Posted on 10/20/2009 12:35:35 PM PDT by Abathar
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Nearly 40 years after members of a U.S. cavalry unit put their lives in peril to save 100 fellow soldiers trapped under blistering enemy fire in Vietnam, they received the Presidential Unit Citation on Tuesday.
It's an honor their captain says is long overdue.
President Obama awarded the citation for extraordinary heroism and conspicuous gallantry to 86 members of the Army's Troop A, First Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment.
"These soldiers defined the meaning of bravery and heroism," Obama said at a White House reception honoring the group's heroics.
"It's never too late. You can never say it enough. ... We honor your service, and America is forever grateful."
On March 26, 1970, the 120-member Troop A volunteered to rescue an American infantry company surrounded by an overwhelming enemy force at a site on the Cambodian border called the Dog's Face. The enemy had survived hours of aerial and artillery bombardment and was expected to kill or capture the 100 American infantrymen in Company C within hours. The Americans were running out of ammunition and could not move because of heavy casualties. There were no available landing zones for medical and rescue helicopters to touch down.
Alpha Troop heard of their plight on a radio and rode in with an infantry company to rescue their comrades.
"Troop A skillfully penetrated four kilometers of nearly impassable jungle terrain and unhesitatingly mounted a fierce assault directly into the heavily fortified North Vietnamese army position," the presidential proclamation states.
When the battle was over, more than 70 Americans lay dead or wounded.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
Somehow I don't believe that Obama would quite feel as humbled to be allowed to present these as President Bush would have been.
IMHO
I thought the same thing. And this award was probably in the works for 10 years. Glad they finally got their recognition - and I pray that a miracle occured and the ceremony was about these guys and not “him”.
God bless all of our men and women in service past and present.
Bump.
Fox News has been merrily reporting this throughout the morning, referring to the unit as the “11th Armored Combat Regiment”. Embarrassing to watch clueless civilians at work.
I'm with you on that. Zero gave out the award and hustled to get to New York. I don't know how long the ceremony lasted, but my guess, not very long.
I'm also wondering if this honor bestowed on them was started by Pres. Bush. I heard the captain of the group say he'd been working on it for 7 years.
Why they don’t simply hire people who are retired from the military to cover this stuff is beyond me.
Also, that would be the "Dog Head" area not dog face.
Well, Dedbone, Im sorry that you feel that way. I was a member of the Ranger unit and many of my Ranger friends died. and I will tell you right now.... that your comment “if you ain’t Cav, yout ain’t sh_t” is deplorable. I will never say to Marines, or other branches of the Army that they are not sh_t They have been thru hell.....sorry you really feel that way.
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