Lamh Foistenach Abu!
Posted on 12/12/2008 5:38:21 PM PST by neverdem
Page A01
After jumping out of helicopters at daybreak onto jagged, ice-covered rocks and into water at an altitude of 10,000 feet, the 12-man Special Forces team scrambled up the steep mountainside toward its target -- an insurgent stronghold in northeast Afghanistan.
"Our plan," Capt. Kyle M. Walton recalled in an interview, "was to fight downhill."
But as the soldiers maneuvered toward a cluster of thick-walled mud buildings constructed layer upon layer about 1,000 feet farther up the mountain, insurgents quickly manned fighting positions, readying a barrage of fire for the exposed Green Berets.
A harrowing, nearly seven-hour battle unfolded on that mountainside in Afghanistan's Nuristan province on April 6, as Walton, his team and a few dozen Afghan commandos they had trained took fire from all directions. Outnumbered, the Green Berets fought on even after half of them were wounded -- four critically -- and managed to subdue an estimated 150 to 200 insurgents, according to interviews with several team members and official citations.
Today, Walton and nine of his teammates from Operational Detachment Alpha 3336 of the 3rd Special Forces Group will receive the Silver Star for their heroism in that battle -- the highest number of such awards given to the elite troops for a single engagement since the Vietnam War.
That chilly morning, Walton's mind was on his team's mission: to capture or kill several members of the Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin (HIG) militant group in their stronghold, a village perched in Nuristan's Shok Valley that was accessible only by pack mule and so remote that Walton said he believed that no U.S. troops, or Soviet ones before them, had ever been there.
But as the soldiers, each carrying 60 to 80 pounds of gear, scaled the mountain...
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
There's a small slide show.
B52s dropping 1,000-pound bombs at a couple of kilometers is quite impressive. 2,000-pound bombs that fell within 350 yards would put the fear of God in anyone. May God bless them.
Lamh Foistenach Abu!
Praise the Lord! Bless our heroes!
These men are freedom-loving American patriots that we owe our freedom and security to. 99% of the morally-bankrupt politicians currently holding office and about to hold office are more aptly described as domestic terrorists, IMO. Politicians today disgrace these heroic men, disgrace our heritage, and disgrace every American patriot that died to protect and defend this nation. Pray that the American people wake up to this reality ASAP.
God bless these American heroes. They will never receive the gratitude they deserve.
awed at this action.
Hoorah.
The author was on The News Hour with Jim Lehrer on PBS.
It is up to us to thank them somehow. Obviously, their sacrifice will never be understood by the likes of the Muslim Messiah or his cohorts in the US Congress.
I really hate to Monday Morning Quarterback - without all the facts—
BUT — this sure sounds like a case of getting things backwards..
Why couldn’t a withering air strike PRECEED the ground attack? After all - the purpose was to kill or capture..
The entire mountain top and valley approach could have been rendered lifeless - or at least severely subdued before bringing in the choppers, which ALWAYS announced the cavalry was coming...day or night.
I’d have to hear some real interesting information - to convince me this wasn’t a badly conceived and executed assault on a known fortified position....
Note to the naive — it’s exceedingly difficult to “surprise” a mountain top stronghold with choppers...
They can be seen and/or heard from way off..
Yeah, I kind of thought the same thing.
Those guys had a redout, a castle. Sounds like they have been squirreling away ammo and weapons for twenty years.
Further, it’s not as if they have great Playstation, so all they have to do is walk around and know every rock from every angle. FOR YEARS.
This guy's right leg was basically shot off and he still was able to administer first aid to himself... boy, that guy is a tough one yesiree!
Fighting soldiers from the sky,
Fearless men who jump and die,
Men who mean just what they say,
The brave men of the Green Beret.
a village perched in Nuristan's Shok Valley that was accessible only by pack mule and so remote that Walton said he believed that no U.S. troops, or Soviet ones before them, had ever been there.
Air Force jets had begun dropping dozens of munitions on enemy positions precariously close to the Green Berets, including 2,000-pound bombs that fell within 350 yards.
