Posted on 03/02/2006 4:36:04 PM PST by SandRat
MCRD/ERR PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. (Feb. 24, 2006) -- Most people cannot remember what they were doing the day of June 3, 2004, but for Staff Sgt. Anthony Viggiani, the past is as clear as the present.
Viggiani, a 3rd Recruit Training Battalion drill instructor, was awarded the Navy Cross February 24 for his actions in Afghanistan on June 3, 2004.
Marines from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) were conducting cordon-and-knock operations in a village when a pair of Army Apache helicopters spotted approximately 20-armed insurgents fleeing to the hills.
Charlie Company immediately pursued on foot.
"On that day, we were going on convoys and were receiving intelligence reports all day," Viggiani said reflecting upon the day in Afghanistan. "It wasn't any different from the other days at all."
Viggiani ventured into details as he remembered the exciting events. "We saw about twenty insurgents with weapons going up the valley," stated the Strongsville, Ohio native.
He knew there would be action and was just waiting for the "go" from his superiors.
"We got the word to 'go' and I said 'aye sir.' First and third squad went to the right while second took the left," Viggiani said demonstrating with his hands the route the infantrymen took.
"As we were moving up through the valley, third squad moved to the right flank while [first] squad moved straight ahead.
From there we picked up and held position while the rest of the company caught up to our position."
Viggiani then moved his second fire team to the left and first fire team to the right so that they would have interlocking fields of fire through the valley.
"The second fire team started taking fire from the enemy insurgents, the fire team returned fire and ended the enemy insurgents' firing."
Everything suddenly calmed down and Viggiani told his first sergeant that he would move to check on his first fire team just to see how they were positioned and to make sure everything was all right.
"I had finally got to my [fire team], but not even a minute later, the first sergeant was on the radio, telling me 'Get down here, I need a [fragmentation grenade] I need a [fragmentation grenade] now!'"
Viggiani quickly rushed to the first sergeant.
Two Marines were injured approximately 100 meters away, on the slope opposite the valley Viggiani and his Marines were on.
"I had got to first sergeant and I was asking him 'Where are they, where are they?' He told me my second fire team was pinned down pretty hard, then pointed in the general direction of where the machine gun firing was coming from." Viggiani pursued in the pointed direction down the mountain in search for his team and to neutralize the threat from the enemy.
"As I was moving down, I saw a hole, it wasn't big. If you took of all of your gear maybe you could slip into it. I looked and I saw some fabric. I shot three rounds in the hole and something moved, and then I shot four more rounds and threw a grenade in the hole and pinned myself against a rock."
What seemed like a hole to Viggiani was in reality a cave where three armed insurgents were firing upon his squad from.
"I never knew the cave was right there, I didn't know anything... I just knew I had to keep a promise I made to my boys," Viggiani said affectionately, referring to his squad members as his boys. "I had promised to bring them all back home."
Viggiani said his company commander called for a medical evacuation where two of his Marines were taken into medical care, but he denied his injured status.
"I had blood on my leg, but I didn't want to leave. I did not want to leave the other Marines," he said when asked why he didn't go to the battalion's landing team command post.
In the process, Viggiani was wounded by rifle fire from the adjacent enemy position, yet he continued to lead his Marines in the attack as stated in Viggiani's citation.
After killing the three hidden insurgents, Viggiani continued with his squad and defeated the enemy by killing a total of 14 Anti-Coalition fighters. After the hectic day, Viggiani's parents received a phone call later from one of his friends in the platoon.
"I didn't want to tell [my mom] because I knew she would be upset," Viggiani said. "But when I did call her, out of the five minutes I got to talk to her, three and a half were spent calming her down."
Later that night, Viggiani's company held a non-commissioned officer's night.
"I was the guest of honor for Charlie Company," Viggiani said smiling. "My commanding officer told them what I had done and I got a standing ovation from all of my peers... That meant more to me than anything."
Twenty-five year old Viggiani received the second highest award in the Marine Corps, only succeeded by the Medal of Honor.
The Navy Cross may be awarded to any person who, while serving in time of war with the Navy or Marine Corps distinguishes himself in action by extraordinary heroism not justifying an award of the Medal of Honor.
According to SECNAVINST 1650.1G, the action must take place under one of three circumstances: while engaged in action against an enemy of the United States; while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force; or, while serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party.
To warrant this distinctive decoration, the act to be commended must be performed in the presence of great danger or at great personal risk and must be performed in such a manner as to set the individual apart from his or her shipmates or fellow Marines. An accumulation of minor acts of heroism does not justify the award. The high standards demanded must be borne in mind when recommending the award.
"You will never know what you can do until you are put in the situation," Viggiani said. "Individuals will rise or fall to the occasion. You don't know who will save your life."
Viggiani did not know he was going to be awarded a Navy Cross, in fact, he had thought he was put in for a Bronze Star, which he later found out would possibly be a Silver Star.
The pleasant surprise came to him almost a year later.
"It wasn't one individual action; my boys had played a huge role and so did the training we received," Viggiani said. "I also had two of the best team leaders a squad leader could ask for."
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NAVY CROSS!!!!
congrats to Staff Sergeant Viggiano. Your nation is proud of you.
ooo-RAH!
