Posted on 08/05/2005 4:16:13 AM PDT by Coop
On 2 April 1968...[Joe Vitale and Mike Wacasey], armed only with an M-14, M-60 machinegun, fragmentation/white phosphorous grenades and 1000 rounds of ammunition, were inserted by PBR (river patrol boat) near [a] village on the Ham Luong [river]... [the two sailors] were shortly confronted by [a North Vietnamese Army] company (approximately 100 troops) with no PBR or helicopter gunfire support. The men decided their only chance for survival was to take the fight to the enemy, so Joe threw grenades into half a dozen hooches as Mike continued to put down deadly suppressive fire into each building. As they made their way through the village the men were met with a plethora of return fire from the survivors of the NVA Company...
...three special boat operators just returning from a PBR patrol heard the overwhelming firefight and immediately knew that their teammates were in grave danger... immediately [they] jumped into a PBR loaded with ammunition and raced to the rescue...
...Petty Officer Vitale, now with fire support from the PBR, ordered Seaman Wacasey to the craft. As Wacasey made his way to the boat, Vitale - with total disregard for his own life - stood up on the paddy dike and used deadly fire from his M-14 (killing an estimated 30+ NVA/VC) to cover his teammate's escape...
...[a] grenade fell to the deck at Cagle's feet where Joe Vitale was laying covered in mud and unable to stand... Joe, fearing for his teammates' safety, grabbed the grenade to his abdomen and rolled up into the fetal position to absorb the blast with his body...
(Excerpt) Read more at heroesandtraitors.org ...
Plus a free ticket back to his mansion in Massachusetts.
What can we do to speed up this medal process? Who can we write to?
The above letter was sent to the SecNav's office, or you could try contacting Sen. Sununu. Or even your own representatives, especially if they're on the House or Senate Armed Services Committees.
Got my fingers crossed here. I'm thinking that there were lot of folks in the military during Vietnam who deserved this kind of recognition (some maybe for lesser awards) but didn't get it because of the unpopularity of the war. Do you have any thoughts on that? If that's true, it stinks to high heaven and it's about time we get busy and do something about it.
Your theory makes sense. I'd like to think that didn't happen, but I'd also like to think that our Vietnam veterans were treated with the respect they truly deserved.
bttt
Tonk, this is the gent I mentioned to you a few days ago.
Hero Ping
Hero bump!
A fine fellow indeed!
Damned fine work, sailor. This gunner's mate is a mensch!
bttt
Very nice!
Thanks for the ping Tonkin. Most of us could only do that for our children, he was a hero, indeed!!
BTS
Did you see this post #15 on the "Dose" today? There is an excellent photo, but I can't get it here.
President Bush drapes the Congressional Medal of Honor on Ed Freeman of Boise, Idaho, in the East Room at the White House, July 16, 2001. Mr. Freeman was awarded the honor for his actions in Viet Nam in 1965 when, as a helicopter pilot, he flew through gunfire more than 20 times during a single, ferocious battle, bringing supplies to a trapped batallion and flying more than 70 wounded soldiers to safety.
This may be the right time for Mr. Vitale to receive this overdue honor.
Hero bttt and thanks for the ping
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