Seems as if the village has been visited now and from the sounds of it, not much remains.
American SuperHeros.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/11/AR2008121104080_pf.html
UNUSUAL SUSPECTS (STRATEGIC SURPRISES?)
Freedom imperilled - On democratic despotism. The link on Shariah Finance is a MUST READ!
Some noteworthy articles about politics, foreign and military affairs, IMHO, FReepmail me if you want on or off my list.
Nah, you’re right.
Thankfully they are still known as ‘Green Berets’
Shinseki did away with the ‘green’ berets and everyone was to wear black so everyone would be equal.
Roger that! It was like someone doing a solo with two bass drums!
About the Silver Star recipients
Ten soldiers from the 3rd Special Forces Group received Silver Stars for valor during an April 2008 mission in the Skok Valley in Afghanistan. Following are names of the soldiers, their hometowns and summations of their medal citations:
Staff Sgt. Dillon Behr, Rock Island, Ill.
Behr held his position even after suffering a life-threatening wound to his leg. Behr continued to fire at insurgents despite being critically wounded a second time, allowing injured U.S. and Afghan soldiers to be evacuated. Behr fought until he was physically incapable of holding his rifle.
Spc. Michael D. Carter, Smithville, Texas
Carter left his covered position and charged 15 feet into heavy fire to get a critically wounded soldier. Carter treated two team members, allowing the medic to render aid to 10 wounded Afghan commandos. Later, Carter assisted in an extremely dangerous rescue of more than six casualties down a nearly vertical 60-foot cliff.
Master Sgt. Scott Ford, Athens, Ohio
Ford organized a counter-assault to reinforce his besieged teammates. Ford exposed himself to insurgent fire in order to direct the soldiers in the wadi below to move forward and assist in moving casualties. His upper left arm was almost shot off by a sniper round. With a tourniquet on his arm to stop arterial bleeding, Ford was able to climb down the mountain.
Staff Sgt. Seth E. Howard, Keene, N.H.
Howard fought up a 60-foot cliff under intense fire after hearing two critically wounded members were in danger of being overrun. Placing himself between his wounded comrades and the enemy fire, he provided counter sniper fire, killing between 10 and 20 insurgents. He refused to withdraw from his position, although he had less than a magazine of ammunition left, until all of his teammates and commandos were off the mountain.
Staff Sgt. Luis Morales, Fredericksburg, Va.
With total disregard for his own personal safety, Morales ran into the line of fire to aid a wounded teammate and used his body to shield his teammate until he was wounded. Ignoring the severity of his wound and losing a tremendous amount of blood, he quickly administered self-aid and then returned to providing lifesaving help to his more severely wounded teammate.
Staff Sgt. David J. Sanders, Huntsville, Ala.
Sanders located an alternate but more arduous route down the mountain. Sanders ascended and descended the mountain three times to move casualties.
Staff Sgt. Ronald J. Shurer, Pullman, Wash.
Shurer immediately rendered aid to four critically wounded U.S. and 10 injured commandos under intense fire. At least twice, he dashed into the open to treat a wounded soldier.
Staff Sgt. John W. Walding, Groesbeck, Texas
Walding led an attack 500 meters up treacherous terrain, braving close airstrikes to reinforce the most forward position. Despite receiving a life-threatening injury, Walding continued to suppress insurgent positions in order to defend his comrades. One of his legs had to be amputated.
Capt. Kyle M. Walton, Carmel, Ind.
Walton repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire in order to pull wounded Americans and Afghans to safety. Walton called in effective airstrikes, including a 2,000-pound bomb that fell almost directly on his position, to prevent insurgent forces from overrunning his force.
Staff Sgt. Matthew O. Williams, Casper, Wyo.
Williams fought for more than an hour up a mountain while under intense enemy fire to help rescue wounded members of his team. After his team sergeant was wounded, he ran through a gantlet of heavy machine-gun fire to render aid. He then helped his team sergeant climb down a nearly vertical 60-foot cliff to the casualty collection point. Williams then braved more fire to climb back up the hill and help his other teammates down the cliff to safety.
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