me out of the house and threw one last grenade up into the top. These insurgents had drugs to keep their hearts moving and Once we had accountability for all the Marines we left the house prevent them from going into shock when wounded. I turned and they brought in a tank to destroy it. Word came out that they the corner to look at them and I saw this guy take a syringe with needed a sniper to go up to an elevated position with an escort black fluid in it and jam it into his arm that was already belted and take a look around, so Kraft and I volunteered to be escorts. off. He was obviously drugging himself.

The streets were very small and we had a tank sitting in front of I would literally pray every day, “Lord, test me. I want to take the house blowing its main gun at point blank range at the house out a bunker. That’s why I joined the infantry.” If you’re going to we had just been in. The tank was sitting in the street with its join the military, if you want to be the guy to jump out of planes turret turned, and it was over top of the sidewalk. As I’m escorting and kick down doors, that’s what we do. That’s the warrior class the sniper I duck under the turret of this tank as it fired its main of all these great Americans that have come before us. That’s gun. For three days, all I heard was that tank in my ear. what we do, that’s our ethos. I grabbed a SAW to suppress fire, and at that moment, I sort of knew that this was my test. Photo Corps Marine U.S. But we took the sniper up there and it seemed like we were up there for two days. I was throwing up and bleeding and just I had the SAW in my hands and I unloaded 200 rounds. Then I exhausted. He said they were done and that ended it. That was panicked. I couldn’t move my legs; I was scared. And as I ran out American Valor Quarterly - Spring 2008 - 39 two were knocked out I figured I was good to go. All of a sudden I heard footsteps coming downstairs and they started blasting into the bedroom I was in. I’m thinking, man my math is way off because I only thought there were two people in this house.

It turns out there were six people in the house, and they kept coming. They were screaming at me, calling me a Jewish dog. They said they were going to cut my head off and they wouldn’t find my dog tags and I started yelling to them in Arabic. They yelled at me in English. We were having a conversation—I’m telling them to surrender to the 1st Infantry Division; “Stop or I’ll shoot!” You know, the basic Arabic we learned in our handbook.

During that, I was able to get some really quality shots off. I learned a lot of lessons from the officers and NCOs who taught me that if they give you a shoulder, take a shoulder. Every shot American and Iraqi forces tried, when possible, to spare Fallujah’s doesn’t necessarily have to be a kill shot. I did that, and I was able buildings. However, when met with particularly violent insurgents holed to soften them up and basically put enough rounds into them. up in houses, Caterpillar D9 bulldozers were called in to collapse the house on top of the enemy fighters. Just prior to this photo being taken, an insurgent emptied his AK-47 on the cab of the D9 and threw a grenade at it. Many of the enemy insurgents were high on liquid adrenaline and amphetamines, among other drugs, making them utterly fearless in the face of death. of ammunition, I saw these insurgents and the look on their faces, and I ran out of the house. I was thinking about what a liar and what a coward I am. I was very close to the lowest I’ve ever been in my life. For the first time in over three years that I was leading these men they looked to other NCOs for leadership. That broke my heart.

