Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester Is The First Woman In The U.S. Army To Earn A Silver Star For Combat Valor

Then-Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester stands at attention before receiving her Silver Star. (Spc. Jeremy D. Crisp/Army)

Military Times: This sergeant became the first woman in the U.S. Army to earn a Silver Star for combat valor

On the morning of March 20, 2005, then-Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester was tasked with assisting a supply convoy moving east of Baghdad, a job that meant scanning and clearing the route of any improvised explosive devices.

She’d done this job countless times before, getting shot at on almost a daily basis and seeing vehicles blown up more times than anyone would like to remember.

Executing daily patrols as a member of the National Guard’s Kentucky-based 617th Military Police Company meant guaranteed exposure to combat, something the Pentagon, until an order was signed in 2013, was not even allowing women to officially engage in as a occupational specialty.

“It was that one job where you can get out there and get dirty and be in an infantry-type environment,” she told the Tennessean in 2015.

“I guess it was one of the more exciting jobs in the military for women when I enlisted and it still is now.”

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WNU Editor: Her Silver Star citation is here.

The Remarkable Story On How A WWII Paratrooper Who Tricked 15,000 Germans Into Surrendering

Task & Purpose: The Hero WWII Paratrooper Who Once Tricked 15,000 Germans Into Surrendering Has Died

Few people outside of military and veterans circles will likely recognize the name T. Moffatt Burriss, but the Army veteran's stories of valor and heroism during World War II were the stuff every infantryman's dreams are made of.

Burriss, who died Friday at age 99, was deployed to Europe with the 3rd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment from May 1943 to September 1945, and participated in some of the most dangerous and daring Allied missions of the global conflict, including the Battle of Anzio, the Battle of the Bulge, and the Battle for Nijmegen.

Most notably, he fought in the Allies' critical push into Nazi-controlled territory in Operation Market Garden, his participation immortalized in a composite role by actor Robert Redford in the 1977 epic war drama A Bridge Too Far. His unit was so fearsome it became known as "Devils in Baggy Pants" by enemy Germans on the battlefield.

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WNU Editor: This guy has balls.

Chesty Puller: The Man, the Myth, the Legend

Military.com: The Man, the Myth, the Legend: Good Night, Chesty Puller

The Marine son of a Marine Corps officer who met Chesty Puller offers his thoughts on the popular Marine Corps slogan: “Good night Chesty, wherever you are.”

When my Parris Island Marine Corps Drill Instructor found out I shared the same birthday as Marine Corps legend “Chesty” Puller, he made me say “Good night, Chesty, wherever you are” every night to my platoon when the lights went off.

The slogan “Good night Chesty, wherever you are” is an often-used tribute of supreme respect to the late and legendary Lieutenant Gen. Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller, the only Marine to receive 5 Navy Crosses (why he never earned the Medal of Honor is another contentious topic).

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Update: 5 Reasons Why Chesty Puller is a Marine Corps Legend (Military.com)

WNU Editor: Classic Pullerism .... "We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things."

Remembering Carlos Hathcock

From Wikipedia: Carlos Norman Hathcock II (May 20, 1942 – February 22, 1999) was a United States Marine Corps (USMC) sniper with a service record of 93 confirmed kills. Hathcock's record and the extraordinary details of the missions he undertook made him a legend in the U.S. Marine Corps. He was honored by having a rifle named after him: a variant of the M21 dubbed the Springfield Armory M25 White Feather, for the nickname "White Feather" given to Hathcock by the North Vietnamese Army (NVA).

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Remebering George Washington Who Was Born 286 Years Ago

The final resting place of George and Martha Washington. (Wikipedia)

From Wikipedia: George Washington (February 22, 1732 – December 14, 1799) was an American statesman and soldier who served as the first President of the United States from 1789 to 1797 and was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He served as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, and later presided over the 1787 convention that drafted the United States Constitution. He is popularly considered the driving force behind the nation's establishment and came to be known as the "father of the country," both during his lifetime and to this day.

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WNU Editor: You can download (for free) a collection of his works here.

