Known as the “Balloon Buster”, Frank managed to shoot down many enemy observation balloons. This was a dangerous business, since the balloons, being only balloons, were heavily guarded. Large squadrons, military vehicles, and a healthy number of anti-aircraft weapons surrounded the fragile balloons, and it was his job to get through them.

Really, he was lucky to do this feat once, but Frank Luke managed to down 18 balloons and enemy aircraft in only 18 days.

During one mission (to be his last), Frank was shot down over enemy territory. During that mission he managed to take down 3 balloons and 2 German planes. He was alive when he landed and so he also took 11 German soldiers, wounding others, with him during his last stand.

What an amazing soldier Frank Luke was. He was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his heroic actions. For more about him, click here.

This quote was taken from the U.S. Department of Defense website. Click here to visit. I didn’t know that the Dept. of Defense had a website dedicated to their Medal recipients, and I’m glad to see that they do. These people deserve to be remembered for their heroic and selfless acts on the battlefield.

What a brave young man. I’m sure his family is proud of him and his selfless actions, but I’m also sure they wish he could be with them today.

Michael Fumento, who’s written about Monsoor and combat operations in Ramadi, reported on his Internet blog over the weekend that Monsoor’s family would receive the posthumous award on the fallen SEAL’s behalf during a White House ceremony April 8. (source)
I can’t imagine what must go through a person’s head when they make such a life-shattering decision. What would it be like to know that your comrades’ lives are in your hands, and only you can save them – but at the expense of your own life? And to know, in those last few seconds as you hug that live explosive, that soon you will be discovering that last great mystery? For a person to make such a choice is truly the bravest and most selfless act a human being can perform.

Michael Monsoor gave no less than his greatest gift. Until that moment, he had lived helping his comrades. Monsoor had received the Silver Star in 2006 for risking his life to save a fellow SEAL who was injured during a firefight in Ramadi.

On April 14, 2004, 3 days after Easter Sunday, Corporal Dunham was manning a checkpoint in Karabilah, Iraq, when an insurgent leapt from his car and began choking Corporal Dunham. A scuffle ensued as two Marines approached to help. Reportedly, the last words from Corporal Dunham were, “No, No. Watch his hand.” Suddenly, the insurgent dropped a grenade. Corporal Dunham took off his Kevlar helmet, dropped to the ground, and covered the explosive as best he could.

The blast seriously wounded all 3 Marines. Eight days later, Corporal Jason L. Dunham died at Bethesda Naval Hospital from wounds he received in the incident. He was 22.

Jason was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his selfless act. Because of his quick reflexes and keen eye he was able to save his comrades, even though it was at the expense of his own life. This website was created in his memory.

SEAL Lt. Michael P. Murphy while deployed in Afghanistan

While deployed in Afghanistan, Lt. Michael Murphy was part of a four man team sent on a scouting mission deep in the Hindu Kush. Sadly, three out of the four men were lost on this mission, including Murphy. All were brave men, but Murphy put himself in terrible danger in order to help his teammates – a move that paid off and resulted in the rescue of the one survivor, Marcus Luttrell. Michael Murphy posthumously received the Medal of Honor for his heroic and selfless act.

While under heavy fire and all four men dealing with wounds, Michael Murphy was attempting to communicate with base and send out a distress call. The jagged terrian was blocking his signal, making it almost impossible to get out a message.

Despite the intensity of the firefight and suffering grave gunshot wounds himself, Murphy is credited with risking his own life to save the lives of his teammates. Murphy, intent on making contact with headquarters, but realizing this would be impossible in the extreme terrain where they were fighting, unhesitatingly and with complete disregard for his own life moved into the open, where he could gain a better position to transmit a call to get help for his men.

Moving away from the protective mountain rocks, he knowingly exposed himself to increased enemy gunfire.  This deliberate and heroic act deprived him of cover and made him a target for the enemy.  While continuing to be fired upon, Murphy made contact with the SOF Quick Reaction Force at Bagram Air Base and requested assistance. He calmly provided his unit’s location and the size of the enemy force while requesting immediate support for his team. At one point he was shot in the back causing him to drop the transmitter. Murphy picked it back up, completed the call and continued firing at the enemy who was closing in.  Severely wounded, Lt. Murphy returned to his cover position with his men and continued the battle.

