Iraq Hero Joins Hallowed Group (Medal Of Honor For Army Sgt. 1st Class Paul R. Smith)

St. Petersburg Times ^ | February 2, 2005 | Alex Leary

[MisterRepublican]

Sgt. 1st Class Paul R. Smith, who spent his boyhood in Tampa, became a man in the Army and died outside Baghdad defending his outnumbered soldiers from an Iraqi attack, will receive America's highest award for bravery.

President Bush will present the Medal of Honor to Smith's wife, Birgit, and their children Jessica, 18, and David, 10, at a ceremony at the White House, possibly in March.

The official announcement will come soon, but the Pentagon called Mrs. Smith with the news Tuesday afternoon.

"We had faith he was going to get it," Mrs. Smith said from her home in Holiday, "but the phone call was shocking. It was overwhelming. My heart was racing, and I got sweaty hands. I yelled, "Oh, yes!' ... I'm still all shaky.

"People know what's he's done ... people know that to get a Medal of Honor you have to be a special person or do something really great."

What Paul Smith did on April 4, 2003, was climb aboard an armored vehicle and, manning a heavy machine gun, take it upon himself to cover the withdrawal of his men from a suddenly vulnerable position. Smith was fatally wounded by Iraqi fire, the only American to die in the engagement.

"I'm in bittersweet tears," said Smith's mother, Janice Pvirre. "The medal isn't going to bring him back. ... It makes me sad that all these other soldiers have died. They are all heroes."

With the medal, Smith joins a most hallowed society.

Since the Civil War, just 3,439 men (and one woman) have received the Medal of Honor. It recognizes only the most extreme examples of bravery - those "above and beyond the call of duty."

[mark502inf]

God Bless his family and his memory. First Medal of Honor in over 11 years and only 3d since Viet Nam.

[caisson71]

We sacrifice America's best for the cause of freedom around the world but tolerate "runts of the litter' - Ted Kennedy - who give aid and comfort to the enemy for the sake of political power. Something is very wrong here.
God Bless and keep all our heros and be with their families in their time of need.

[lilylangtree]

Another fallen hero. God bless his family.

[mark502inf]

He's on the right.

[mark502inf]

PING! Medal of Honor for SCE Paul R. Smith in Iraq. Thought you might want to send this to your group.

[mark502inf]

Make the Sergeant First Class (SFC) Smith.

And from what otherwise is a very good story:

Smith is the first soldier from the Iraq war to receive the medal, which had not previously been awarded since 1993. In that year, two Army Special Services sergeants were killed in Somalia in an action described in the bestselling book Black Hawk Down

Sergeants Shugart and Gordon would probably prefer to be known as Special Forces Sergeants. Special Forces are our "fighting soldiers from the sky, fearless men who jump & die" types. Special Services runs the bowling alley.

[speed_addiction]

God Bless him. It is men like him who make me proud to have served my country and to have fought in defense of the same flag he did.

11 years ago I only a few hundred yards away from where the last two Medal of Honor awardees (Sergeants Randy Shugart and Gary Gordon) put up their gallant fight in defense of Michael Durant.

[Gamecock]

< bawling my eyes out>

[Calpernia]

Sgt. 1st Class Paul R. Smith, who spent his boyhood in Tampa, became a man in the Army and died outside Baghdad defending his outnumbered soldiers from an Iraqi attack, will receive America's highest award for bravery.

President Bush will present the Medal of Honor to Smith's wife, Birgit, and their children Jessica, 18, and David, 10, at a ceremony at the White House, possibly in March.

[Calpernia]

Thanks for the ping!

[ariamne]

With men like this on the front lines of the defense of freedom, hope is rekindled.

God bless and keep you, Sgt. 1st Class Paul R. Smith.

[GarySpFc]

Smith is the first soldier from the Iraq war to receive the medal, which had not previously been awarded since 1993. In that year, two Army Special Services sergeants were killed in Somalia in an action described in the bestselling book Black Hawk Down

Sergeants Shugart and Gordon would probably prefer to be known as Special Forces Sergeants. Special Forces are our "fighting soldiers from the sky, fearless men who jump & die" types. Special Services runs the bowling alley.

