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I t was two weeks ago that I received a phone call from my son. He is a college student so when the telephone rings and I see his number there are always two immediate feelings. First, I hope that everything is all right as he attends college in Baltimore, a hotbed of crime and violence, or, second, how much money does he need. Once I hear his voice and know that he is OK, I can most certainly guarantee that the call is for money. That's when I give the telephone to his father. This call two weeks ago...

The Rival Boy Band: The Backseat Boys Larger Than Life What an honor to showcase a true gentleman & patriot ...FReeper Wheelbarrow, AKA, Bill Barrows is a WW2 vet & recipient of the Bronze Star. He is active politically & has been to FReeps in Columbus, Cleveland, Akron, Bath, Richfield, greater DC. BTW Bill became "famous" here at FR by posting a thread of Viking Kitty notoriety.(BTW his first/only thread.. he thought he was responding on a thread)Heoo Dolly Bill was part of the September Honor Flight to Washington DC THREAD HERE Here is one pix from that thread of...

Gladewater antique dealer Mary Whitlock can think of little else today. Except a plaque on her wall. A bronze start certificate awarded to her son. "He always wanted to be the one to tell the other kids how they were line up to play a game, and who would be first and usually he was it" Mary says. At 18, Charles Whitlock graduated from Gladewater High School, going straight into the Marines. Now 45, he's led his explosive ordinance disposal unit in Iraq, going on more than 220 missions including getting rid of 30 IED's. those missions, and his bravery...

Marine Corps posthumously honors Capt. Robert M. Secher Just over a year ago, two Marines wearing dress uniforms eased out of their government-issued vehicles and walked up separate driveways -- one in Cordova, one in Germantown -- to deliver devastating news to the family of Capt. Robert M. Secher. A sniper's bullet killed Secher in October 2006 in Iraq's Anbar province. He was 33. On Wednesday Secher's mother and father were joined by 75 family, friends and fellow Marines, as the Corps honored Secher posthumously with a Bronze Star with Valor. Photos by Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal Capt. Robert M....

You couldn't make out Stephen Reagan's feelings on Saturday just by looking at him. A pair of dark glasses hid his eyes, and the most noticeable ripples across his tranquil, composed face were the discreet smiles his wife put on it. But sitting at the fantail of the Battleship North Carolina, the Wilmington resident relived in his head the war episodes that earned him a Bronze Star Medal while taking from him some of his comrades. "I thought about it a lot," Reagan said, after his best friend and fellow Marine Michael Neal read the citation that came with the...

”His boat took 188 enemy hits”: Another Kerry Swift Boat story surfacesBy Fedora During the 2004 campaign, John Kerry faced a firestorm of controversy over the events surrounding the awarding of his third Purple Heart and his Bronze Star. One inconsistency investigators noticed was that although military documents described Kerry’s Swift Boat team as facing “about 5000 meters” of enemy fire while travelling down a 75-yard-wide stretch of the Bay Hap River, there was no record of any bullet damage to craft or crew. Not publicized in 2004 was another discrepancy magnifying this issue: while Kerry was making his first...

FReeper Wheelbarrow(Bronze Star recipient) - part of Akron's First Honor Flight - for WW2 Vets - Sept 8, 2007Freeper Social in Grand Island NY : AFPhys; The Mayor, Wheelbarrow, NYTexan Wheelbarrow has been a FReeper for a few years. He lurks alot & has participated in many FReeps in Ohio, was active in the 04 national election & rallies & went to DC in 2005 for several events in FReeperdom. He is 82 & was part of the European Theater in WW2. He received a bronze star for the efforts in the war. Honor Flight i s a marvelous...

CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C., Aug. 3, 2007 — U.S. Marine Corps 1st Sgt. Paul T. Archie’s Marines were put to the test during a series of heavy and sustained attacks, Oct. 19, 2006, in Iraq. His forward operating base faced a mass of insurgent firepower ranging from small-arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades to a suicide dump truck intent on disaster. During the firefight, Archie and his company commander Capt. Scott R. Burlison exposed themselves to incoming enemy fire while moving from post to post in an effort to ensure that the Marines had the necessary supplies and wounded Marines were evacuated....

