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 ...
The media doesn't get it and never will because the media IS the Left. The greatest freedom we have in this country, given by the sacrifice of thousands of heroes like Joe Vitale, is being abused in an attempt to bring this great nation down.
Can't argue with that.
Our old source site is gone now, but this story is very much alive. Just received an E-mail that Joe Vitale was at a function with Sen. Sununu (R-NH) and some others last week (IIRC), and one of the government officials publicly recognized Joe and said something to the effect that he'd soon be a Medal of Honor recipient. [fingers crossed]
Thanks for the update, Coop.
Bumperoo!
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