President Obama called a buddy of mine Tuesday around lunchtime personally congratulating him as he just signed his certificate for the Congressional Medal of Honor.

I think he will be the second only living recipient since Vietnam and there will be a press release in the next week or so.


I didn't completely understand the significance until now and although I had heard his story, I had no idea the extent of his heroism. I know he was shot in the leg and kept fighting, lost his arm while attempting to discard an enemy grenade and still kept fighting and, at the same time, tried to protect another wounded soldier.


What I will say is that he is a very genuine, humble and worthy human being. Aside from his bravery and sacrifice, they couldn't have chosen a nicer person.


As soon as I see the link I will post it.

Wow...sounds like quite a soldier. Please do keep us informed!

Fish on...

Todd

I just wonder about the stories we don't hear...




You have to appreciate our soldiers.

I look forward to the link also. I have always wanted to personally meet a MoH recipient.

Please give him my sincerest thanks.

I bet it feels pretty good to get that phone call, whether you like the President or not.

Congratulations and thanks are in order for a true hero.

My 5rth grade teacher was a WWII medal of honor winner. Can't remember his first name, last was Hawks. Even as a fifth grader I knew he was something special. On the last day of the year he brought all his medals in for us to look at.

Well Done

I hope this is a positive in his life and if he doesn't want to engage in the propaganda machine that he is left alone!

Receiving a MOH is about the last thing any soldiar wants and for those who do receive it they are true hero's!!!

Here you go Dave...........

HAWK, JOHN D.

Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company E, 359th Infantry, 90th Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Chambois, France, 20 August 1944. Entered service at: Bremerton, Wash. Birth: San Francisco, Calif. G.O. No.: 55, 13 July 1945. Citation: He manned a light machinegun on 20 August 1944, near Chambois, France, a key point in the encirclement which created the Falaise Pocket. During an enemy counterattack, his position was menaced by a strong force of tanks and infantry. His fire forced the infantry to withdraw, but an artillery shell knocked out his gun and wounded him in the right thigh. Securing a bazooka, he and another man stalked the tanks and forced them to retire to a wooded section. In the lull which followed, Sgt. Hawk reorganized 2 machinegun squads and, in the face of intense enemy fire, directed the assembly of 1 workable weapon from 2 damaged guns. When another enemy assault developed, he was forced to pull back from the pressure of spearheading armor. Two of our tank destroyers were brought up. Their shots were ineffective because of the terrain until Sgt. Hawk, despite his wound, boldly climbed to an exposed position on a knoll where, unmoved by fusillades from the enemy, he became a human aiming stake for the destroyers. Realizing that his shouted fire directions could not be heard above the noise of battle, he ran back to the destroyers through a concentration of bullets and shrapnel to correct the range. He returned to his exposed position, repeating this performance until 2 of the tanks were knocked out and a third driven off. Still at great risk, he continued to direct the destroyers' fire into the Germans' wooded position until the enemy came out and surrendered. Sgt. Hawk's fearless initiative and heroic conduct, even while suffering from a painful wound, was in large measure responsible for crushing 2 desperate attempts of the enemy to escape from the Falaise Picket and for taking more than 500 prisoners.


These guys do a great job concerning MOH recepiants Medal of Honor website

Wow BB. Nice read. Gives me the chills. Congrats to your buddy JTD. Looking forward to his story.

I hope to God that none of our soldiers are ever asked to do anything like that, ever...but when they are, I'm sure glad we have men and women who are capable of doing it so that the rest of us don't have to.

Fish on...

Todd

Yeah I've seen your parades on TV. Mean or something.

Thanks Chuck. I never knew all that, or I had forgotten it.
Damn what a man. But then I guess all MOH winners are.

I do remember no one gave him any crap. In those days a teacher could pick you up by the collar, slam you against the wall and scream at you to knock that [censored] off. And that’s just what he did.

I would guess what made him tough was the Bremerton component of his careers. He shipped out from Bremerton and returned to teach elementary school at Tracyton.

I do remember he drove a VW bug.

I'm sure it was his time spent passing through Oregon that made him one tough mother.

1967 Bug, beige.
The ol' man paid $1600 for it in October '66.

52 hp up from 40 and new shield-less headlights.
The engine lid was bumped out to make room for the new engine.

It was the hand-me-down rig in my family.
Many happy times.
Got it up to (estimated) 106-107 mph one time on I-495 near Foxborough, MA.
That was dumb, but we survived.

I can 't say what year Mr. Hawk's bug was but he had it when i was in fith grade making ti something like a 1956. I know they were rare then and they we head turners.

OH Boy! From MoH winners to sex in a Bug at a drive-in.

The Hi jacks of Hi jacks!

Congrats and Thanks to your friend, JTD!

"I'm sure it was his time spent passing through Oregon that made him one tough mother."

Like time spent passing through a colon.

What's with all of the sissy mobiles? No muscles?

No apologies required Aunty...


When I get the link I MAY start a new thread though if there aren't any objections.

one of my classmates was the son of medal of honor holder bob bush from south bend washington

BUSH, ROBERT EUGENE

Rank and organization: Hospital Apprentice First Class, U.S. Naval Reserve, serving as Medical Corpsman with a rifle company, 2d Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division. Place and date: Okinawa Jima, Ryukyu Islands, 2 May 1945. Entered service at: Washington. Born: 4 October 1926, Tacoma, Wash. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as Medical Corpsman with a rifle company, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Okinawa Jima, Ryukyu Islands, 2 May 1945. Fearlessly braving the fury of artillery, mortar, and machinegun fire from strongly entrenched hostile positions, Bush constantly and unhesitatingly moved from 1 casualty to another to attend the wounded falling under the enemy's murderous barrages. As the attack passed over a ridge top, Bush was advancing to administer blood plasma to a marine officer Iying wounded on the skyline when the Japanese launched a savage counterattack. In this perilously exposed position, he resolutely maintained the flow of life-giving plasma. With the bottle held high in 1 hand, Bush drew his pistol with the other and fired into the enemy's ranks until his ammunition was expended. Quickly seizing a discarded carbine, he trained his fire on the Japanese charging pointblank over the hill, accounting for 6 of the enemy despite his own serious wounds and the loss of 1 eye suffered during his desperate battle in defense of the helpless man. With the hostile force finally routed, he calmly disregarded his own critical condition to complete his mission, valiantly refusing medical treatment for himself until his officer patient had been evacuated, and collapsing only after attempting to walk to the battle aid station. His daring initiative, great personal valor, and heroic spirit of self-sacrifice in service of others reflect great credit upon Bush and enhance the finest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.