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The Directors of the American Veterans Center express their gratitude to the following organizations and individuals for sponsoring the 10th Annual Veterans Conference & Awards Banquet. Your generous suppport enabled the American Veterans Center to acknowledge the tremendous sacrifices of our military in defense of liberty throughout the three day Conference culminating in the 10th Annual Awards Banquet.

In addition, the generosity of our sponsors provides tables and seats for distinguished veterans of World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan and members of their families, as well as ROTC Cadets and Midshipmen, active duty personnel and servicemen and women wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan. Your generous support is greatly appreciated. The Tawani Foundation

10th Annual Veterans Conference Sponsor

TriWest Healthcare Alliance

Exclusive Sponsor of America’s Greatest Heroes & Medal of Honor Reception

Official Co-Sponsor of the Wounded Warrior Reception

VIP Gold Tables (6o Seats) Awards Banquet & Paul Ray Smith Award Sponsor

Booz Allen Hamilton VIP Platinum Tables (100 Seats) Awards Banquet Sponsor

Additonal sponsorship provided by:

Fund Raising Strategies, Inc. U.S. Army Freedom Team Salute Dodge Jones Foundation AMVETS McGuireWoods Consulting McDonald & Eudy Printers Eagle Publishing The Young Marines Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Offices 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 Frontier Airlines, the Official Airline Partner of the 10th Annual Veterans Conference The mission of the American Veterans Center is to preserve and promote the legacy of America’s servicemen and women from the American Revolution through Operation Iraqi Freedom. The Center is comprised of two divisions - The World War II Veterans Committee and the National Vietnam Veterans Committee. The American Veterans Center is also the sponsor of the National Memorial Day Parade in Washington. “Bringing the legacy of the Greatest Generation to the latest generation” is the motto of the World War II Veterans Committee. Through documentary work, oral history programs, and its quarterly publication, World War II Chronicles, the World War II Veterans Committee seeks to bring the history of World War II to today’s students and young people. The newest division of the American Veterans Center is the National Vietnam Veterans Committee. Based on the outline of the World War II Veterans Committee, the National Vietnam Veterans Committee not only seeks to tell the combat stories of Vietnam veterans, it also seeks to tell their stories after they returned home. While the popular media and film depictions of Vietnam veterans were those of disillusioned men unable to adapt to life following the war, the truth is that most returned home to live productive and successful lives, and were proud to have served. The National Vietnam Veterans Committee, through its programs which include the publication Valor: The Veterans of Vietnam, is working to tell the true story of Vietnam veterans which has so often been ignored. Programs of the American Veterans Center include: • The National Memorial Day Parade. The parade is held each year along the National Mall in Washington, DC. Following the outbreak of World War II, the tradition of a Memorial Day parade in the nation’s capital was ended. In 2004, the World War II Veterans Committee sponsored “A Parade Salute to World War II Veterans,” to coincide with the dedication of the National World War II Memorial. The parade proved such a success that it was decided that the old tradition of a Memorial Day parade be returned. Thus, the National Memorial Day Parade was born. In a magnifi- cent tribute to America’s veterans and honored war dead of all eras, the National Memorial Day Parade features thousands of participants, including military and school bands, military units, floats, and youth groups, as well as hun- dreds of veterans from World War II through Iraq and Afghanistan. The 2007 parade drew an estimated crowd of 250,000 spectators, making it the largest Memorial Day event in the nation.

• World War II Chronicles and Valor: The Veterans of Vietnam: Published quarterly, World War II Chronicles, which takes its name from the popular radio series, features stories by and about veterans of the Second World War. From overviews of battles to intimate stories from those who were there, World War II Chronicles seeks to keep the legacy of the "Greatest Generation" alive by allowing them to share their experiences with an audience of over 50,000 readers. Chronicles’ companion publication, Valor: The Veterans of Vietnam, provides a forum for this next genera- tion of heroes to share their experiences with the public. Copies of both publications are donated to over 200 VA hospitals around the country.

And coming this fall is our newest publication, American Valor Quarterly. This new, full color cover, glossy publica- tion will continue to feature first-hand accounts from the veterans of World War II and Vietnam, but will be expanded to include those from our men and women who have served in Korea, the Gulf War, and - perhaps most importantly - those who are defending us today. • Documentaries: Following in the tradition of World War II Chronicles, the American Veterans Center has produced a number of radio documentary programs on World War II and military history, including D-Day: They Were There, Pearl Harbor: 60 Years of Echoes, and No Greater Love: The Four Chaplains and the Sinking of the Dorchester.

• Veterans Chronicles and Proudly We Hail: Working with the Radio America network, the American Veterans Center currently sponsors two weekly radio series, Veterans Chronicles and Proudly We Hail. Hosted by Gene Pell, Veterans Chronicles features interviews with the eyewitnesses to the great and tragic moments in military history. Proudly We Hail is a weekly radio magazine recorded on location at America’s military bases, historical sites, and museums, featuring tales of heroism, bulletins on veterans’ health issues, and news.

• Youth Activities: The Center supports an annual essay contest with cash awards, a high school scholarship program, a college scholarship program, and a summer internship program. Additionally, youth groups such as the Young Marines, National Guard Youth ChalleNGe, and Boy and Girl Scouts participate in the annual National Memo- rial Day Parade.

• World War II Curriculum: The World War II Veterans Committee is about to unveil a comprehensive curriculum on World War II to be distributed to high school teachers across the country. The curriculum is designed to introduce students to the issues leading to World War II, the great battles of the war, and the civilian and military leaders involved.

• Annual Conference: Each year the American Veterans Center’s national conference is held in Washington, DC, featuring some of America’s most distinguished veterans as speakers. Several hundred high school and college students participate in the conference. Additionally, the event includes wreath-laying ceremonies at the national war memorials, veteran-themed events around the city, and an annual awards banquet, honoring the service of the United States military’s greatest heroes.

• Library and Archives: Each day, books on American military history are received, cataloged, and added to the Center’s library, which now numbers several hundred volumes. The Center also welcomes memoirs, personal ac- counts, newspaper clippings, and other records pertaining to American military history for inclusion.

The American Veterans Center Honoring the legacy of the Greatest Generation to the Latest Generation

James C. Roberts Founder and President

Michael Paradiso Tim Holbert James Michels Chief Operating Officer Program Director Director of Development Ann Forkin Mary Jane Garner Mackie Christenson Conference Director Student and Military Services Liaison Director - National Memorial Day Parade Nicole McKan Chris Graham Anna Tyler Office Manager Researcher Conference Intern

Conference Volunteers Lori Allen David Friel Craig & Lorraine Horn Mary Wilcowski Tenth Annual Conference Presented by the American Veterans Center November 8-10, 2007 Washington, DC Schedule of Events Wednesday November 7 3:00 PM - Registration open

Thursday, November 8 8:30 AM - Welcoming remarks James C. Roberts - President - American Veterans Center

8:35 - U.S. Army Pacific Landings: The 96th Infantry Division Featuring Donald Dencker Leonard Lazarick Renwyn Triplett Marvin Margoshes Veterans of the 96th Infantry Division, one of only four divisions in the entire Army to receive the Presidential Unit Citation during World War II for actions on Okinawa