DAG, Afghanistan — It all started as a routine mission on a near moonless night one month ago. The objective was an abandoned village named Shudergay, a place frequented by bad guys who do bad things. Soldiers of the 10th Mountain Division had been there before. They knew it was a sanctuary for insurgents to regroup, rest and re-arm. It was also the hometown of Habib Jan, the head of a large militant cell operating in northeastern Afghanistan. “This guy was responsible for the only two soldiers I lost,” said Capt. Robert Stanton, commander of Company C, 1st Battalion, 32nd...

"According to the award citation Caldwell read during the ceremony, Frank Sandoval was presented the Bronze Star for "exceptionally meritorious service while assigned as a team leader during the time of hostilities in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Your leadership, unwavering commitment to mission accomplishment and demonstrated technical expertise were above and beyond all expectations and proved vital to successful combat operations in Iraq. Your initiative and courage in a hostile situation are indicative of the highest standards of service and reflect great credit upon you, this command and the United States Army." The Yuma native, who is currently undergoing...

SAN DIEGO, Feb. 9, 2007 — Chief Petty Officer James R. Theriault, of Colville, Wash., recieved the Bronze Star for exceptionally meritorious service in combat operations during Operation Iraqi Freedom, in a ceremony held at Afloat Training Group, Pacific, on Feb 5. The Bronze Star medal is awarded to individuals who, while serving in or with the military of the United States, distinguish themselves by heroic or meritorious achievement while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force. Vice Adm. Terrance T. Etnyre, Commander, Naval Surface Forces presented the medal. “Chief Theriault is just an example of...

1/31/2007 - LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark. (AFNEWS) -- Two explosive ordnance disposal Airmen from the 314th Civil Engineer Squadron received combat medals for their actions in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom Jan. 30 in a ceremony here. Staff Sgt. Lawrence Lipinski was awarded the Bronze Star and Staff Sgt. Matthew Patnaude received his second Purple Heart for their actions while deployed with the Army's 101st Airborne at Kirkuk Air Base, Iraq. "They define the wingman concept; meeting the objective under the worst of circumstances," said Brig. Gen. Kip L. Self, the 314th Airlift Wing commander who presented the...

12/8/2006 - FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. (AFPN) -- Whether it is a meth lab in Spokane, Wash., booby trapped with grenades or an Improvised Explosive Device in Baghdad, every day brings something new for an Explosive Ordnance Disposal technician. On the morning of Dec. 7, two of Fairchild's EOD technicians were awarded decorations for heroism in a ceremony at the 92nd Civil Engineering Squadron's Stampede Room. Tech. Sgt. Jesus Hernandez was awarded a Bronze Star Medal and Senior Airman Amos Smith was awarded an Army Commendation Medal with a "V" device, indicating the act of heroism for which the...

Spc. Ashley Pullen wasn't thinking about the dozens of Iraqi insurgents who had just ambushed the convoy. Or their piles of guns and grenades or the bullets ripping through the air around her. Her bloody comrade lay on the road south of Baghdad, and she had to help the gravely wounded soldier — fast. So she hustled as quickly as her short legs would carry her, ignoring the heat, the ferocious battle and her heavy gear. She ran 100, 200, 300 feet — the length of a football field. It was March 20, 2005, the day Pullen, a member of...

WASHINGTON -- In the hierarchy of military medals, the Bronze Star ranks in the top tier. But in the war on terror, some troops have been honored with the medal for going above and beyond the call of duty, while others received it for just getting the job done. For example, the Bronze Star has been awarded to: Army Lt. Col. Andrew MacDonald, Soldier Systems Center chief of staff, for leading a team of military and civilians in delivering equipment to troops in Iraq. U.S. Army Reserve Maj. Patrick Burke for "transporting a hospital" from Pakistan to Afghanistan with "no...

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION NEW RIVER, N.C. (May 4, 2006) -- Lieutenant Colonels Jay A. Van Der Werff and Thomas R. McCarthy received Bronze Stars at an award ceremony April 24. Both gentlemen were awarded for their efforts during a six-month Iraq deployment. “I feel I just did my job,” said Van Der Werff, Marine Aircraft Group-26 executive officer. “The Marines that worked for me, both officers and enlisted, did a great job while we were in Iraq. This is a reflection on the work that they did as well.” During the deployment, Van Der Werff served as an operations...

