IN the NEWS Reinforcements from the Barracks Before Returning to Action with the Support of an Assistant Gunner
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
the rays of the sun and a circle of atoms and above which a partly visible PDRY flag (Figure 16). This is encircled by the inscription on two scrolls on a red background PEOPLE’S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF YEMEN/ HIGH SUPERIORITY. Reverse: Blank (Figure 17). Size: 51mm diameter; base metal of unknown manufacture. Ribbon: There is no ribbon however the medal is suspended from a 48mm by 18mm plaque bearing the Arabic inscription meaning 10 SEPTEMBER SCIENCE DAY. Figure 17: Reverse of the 10th September Suspension: By a ring and a loop affixed to the top of Science Day Medal. the medal, and by a brooch pin at the rear of the plaque. to conduct a reconnaissance of the battlefield and seek IN THE NEWS reinforcements from the barracks before returning to action with the support of an assistant gunner. Staff Medal of Honor to Staff Sergeant Romesha Sergeant Romesha took out an enemy machine gun team and, while engaging a second, the generator he was using for cover was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade, inflicting him with shrapnel wounds. Undeterred by his injuries, Staff Sergeant Romesha continued to fight and upon the arrival of another soldier to aid him and the assistant gunner, he again rushed through the exposed avenue to assemble additional soldiers. Staff Sergeant Romesha then mobilized a five-man team and returned to the fight equipped with a sniper rifle. With complete disregard for his own safety, Staff Sergeant Romesha continually exposed himself to heavy enemy fire, as he moved confidently about the battlefield engaging and destroying multiple enemy targets, including three Taliban fighters who had breached the combat outpost’s perimeter. While orchestrating a successful plan to secure and reinforce Staff Sergeant Clinton Romesha received the Medal of key points of the battlefield, Staff Sergeant Romesha maintained radio communication with the tactical Honor from President Barack Obama at a ceremony operations center. As the enemy forces attacked with in the East Room of the White House on February 11, even greater ferocity, unleashing a barrage of rocket- 2013. Sergeant Romesha received the medal for his propelled grenades and recoilless rifle rounds, Staff actions on October 3, 2009 at Combat Outpost Keating Sergeant Romesha identified the point of attack and in Kamdesh District, Nuristan Province, Afghanistar directed air support to destroy over 30 enemy fighters. while serving with Bravo Troop, 3rd Squadron, 61st After receiving reports that seriously injured Soldiers Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th were at a distant battle position, Staff Sergeant Infantry Division. On the morning of October 3, 2009: Romesha and his team provided covering fire to allow the injured Soldiers to safely reach the aid station. Upon “Staff Sergeant Romesha and his comrades awakened receipt of orders to proceed to the next objective, his to an attack by an estimated 300 enemy fighters team pushed forward 100 meters under overwhelming occupying the high ground on all four sides of the enemy fire to recover and prevent the enemy fighters complex, employing concentrated fire from recoilless from taking the bodies of their fallen comrades. Staff rifles, rocket propelled grenades, anti-aircraft machine Sergeant Romesha’s heroic actions throughout the guns, mortars and small arms fire. Staff Sergeant day-long battle were critical in suppressing an enemy Romesha moved uncovered under intense enemy fire that had far greater numbers. 32 JOMSA LEON DEGRELLE: INFAMOUS WORLD WAR II HERO ED EMERING origins into the background. With the outbreak of World War II on the European continent and the Nazi invasion of Belgium, Degrelle found himself arrested by the Belgian police as a suspected collaborator and deported to France. Later rescued and freed when the Nazis invaded France, he returned to Belgium and declared Rexism to be in line with the ideals of the Nazi Party, effectively fragmenting the Rexist Party. In August 1941, in spite of being offered a senior rank, Degrelle with absolutely no prior military training enlisted as a private in Walloon Infantry Battalion 373, which was formed from the first 1,000 volunteers and which operated as part of the Wehrmacht (German Land Force). After basic training at Meseritz, he served on the Eastern Front as part of Operation BARBAROSSA, Figure 1: Leon Degrelle. the Nazi invasion of Russia. In November of the same year he experienced his first close-quarter combat at Leon Joseph Marie Ignace Degrelle (Figure 1) was born