9:25 AM - D-Day: The Invasion of Normandy Featuring Donald Burgett - Veteran of the 101st Airborne in World War II and author of several books including Currahee!, the only book on World War II endorsed by General Dwight E. Eisenhower John Robert Slaughter - 29th Infantry Division and a driving force behind the National D-Day Memorial; author of Omaha Beach and Beyond 10:15 AM - Unparalelled Patriotism: The Japanese American Experience in World War II Featuring Grant Hiribayashi - Veteran of the legendary Merrill’s Marauders, served behind enemy lines in Burma Grant Ichikawa - Member of General McArthur’s Intelligence Section in the Pacific and veteran of the MIS Joe Ichiuji - Veteran of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team (RCT); helped liberate one of the subcamps of Dachau Yeiichi “Kelly” Kuwayama - Decorated with the Silver Star for service with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team George Joe Sakato - Recipient of the Medal of Honor for extraordinary valor with the 442nd in France Moderated by Terry Shima - Executive Director of the Japanese American Veterans Association and veteran of the 442nd RCT 11:05 Uncommon Valor: Marine Combat on Iwo Jima Featuring Donald Mates - Veteran of the Third Marine Division and platoon mate of Jimmy Trimble, the Major League Baseball pitching prospect whose life was cut short after falling in battle Chuck Tatum - Marine veteran of Iwo Jima and author of the legendary book, Iwo Jima: Red Blood, Black Sand; consultant for the upcoming HBO miniseries, “The Pacific,” produced by Tom Hanks and Stephen Spielberg James White - Veteran of the Third Marine Division; his experience of hand- to-hand combat on the island of Iwo Jima was featured in an article by Men of the 442nd RCT march through France, 1944. Leatherneck Magazine 12:05 - Lunch - To be followed by words from special guest Frank W. Buckley, America’s last surviving veteran of World War I to have served in Europe. 12:50 -The Vietnam War: Setting the Record Straight Featuring B.G. Burkett - Vietnam veteran and author of Stolen Valor: How the Vietnam Generation Was Robbed of Its Heroes and Its History Dr. Mark Moyar - Military historian and author of Triumph Forsaken: The Soldiers of the 7th Cavalry at LZ X-Ray during Vietnam War 1954-65 the Battle of Ia Drang, November 1965 1:45 -Operation Enduring Freedom: The War in Afghanistan Featuring Maj. Jason Amerine - U.S. Army Special Forces soldier who worked alongside Afghan President Hamid Karzai to eliminate the Taliban Lt. Colonel Walt Bradley - Army reservist who deployed to aid earthquake victims in Pakistan in 2005 followed by a tour in Afghanistan. SSgt. Joshua Roller - Served as a mentor and trainer for Afghan National Police (NFP) in 2006-07; awarded the Bronze Star 2:30 - Iraq: The Way Forward Featuring Pete Hegseth - Platoon leader with the 101st Airborne Division in Operation Iraqi Freedom, recipient of the Bronze Star, and Executive Director of Vets for Freedom David Bellavia - Received the Silver Star and recommended for the Medal of Honor for valor during the 2004 Battle of Fallujah. Author of House to House: An Epic Memoir of War Sgt. Marco Martinez - Recipient of the Navy Cross for valor during the battle of Tarmiya; author of the new book Hard Corps

6:30 - Reception in honor of the recipients of the Medal of Honor and decorated heroes from Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom Location: Army & Navy Club, 901 17th St., NW, Washington Bus transportation from Renaissance Hotel departs at 5:30 PM

Friday, November 9 8:30 - Winston Churchill and His Leadership in World War II with Celia Sandys - Noted Author and granddaughter of Sir Winston Churchill

9:00 - Baseball Goes to War with Bob Feller - Major League baseball Hall of Fame pitcher and veteran of the USS Alabama in World War II

The Rt. Hon. Sir Winston Churchill, 9:30 - The Black Sheep Squadron - The Marine Corps’ Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Legendary Aviators of World War II Featuring Brig. General Bruce Matheson Tom Emrich Ed Harper Jim Hill 10:15 - E Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division: The Band of Brothers Featuring Don Malarkey Bill Guarnere Ed “Babe” Heffron Amos “Buck” Taylor Ed Tipper Frank Perconte

11:15 - Vietnam: The Last Ace Don Malarkey speaks at the 2006 conference with as televised on C-Span Brig. General R. Steve Ritchie - Air Force “ace” pilot of the Vietnam War and recipient of the Air Force Cross. 11:45 - The U.S. Air Force - 60 Years of Air and Space Power with Brig. General Susan Helms - U.S. Air Force brigadier general and NASA astronaut, has flown five missions and serving on the International Space Station. 12:15 - Good Morning, Vietnam! with Adrian Cronauer - Famed disc jockey in Vietnam portrayed in the film Good Morning Vietnam 12:45 - Lunch 1:30 - Valor: The Medal of Honor Adrian Cronauer, subject of the film Featuring Good Morning, Vietnam, addresses the conference in 2006 Walter Ehlers Ed Freeman Thomas Hudner Walter Joseph Marm George Joe Sakato Michael Thornton Moderated by Nick Del Calzo - Creator of Medal of Honor: Portraits of Valor Beyond the Call of Duty.

2:30 - The Heroes of Today Featuring Maj. Jason Amerine - U.S. Army Special Forces soldier who worked alongside Hamid Karzai to eliminate the Taliban Maj. Kim Campbell - Air Force pilot nicknamed “Killer Chick” who received the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor for actions in Operation Iraqi Freedom Sgt. Marco Martinez - Recipient of the Navy Cross for valor during the battle of Tarmiya, Iraq Sgt. Jeremiah Workman - Recipient of the Navy Cross for heroism in rescuing wounded comrades while fighting off enemy insurgents during the Battle of Fallujah Moderated by Maj. Heidi Urben - Veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom and former Military Aide to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates

4:30 - Wreath laying ceremonies at the Korean War Veterans Memorial and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Location: The National Mall Bus transportation from Renaissance Hotel departs at 4:00 6:30 - Reception in honor of our wounded warriors from Bethesda Naval Hospital and Walter Reed Army Medical Center Decorated Korean War veterans Joe Annello and “Hershey” Miyamura lead the wreath laying Location: The United States Navy Memorial ceremony during the 2006 conference Bus transportation directly from wreath laying ceremonies Saturday, November 10 8:30- Iwo Jima: The Battle for Mt. Suribachi Featuring Veterans of 3rd Platoon, E Company, 28th Marines - The men who took Mt. Suribachi, leading to the legendary flag raisings atop the mountain Featuring Kenneth Espenes Robert Lane James Rigney John Scheperle William Wayne Keith Wells Richard Wheeler Moderated by Col. Clark Barnes and Jon Espenes 9:20 - The Tuskegee Airmen: The U.S. Military’s First African American Pilots Featuring The first flag is raised atop Mt. Suribachi William Fauntroy, Jr. Jim Pryde Curtis Robinson Ivan Ware on Iwo Jima. 10:15 - Korea: The Chosin Few Featuring Capt. Thomas J. Hudner - U.S. Navy pilot who crash-landed his plane to save a fellow Naval airman at the Chosin Reservoir, for which he received the Medal of Honor James McEachin - Award-winning actor and author; writer, director, and star of the film Old Glory (www.oldglorythemovie.com). Decorated with the Silver Star and Purple Heart Moderated by Col. Warren Wiedhahn - Veteran of the Korean and Vietnam wars; founder of the Marine Executive Association and executive officer of the Korean War Veterans Association 11:15 AM - We Were Soldiers: The Battle of Ia Drang Featuring Lt. General Hal Moore Lt. Col. George Forrest Maj. Ed Freeman Col. John Herren Col. Ramon Nadal Moderated by Joseph Galloway - Co-author of We Were Soldiers Once...And Young 12:15 - Fallujah: Operation Phantom Fury and Beyond Featuring David Bellavia - Recipient of the Silver Star and recommended for the Medal of Honor for valor during the 2004 Battle of Fallujah. And author of House to House: An Epic Memoir of War Sgt. Jeremiah Workman - Recipient of the Navy Cross for heroism in rescuing wounded comrades while fighting off enemy insurgents during the Battle of Fallujah Moderated by Brig. General John Toolan - Principal Director for South and Southeast Asia in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs. Tactical commander for the first Battle of Fallujah in April, 2004 who met daily with Iraqi forces 1:00 - Lunch 2:45- Wreath laying ceremony at the National World War II Memorial Location: The National Mall The Doolittle Raiders, alongside members of the Bus transportation from Renaissance Hotel departs at 2:00 Young Marines, participate in the wreath laying ceremony at last year’s conference. 7:00 - Tenth Annual Awards Banquet Location: Renaissance Washington Hotel (Reception begins at 6:00) Tenth Annual Conference Speakers Major Jason Amerine, as commander of Operational Detachment “Alpha” 574 in 2001, led the mission to execute unconventional warfare operations in the Pashtun tribal belt of Afghanistan with the fledgling forces of Hamid Karzai. In less than six weeks, the team’s insurgent forces gained control of the provinces of Uruzgan and Kandahar with fewer than 300 guerillas, enabling Karzai to force the surrender of the Taliban regime and become president of a new Afghanistan. The men of ODS 574 were awarded three Silver Stars, four Bronze Stars for Valor, and three Bronze Stars. All eleven members received Purple Hearts—two posthumously.

