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‘Gunners’ Recognize Heroes Past and Present
CENTCOM ^ | April 9, 2004 | Cpl. Benjamin Cossel, 122nd MPAD

Posted on 04/09/2004 8:24:10 AM PDT by Ragtime Cowgirl

‘Gunners’ Recognize Heroes Past and Present

By Cpl. Benjamin Cossel, 122nd MPAD

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Wounded warriors from the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, and the healers who cared for them were honored at a ceremony April 5.

In addition to honoring individual soldiers for the heroism, the “Gunners” battalion was recognized for its service during Operation Iraqi Freedom with a Presidential Unit Citation.

With the battalion assembled in front of its headquarters building, a former palace of Uday Hussein, Col. Peter R. Mansoor, 1st Brigade Combat Team commander, 1st Armored Division presented 16 Purple Heart Medals, nine Combat Medical Badges and aided Lt. Col. William S. Rabena, the battalion’s commander, with attaching the Presidential Unit Citation to the battalion colors.

Established during the Revolutionary War by General George Washington, the Purple Heart Medal recognizes Soldiers who sustained injuries during combat operations. Soldiers of 2/3 FA received wounds from a variety of sources ranging from Improvised Explosive Devices (IED), mortar attacks, and gunfire while patrolling the Aademehiya district of Baghdad.

Three of the Purple Heart Medals presented were awarded posthumously.

For every soldier wounded, there’s a medic who patches them up and gets the soldier back on the front lines.

The CMB was established at the end of Word War II to recognize the field medics who served alongside and care for their infantrymen comrades on the battlefield.

The events of the day provided a rare opportunity for the members of 2/3 FA to recognize current and past heroes. In addition to honoring present-day Soldiers for their bravery, the battalion was recognized for its service during World War II.

The battalion added the “Luxembourg” battle streamer to its colors for its accurate fire and Soldiers’ heroism during the battle of Bastogne.

The Gunners helped halt the German’s advance into the Ardennes during the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944. The battalion’s precise fires prevented the German’s advance into Luxembourg and allowed greatly outnumbered infantrymen to hold their ground against the onslaught.

“Supported by outstandingly responsive and accurate fire of it’s artillery battalion, this widely dispersed force stopped every attack for 6 days until its surrounded infantry were ordered to fight their way back to them,” Rabina said quoting the orders awarding the battalion 2/3 FA a Presidential Unit Citation. “Firing over 3,000 rounds per day for 6 day, the actions of the 3rd Field Artillery Battalion are of special note.”

With the order of “Present Arms,” the battalion colors were lowered and Mansoor and Rabina attached the Luxembourg streamer to the battalion colors.

“To the awardees today and to those from our history, your nation is grateful, and I am honored to serve on this battlefield with you,” Mansoor said. “Thank you, continue mission. Ready First.”



TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: 1ad1bde; 23fa; freedom; gnfi; goodguys; gunners; iraq

1 posted on 04/09/2004 8:24:11 AM PDT by Ragtime Cowgirl
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To: SandRat; Cannoneer No. 4; redrock; ASOC; MJY1288; xzins; Calpernia; Warrior Nurse; TEXOKIE; ...
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Wounded warriors from the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, and the healers who cared for them were honored at a ceremony April 5.

In addition to honoring individual soldiers for the heroism, the “Gunners” battalion was recognized for its service during Operation Iraqi Freedom with a Presidential Unit Citation.

....Soldiers of 2/3 FA received wounds from a variety of sources ranging from Improvised Explosive Devices (IED), mortar attacks, and gunfire while patrolling the Aademehiya district of Baghdad.

For every soldier wounded, there’s a medic who patches them up and gets the soldier back on the front lines.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

The 2d Battalion, 3d Field Artillery

"Gunners"



2 posted on 04/09/2004 8:26:18 AM PDT by Ragtime Cowgirl ("We are winning every firefight we engage in." ~ Marine Maj. Gen. Keith Stalder, 4/08/04)
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To: All
Rank Location Receipts Donors/Avg Freepers/Avg Monthlies
48 Armed Forces - Europe 75.00
1
75.00


25.00
2

Thanks for donating to Free Republic!

Move your locale up the leaderboard!

3 posted on 04/09/2004 8:28:37 AM PDT by Support Free Republic (Freepers post from sun to sun, but a fundraiser bot's work is never done.)
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To: Ragtime Cowgirl
Gunners’ Recognize Heroes Past and Present ~ Bump!

We are winning ~ the bad guys are losing ~ trolls, terrorists, democrats and the mainstream media are sad ~ very sad!

~~ Bush/Cheney 2004 ~~

4 posted on 04/09/2004 8:28:42 AM PDT by blackie (Be Well~Be Armed~Be Safe~Molon Labe!)
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To: Ragtime Cowgirl
Smartly Done Troops!
5 posted on 04/09/2004 9:08:34 AM PDT by Khurkris (Ranger On...)
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To: Ragtime Cowgirl
wow.... I bet John Kerry had a similar ceremony when he recovered from the wounds that he recieved when he got his Purple HEARTS....

oh that's right. The ceremony must have been delayed for the 3 medals he recieved. I mean... gee whiz what were the wounds again.... ???

He was hospitalized for how long???

6 posted on 04/09/2004 9:33:19 AM PDT by Dick Vomer (liberals suck....but it depends on what your definition of the word "suck" is .)
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To: Ragtime Cowgirl
FA Bump!!
7 posted on 04/09/2004 9:47:13 AM PDT by SAMWolf (Proofread carefully to see if you any words out.)
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To: Ragtime Cowgirl
bump
8 posted on 04/09/2004 10:01:33 AM PDT by VOA
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To: Ragtime Cowgirl
Bump!
9 posted on 04/09/2004 1:42:37 PM PDT by Alamo-Girl (Glad to be a monthly contributor to Free Republic!)
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To: Ragtime Cowgirl
Saint Barbara watches over them. Remember them again on Saint Barbara's Day on Dec 3. All Red-Legs Honor that day.
10 posted on 04/09/2004 4:58:05 PM PDT by SandRat (Duty, Honor, Country. What else needs to be said?)
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To: Ragtime Cowgirl
To Those Who Serve......

redrock

11 posted on 04/09/2004 5:09:17 PM PDT by redrock ("One man with courage....makes a majority"---Andrew Jackson)
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To: Ragtime Cowgirl
God bless the hero warriors and hero healers.

And fuggedabout the fake "heroes" whose purple hearts were a Band-Aid scam to bug out, e.g. John Fallujah Kerry.

12 posted on 04/09/2004 5:35:32 PM PDT by PhilDragoo (Hitlery: das Butch von Buchenvald)
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To: Ragtime Cowgirl
Good Lord! Look at all the streamers on that flag!
13 posted on 04/09/2004 5:38:50 PM PDT by Spruce (why does my spell-check want me to capitalize france?)
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