In a war marred by prisoner-abuse scandals and rife with political wrangling, Nathaniel R. Leoncio's heroic actions in Iraq are the pure stuff of legend. Leoncio, a 24-year-old corpsman, received the Bronze Star yesterday at Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton. The Navy petty officer third class was on patrol with Marines in southern Ramadi on Oct. 4 when they were struck by a series of roadside bombs. The explosives killed one Marine and seriously injured three other men, including Leoncio.

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (April 7,2006) -- The plans officer for Headquarters Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, was presented a Bronze Star for meritorious achievement in connection with combat operations in Iraq by Maj. Gen. Richard A. Huck, commanding general, 2nd Marine Division, at the II Marine Expeditionary Force headquarters building in a ceremony here on April 4. Lt. Col. Jeffrey Conner was awarded the medal for his achievement as the plans officer, assistant chief of staff G-3 from February 2005 to February 2006. The battalion was based in and around Ar Ramadi, Iraq, in support of Operation Iraqi...

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (Feb. 17, 2006) -- Critical medical operations to save the life of a wounded comrade are extremely stressful in the rear, where there is proper medical equipment. Conducting them in the back of a humvee while it speeds through a hail of shrapnel and small arms fire, however, is a true test of one’s proficiency and courage. Petty Officer 1st Class Nathan McDonell faced and overcame that challenge a year ago in Iraq and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for it during a ceremony at Camp Margarita Feb. 17. “I accept this recognition...

Bronze Star awarded posthumously Submitted by: MCB Camp PendletonStory Identification #: 200612019380 Story by Lance Cpl. Alec Kleinsmith MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON (Jan. 20, 2006) -- The Marines of 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment presented a posthumous Bronze Star with Combat Distinguishing Device to the widow of Capt. John W. Maloney at the San Mateo Memorial Park here Jan. 20, 2006. Michelle Maloney recieved the award from Lt. Col. Eric M. Smith, Battalion Commander for 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment. Maloney’s son, Nathaniel, was pinned with the medal by Smith. The former commanding officer of Company C, 1st...

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (Dec. 2, 2005) -- If it wasn’t for the selfless actions of Staff Sgt. Anthony B. Speich, ten Afghani troops and a Navy corpsman on the forward element of the Special Forces Operational Detachment, Company C., 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, Combined-Joint Special operations Task Force Afghanistan, may have never been able to return home. Speich, a 36-year-old from Rapids, Wis., was awarded the Bronze Star with “V” Device during a ceremony here Dec. 2 for his actions in Afghanistan on the day of April 24, 2005. While leading those 11 men, Speich...

Greetings FReeper Vets, I received the following email today from a relative of a recently passed Marine.Sargent Major Charles Huff died Saturday 11/19/05. He was a Bronze Star with a V recipient and spent 30 years in the marine corp. I have been unable to find any information or list of bronze star recipients. Can you help me? He was my uncle and talked about the marine corp until the day he died. All of these brave recipients should be recognized on a website sponsored by our goverment. My e-mail address is gregmcpeters@aol.com If any one of you is able...

I have done two google searchs to find a bronze star with valor list for marines in Iraq. The closest I got was some stories on individual winners. Looking for a list for 2003-5.

MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va(Aug. 22, 2005) -- Throughout the annals of Marine Corps history, inspired quotations have framed the heroics of great Marines, transforming passing moments into epic legends to be forever retold and celebrated by the generations of warriors who follow. Never to be forgotten is the rallying cry of Gunnery Sgt. Dan Daly at the Battle of Belleau Wood, France, on June 4, 1918: “Come on you son’s of bitches! Do you want to live forever?” [snip] So too will a contemporary Marine be remembered, not only for his extraordinary act of courage and composure under...

A Bronze Star might seem like a lot to give someone for closing some valves, but the ones Lt. Col. Wayne Dudding shut down were connected to a burning oil-pumping plant near Haditha, Iraq. "It was really raging when we first showed up there," said Dudding, a Freeport native, who spent two days working single-handedly to close the valves -- and the illegal flow of oil into neighboring Syria -- as Army Rangers stood by to protect him from enemy soldiers. He completed the mission in early April 2003, just weeks after the start of the U.S.-led invasion. Dudding, 43,...

