Uncommon Valor

st. petersburg times ^ | 4-19-03

[ysoh]

The word "hero" is tossed around so casually these days that it has almost lost its meaning. Then comes the story of Army Sgt. Paul Smith, who reminds us what a real hero is. The 33-year-old soldier from Tampa was killed April 4 after valiantly fending off an Iraqi assault on his command post.

[ysoh]

what a story.

[BOBTHENAILER]

I'll second that opinion. What a courageous man.

[dighton]

Smith's commander plans to nominate him for the Medal of Honor ...

[Tennessee_Bob]

Thanks for that link, Dighton - I always have a hard time reading those citations. Uncommon valor - and the survivors who get the medal always say "I was just doing what needed to be done."

[mdittmar]

Inside the personnel carrier, Private Seaman was feeding Sgt. Smith ammo. "I loaded him up with a couple of cans of .50 cal ammo, feeding the ammo, and loading him up. He just kept saying, 'Give me more ammo. Give me more ammo. I've got to get these guys out of here,"' said Seaman.
Everyone got out alive. Everyone but Sgt. Smith.

[OldCorps]

According to Fox News, Smith was a Sergeant First Class, assigned to the 11th engineer battalion, stationed at Ft. Stewart. Fox reports the death as occuring on April 4th.

[dighton]

bttt

[risk]

From the article:

However one feels about the war, his fellow countrymen owe Smith -- and others like him -- their gratitude.

I can't help but be offended about this "appeasement" clause. I respect the author's intentions, but let's get real people: we didn't send our troops out as an excercise in democratic domestic policy making. Our nation chose to go to war in its own defense, and Sgt. Paul Smith wasn't there for some of us but not the others.

Americans have the right to protest the war, but patriots are going to resent and mistrust them until we die. I will never forget anyone's foolishness who continued to oppose the war after it started, although I will be civil toward them and consider them as good Americans, forgiving them if they change their minds later.

People like Sgt. Paul Smith deserve better than to be remembered as "that honorable troop" who gave his life for "that war we didn't approve."

This country does not fight wars of unproven necessity.

[Warrior Nurse]

Sgt. Smith's actions were similiar to what Audie Murphy did in WW2 except with less enemy KIA. Audie Murphy killed about 250 Germans.

[Tunehead54]

Weird: I read the article and copied the quote below - without seeing the jab you picked up - good catch. Least the writer finished with a tribute.

At least there was this:

However one feels about the war, his fellow countrymen owe Smith -- and others like him -- their gratitude. This man of utter selflessness willingly put the lives of his comrades ahead of his own. He leaves a wife, two children and an inspiring legacy.

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