The Navy Cross is the second-highest Navy award, just below the Medal of Honor:
"The Navy Cross may be awarded to any person who, while serving with the Navy or Marine Corps, distinguishes himself in action by extraordinary heroism not justifying an award of the Medal of Honor. The action must take place under one of three circumstances: while engaged in action against an enemy of the United States; while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force; or, while serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict in which the United States is not a belligerent party. To earn a Navy Cross the act to be commended must be performed in the presence of great danger or at great personal risk and must be performed in such a manner as to render the individual highly conspicuous among others of equal grade, rate, experience, or position of responsibility. An accumulation of minor acts of heroism does not justify an award of the Navy Cross." - http://www.gruntsmilitary.com/navycr.shtml
Citation:
For extraordinary heroism in action against Anti-Coalition Force Militia in Zabol Province, Afghanistan, serving as a squad leader for Charlie Company, Battalion Landing Team, First Battalion, Sixth Marines, Twenty-Second Marine Expeditionary Unit, deployed with commander, United States Fifth Fleet during Operation Enduring Freedom 3 June 2004. While leading a company assault against an enemy held ridgeline north of the village of Khabargho, Sergeant Viggiani and his squadron came under heavy and accurate fire from an enemy force well entrenched inside a cave, pinning down one of his teams and wounding two of his Marines. Moving across exposed ground, under observation and fire from an adjacent enemy position, Sergeant Viggiani maneuvered to the cave opening, but achieving no effect on the enemy. Braving enemy fire from the adjacent enemy position, he went back to retrieve a fragmentation grenade. Again, under a hail of fire, he moved to within feet of the cave opening and employed the grenade to eliminate the enemy position, which was actively firing upon friendly forces. Killing three enemy fighters, Sergeant Viggiani destroyed the enemy strongpoint and allowed his company to continue their advance up to the ridgeline, solidly defeating the enemy by killing a total of fourteen Anti-Coalition fighters. In the process, he was wounded by rifle fire from the adjacent enemy position, yet he continued to lead his Marines in the attack. By his outstanding display of decisive leadership, unlimited courage in the face of enemy fire and utmost dedication to duty, Sergeant Viggiani reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.
Born: at Strongsville, Ohio
Home Town: Strongsville, Ohio
Marine Ignores Battlefield Wound, Continues Pursuing Taliban Insurgents
By U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Keith A. Milks 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit
FORWARD OPERATING BASE RIPLEY, Afghanistan, June 14, 2004 — To many of his fellow Marines in Company C, Battalion Landing Team, 1st Battalion, 6th Marines, Sgt. Anthony Viggiani is the ideal Marine.
In the eyes of subordinates and seniors alike, the Strongsville, Ohio, native embodies those qualities that make Marines special: dedication, professionalism, strength, commitment, strong morals, and bravery. Now they have an additional quality to add to that list -- tough as nails.
During a recent firefight with anti-coalition militia in south-central Afghanistan, Viggiani's actions further elevated him in the eyes of the rest of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable).
When a pair of Army AH-64 Apache attack helicopters spotted approximately 20 heavily-armed militia fighters fleeing into the hills during a cordon-and-knock operation in a nearby village, Co. C immediately pursued on foot. Leading his squad over a steep, rock-strewn mountain, Viggiani was at the head of the advance when they came under heavy enemy rifle fire.
"The rounds just started pouring in," he said later that day, "and we weren't really sure where they were coming from."
On the slope opposite the valley below him, approximately 100 meters away, Viggiani and his Marines watched as two other Marines, Cpl. Randy Wood and Lance Cpl. James Gould, were wounded by enemy rifle fire.
Aware that the fire was coming from the slope in front of him, Viggiani pressed forward cautiously when he and 1st Sgt. Ernest Hoopii came under concentrated fire themselves.
The 24-year-old Viggiani then found he was mere feet from the cave housing the enemy sniper still firing at Wood and Gould, who had since taken cover behind a too-small rock.
"I was able to look down a break in the rocks and saw a bit of cloth move, so I got off three or four shots and then dropped the [fragmentation grenade]," said Viggiani.
Combined with rifle and machine-gun fire from Wood and Gould's squad, the grenade explosion silenced the enemy position, which was later found to have housed three militia fighters.
Sometime during the fight, Viggiani was struck in the lower left leg by an enemy bullet, fired by fighters further up the valley. Seemingly unmindful of the wound, Viggiani continued to engage the enemy with rifle fire until the area was cleared and a total of four dead and one wounded enemy fighters were found.
Mere minutes after the fight, with typical Marine élan, Viggiani dismissed the wound that stained the front of his trouser leg a deep crimson.
"It stings a bit, but it's nothing," he said as he paused for a photograph in front of the cave he helped clear mere minutes after the fight.
Despite recommendations from his fellow Marines, Viggiani refused to leave his platoon and seek aid at the battalion landing team's mobile command post. With a small dressing and a few aspirin, Viggiani shouldered his rifle and trudged further into the rugged mountains in pursuit of Taliban and militia fighters.
http://www.defendamerica.mil/profiles/jun2004/pr061404b.html
BTTT
Semper Fi and Chesty Puller OOH-Rah Bump.
Semper Fidelis
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