After seeing that, I made a decision to go back into that house and a journalist, Michael Ware from TIME Magazine, wanted to come with me. Ware is a very brave man – he went in. I remember Col. Willy Buhl (right), with Sgt.Maj. Ed Sax and GySgt. right before we went into the house, he was like, “You know, this Christian Wade in the Jolan section of Fallujah, is like taking out a machine gun nest at Iwo Jima. This is incredible. November 10, 2004. You can do this; I see the fire in your eyes. You’re an American institution, I believe in you.” I started to motivate myself and I I ended up in a room and heard noises coming from a wardrobe, turned and looked at him and the camcorder was on the ground, and some guy all of a sudden jumped out of the wardrobe. He and he’s long gone. That didn’t help my confidence! had gray hair and something in his eye—he was scared of me. That empowered me. So when he ran up the stairs, I ran after I moved into the house with a buddy of mine, SSgt. Scott him. I got a couple stairs up, slipped on some blood and he shot Lawson. Lawson caught a round in the shoulder as soon as we his AK-47 on the landing and it burned my face. I thought to turned into the house. We didn’t know how bad it was, but there myself, you know, I’m ready to get shot here. I can literally prepare was no way he could fight. So I was alone. I didn’t have that myself for shrapnel. much ammunition on me either. I had given up my magazines. I only carried four into that house because I figured that if I was I went into the second story and I tossed a frag at him. It exploded going to die I didn’t want the enemy to have ammunition to use and injured him but didn’t kill him. I looked at the room he was against us. in and it was just surrounded with propane tanks. I couldn’t even see walls there were so many tanks. I thought to myself, I’m not I walked into the house and looked around; it was rigged to blow. really a natural gas expert. I don’t know what a tracer round is There were propane tanks all the way up to the ceiling, a Soviet going to do to this stuff. Looking back at the insurgent, I saw version of C-4 all over the walls. After looking around, I was able to that he was reeling. He was injured so I took the M16 that I had get off some good shots. These guys were drugged, and they couldn’t and I just started beating him with it. I used it like a bat since I work an RPG very well so they were pacified real quick. After those was afraid to fire in that room. Left and right: Col. Willard Buhl American Valor Quarterly - Spring 2008 - 40 What proceeded after that was the worst moment of my life. I am fighting a guy who is drugged up and injured and he’s basically kicking my butt. It’s a 50-year-old man, and he’s beating me. I heard screams coming from above me, and it dawned on me that he’s yelling to his friends to come and help him.

I used my Kevlar helmet to subdue him and when he was able to get that out of my hand I broke open my vest and used the plate that we wear inside to keep him quiet.

He started to bite and scratch. Never in a million years would I expect something to devolve into such an animalistic fight. It was horrible. It ended up that I had a Gerber knife on my belt, and I used that. At the very end I stuck it into his collarbone. The first

Sgt. Jeremiah Workman (second from right), with Sgt. Maj. of the Marine Corps Carlton W. Kent at the 10th Annual Conference’s Awards Banquet on November 10, 2007 - the 232nd birthday of the U.S. Marine Corps. Sgt. Workman was the recipient of the American Veterans Center’s 2007 Paul Ray Smith Award for his extraordinary service to the U.S. military in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Also pictured are American Veterans Center President James C. Roberts (left) and Admiral Todd Fisher (right) of TriWest Healthcare Alliance, co-sponsor of the Awards Banquet and sponsor of the Paul Ray Smith Award.

I think the greatest testament of what today’s leadership is that, while I don’t know how many recorded friendly fire instances there have been in Iraq, I don’t think there was a single one in Fallujah. For that many operations to occur simultaneously and David Bellavia (center) with students from Bishop Ireton High for no one to get shot by our own side is a true testament to the School in Alexandria, Virginia, one of the many high schools whose professionalism that was planning Fallujah. In my opinion it is the students attend the conference annually. greatest urban fight in our history. time I put it in there, I just gashed my hand open. The second To lose the men that we lost in Fallujah and to serve and to see time, I felt this wave of heat and it was as if my soul was depleting. what the Marines were sacrificing is incredibly moving. We hear I felt that my innocence was gone. This was it. It was like I was about the successes today in Anbar province, but every inch of giving him CPR, but it was like Satan’s CPR, just pushing on his Anbar was paid for by the blood of the Marines and soldiers. carotid and pushing his life out. The changes in Anbar province is the model of Iraq, and it is because of our sacrifice. He expired pretty much nose-to-nose looking into me. And he did the creepiest thing at the end of it, he took his hand and he caressed my face at the very end of it. To this day I am creeped The Battle of Fallujah saw the heaviest urban combat since the Battle of Hue out by that. It was like he was forgiving me in a sense. He was City in the Vietnam War. It resulted in the elimination of some of the most die- almost saying that he understood—that this was war. hard elements of the insurgency, and was an early step toward what has been called the “Sunni Awakening” in which Iraq’s Sunni population has largely abandoned Long story short, I went out, smoked a cigarette, and one guy the violent jihadists and embraced the objectives of the Iraqi government and U.S.- jumped down onto the second story and another was up on the led coalition for a more stable and prosperous Iraq. third story. I was just exhausted. I took an AK-47 that was there David Bellavia’s memoir of the Iraq War, House to and burned 40 rounds, but just totally missed him. House, is available in hardcover and paperback editions

