Posted on 04/05/2005 12:50:41 AM PDT by JohnHuang2
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
President Bush yesterday awarded Army Sgt. 1st Class Paul Ray Smith the Medal of Honor, exactly two years after the soldier single-handedly killed as many as 50 Iraqi insurgents as he saved the lives of more than 100 Americans. It was the 615th time in history that the medal was awarded posthumously. Sgt. Smith's 11-year-old son accepted the medal in a White House ceremony. It was the first time the nation's highest award for valor has been bestowed on a soldier from the Iraq war, and only the third time it has been awarded since the Vietnam War. "On this day two years ago, Sergeant Smith gave his all for his men," the president said. "Five days later, Baghdad fell and the Iraqi people were liberated. And today, we bestow upon Sergeant Smith the first Medal of Honor in the war on terror. ... "We count ourselves blessed to have soldiers like Sergeant Smith, who put their lives on the line to advance the cause of freedom and protect the American people," Mr. Bush said in the East Room ceremony.
(Excerpt) Read more at washtimes.com ...
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