Sergeants Shugart and Gordon were listed as Commandos, which is another way of saying Delta Force, not Special Forces.

[CDB]

Me too.

So proud of this incredible self-sacrifice to protect his peoiple.

God bless, and RIP!

[A.A. Cunningham]

First Medal of Honor in over 11 years and only 3d since Viet Nam.

First since 8 July 2002, Humbert R. Versace.

[mark502inf]

And this is a great testament to him as a leader:

[GarySpFc]

11 years ago I only a few hundred yards away from where the last two Medal of Honor awardees (Sergeants Randy Shugart and Gary Gordon) put up their gallant fight in defense of Michael Durant.

Thanks for your service. Rangers lead the way.

BTW, Colonel Merril's radioman lives a couple of blocks from my office. If I recall correctly his name is Glenn Sanders.

[Repealthe17thAmendment]

What can we do to repay him?

Medals seem hardly enough.

[blackie]

Hero Sgt. 1st Class Paul R. Smith ~ Bump!

[colorado tanker]

What Shugart and Gordon did was absolutely incredible. I am in awe of their courage. SFC Smith is joining very elite company.

[Marine Inspector]

God Bless and Semper Fi Sgt. 1st Class Paul R. Smith.

[Calpernia]

Wow, he is a cutie!

[mark502inf]

AT EASE, Calpernia! Get on down and start doing push-ups until I'm tired. He was married!

[Calpernia]

I'm married too.

I can still appreciate a handsome guy though :)

[mark502inf]

First Medal of Honor in over 11 years and only 3d since Viet Nam..... First since 8 July 2002, Humbert R. Versace.

I was referring to when the episode of heroism occurred. Although Captain Versace's family was presented the MOH in 2002, it was for events that occurred in 1965. Your link was interesting--a nice source. I didn't realize we were presenting so many of these so many years after the fact.

[Lancer_N3502A]

This man is definately a hero.

But what ever happened to the Navy Seal who was knocked out of the CH-47 during Operation Anaconda? Who, having fallen tens of feet, mortally wounded and armed only with an M9 pistol, low crawled up to a Taliban machine gun nest, eliminated the crew then turned the machine gun onto the enemy. And having expended all the ammunition, went hand to hand with that enemy until he fell in battle and was animalistically chopped to pieces.

[A.A. Cunningham]

I was referring to when the episode of heroism occurred.

That's not what you wrote and I'm well aware of when Versaces' actions took place.

[dd5339]

MOH Ping!

Semper Fi

[Calpernia]

cross linking:

Iraq hero joins hallowed group

[Chieftain]

Excellent story! I encourage FReepers to email the author a note of congratulations. His email is: Leary@sptimes.com

[chiefqc]

ted "BLIMP MAN" kennedy has no redeeming moral qualities.

[NCCarrs]

His name was Neil C. Roberts => pic here:

http://archives.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/asiapcf/central/03/05/ret.afghan.helicopter.horror/

Spc Ops Team retrieved his body => his bio, words to wife, other details can be read here:

http://www.pownetwork.org/afghanistan/r001.htm

[edfrank_1998]

There's a site at the link below that has a number of great remarks by some of his fellow soldiers.

found at: http://www.fallenheroesmemorial.com/oif/profiles/smithpaulr.html

Semper Fi

[Gilbo_3]

Prayers and thanks to SFC Smith, as well as to all other soldiers and their families. May God bless them all.

[speed_addiction]

There are soldiers and fighters and then there are WARRIORS. Soldiers and fighters are trained, molded, hone to a fine edge and sent into battle. Warriors are born. It is their calling. It is what they are. SFC Paul Smith can be listed in the latter category. I salute that man.

[Mike Fieschko]

BTTT, all the way TTT

[STARWISE]

Oh my ... this great man is the embodiment of devotion to duty, honor, country and troops. You just can't help but sob at the sheer raw bravery of his last stand. Let the word go out that there are still incredible young men who will dismiss their own safety to give all for the greater good. God Bless you, SFC Paul Smith. Your deeds and the honor you've brought to your family and country will live on. This is a true patriot warrior hero. I pray God's peace and blessings on your loving family.