Remembering U.S. Admiral Chester Nimitz

From Wikipedia: Chester William Nimitz, Sr. (February 24, 1885 – February 20, 1966) was a fleet admiral of the United States Navy. He played a major role in the naval history of World War II as Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet (CinCPac) and Commander in Chief, Pacific Ocean Areas (CinCPOA), commanding Allied air, land, and sea forces during World War II.[2]

Nimitz was the leading US Navy authority on submarines. Qualified in submarines during his early years, he later oversaw the conversion of these vessels' propulsion from gasoline to diesel, and then later was key in acquiring approval to build the world's first nuclear-powered submarine, USS Nautilus, whose propulsion system later completely superseded diesel-powered submarines in the US. He also, beginning in 1917, was the Navy's leading developer of underway replenishment techniques, the tool which during the Pacific war would allow the US fleet to operate away from port almost indefinitely. The chief of the Navy's Bureau of Navigation in 1939, Nimitz served as Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) from 1945 until 1947. He was the United States' last surviving officer who served in the rank of fleet admiral.

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Remembering John Basilone

John Basilone's headstone in Arlington National Cemetery (Wikipedia)

From Wikipedia: John Basilone (November 4, 1916 – February 19, 1945) was a United States Marine Corps gunnery sergeant who was killed in action during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for heroism above and beyond the call of duty during the Battle for Henderson Field in the Guadalcanal Campaign, and the Navy Cross posthumously for extraordinary heroism during the Battle of Iwo Jima. He was the only enlisted Marine to receive both of these decorations in World War II.

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WNU Editor: A new tradition at WNU. Remembering the heroes.

Heroes Of The Vegas Massacre

Hundreds of people queue to donate blood following the mass shooting at the Route 91 music festival in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S., October 2, 2017. (REUTERS/Mike Blake)

Daily Mail: Heroes of the Vegas massacre: The fireman who was shot in the chest while giving CPR, the ex-marine who stole a truck to take victims to hospital and the copy repairman who saved 30 before being shot in the neck

* Dozens of stories of heroism have emerged amid the mass shooting in Las Vegas
* Arizona firefighter Kurt Fowler was shot in the leg shielding his wife from gunfire
* Jonathan Smith saved around thirty people before he was shot in the neck
* Mike Cronk stopped his friend from bleeding to death after he was shot 3 times
* Former Marine Taylor Winston stole a truck to take victims to the hospital
* Glendale firefighter Steve Keys was shot while performing CPR on a woman
* Sonny Melton died protecting his wife, Heather Melton, from the bullets
* Authorities say 59 people were killed and 527 were injured in the attack
* Stephen Paddock, 64, was named the gunman responsible for the massacre

Dozens of stories of heroism have emerged amid the horrifying mass shooting in Las Vegas on Sunday.

Authorities say that at least 59 are dead and 527 are injured after 64-year-old Stephen Paddock opened fire from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel.

But the number of casualties could have been much higher had it not been for the brave few that helped first responders tend to the wounded.

From a firefighter who was shot while performing CPR on a wounded woman to a man who saved his friend from bleeding to death to the ex-marine that stole a truck to transport victims to the hospital - several civilians became overnight heroes.

Sonny Melton, 29, a nurse from Tennessee, was one of the first victims named and one of the first heroes identified.

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WNU Editor: The story is always the same .... confronting pure evil is when the best of humanity always comes out.

These World War II Soldiers Achieved The Impossible

LOLWOT: 10 Heroic World War II Soldiers Who Achieved The Impossible

World War 2 was one of the most devastating conflicts throughout the entire human history. Millions upon millions of people died, disease spread without mercy, and the destruction was on a level no country could fathom at the time. The only good thing to come from the war is the heroics of men and women who braved everything and risked it all to stand against tyranny and evil. The following ten soldiers managed to achieve the impossible, and they ended up becoming famous for their triumphs. We definitely couldn’t do anything near what these men and women were able to do.

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WNU Editor: For those who have family who served during the Second World War .... we have heard some version of these stories more than once .... and in my case .... I never get bored listening to them.