at bookstores nationwide and at online outlets such as Center Veterans Portnoy/American Joe right: and Left The moral of the story is that they all died, I walked out, and I Amazon.com. was able to earn back what I had lost. Character is the building block of competency. To be a competent leader you have to Shadows of the Sword, by Jeremiah Workman, have that character and I felt like I had relinquished that. To get will be released in early 2009. my honor back I had to earn it back the hard way. AVQ

American Valor Quarterly - Spring 2008 - 41 Doughboys The US Army in France & Belgium in World War I – 90 Years On

An exclusive tour to the battlefields of the Great War from the American Veterans Center October 12-22, 2008 On June 28, 1914, Gavrilo Princip shot and killed Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, setting off a chain of events that led to the most terrible war the world had yet seen. The war ravaged Europe, leaving scars that would never fully heal.

In 1917, the United States joined the war, ending attempts to remain neutral. More than 116,000 Americans were lost in combat—tragic, but only a small portion of the nearly 19 million military and civilian deaths caused by the war. Amid the horror of war, however, heroes were made, men like Sgt. Alvin York, Sgt. Maj. Dan Daly, and General “Black Jack” Pershing.

This October, as we prepare to commemorate the 90th Anniversary of the end of World War I, we invite you to join us as we travel back to the battlefields of Europe, to honor all of those who served in the war, and to remember their sacrifice. This all-inclusive tour will take travelers to the major sites of the Western Front, and will serve as a lasting reminder that devotion to duty, honor, and country is a concept that has existed throughout the generations.

October 12 – Day 1: The Salient October 17 – Day 6: Verdun: 1916 Meet in Brussels and travel to Ypres via Waregem and The Flanders The Fleury Memorial Museum, Col. Driant’s Command Post, the Field American Cemetery. Visit the Flanders Field Museum and destroyed village of Fleury, Ft. Douaumont, Ft. Vaux, Ft. Souville, attend the Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate. Ossuary, Monument des Fusiles de Tavannes. Return to Verdun and visit Cimitiere de Faubourg Pave. October 13 – Day 2: The Western Front Leave Ypres and visit Vierstraat and the Kemmel American October 18 – Day 7: The St. Mihiel Salient Monument. Visit Vimy Ridge, Arras, Newfoundland Memorial Park, Cote de Senoux – Hattonchatel, St. Mihiel American Memorial Ulster Tower, Thiepval Memorial to the Missing, and the Golden Montsec and the American Assault of Sept. 12, 1918. Siecheprey, Virgin and Museum of the Shelters at Albert. Flirey, Regnieville, and Pont-a-Mousson. Norroy, Xon Hill, October 14 – Day 3: The Somme Vieuville, Thiaucourt, and St. Mihiel American Cemetery. Tour the Great War Museum, then on to Cantigny and Le Hamel. October 19 – Day 8: See the Lochnagar Crater, Mametz Wood, the Bellicourt American Monument and the Somme American Cemetery. The Meuse-Argonne: Sept. 26-Nov. 11, 1918 Le Mort Homme, Cote 304, and Malancourt, where the Battle of the October 15 – Day 4: Argonne was begun. The American Memorial at Montfaucon, The Second Battle of the Marne Cheppy, Vauquois. Chatel Cherry and the site of Sgt. York’s actions St. Quentin, Vauxaillon, and Juvigny on the way to Soissons. which earned him the Medal of Honor. Continue to Aisne-Marne American Cemetery and Aisne-Marne Memorial Hill 204; Chateau-Theirry, Mezy, Jaulgonne, Ourcq River, October 20 – Day 9: The Armistice Oise-Aisne American Cemetery, Fismes, and Bazoches. Travel to Paris, stopping at Reims and Compeigne. October 16 – Day 5: October 21 – Day 10: Paris Operations in the Champagne Region Morning tour of the city, with afternoon free for shopping or the Reims, the Soucain Monument and Cemetery, Sommepy, Ardeuil, museums. Depart for home the next day. the Argonne and the site of the “Lost Battalion,” and Binarville. To request a full itinerary or registration form, call 703-863-1888 or e-mail [email protected]. Reservation deposits due by June 1, 2008. Thank You For Your Support!

