Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester
Posted on 06/16/2005 7:33:16 PM PDT by West Coast Conservative
A 23-year-old sergeant with the Kentucky National Guard on Thursday became the first female soldier to receive the Silver Star — the nation's third-highest medal for valor — since World War II.
Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester, who is from Nashville, Tenn., but serves in a Kentucky unit, received the award for gallantry during a March 20 insurgent ambush on a convoy in Iraq. Two men from her unit, the 617th Military Police Company of Richmond, Ky., also received the Silver Star for their roles in the same action.
According to military accounts of the firefight, insurgents attacked the convoy as it traveled south of Baghdad, launching their assault from trenches alongside the road using rifles, machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades. Hester and her unit moved through enemy fire to the trenches, attacking them with grenades before entering and clearing them.
She killed at least three insurgents with her M4 rifle, according to her award citation. In the entire battle, 26 or 27 insurgents were killed and several more were captured, according to various accounts. Several Americans were also wounded in the firefight.
"Her actions saved the lives of numerous convoy members. Sgt. Hester's bravery is in keeping with the finest traditions of military heroism," her award citation reads.
"I'm honored to even be considered, much less awarded, the medal," Hester told the American Forces Press Service, a military-run information service. "It really doesn't have anything to do with being a female. It's about the duties I performed that day as a soldier."
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
This young lady has become my hero....she kicked some serious terrorist butt.
When she writes the songs to go with the gallantry, she'll get a platinum record to go with the Silver Star! :-)
Seriously, good for her!
Fyi..
Bravo for Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester!
If you know the Arab male mindset this here had to come as a rude shock to the jihadists who were in those trenches.....a WOMAN sent them to meet Allah.
I heard her father interviewed on a Kentucky radio station I happened to pick up on my way home tonight. He was SO proud, and said she had far exceeded his expectations of how she would do in the military. I guess so!
This is the kind of story I like to read!
I saw this story on ABC News Tonight and Elizabeth Vargas kept on saying that the soldier "won" the medal. IT WAS EARNED ELIZABETH not won!
Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester, vehicle commander, 617th Military Police Company, Richmond, Ky., stands at attention before receiving the Silver Star at an awards ceremony at Camp Liberty, Iraq, June 16. Hester is the first woman soldier since World War II to receive the Silver Star. Photo by Spc. Jeremy D. Crisp, USA (Click photo for screen-resolution image)
high resolution image available
Anyway, I'm just really glad to hear this story made it onto the newscast.
Thank you for your service Sgt. Hester
Good on her. Glad she's on our side.
I agree. She sounds like a great NCO -- someone I'd be really proud to serve with.
Already posted here: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1424400/posts
The earned not won distinction is almost a cliche. On the one hand, I can see how "won" might be construed as "acquired by chance" (like I "won" the stuffed animal at state fair or I "won" the lottery). But on the other hand, "won" could mean "she strove", "she rose to the occasion", "she fought for it" or "her efforts exceeded the efforts of others" as opposed to "she 'earned' her pay" or "she 'earned' her stripes" etc. I know what you mean though, Elizabeth probably thinks the soldier was lucky.
The best thing we could do is recruit more women who actually want to engage the enemy. It's a huge, huge blow to their egos.
Welcome to the club Sergeant Hester. And thanks to your other teammates that were awarded medals for engaging the enemy too. God bless all our troops!
Bump!
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