7 POWs And Their Incredible Stories

American prisoners captured in Ardennes in December 1944. Wikipedia

David Nye, Real Clear Defense/We Are The Mighty: 7 POWs Who Were Total Badasses after Being Taken Captive

War prisoners are expected to just survive day-to-day. But some prisoners say screw that and find ways to make the prison easier for their peers and more frustrating for their enemies.

1. A Navy officer saves his camp from both Japanese and U.S. attacks.

Japanese in World War II considered surrender dishonorable and expected Americans to fight to the death. So, when they started taking American prisoners, they were exceptionally cruel. Cmdr. Richard Antrim was in a prison camp when a guard began savagely beating a prisoner. Antrim tried to convince the guards to discuss the man’s case, but they couldn’t understand one another.

The camp commander ordered 50 lashes for the offending prisoner. When the prisoner collapsed only partway into the lashing, Antrim asked that he be allowed to take the rest of the punishment. The camp commander ceased the punishment instead and gained respect for the naval officer.

WNU Editor: Reading these stories .... I am always humbled.

The Heroism Of Lance Cpl. Brett Barrowman

Marines apply a tourniquet and dressing to the arm of Lance Cpl. Jeffrey Cole after he was shot twice during an August 2010 firefight in Marjah, Afghanistan. Cole has received the Silver Star, the third-highest award for valor, for his actions. Marine Corps

Silver Star Recipient Recalls Marjah Attack -- Marine Times

Pinned down in a canal under fire and without working radios, Lance Cpl. Jeffrey Cole made a decision: He would face the Taliban with an M240B machine gun.

His patrol, consisting of nine Marines and a Navy corpsman, had been ambushed on a mission launched from Patrol Base Moose in Marjah, Afghanistan, on Aug. 17, 2010. The attack was swift, with about 20 insurgents opening fire at distances of 30 to 100 meters. Cole, a machine gunner with Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines, out of Camp Lejeune, N.C., was hit three times in the body armor. His fellow Marines didn’t fare nearly as well: five of them sustained gunshot wounds.

On Tuesday, Cole received the Silver Star, the nation’s third highest award for valor, for his actions in the following minutes of the firefight. Under heavy gunfire, he traded his M16A4 rifle for the machine gun of wounded Lance Cpl. Brett Barrowman, and popped out of the canal ready to fight. Cole, then 20, squeezed off a few rounds, then poured lead at insurgents 100 meters away.

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My Comment: The best part of this report is the last paragraph ....

.... “It’s not a good feeling that I got that award because I definitely don’t feel like I deserved it,” he said. “Those Marines saved my life. All of us are alive, really, because of what they did, not because of what I did. I want them to get the recognition, not me.”

They have received their recognition .... through you .... and thankfully everyone survived to tell the story.

Iraq War Vet Jessica Lynch Comes Clean Straightens Out The "War Hero" Controversy Once And For All

I'm Jessica Lynch And Here's My Real Story -- Glamour

In a Glamour exclusive, America’s most famous female soldier straightens out the “war hero” controversy once and for all.

In April, I did something I never imagined I would need to do. I spoke before Congress about how the military creates myths exaggerating the heroics of its soldiers. It was a difficult choice—I knew I could be portrayed as unpatriotic, un-American or worse. But my reasons were personal, and profound. My capture and rescue in Iraq had been transformed into one of those myths.

There’s so much confusion about what happened to me. Here’s what I know: At the start of the war, in March 2003, my convoy was attacked in the city of An Nasiriyah. My Humvee crashed, and a few hours later I woke up behind enemy lines in an Iraqi hospital, badly injured and unable to move my legs. I was a prisoner of war.

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My Comment: Hooah!!!!

Army Medics Save Marines Life With A Live Grenade In His Leg

Video: Heroic Army Medics Pull Live Grenade Out Of Marine's Leg -- Digital Journal

A U.S. Army Corporal Winder Perez, 22, was injured in Afghanistan. A live rocket-propelled grenade lodged in his leg. In spite of the danger, Navy Nurse Lieutenant Commander James Gennari and Army Staff Sergeant Ben Summerfield pulled out the grenade.