The American Veterans Center, with its two divisions - the World War II Veterans Committee and the National Vietnam Veterans Committee - is grateful for your continued support in our shared mission of preserving the history and legacy of America’s veterans and service members. Through its various programs, the Center has sought to provide an outlet for veterans to share their experiences with the public, and to teach their lessons to the younger generation. The support of thousands of individuals across America has allowed the Center to expand its efforts over the years, instituting a number of quality projects, including: ¾The National Memorial Day Parade ¾American Valor Quarterly Held each year along the National Mall in Washington, DC, and Our quarterly publication, which provides the opportunity for featuring nearly 200 elements and over 250,000 spectators. Since veterans to share their stories, in their own words with an audience its creation in 2005, the parade has grown to be among the largest of tens of thousands of people. Copies of AVQ are also donated to in the nation, and serves to remind Americans of all generations of nearly 200 VA hospitals and vets centers nationwide, as a way to the sacrifices made by our uniformed men and women. say “thank you” to our veterans, and those who care for them. ¾Documentaries and Radio Series ¾Youth Activities and Educational Outreach The Center has a long history of producing quality radio The underlying theme of each of our programs is to build an documentaries in association with the Radio America network. appreciation of America’s veterans and military history among Included is the award-winning World War II Chronicles, D-Day: young people. Students and youth groups are encouraged to They Were There and Pearl Harbor: 60 Years of Echoes. More participate in AVC activities, and the Center sponsors essay recently, the Center has sponsored two weekly radio series, contests, a high school and college scholarship, and an internship Veterans Chronicles and Proudly We Hail, both programs featuring program, all providing an opportunity for young people to learn interviews with America’s great heroes. about - and from - America’s uniformed heroes. ¾Annual Veterans Conference ¾Supporting Our Troops Every Veterans Day weekend America’s greatest veterans gather In addition to featuring the stories of those currently serving in to share their experiences with an audience of several hundred our publications and radio programs, and including them in the students, fellow veterans, and the public. The 2006 conference National Memorial Day Parade, the Center is proud to sponsor was televised live on C-Span, and viewed by thousands of regular events for our wounded heroes currently undergoing Americans. rehabilitation at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Bethesda Naval Hospital.

From the Greatest Generation to the Interns and students are given the latest generation. It is the lessons and opportunity to meet, and learn about, inspiration provided by those veterans America’s greatest battlefield heroes. who have come before that is so valuable Here, former intern Michael to the young people of today. Through O’Donnell visits the grave of Joe the American Veterans Center’s many Ronnie Hooper, the most decorated events, we seek to bring these generations soldier of the Vietnam War. Michael together, as above, where young ROTC researched Hooper’s story, which he students speak directly to the legendary wrote for publication. Tuskegee Airmen at the 2007 conference.

The Directors of the American Veterans Center would like to express their gratitude to the following organizations and individu- als for sponsoring the 10th Annual Veterans Conference and Awards Banquet, highlighted in this issue. Without their support, our efforts to help share and preserve the experiences of our veterans and service members for future generations would not be possible. The Tawani Foundation - TriWest Healthcare Alliance - Booz Allen Hamilton Fundraising Strategies, Inc. - U.S. Army Freedom Team Salute - Dodge Jones Foundation - AMVETS McGuireWoods Consulting - Eagle Publishing - The Young Marines - Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office RST Marketing - ZIP Mailing Services, Inc. - Intercollegiate Studies Institute - The George E. Coleman, Jr. Foundation Donald Mates & Allan Ryskind - Promotional support provided by The Washington Times - Travel provided by Frontier Airlines And a special thank you to the thousands of individual supporters who make our work possible! Cover images by J.D. Cantou - www.jdcphoto.com

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