Staff Sergeant David Bellavia is a former Army Staff Sergeant who served in the First Infantry Division (Task Force 2-2). He has been recommended for the Medal of Honor for actions he took in a fierce urban firefight in the Battle of Fallujah. He has received the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, and the Conspicuous Service Cross. He has also been nominated for the Distinguished Service Cross. He and his platoon were the subjects of a Time magazine cover story “Into the Hot Zone.” David is the vice-chairman for the Vets for Freedom Action Fund. David returned to Iraq in June 2006 as an embedded reporter with the Iraqi Army.

Donald Burgett was among the first airborne troops to land in Normandy early in the morning on D-Day. As a member of the 101st “Screaming Eagle” Airborne Division, he would later parachute into Holland as part of the 1st Allied Airborne Army, fighting for 72 days behind enemy lines. During the Battle of the Bulge, he and the 101st successfully held out against nine German armored divisions during the siege of Bastogne. He subsequently fought through the Ruhr Valley, the Black Forest, the Rhineland, Bavaria, and Austria, and was one of only eleven men out of two hundred in his company to survive from Normandy to the end of the war. He has since become a widely respected author whose book, Currahee, is the only book from World War II endorsed by General Dwight D. Eisenhower.

B.G. Burkett, a military researcher, is the co-author of Stolen Valor: How the Vietnam Generation Was Robbed of its Heroes and its History, which won the coveted William E. Colby Award for outstanding military book. Mr. Burkett also served as the Co-Chairman of the Texas Vietnam Memorial with former President Bush as Honorary Chairman. His work has been the subject of two Reader’s Digest stories and award winning pieces on ABC’s 20/20. He served in Vietnam with the 199th Light Infantry and was awarded the Bronze Star, Vietnamese Honor Medal, and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Palm. In 2003, he was awarded the Distinguished Civilian Service Award, the highest award the Army gives a civilian, by former President George H.W. Bush.

Major Kim “KC” Campbell grew up in San Jose, CA, and graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1997. She received her commission and Bachelors of Science degree in Space Operations from the Air Force Academy, and went on to receive two masters degrees in International Security Studies and Business Administration. She com- pleted A-10 Training and was assigned to the 75th Fighter Squadron, going on to fly 66 missions in Operation Enduring Freedom and 55 missions in Operation Iraqi Freedom. On April 7, 2003, Maj. Campbell received battle damage while performing a close air support mission over Baghdad, and, despite the loss of critical hydraulic systems, made a successful manual reversion, landing safely in Kuwait. For her actions, Maj. Campbell was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor.

Lieutenant Colonel Bruce P. Crandall is a veteran Master Army Aviator in both fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, having led more than 900 combat missions during two tours in Vietnam. He grew up in Olympia, Washington, and entered the Army in 1953. His early career saw missions throughout Africa and Central & South America, where he flew over previously un-mapped landscapes. In 1965, he went to Vietnam, and led the first major division operation of airmobile troops into LZ X-Ray in the Ia Drang Valley. Crandall is credited with evacuating some 70 wounded comrades with his wingman, Maj. Ed Freeman. For his valor in flying his unarmed craft through intense enemy fire to save the wounded men of the 1st Cav. at X-Ray, Bruce Crandall was awarded the Medal of Honor on February 26, 2007. Tenth Annual Conference Speakers Adrian Cronauer needed only 11 credit hours to graduate from college when the draft board pressed him to volunteer for the Air Force. After training in broadcasting and media operations, he was transferred to an Armed Forces Radio station in Greece. He was then transferred to Vietnam. In a time when military media was very boring, Cronauer broke the mold by playing the music GI’s wanted to hear and inserting his own brand of humor into the show. He was the inspiration for the 1987 film, Good Morning, Vietnam.

Donald O. Dencker was a member of Company L, 382nd Infantry Regiment, 96th Infantry Division, during the Battles of Leyte, Philippines and Okinawa. For his service he was awarded the Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Combat Infantry Badge and the Presidential Unit Citation. During the Battle of Okinawa, Dencker served as an assistant gunner, gunner and acting squad leader. He is author of the book Love Company: Infantry Combat Against the Japanese, World War II, Leyte and Okinawa, has appeared on the History Channel, and was featured in a Newsweek magazine article titled “War Without Mercy.”

Walter Ehlers enlisted in the U.S. Army at Ft. Riley, KS, on October 4, 1940. He landed with the 3rd Infantry Division in North Africa in 1942, with the 1st Infantry Division in Sicily in 1943, and with the 3rd once again at Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944. On June 9, 1944, near the French town of Goville, Ehlers led an attack against a German position, saving one of his men in the process despite being wounded himself—actions that would earn him the Medal of Honor. He went on to work for the Veterans Administration for thirty-four years, and for the Disabled American Veterans for another eight.

Kenneth Espenes enlisted in the Marines at age 17 on February 14, 1944, several months shy of his high school graduation. Following boot camp, he was assigned to E Company, 28th Regiment, 5th Marines at Camp Pendleton. As a rifleman with the 3rd Platoon he was wounded on the first day of the battle on Iwo Jima by a mortar round, but recovered in time to join the 40-man patrol to the top of Mt. Suribachi. He guarded the group with a BAR and watched as the first flag was raised atop the mountain during some of the most legendary moments in Marine Corps history. Espenes would return to duty in Korea, and retire from the Marines in 1956.

Bob Feller was a star pitcher for the Cleveland Indians during the late 1930s and early 1940s. Following the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Feller immediately enlisted in the United States Navy, where he was assigned to command a 24-man gunnery squad on the battleship Alabama. After a year of service in the North Atlantic, Feller and the Alabama were sent to the Pacific, where he participated in eight invasions, including Iwo Jima. Feller was discharged in August of 1945, after almost four years of service. He returned to baseball and resumed a career that led to his induction into the Hall of Fame.