According to Daily Mail, Corporal Perez was wounded in action and transported in a Black Hawk helicopter from the field to a makeshift operating room. The men who flew the Black Hawk were Capt. Kevin Doo, Spc. Mark Edens and Sgt. Robert Hardisty.

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More News On The Heroism Of The Medics Who Saved A Marine With A Live Grenade In His Leg

Pulling A Live Rocket From A Wounded Marine Is All Part Of The Job For This Navy Sailor -- Business Insider
Marine saved after Army Staff Sergeant pulls LIVE GRENADE out of leg -- Daily Mail
Medevac Crew Reacts to Dangerous Call -- Military.com/Army.mil
NM Guard Members Recall Extraordinary Rescue -- FOX News

My Comment: This is a definition of what bravery and heroism is all about .... and also what incredible luck can sometimes bring.

Walking With The Wounded

WNU Editor: The Walking with the Wounded website is here. As to their climb .... I wish them the best.

An Incredible Story Of Courage

Sergeant Major Brad A Kasal (Center)

One Of Many American Military Heroes -- The American Front

If you don’t know who United States Marine Corps Sergeant Major Brad Kasal is, you should. He is known throughout the military community, especially amongst Marines, for being one of the smartest, toughest, most courageous, and caring military figures to emerge from Operation Iraqi Freedom. This weekend will mark the six-year anniversary of the battle that forever etched him in Marine Corps history, and in the eyes of many Americans, as a true hero.

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My Comment: An incredible story of courage and sacrifice. Read it all.

Hat Tip: GrEaT sAtAn"S gIrLfRiEnD

Update: More from the Bookworm Room.

Brothers In Arms Till The End

Brothers in Arms, Side-by-Side at Arlington -- CBS News

Good Friends at the Naval Academy and Both Killed in Combat, Travis Manion and Brendan Looney Now Lie in Rest Together

(CBS) Travis Manion and Brendan Looney were roommates at the Naval Academy, close as brothers. One became a Marine and went to Iraq, the other a Navy Seal in Afghanistan. On Monday they were reunited, side-by-side in Arlington National cemetery, reports CBS News correspondent David Martin.

"That's what kinda gets me by is knowing that they're going to be together," said Looney's wife, Amy.

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My Comment: Our prayers are with the families and their loved ones.

The Face Of Courage

Robert Samuel struggles to regain his strength at Walter Reed Army Medical Center after an IED in Afghanistan blew his left leg off. Olivier Douliery/Abaca Press/MCT

Soldier Badly Wounded In Afghanistan Wants To Return To Duty - -McClatchy News

WASHINGTON — Army Sgt. Robert Samuel knew that he'd lost much of his leg almost as soon as the improvised explosive device went off beneath his Stryker armored vehicle. Bloodied and dazed, he asked his buddies to grab what was left of him as they yanked him out of the wrecked vehicle.

One just shook his head.

"The medic said he didn't think I'd make it," Samuel, 29, a soft-spoken Miami native, said of the injuries he sustained during the attack in November in the desert outside Kandahar, the birthplace of the Taliban in southern Afghanistan. "He figured I'd lost too much blood."

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My Comment: These stories always humble me .... puts everything into the proper perspective.

Fallen Heroes -- Should This Man Receive The Medal Of Honor?

Heroic Act, Medal Denied – And A Debate
-- Christian Science Monitor

Defense Secretary Robert Gates questioned a fallen marine's award forcovering a grenade to save his comrades.

Washington - Sgt. Rafael Peralta died in Iraq in 2004 after covering a grenade to save comrades. But today his family and Marine brothers wonder why a grateful nation isn't grateful enough to bestow upon him its highest military honor.

The Pentagon is awarding Sergeant Peralta the Navy Cross, the second-highest award for valor, and not the Medal of Honor, the award for which he was recommended by his fellow Marines, the Navy, and the Marine Corps.

But now the world of battlefield ethos is mixing with Beltway politics as the Peralta family, his Marine brethren, and even members of Congress protest the decision made last week by Defense Secretary Robert Gates to downgrade the award.

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Update: A Website Dedicated To Rafael Peralta

My Comment: The only comment that I can make is to pass on my condolences to the family of Rafael Peralta, and to theirs (and our) loss.