Memorial Day, 2018

It's another Memorial Day and I'm offering a few more stories of Medal of Honor recipients.

I'm sure you've heard of General George Custer, but you may not have heard of Captain Thomas Custer. He was the first soldier to receive two Medals of Honor, both in the Civil War. The first was awarded when he led a cavalry charge over a barricade under fire, seized the Confederate flag, and captured 3 officers and 11 soldiers. Three days later, he charged again, leaping his horse over a barricade and singlehandedly breaking the Confederate line. Then he spotted the flag-bearer. As he charged, the soldier shot him in the face. He recovered quickly and killed the flag-bearer. He presented the flag to his brother, General George Custer, who had him arrested for ignoring an order to report to the surgeon. Captain Custer survived the Civil War and later died at the Battle of Little Bighorn with his two brothers.

Major Charles Watters served in Vietnam. He was not a soldier; he was a chaplain. He was on the move with a company in the vicinity of Dak To when they engaged a heavily armed enemy battalion. Now, chaplains weren't armed, but Major Watters didn't seem to notice. He rushed to the front line to aid and evacuate the wounded, give encouraging words, and offer last rites for the dying. At one point he bodily picked up an exposed soldier in shock and carried him all the way to safety. At another he ran into the crossfire of friendly and enemy fire to retrieve two wounded soldiers. After the battalion had established a perimeter, Watters noticed several wounded outside the perimeter. Despite attempts to stop him, he exposed himself three times to enemy fire to assist all the wounded to safety. Once all were clear, he assisted medics with field bandages and serving food and water and spiritual support. Eventually, making his rounds at the perimeter to aid the wounded he was mortally wounded. Chaplain Watters' "unyielding perseverance and selfless devotion to his comrades was in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Army."

Did you see the movie, Blackhawk Down? It was about a couple of Blackhawk helicopters that were shot down in Mogadishu, Somalia, during a raid when the military tried to capture a faction leader. The movie was based on true events. If you saw it, you will surely remember MSgt Gary Gordon and SFC Randall Shughart. Oh, maybe not by name, but certainly by their bravery. The two were providing sniper overwatch from a helicopter when the second copter went down. Realizing they were stranded and couldn't be helped, the two volunteered to be dropped in to assist the trapped crew. Armed only with sniper rifles and pistols, they sprinted nearly 100 yards from their drop point under fire from hundreds of militia to the crash sight. They dragged the critically injured crew members to safety, then set up an exposed defensive perimeter to defend the crew -- just the two of them. They killed an unknown number of assailants while holding off the militia. Though their ammunition was running low, they provided ammo to the pilot for self defense. When Shughart was fatally wounded and Gordon's rifle was out of ammo, he went back to the wreckage, retrieved a rifle and five rounds of ammunition, and gave it to the pilot. "Good luck," he said. Then armed with only his pistol, he continued to hold them off until he was killed. They were credited with saving the life of the pilot.

We have a long history of brave people who thought less of their own lives and more of others. They have earned our thanks.