Lt. Colonel George Forrest served as a company commander with the 1st Cavalry Division during the Battle of Ia Drang and was awarded the Silver Star for heroism, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star for Valor (twice) Republic of Vietnam Cross for Gallantry (three awards), the Combat Infantry Badge and Parachute Badge during his service in Vietnam. During his military career he served as commander of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery, strategic planner for NATO, and author/instructor at the Army Command and General Staff College at Ft. Leavenworth. He currently consults nationally in areas of leadership, conflict resolution, at-risk teens, gang awareness, African American males issues and insights on the Vietnam War. Tenth Annual Conference Speakers Major Ed Freeman, nicknamed “Too Tall,” along with then-Maj. Bruce Crandall, distinguished himself during the Battle of Ia Drang in 1965 by flying his helicopter through intense enemy fire more than 20 times to deliver supplies to the men of the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) and evacuate the wounded. He had earlier served in Korea, taking part in the bloody battle of Pork Chop Hill, and would go on to fly helicopters for the Department of Interior in a career spanning more than 20 years. But it was for his actions at LZ X-Ray during the Battle of Ia Drang that, on July 16, 2001, President George W. Bush presented Maj. Freeman with our nation’s highest military award—the Medal of Honor.

Joseph L. Galloway is author of a weekly syndicated column on military and national security affairs and recently retired as senior military correspondent of Knight Ridder Newspapers. He is the co-author, with Lt. Gen. Hal Moore, of the national bestseller, We Were Soldiers Once…And Young, later made into the critically acclaimed movie. In 1998, he was decorated with the Bronze Star with V for rescuing wounded soldiers under fire in the Ia Drang Valley in 1965. His is the only medal of valor the Army awarded to a civilian for actions during the Vietnam War.

William “Wild Bill” Guarnere enlisted in the military when he was 15 years old. He joined Easy Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division in July of 1942 nearly five years later. He fought in the D-Day Invasion in Normandy, Operation Market Garden and the Battle of the Bulge. He was wounded in the Bois Jacques during the Battle of the Bulge. He is a recipient of the Silver Star and the Purple Heart. He served as a consultant for the HBO production Band of Brothers.

Edward “Babe” Heffron was born in 1923. He joined Easy Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division while the division was resting in England after the Normandy Invasion. He participated in Operation Market Garden and the Battle of the Bulge, and, with the rest of E Company, made the final push into Germany and Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest. Heffron served as a consultant for the HBO production Band of Brothers.

First Lieutenant Pete Hegseth served in Iraq with the 3rd Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division for their deploy- ment to Iraq from 2005-2006. Lt. Hegseth served as an infantry Platoon Leader in Baghdad during the nationwide elections in October and December 2005, and as a Civil-Military Operations officer in Samarra. Lt. Hegseth also served in Guantanamo Bay for a year on a security mission with his National Guard unit and currently serves in the 1-69 Infantry, New York Army National Guard. He holds the Bronze Star for his time in Iraq. Pete is a graduate of Princeton University and plans to pursue a Masters in Public Policy at the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton in the fall of 2008. Lt. Hegseth originally hails from Minnesota, but now lives in New York City with his wife. He is currently Executive Director of Vets for Freedom, a pro-mission advocacy organization.

Brigadier General Susan J. Helms is Commander, 45th Space Wing, and Director, Eastern Range, Patrick Air Force Base. As 45th Space Wing Commander, she is responsible for processing and launch of U.S. government and commercial satellites from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. General Helms was commissioned from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1980. As a test engineer, she has flown 30 types of U.S. and Canadian military aircraft. Selected by NASA in January, 1990, General Helms became an astronaut in July 1991, served aboard the Interna- tional Space Station, and has logged 211 days in space. Her spacewalk of eight hours and 56 minutes is a world record. Tenth Annual Conference Speakers Colonel John Herren, an Army brat, grew up in the South and overseas in Korea and Japan where his father was stationed. Choosing a career in the Army, he graduated West Point in 1958 and completed airborne and ranger schools prior to assignments in Germany, Ft. Benning, and Vietnam. He commanded a rifle company in Vietnam, and led his men in during the Battle of Ia Drang. He attended the National War College and served the rest of his Army and civilian careers in NATO Policy, OSD, retiring in 1996. He has been married for 39 years to wife, Sally, and has three children and two granddaughters. He currently volunteers to help work with wounded warriors at Walter Reed Hospital.

Grant Hiribayashi graduated from Kent High School in Washington State in 1941, whereupon he enlisted into the Army Air Corps after being drafted into the Army. He entered the Military Intelligence Service Language School and, after graduation, volunteered for the 5307 Composite Unite (Provisional)—better known as Merrill’s Maraud- ers. After the Burma campaign, he was assigned to the South East Asia Translation and Interrogation Center and served as the personal interpreter to Major General McClure at the Japanese surrender ceremony held in Nanking, China. In 1946 and ’47, he served as interpreter, interrogator and court monitor for the B Class war crimes trials in Yokohama, Japan. His decorations include the Combat Infantry Badge, Presidential Unit Citation and Bronze Star.

Captain Thomas J. Hudner, Jr. graduated from the Naval Academy in 1946. After attending flight school, he was designated a Naval Aviator in August of 1949. On December 4, 1950, while serving with VF-32 during the Korean War, he crash-landed his own plane near the Chosin Reservoir in an effort to rescue Ensign Jesse L. Brown, another pilot whose plane had been shot down. For his heroism on that occasion, then-Lt. (Junior Grade) Hudner was awarded the Medal of Honor—the first Navy Medal of Honor to be awarded during the Korean War.

Joe Ichiuji was born in Salinas, California, one of six children of Kikujiro and Katsu Ichiuji, who immigrated from Japan in 1900. In September of 1941, he was inducted into the U.S. Army, but suddenly discharged after the attack on Pearl Harbor due to his Japanese ancestry. In February, 1942, he and his family were relocated to Poston Relocation Camp in Arizona. He volunteered for the 442nd Regimental Combat Team in 1943 to prove that he was a loyal American. He would go on to serve with the 442nd in Italy, France and Germany, and was involved in the liberation of a sub-camp of the Dachau concentration camp.

Grant Ichikawa was born in Suisun Valley, CA in 1919, the son of poor tenant fruit farmers. He was determined to attend college, and worked his way through the University of California in Berkeley, graduating in 1941. Following the Pearl Harbor attack, Grant and his family were rounded up and interned in hastily created camps at the Turlock Fair grounds, where they shared a horse stall with another family of three. When given an opportunity to join the Army, he took it, and became a part of General McArthur’s Intelligence Section. His military career would continue through Korea and Vietnam, and he was one of the last Americans to leave Saigon from the embassy rooftop in April, 1975.

Yeiichi “Kelly” Kuwayama was born and raised in New York City. A graduate of Princeton University, Kuwayama was inducted into the U.S. Army about one year before Pearl Harbor was attacked. He volunteered for the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and served as a medic in Co. E. in various campaigns of the 442nd in Italy and France. He was awarded the Silver Star, Purple Heart, French Legion of Honor and Italian Croce al Valor Militare. He obtained an MBA from the Harvard Business School and became General Manager in the U.S. for Nomura Securities, Ltd. He also was an official with the U.S. Dept. of Commerce and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. He served on the board of the Civil Liberties Public Education Fund, which was mandated by the U.S. Congress. Tenth Annual Conference Speakers Robert M. Lane enlisted in the Marine Corps at age 17, watching the Battle of Midway from the atoll, and going on to see combat at Guadalcanal and Bougainville. By February of 1945, he was a squad leader in 3rd Platoon of E Company, 28th Marines, 5th Marine Division, and led his men toward Mt. Suribachi when he was wounded in the right shoulder by an enemy mortar. He was patched up by John Bradley, and stayed in the battle until he could no longer fire his rifle. He watched the flag go up on Mt. Suribachi, raised by his fellow Marines, from a hospital ship just offshore.

