HONORING VETERANS

Chairmen of the bored: Idle days take toll on disabled vets By CHRIS VAUGHN McClatchy Newspapers Article Launched: 05/24/2008 01:45:12 AM PDT FORT WORTH, Texas — John Chrzanowski heads to the horse barn first thing in the morning most days. He brushes, cleans out horseshoes, saddles and then grimaces to get up on top of his favorite, a sand-colored palomino named Sally, to ride around his property east of Dallas. Horses are new to Chrzanowski, who grew up in a Detroit suburb and spent most of his adult life as an Army infantryman. But a roadside bomb in Iraq ended his combat tour early and left him a very different man, scarred and unfit for continuing duty. What he was left with is a wife, a baby girl and five horses, all that he has to spend his time on. Every day is a day off. He would prefer something else to occupy his mind, somewhere to go other than doctor's appointments and the feed store. He's 24 years old and can't fathom the rest of his life spent in leisure. But...

He Covered For His Fellow Troops By SEAN HIGGINS | Posted Friday, May 16, 2008 4:30 PM PT The attacks at the safe house north of Baghdad had become routine. Every few days a band of terrorists would strike at the coalition forces posted there, only to scatter when the allies returned fire. After a while, the attacks ceased to alarm the soldiers since the enemy was so few in number and so easily driven off. The Air Force's Covel gave fighter pilots the right targets, leading to the killing of 100 terrorists and to his Silver Star for bravery in battle. Then one day the gang brought its friends — a whole lot of friends. On June 18, 2004, an enemy group numbering 200 to 250 attacked the safe house (the exact location is still classified) intent on killing the two dozen allied forces inside. The terror mission might have worked — but for the actions of Air Force Staff Sgt. Earl Covel. Realizing his team was vastly outnumbered, he climbed to a nearby exposed roof and directed air suppo...

He was born the day before I was. WILLIAM HART PITSENBARGER A1C - E4 - Air Force - Regular 21 year old - Single Born on July 08, 1944 From PIQUA, OHIO CITATION: Airman First Class Pitsenbarger distinguished himself by extreme valor on 11 April 1966 near Cam My, Republic of Vietnam, while assigned as a Pararescue Crew Member, Detachment 6, 38th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron. On that date, Airman Pitsenbarger was aboard a rescue helicopter responding to a call for evacuation of casualties incurred in an on-going firefight between elements of the United States Army's 1st Infantry Division and a sizable enemy force approximately 35 miles east of Saigon. With complete disregard for personal safety, Airman Pitsenbarger volunteered to ride a hoist more than one hundred feet through the jungle, to the ground. On the ground, he organized and coordinated rescue efforts, cared for the wounded, prepared casualties for evacuation, and insured that the recovery operation continued in a ...

marines * US Marine Medal of Honor Recipients BAILEY MAJOR KENNETH D. BAILEY MAJOR KENNETH D. BAILEY Medal of Honor 1942 1st RaiderBn Guadalcanal The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR posthumously to MAJOR KENNETH D. BAILEY UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS for service as set forth in the following CITATION: For extraordinary courage and heroic conduct above and beyond the call of duty as Commanding Officer of Company C, First Marine Raider Battalion, during the enemy Japanese attack on Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, on September 12-13, 1942. Completely reorganized following the severe engagement of the night before, Major Bailey's company, within an hour after taking its assigned position as battalion reserve between the main line and the coveted airport, was threatened on the right flank by the penetration of the enemy into a gap in the main line. In addition to repulsing this threat, while steadily improving...