Karabinowka. In February 1942 he saw further close in Bouillon, in Belgium’s Walloon region on June 15, -quarter combat during the Soviet counter-offensive at 1906 into, by today’s standards, a large, conservative Gramowaja-Balka on the Donez Front and yet again in Roman-Catholic family. Educated by Jesuits, he studied the battle for Kharkov, which saw the Wallonian ranks law and politics at the Catholic University of Louvain. decimated. In May 1942, the Wallonians defeated the He then worked as a journalist for the conservative Russian forces at Jablenskaja. For his heroic actions in Roman Catholic periodical, Christus Rex where he battle, he received the Iron Cross 1st Class (Figure 2), sharpened his political leanings. the black wound badge and was promoted to Sergeant and then to Second Lieutenant by the end of May 1942. He is credited as being the founder of the Rex (Christ is King) Party, which stressed that the corrupt bourgeoisie and politicians were solely motivated by self interest and not at all by the needs of the people. He railed against corrupt, old-guard politicians, who he claimed were puppets of the large financial institutions. Degrelle proved to be an inspirational leader and his political positions appealed to the country’s youth, both Walloons and Flemish. At first, he was influenced by the success of Benito Mussolini and the Fascist movement in Italy, and later, as he became more radicalized, by both Germany’s Adolf Hitler, whom he met for the first Figure 2: The Iron Cross, 1st Class. time in 1936, and Hitler’s National Socialist German Workers’ Party or Nazi Party. In June 1942, the reinforced Walloon unit joined the 97th Jaeger Division and saw action in the Caucuses. The Rexists would eventually receive direct monetary Degrelle once again acquitted himself with great support from both Hitler and Mussolini. As war distinction in close-quarter combat with Soviet forces. approached, the Rexists added anti-Semitism to their At one point, leading just four other men, he attacked platform, while forming close ties to all the European the Soviet position, which caused a great panic Fascist movements, pushing its conservative Catholic among enemy troops resulting in their abandoning Vol. 64, No. 3 (May-June 2013) 33 Figure 3: Silver Infantry Assualt Badge. their entrenched positions and equipment. He was awarded the silver Infantry Assault Badge (Figure 3) and later, the German Cross in Gold (Figure 4) for Figure 5: Knight’s Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords. these actions. The Wallonians were relieved during December 1942 having fought in the Caucuses with Estonian military commander Alfons Rebane, and the great distinction. Spanish Blue Division commander, General Augustin Munoz Grandes. During October 1944, Degrelle began overseeing the transitions of the 5th SS Volunteer Sturmbrigade Wallonien into the 28th SS Volunteer Grenadier Division Wallonien. During January 1945, following the failed Ardennes attack, he was directed to form a new battle group and to transfer to Pomerania to halt the advancing Soviets. During May 1945, Degrelle also became the first non-German to be awarded the Gold Close Combat Badge (Figure 6) after 50 days of close-quarter combat. Himmler promoted Degrelle to SS-Brigadefuhrer and Major General of the Waffen SS, but this promotion is Figure 4: German Cross in Gold. generally considered unofficial because Himmler had been relieved of his position as head of the SS by Hitler During June 1943, the Walloons were transferred during April 1945. His final battle assignment saw him from the Wehrmacht to the Waffen SS which would being sent to Denmark. become the 5th SS Volunteer Sturmbrigade Wallonien. Degrelle would eventually become its leader when its commander, Lucien Lippert, was killed in combat on February 13, 1944. In 1944, Degrelle was severely wounded at Cherkasy in the Ukraine. Degrelle was promoted to Lieutenant Figure 6: Gold Close Combat Badge. Colonel and awarded the Ritterkreuz (Knight’s Cross) by Hitler personally after being flown to the As the war entered its final days, Degrelle managed to Wolfsschanze. Never shy about his accomplishments, escape from Denmark to Finland. He was injured on the Degrelle frequently claimed that Hitler told him that if final leg of his escape, during the flight of an He-111 he had had a son, he wished he was like Degrelle. Later, from Oslo, which ran out of fuel and crash landed in the Degrelle became the first non-German awarded the Oak ocean near a beach at San Sebastian in Northern Spain. Leaves distinction to the Knight’s Cross (Figure 5). Such award was earned by only two other non-Germans, Degrelle’s combat awards included Knights Cross of the 34 JOMSA.