Leonard Lazarick was a member of Company K, 382nd Infantry Regiment, 96th Infantry Division, U.S. Army, a rifle company, during the Battles of Leyte, Philippines and Okinawa, Japan. He served in a front-line rifle platoon as a rifleman, Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) ammo bearer and a squad leader. “Laz” was wounded on Leyte and on Okinawa. For his service he was awarded two Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star with an Oak Leaf Cluster, Combat Infantry Badge, and for service in the 96th Division, the Presidential Unit Citation. “Laz” is featured on the History Channel’s episode of Shootout! Okinawa.

Donald G. Malarkey joined Easy Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (“The Band of Brothers”) in August 1942. He fought in the D-Day invasion, Operation Market Garden, the Battle of the Bulge and eventually into southern Austria. Malarkey served more days in combat without a wound than any other man in Easy Company. He earned the Bronze Star for his actions on D-Day. He retired from the military a Technical Sergeant.

Colonel Walter Joseph Marm joined the Army from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and by November 14, 1965, was serving as a second lieutenant in Company A, 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile). On that day, during the Battle of Ia Drang, he single-handedly attacked an enemy machine gun bunker behind a large termite hill with a rocket, grenade, and small arms fire, suffering severe wounds in the neck and jaw. On February 15, 1967, for his heroism in Vietnam, then-Lt. Marm was awarded the Medal of Honor.

Marvin Margoshes was born in New York City in 1925, graduating from Brooklyn Technical High School in January of 1943. Shortly thereafter he enlisted in the U.S. Army, entering the Army Specialized Training Program until being assigned to the 96th Infantry Division in 1944, where he served as a rifleman in Co. C, 382nd Infantry Regiment. He would make the landings on Leyte and Okinawa with the 96th, and was wounded during both battles. He would earn a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry, later conducting research at Harvard Medical School and the National Bureau of Standards.

Sergeant Marco Martinez, USMC, once a gang member, became the first Hispanic American in the War on Terror to receive the Navy Cross, the second-highest award a U.S. Marine can receive, second only to the Medal of Honor. His combat heroics have been described in the pages of the San Diego Union-Tribune, USA Today, National Review, and the Navy Times, among other publications. Only 26 years old, Martinez now attends college in Southern California while working full-time in nuclear security. Tenth Annual Conference Speakers Donald Mates served in the 3rd Marine Division and fought in the battle of Iwo Jima, landing on February 24, 1945. After midnight on February 27, Mates’ eight-man patrol came under heavy assault from Japanese forces. During fierce hand-to-hand combat, Mates watched as his friend and fellow Marine, Jimmy Trimble, was killed in front of his eyes. Mates was severely wounded, and underwent repeated operations for shrapnel removal for over 30 years. In recent years, he has helped the World War II Veterans Committee begin the “James Trimble, III Scholarship”, in honor of his fallen friend.

James McEachin is a Silver Star, multiple-wound Purple Heart veteran of the Korean War with a distinguished background as an actor, author, and keynote speaker with well over 125 film and television credits, 6 award-winning novels and audio cds, and a prestigious list of speaking engagements. In 2005 Mr. McEachin became a US Army Reserve Ambassador and spends his spare time and talent commemorating veterans and soldiers by performing pieces from VOICES: A Tribute to the American Veteran in the character borne of his latest film, and directorial debut, OLD GLORY, a tribute to the American cloth and all who have served and are serving to protect her.

Lieutenant General Harold G. “Hal” Moore, Jr. graduated from West Point in 1945 and attended graduated studies at George Washington and Harvard universities, obtaining a Masters degree in international relations. On Novem- ber 14, 1965, then Lt. Col. Moore led the men of the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division to Landing Zone X-Ray, in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. The ensuing combat—known as the Battle of Ia Drang—was among the first major battles between the United States and North Vietnamese. The battle was chronicled in General Moore’s acclaimed book, We Were Soldiers Once…And Young, co-authored with Joseph Galloway and made into the feature 2002 film starring Mel Gibson as Moore. For his actions during the Battle of Ia Drang, Hal Moore was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.

Dr. Mark Moyar received a B.A. summa cum laude in history from Harvard University and a Ph.D. in history from Cambridge University. He holds the Kim T. Adamson Chair of Insurgency and Terrorism at the U.S. Marine Corps University in Quantico, Virginia. His articles have been published in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, the National Review, the Christian Science Monitor, and the New York Post. Prior to writing Triumph Forsaken, he published Phoenix and the Birds of Prey, which is being republished in late 2007 in a new edition.

Colonel Ramon “Tony” Nadal graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1958, and is the son of Ramon A. Nadal, a West Point grad from the class of 1928. By 1965, he had already served in Vietnam with the Special Forces, and when he had heard that the 1st Cavalry Division was headed over, he drove to Ft. Benning to ask for a job. Then Lt. Col. Hal Moore made Nadal his intelligence officer, and he served as commander of Company A, 1/7 Cavalry at LZ X-Ray during the epic Battle of Ia Drang.

James Rigney enlisted in the Navy on March 31, 1944, and soon after volunteered for the Marines. Following boot camp, he was assigned to the 5th Marine Division at Camp Pendleton. On D-Day on Iwo Jima, Rigney stormed ashore in the initial assault, working amidst the carnage on the beaches until he was assigned as a rifleman to Easy Company’s 3rd Platoon on March 5th, 1945. He fought on with the unit to Kitano Point—the last Japanese holdout at the north of the island—where he was severely wounded by a mortar blast on March 22nd. Tenth Annual Conference Speakers Brigadier General R. Steve Ritchie is the only Air Force “ace” pilot of the air war in Vietnam. A veteran of more than 800 combat hours in the F-4 Phantom during 339 missions over Southeast Asia, Ritchie is the only American pilot to down five MiG-21s, the most sophisticated fighters in the North Vietnamese fleet. Upon leaving active duty in 1974, Ritchie had been awarded the Air Force Cross, four Silver Stars, 10 Distinguished Flying Crosses and 25 Air Medals. He would rise to the rank of Brigadier General in the Air Force Reserve, and served in the Reagan administration.

Staff Sergeant Joshua Roller arrived in Afghanistan in March of 2006 as a squad leader for an “in lieu of” Military Police Company. His squad conducted combined combat patrols and Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) mentorship operations to increase ANSF effectiveness near the city of Jalalabad and along the Pakistan border in Nangahar Province. From September 2006-March 2007, he participated in combined combat patrols with local Afghan National Police to deny and interdict Taliban operations and help legitimize local government and security forces among the local populace. SSgt. Roller has served for ten years, and is the father of a three year old son.

George Joe Sakato moved with his family from California to Arizona in 1942, to avoid being sent to an internment camp for Japanese Americans. The 21-year-old Sakato tried to enlist twice in the Army Air Corps, but was rejected due to his draft status—4-C, undesirable alien. Following the exploits of the Hawaiian National Guard’s 100th Infantry Battalion, comprised of Americans of Japanese descent, in Italy, the government allowed other Japanese Americans to serve. Sakato joined the Army, and would serve with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. On October 28, 1944, he led an assault on German positions near Biffontaine, France. Days later, he fought alongside his fellow men of the 442nd in the famed rescue of the “Lost Battalion,” where he was seriously wounded. He would be recommended for the Medal of Honor, a recognition he would finally receive nearly 55 years later.

The Honorable Celia Sandys is the granddaughter of Sir Winston Churchill. She is the author of numerous books on Churchill, including The Young Churchill, Churchill: Wanted Dead or Alive, We Shall Not Fail: The Inspiring Leadership of Winston Churchill, and her most recent work, Chasing Churchill: The Travels of Winston Churchill. She is currently establishing the Churchill Leadership Program for all who aspire to lead. When not lecturing around the world, she lives in Wiltshire, England.