We need to let people know about SFC Paul Smith, United States Military Hero... and a well-deserved Medal of Honor Recipient. Peace home, dear soldier.

Please read here, if you've missed the other links:

The Last Full Measure of Devotion

[TheSaurus]

Well whatchagonnado.... the report came from media weenies who have NO clue about anything concerning the military. Just par for the course, what.

[Finalapproach29er]

The President is required to salute MOH recipients.

I wonder if he salutes the widow at the posthumus ceremony?

Anybody know how that works?

[watchdog_writer]

"People know what's he's done ... people know that to get a Medal of Honor you have to be a special person or do something really great."

But listen to the defining silence that will come from the left wing liberal democrats like Ted Kennedy. Expect Hillary to join in with false adulation for this great American hero and his family.

In stark contrast to the bravery of our fighting men, who support the President, we see liberal democrats running away from the fight. Afraid to stand and accept the consequences of war, as the President has done. These liberal deserters are cowards who concocted lies about the President.

Harry Truman, who ordered the death of millions of Japanese civilians, said “if you can’t take the heat, get out of the kitchen”. Which is what the democrats have been doing ever since. They got out of Viet Nam, out of Mogadishu, and Somalia, failed in Angola, and out of Nairobi, and thankfully they are finally out of the Whitehouse.

THE MUKHABARAT, A SUDANESE INTELLIGENCE AGENCY, spent the early to mid-1990s amassing copious amounts of information on bin Laden and his cohorts at a time when they were relatively unknown and their activities limited, author David Rose reports. From the fall of 1996 until weeks before the September 2001 attack on the World Trade Center, the Mukhabarat made repeated efforts to share its files on terrorists with the U.S. On more than one occasion senior F.B.I. officials wanted to accept the offers, but were apparently overruled by the State Department.

Would President Bush have had to give this family the Congressional Medal of Honor if the Clinton administration had stopped bin laden when they had the chance?

 

[speed_addiction]

When the Marines went into Somalia, they had great support and air cover from AC-130 Spectres. This was under the first President Bush. The Marines came home from Somalia after Clinton took office. Task Force Ranger went in at the direction of Bill Clinton and Les Aspin. This was a FUBARed operation from the get go ending with the loss of over a dozen Rangers and some Delta Force operators and Black Hawk pilots. The incompetence of Clinton and Aspin in military matters were directly responsible for these:

I display them proudly. But they are not worth the lives of good men who did not make it home because of a mission that was a farce.

[ErnBatavia]

The President is required to salute MOH recipients. I wonder if he salutes the widow at the posthumus ceremony? Anybody know how that works?

I did some researching on the protocol of saluting Medal of Honor recipients just the other day, when the subject came up on another thread...it's not required, but it's highly customary.

[Finalapproach29er]

Thanks. Hope he salutes the family.

[Old Sarge]

For SFC Smith, for others, and y'all:

[watchdog_writer]

          We honor all military personnel who served their country in times of war. The lesson we should have learned from the quagmire of Vietnam was that the true tragedy of war is the loss of life caused by meddling politicians like Linden Johnson. U.S. Air Force pilots were shot down by surface to air missiles, because the Johnson administration agreed not to destroy them if the North Vietnam would come to the negotiation table.

          We are now seeing a repeat performance by liberals such as Ted Kennedy, and Dennise Kucinich who said America must make a dramatic reversal of course: we must acknowledge that the continued U.S. military presence in Iraq is counterproductive and destabilizing.  What were the good people of Ohio thinking when they voted him into office?

[windchime]

Sgt. 1st Class Paul R. Smith bump!

[B-Chan]

He is receiving his reward right now.

In Valhalla!

May God rest his soul.

[PGalt]

Condolences to Sgt. 1st Class Paul R. Smith's family and friends.

Bump for America's finest!

[Calpernia]

Cross linking:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1334731/posts
Georgia-based soldier to get Medal of Honor posthumously

[Calpernia]

Cross linking....

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1335281/posts
The last full measure of devotion - Bronze Star and the Purple Heart / Medal of Honor