Read the entire story here and also see more pictures of SEAL Lt. Michael Murphy. There are also photos of his parents receiving the Medal of Honor in his place.

This account later earned him the Medal of Honor.

Captain Ed W. Freeman, United States Army, distinguished himself by numerous acts of conspicuous gallantry and extraordinary intrepidity on 14 November 1965 while serving with Company A, 229th Assault Helicopter Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile). As a flight leader and second in command of a 16-helicopter lift unit, he supported a heavily engaged American infantry battalion at Landing Zone X-Ray in the Ia Drang Valley, Republic of Vietnam. The unit was almost out of ammunition after taking some of the heaviest casualties of the war, fighting off a relentless attack from a highly motivated, heavily armed enemy force. When the infantry commander closed the helicopter landing zone due to intense direct enemy fire, Captain Freeman risked his own life by flying his unarmed helicopter through a gauntlet of enemy fire time after time, delivering critically needed ammunition, water and medical supplies to the besieged battalion. His flights had a direct impact on the battle’s outcome by providing the engaged units with timely supplies of ammunition critical to their survival, without which they would almost surely have gone down, with much greater loss of life. After medical evacuation helicopters refused to fly into the area due to intense enemy fire, Captain Freeman flew 14 separate rescue missions, providing life-saving evacuation of an estimated 30 seriously wounded soldiers — some of whom would not have survived had he not acted. All flights were made into a small emergency landing zone within 100 to 200 meters of the defensive perimeter where heavily committed units were perilously holding off the attacking elements. Captain Freeman’s selfless acts of great valor, extraordinary perseverance and intrepidity were far above and beyond the call of duty or mission and set a superb example of leadership and courage for all of his peers. Captain Freeman’s extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army. (Wikipedia)

Concept drawing of proposed memorial

UW alumnus John “Bud” Hawk earned a Medal of Honor for his actions near Chambois, France, on Aug. 20, 1944, during the Normandy campaign, which led to the surrender of more than 500 German soldiers, and is one of seven UW alumni that have been identified as Medal of Honor recipients.

This fall the UW — holding the highest number of Medal of Honor recipients in the United States, excluding military service academies — plans on commemorating Hawk and the six other UW alumni Medal of Honor recipients by building a memorial in the traffic circle on the south end of Memorial Way, near the flag pole.

While the Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the U.S. government, recipients, such as Hawk, deflect the recognition away from their individual accomplishments.

“I was only one of 16 [million] to 18 million people serving [in World War II]. You do the best you can for the people around you, and they will do the best they can for you,” Hawk said. Read on…

That’s fantastic that the university wants to honor their veterans. It’s also quite prestigious for the school that they have had so many Medal of Honor recipients. The Medal of Honor is not given out lightly.

WASHINGTON (March 2005): Sgt First Class Paul R Smith, killed nearly two years ago defending his vastly outnumbered Army unit in a fierce battle with elite

Iraqi troops for control of Baghdad’s airport, will receive the Medal of Honour, the nation’s highest military award, administration officials said on Tuesday.

No soldier who served in Afghanistan or Iraq after the 9/11 attacks has yet received the medal. The last conflict to produce a Medal of Honor recipient was in Mogadishu, Somalia, in 1993; two soldiers were awarded the medal posthumously for actions there, later depicted in the movie Black Hawk Down.

Sergeant Smith led a defense of a compound next to the airport against a much larger force of Special Republican Guard troops, manning a heavy machine gun, repeatedly firing and reloading three times before he was mortally wounded. Fellow soldiers said his actions killed 20 to 50 Iraqis, allowed wounded American soldiers to be evacuated, and saved an aid station and perhaps 100 lives. Sergeant Smith’s “extraordinary heroism and uncommon valor without regard to his own life in order to save others are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service,” a draft of the medal citation says. (source)

I know that receving the award is no real compensation for this brave soldier’s family. I’m sure they would rather have him back and home alive. But I do hope that they are able to take pride in Paul Smith’s heroic actions. Without his sacrifice, more families would be mourning the loss of their men.

Talk about being an incredibly skilled pilot. Overall, Shomo flew over 200 missions in the war. Click here to read more details regarding his epic flight.