John Sheperle was sworn into the United States Marine Corps on January 21, 1944. Following graduation from boot camp, he was assigned to E Company, 2nd Battalion, 28th Marines. He landed on Iwo Jima with his unit before being wounded by shrapnel from an enemy mortar. Evacuated to a hospital ship just off shore, Sheperle would return a mere five days later to rejoin the rest of his unit atop Mt. Suribachi. Days later, as he and his fellow Marines fought north across the island, he was seriously wounded for a second time, shot through the back by enemy rifle fire. He recovered from his wounds on Saipan, and would be discharged from the Marines on February 2, 1946.

John Robert Slaughter was born on February 3, 1925 in Bristol, Tennessee. He joined the Virginia Army National Guard, Company D, 116th Infantry, 29th Division. His unit landed in the assault wave at the extreme western flank on Omaha Beach on D-Day—June 6, 1944. Despite suffering two wounds during the battle for Normandy, Sgt. Slaughter remained in action through the rest of the European campaign, and was with his unit when it met the Russians at the Elbe River in Germany on May 6, 1945. He would go on to become the Founder and Chairman of the Board of the National D-Day Memorial Foundation, responsible for the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Virginia. Tenth Annual Conference Speakers Charles W. “Chuck” Tatum fought through the Battle of Iwo Jima, receiving the Bronze Star. He would go on to write the acclaimed narrative of the battle, Red Blood, Black Sand, a tribute to the fallen men of the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Marine Division who fought side-by-side in the bloody campaign to conquer Iwo Jima. The book is currently serving as the basis for part of the upcoming miniseries on the Pacific Theater being produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks. Chuck would become a successful race car driver and builder, and remains active in Marine affairs.

Amos “Buck” Taylor was an original member of Easy Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment. He joined the Company in the summer of 1942 while at Camp Toccoa, GA. Buck was one of the 4 members of 3rd Platoon who hailed from the “Keystone State” that were known as “The Four Pennsylvanians.” He rose to the rank of Sergeant and fought with the 3rd Platoon of E Company in Normandy, Holland & Bastogne. After the war Buck worked with the US Government until he retired. He and his wife Elaine are very active in E Company reunions and projects supporting our current day soldiers serving overseas.

Michael E. Thornton grew up determined to enter into the Navy and following graduation from high school, joined the service and became a member of the elite SEALs. In the fall of 1972, with the U.S. involvement in Vietnam winding down, only three officers and nine enlisted SEALs remained in the country—and Thornton was one of them. Their primary missions were to rescue downed American airmen and perform reconnaissance on the NVA. On October 31, he saved the life of his superior officer after he had been severely wounded during an operation at the Cua Viet River Base—actions for which he would receive the Medal of Honor—the last non-posthumous MOH to be awarded to this date.

Brigadier General John A. Toolan, Jr. commanded Regimental Combat Team 1 during Operation Iraqi Freedom 1 & 2. He was the tactical commander for the April 2004 battle for Fallujah, known as Operation Vigilant Resolve. He met daily with Iraqi officials, and implemented the third extended strategy for Fallujah. He is currently Principal Director, Asia and Pacific Affairs, Office of the Secretary of Defense. He is a graduate of Fordham University & the Air War College, and has a Masters degree in Business Administration.

Renwyn Triplett was a member of Anti-Tank Company, 382nd Infantry Regiment, 96th Infantry Division, U.S. Army, during the Battles of Leyte, Philippines and Okinawa, Japan. He served in both an Anti-tank Gun Platoon and in the Mine Platoon on Okinawa removing Japanese mines. For his service he was awarded the Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Cluster, Combat Infantry Badge: and as a member of the 96th Division, the Presidential Unit Citation.

Major Heidi Urben was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Military Intelligence Corps upon graduation from the University of Notre Dame in 1997. She was assigned to the 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), deploying to Bosnia-Herzegovina in support of Operation Joint Force, and served as Aide-de-Camp to the Commanding General. In 2004, she served as the CJ2 Plans Chief for Combined Joint Task Force – 76 in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom. She was assigned to the Pentagon in 2006, becoming Military Aide to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. Maj. Urben is currently working on her Ph.D. in American Government at Georgetown University. Tenth Annual Conference Speakers William Wayne volunteered for the Marines in January, 1944 in St. Lous, MO. Following boot camp, he was assigned to the newly formed 5th Marine Division, and soon found himself in the 3rd Platoon, E Company of the 28th Marines as a BAR gunner. Wayne escaped injury during the D-Day landing and the initial crossing of the island on the second day, but was seriously wounded during the heroic charge of the 3rd Platoon against the Japanese fortifications at the base of Mt. Suribachi. After recovering from his injuries, he would participate in the occupation of Japan, and be discharged in1946.

Lieutenant John Keith Wells commanded the most decorated infantry platoon to come out of a single engagement in the history of the United States as platoon leader of the 3rd Platoon, Easy Company, 28th Marines. Born in 1922, Wells attended Texas A&M College Military School and joined the Marine Corps in 1942. After World War II, he entered Texas Tech College and obtained a degree in Petroluem Geology. In 1959, he was honorarily retired from the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve as a major.

Richard Wheeler joined the Marine Corps several days after Pearl Harbor to “get into the fight.” Upon hearing his decision, Wheeler’s father, a combat veteran, said to him, “Why did you hesitate?” After serving in Alaska, he was assigned to the 28th Regiment of the 5th Marine Division for a “special assignment.” That special assignment would be the invasion of Iwo Jima. Wheeler, a corporal, served as assistant squad leader of 3rd Platoon’s 1st Squad. Two days after the landings on Iwo, he was wounded during the assault at the base of Mt. Suribachi. In the years after World War II, he would establish himself as a celebrated author, with the acclaimed books Iwo and The Bloody Battle for Suribachi among his works.

James A. White joined the Marine Corps in 1943 and fought in the battle of Iwo Jima as part of the Third Marine Division from February 24th to March 26th, 1945. He joined Donald Mates and Jimmy Trimble in their eight-man patrol on the fateful night of February 27. After Trimble was killed and Mates severely wounded, White ran to Mates’ aid and almost single-handedly beat back the Japanese attack. His experience of hand-to-hand combat on the island was featured in an article by Leatherneck Magazine and he is the subject of a forthcoming book about the battle of Iwo Jima. He married in 1950 and has eight children.

Colonel Warren Wiedhahn fought in the Korean and Vietnam Wars. In Vietnam he served with the 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines and as the executive officer for the 3rd Battalion, 9th Marines, retiring with the rank of colonel. He is the founder and president of Military Historical Tours, an organization that specializes in battlefield tours. He is also the founder of the Marine Executive Association whose mission is to help retiring Marines find suitable civilian employment. Wiedhahn is the executive officer of the Korean War Veterans Association.

Sergeant Jeremiah Workman was born on August 26, 1983 in Marion, OH. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2000, and in 2004, was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines where he served in Weapons Company as a team leader and later squad leader. In September, 2004, he deployed to Iraq and participated in Operation Phantom Fury—the second Battle of Fallujah. His actions in leading the rescue of Marines trapped in a house by enemy fire led to his being awarded the Navy Cross—second only to the Medal of Honor. He would go on to become a Drill Instructor and is currently assigned to Training and Education Center Company, Headquarters and Service Battalion, MCB, Quantico, VA. America’s Legendary Aviators of World War II The American Veterans Center proudly welcomes... The Tuskegee Airmen

William Fauntroy, Jr. Ivan Ware Jim Pryde Curtis Robinson

“All Blood Runs Red.”

The Black Sheep Squadron

Ed Harper Tom Emrich Jim Hill Bruce Matheson The American Veterans Center Tenth Annual Awards Banquet Program

Master of Ceremonies Gene Pell, former Director, Voice of America President, Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty Welcome James Roberts, President The American Veterans Center Presentation of Colors U.S. Army Color Guard, Military District of Washington National Anthem Nadine Salonites Pledge of Allegiance The Blessing The Reverend Arnold G. Taylor World War II Veteran, 99th Infantry Division A Minute of Remembrance is Observed in Honor of Those Who Have Fallen in Service to Our Country Retiring of the Colors Voices: A Tribute to the American Veteran by James McEachin Silver Star - Purple Heart The United States Army - Korean War A Performance in the “Old Soldier” character borne of the recent films OLD GLORY and REVEILLE Dinner is Served Renaissance Harvest Salad Mixed Field Greens, carrots, tomatoes and cucumbers with balsamic vinaigrette and Caesar Dressing Beef Tenderloin in gorgonzola demi-glace a medallion of salmon with pinot grigio sauce dried fruit salsa roasted pinenut polenta medley of fresh seasonal vegetables Baker’s basket of french rolls and butter Chocolate Pear Cake Merlot and Chardonnay wines Coffee/tea service Singing of the Military Service Songs “You Raise Me Up” Performed by Erin Gannt

Introduction of Honored Guests

Announcement and Presentation of Awards

Student Essay Awards

Hunter Scott Youth Achievement Award Dylan DeSilva

James Trimble III Scholarship Awards Katherine Crawford and Daniel Noel

Edward J. Herlihy Citizenship Award Earl Morse

Lillian K. Keil Award Brigadier General Susan Helms

Audie Murphy Award - WWII The 442nd Regimental Combat Team

Raymond G. Davis Award - Korea Captain Thomas J. Hudner, USN (Ret) Medal of Honor

Joe Ronnie Hooper Award - Vietnam Lieutenant General Harold G. Moore, USA (Ret) Distinguished Service Cross

Paul Ray Smith Award - Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom Major Jason Amerine, USA Bronze Star Operation Enduring Freedom Sergeant Jeremiah Workman, USMC Navy Cross Operation Iraqi Freedom

A Thank You to Our Veterans “God Bless America” 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 in to 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 US 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 US 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 over 18,000 individual awards. The unit produced twenty-one Medal of Honor recipients, including George Joe Sakato and Senator Daniel Inouye. They also claim more than five thousand 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 over 1,000 Marines from certain death and 6,000 additional Marines from possible destruction. For this, he was awarded the Medal of Honor, and remains one of the great heroes in Marine Corps history.

Previous Recipients 2006 - Hiroshi “Hershey” Miyamura Captain Thomas J. Hudner, Jr. By mid-October, 1950, the Korean War looked all but over. Victory was in sight as American-led forces had advanced through almost all of North Korea. However, on October 25th, 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, Massachu- setts. Hudner was born in 1924 and graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1946; he went on to receive 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 doing battle.

On December 4th, 1950, late in the Battle of Chosin Reservoir, Brown’s plane went down on a mountainside after being fired upon. Upon 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 side of the mountain in an attempt to rescue Brown from his downed plane and the icy, sub-zero 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 ax and fire extinguisher. 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.

In recognition of his courageous service and his dedication and devotion to the men he served with, the American Veterans Center is proud to present Captain Thomas J. Hudner the 2007 Raymond G. Davis Award. 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. Surpass- ing 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, one of America’s great heroes of Vietnam. Previous Recipients 2006 - Colonel George “Bud” Day Lt. General Harold G. Moore, Jr.

November 14th, 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 close in – 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 – one of the men they most look up to.

When the fighting ended at landing zone X-Ray, 79 Americans had been killed in action, 121 wounded; the North Vietnamese suffered thousands of casualties.

Though the fierce fighting in the Ia Drang Valley concluded over forty years ago, the American forces who fought there remain legends. Lieutenant 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 starring Mel Gibson as Moore just a decade later. 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, the American Veterans Center is proud to name Lieutenant General Hal Moore as the recipient of the 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, Capt. 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. A mere three days later, on November 14 2001, Amerine led ODA 574 into Afghanistan on a mission whose outcome would be of vital impor- tance. 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 over 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 which attempted to flee to Kandahar were completely destroyed. Following this early victory, Hamid 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. But 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. It is for his leadership and valor in one of the most pivotal moments in the liberation of Afghanistan that Major Jason Amerine is the recipient of the 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 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 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 a shambles, with wreckage of battle strewn throughout the streets. Still, insurgents, holed up in houses and waiting for an opportunity to strike, proved a deadly and dangerous foe. On December 23 of 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 would be 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 Reservoir, and Hue City—that he has become a hero among the Marine Corps, and why he is the recipient of the 2007 Paul Ray Smith Award.

The Greatest Heroes of the Latest Generation THE MEDAL OF HONOR

Paul Ray SmithMichael Murphy Jason Dunham Always Remember Lillian K. Keil Award – Brigadier General Awarded to a female Susan J. Helms, USAF veteran or active duty Commander, 45th Space service member who has Wing and Director, done significant work to Eastern Range, Patrick Air promote the contribution Force Base of women to the United States Armed Forces.

Edward J. Herlily Earl Morse Citizenship Award – Founder and President, Individual recognition for signifi- Honor Flight cant work in preserving the legacy of America’s veterans and active-duty service members.

Hunter Scott Youth Award – Dylan DeSilva Recognition for a young person Founder of Cape Cod (under the age of 18) who has Cares for Our Troops done significant work to preserve the legacy of the World War II generation.

James Trimble III Katherine Scholarship – Awarded to Crawford and one or more outstanding Daniel Noel high school seniors, in association with the Young Marines. VETERANS SERVING VETERANS

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And a Very Special Thank You to Our Many Individual Supporters Who Helped Make Possible the 10th Annual Conference and Awards Banquet

Mr. Kenneth Absher Capt. Harry Davis Ms. Joyce Heinrich Mr. Lauren Alexander Mrs. Robert Davis Ms. Helen Heinzen Mr. Harry Amos Mrs. Edele de Kirby Mr. Joe Hendricks Capt. Glenn Arthur Mrs. Jane Dick Ms. Ardell Henke Ms. Anna Austin Mrs. Chester Dill Mrs. Evelyn Hernando Ms. Gwendolyn Bagley Mrs. Janice Dinatali Mr. Paul Hertenstein Ms. Maripaul Baier Ms. Katherine Doherty Ms. Ann Hess Mr. Pascal Bailey Ms. Florence Dorn Mr. Donald Hitzeman Mr. Allen Baird Mr. Gene Douglas Mr. Robert Hopper Mr. James Barekman Mr. Shaun Dowd Mrs. Opal Howard Col. Claude Barton Mrs. Maureen Drabb Mr. William Hubbard Mr. Nelson Basile 1st Lt. Donald Duerr Mr. Gunter Hummel Mr. Warren Bateman Mr. Robert Dunlap Mr. Richard Hurley Mr. Harry Beamish Mr. Sidney Dunn Mr. David Huston Mr. Garry Bean Mr. Joe Earl Ms. Miki Iwata Mr. Harold Bellis Col. Joseph Eddlemon Mr. Raymond Jaminet Mr. Richard Bennett Mr. Jarulv Egeland Mr. Eliot Jenkins Mr. John Bergman Mr. Arthur Ehlenberger Maj. Cecil Johnston Mr. Thomas Bernstein Ms. Frances Elliott Mr. Robert Johnston Ms. Lillian Berryman Mr. Keith Erlenbach Col. Burton Jones Mr. Lynn Biddison Mr. John Evans Ms. Jonzennie Jones Lt. Col. V Bird Ms. Christine Evans Mr. Albert Kalasky Mr. John Bishop Dr. John Fague, M.D. Mr. Chris Kania Dr. Donald Bissing Mrs. Ruth Farmer Mr. Banjamin Katz Maj. Michael Bistrica Mr. John Feda Mr. William Kelly Mr. Karl Boeckmann Mr. Daniel Ferraro Mrs. Patricia Kennedy Mr. Keith Boulden Mrs. Nancy Finn Mr. Michael Kiernan Mr. Vernon Brumfield Ms. Reva Fortune Ms. Eleanor King Mr. William Bryan Jr. Mr. Milo Foster Ms. Adrianna Kinker Mr. Richard Budd Mr. Andrew Fultz Mr. David Kirby Mrs. Anna Burrow Ms. Ruby Gakeler Mrs. Martha Klappa Mr. David Burrows Lt. Col. James Galle Mr. Henry Kreuzman Mr. Darrell Butterwick Maj. Gen. Francis Gerard Mr. James Krumm Mrs. Margaret Buxton Ms. Virginia Geringer Dr. Karen Landers Msgt. Ronald Carey Dr. Adam Geyer Mr. Robert Landy Mr. LaVaughn Carlson Mr. Pierce Giffin Lt. Col. Willard Larson Mr. LaVaughn Carlson Mr. Paul Gikas M.D. Mr. A Laws Ms. Claire Carney Mr. Marlin Goff Mr. F Lehman Mr. Robert Carr Mr. Johnnie Goode Ms. Flora Levin Msgt. Joseph Carroll Mrs. Anne Gove Mr. Chester Lien Ms. Helen Carter Mr. Fred Govern Sr Mrs. F Light Mr. Charles Carter Mr. Ralph Graefe Mr. Wilbur Littlefield Mr. Lawrence Cervellino Ms. Gene Granberry Mr. Vincent Lumetta Mr. Verner Chaffin Mr. Walter Grigsby Mr. John Lundin Mrs. Helen Clark Dr. Lincoln Griswold Mr. Joseph Lunzer Mr. Allan Clickman Mrs. Anita Haffey Mr. N Lyons Jr Mr. Art Cocolin Mr. David Hale Mr. Ron Marien Mrs. Lorion Coons Ms. Shirley Hall Dr. L Marks Mr. Robert J & Copland Mr. H Hall Ms. Margaret Martin Mrs. Celia Coston Lt. Col. Blount Hall Mr. Agust Martin Jr Ms. Reta Covey Mr. J Kern Hamilton Mr. Stanley Maston Mr. William Cox Mr. Elliot Handler Mr. Albert Mazza Mrs. Joan Crawford Mrs. Romayne Hardy Mr. Jack Mc Kee Mr. Henry Curran Jr Mr. Raymond Harrison Mr. Larry Mc Laughlin Ms. Therese Curran Dr. Donald Harrop Mr. Michael McAleenan Mr. Raymond Czarnica Mr. Andrew Hatfield Ms. Helen McCurdy Mrs. Marie D’Amato Mrs. Janet Heilmeier Mr. Charles McCurdy Capt. John Medd Jr Dr. Daner Reider Mrs. Marie Stamps Mr. Gilbert Melious Dr. S Renshaw Mr. John Strickler Ms. Sarah Middleton Mr. Robert Reoch Mr. Howard Stringfellow Jr Ms. Sarah Middleton Mr. Walter Riedi Mr. Frances Strom Mr. Stephen Mihaly Mr. John Riesch Dr. Francis Taylor M.D. Mr. Joseph Moore Mr. Jessee Ring Mr. Leo Thomas Mr. A Moore Mrs. Helen Roan Mr. Joseph Thompson Mr. William Morgan Mr. Christopher Rodgers Lt. Col. George Thrailkill Mr. Robert Mosholder Mr. Donald Rosenthal Mr. Richard Thrasher Mr. Fred Mowrey Mr. Michael Russell Ms. Nancy Tipton Dr. Gordon Myers Mrs. Mamie Russell Mr. Leonard Trunsky Mr. Albert Nance Mr. James Russell Mr. John Udaka Mrs. Verda Naylor Mrs. Joan Saehloff Cdr. Richard Vaillancourt Mr. Yiu Hung Ng Mr. Willis Sanburn Mr. Armand Ventura Ms. Helen Norton Mrs. Rose Sanfilippo Msgt. Frank Versage Mr. James Oberman Mr. Virgil Scardina Mr. Ralph Voorhees Ms. Mabel Oestrich Ms. Rosalie Scarfi Mr. Philip Wagner Mr. F Osborne Capt. Rodney Schall Ms. Lorraine Wajgel Maj. Terry Pandel Mr. Raymond Scheer Ms. Ruth Wallace II Ms. Shirley Passow Ms. Helen Scheidegger Mr. Dewitt Waltmon Mrs. Mary Paul Sister Jane Schutz Mr. Harry Walton Jr Mr. Theodore Pauly Mr. Paul Seabaugh Maj. Susan Weeks Mr. Noal Pemberton Mr. Dwight Seward Mr. Wallace Wessa Mr. John Penson Mr. Ned Shanaman Mr. Heyward Wharton Mrs. Jeanne Ann Peterson Mr. Edward Shaver Mrs. Jane Wiles Mr. Carl Peterson Mr. E. Shofner Mrs. Helen Wilks Mr. Frank Phelan Ms. Margaret Ann Shuffler Mr. Claude Williams Jr Mr. Jason Pietsch Mr. Richard Siebrasse Mr. Rodney Williams Mr. Justin Poole Ms. Mildred Sieckhaus Mr. Colin Winkie Mr. Lawrence Portnow Mr. Salvatore Sinardi Mrs. Bernice Wintroub Mr. Paul Priebe Capt. Milton Small Mrs. Elizabeth Witsil Mrs. Bernard Prowell Mr & Mrs Ronald Smith Ms. Betty Wolfe Ms Marilyn Quittmeyer Mr. Christopher Smith Mr. Samuel Wright Col. Paul Raisig Mr. David Smith Mr. Bud Yorkin Mrs. Mary Rands Ms. Patricia Smith Ms. Marlene Young Mr. David Rebele Mr. Ted Solomon Mr. Joseph Zagotta Mr. Maurice Reese Mr. Robert Spansky Mr. Karl Zimmer Mrs. Bonnie Zimpleman It is with your support that we continue our mission to honor our service members, from the Greatest Generation to the latest generation... Jimmy Doolittle is decorated with the Congressional Medal of Honor by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war . . . shall be directly proportional to how they perceive the veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their nation. - George Washington

We are pleased to have an opportunity to participate in the important work of the World War II Veterans Committee and we salute the courageous men and women of our Armed Forces.

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American Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and American Veterans Center’s Annual Conference Coast Guardsmen have faithfully answered the and Awards Banquet. call to duty, at home and abroad. Integrating the full range of consulting capabilities, Booz Allen Hamilton salutes the men and women Booz Allen is the one firm that helps clients solve of the US Armed Forces for their enduring service their toughest problems, working by their side to of defending our democracy and preserving our help them achieve their missions. Booz Allen is peace and freedom. We’re proud to support the committed to delivering results that endure.

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