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (Aug. 5, 2005) -- The average day of a Marine deployed to a combat zone is anything but average. As the Global War on Terrorism rages on, Marines find themselves facing tough situations and decisions on a daily basis. With the lives of fellow Marines on the line, the ultimate goal is to return Marines home alive. Gunnery Sgt. Gordon R. Hill Jr. of Los Fresnos, Texas was awarded the Bronze Star medal with combat distinguishing device for Valor here, Aug. 5, for his actions taken while deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom...

CAMP KINSER, Okinawa — A Marine officer received the bronze star with a combat “V” for his leadership in Iraq at the Kinser Surfside on Friday in front of several dozen of his fellow Marines. Maj. Rick Brown received the medal for his leadership as executive officer of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit’s Service Support Group 31, which returned from Iraq in recent months after duty in some of the nation’s toughest areas. “He is the type of officer who will give of himself [and] doesn’t think of himself,” said Brig. Gen. Frank Panter, commander of the 3rd Force Service...

Ailing WWII Veteran Receives Bronze Star By Associated Press April 9, 2005, 3:28 PM EDT ROSEMEAD, Calif. -- A gravely ill World War II veteran who was wounded in the Normandy invasion has been honored with a Bronze Star and other medals more than six decades after he stormed the coast of France. "I'm bewildered, I'm excited. I'm confused. I'm not used to talking this much," former Army Pvt. Manuel Lopez Sanchez said Friday. Sanchez, 84, suffers from brain tumors and doctors told him he has about six months to live. His wife, Amelia, said she sought out the medals...

WASHINGTON - With 11 paratroopers under her command, Army Airborne Capt. Kellie McCoy coolly directed fire and cranked out rounds from her M-4 carbine to take out two of the enemy in breaking a well-planned ambush of her convoy. McCoy's courage and leadership near the rebel stronghold of Fallujah on Sept. 18, 2003, earned her the Bronze Star with combat "V" for valor. "Capt. McCoy willingly and repeatedly took action to gather up her soldiers under enemy fire and direct fire at the enemy," the medal citation said. "Her actions inspired her men to accomplish the mission and saved the...

Johnnie Stevens is not one to shy away from a fight. As a young man, he fought with the 761st Tank Battalion to help cut the German supply lines that kept American troops pinned down during the Battle of the Bulge. For his heroism, he won the Bronze Star, and more recently, mention in the book "Brothers in Arms," by former NBA great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Anthony Walton. A movie based on the book is coming. But instead of reveling in the glory of his accomplishments, Stevens, now 84, finds himself fighting another battle -- one that could cost him...

After several months recuperating from injuries, Spc. Taylor Burk returned Oct. 27 to Forward Operating Base Falcon and was presented the Bronze Star he had earned back in April. Spc. Taylor Burk of Company C, 1-8 Cavalry, receives the Bronze Star for Valor Oct. 27 after returning back to Baghdad from the United States where he was recovering from wounds received during a firefight April 5. During the battle, Burk saved the life of a fellow Soldier. Capt. Jayson Morgan Burk demonstrated his personal courage in the April firefight and his loyalty to fellow Soldiers from Company C, 1st Battalion,...

WRITTEN BY LT.COLONEL CHARLES WADE Wednesday, October 13, 2004 Even before the primary elections, President Bush’s military service was a political issue as was Senator Kerry’s military service which he touted and others questioned. Reporters continue to seek comment from candidates, political operatives, and pundits. It seems that everyone is an expert, and everyone has an answer. Some of the more interesting responses have come from Republican senators who typically begin by asserting that they honor Senator Kerry’s Viet Nam service, but… Honor: What is that all about? What virtues are honorable? More important, what virtues are both militarily and...

The Emperor Has No Clothes By: Brian Tracy John Kerry is neither a “war hero” nor a “patriot.” It is about time that someone pointed out that “the emperor has no clothes” and that Americans are being presented with a false choice. If you read the newspapers long enough, a series of facts emerge that appear undeniable and irrefutable. But no one seems to want to “connect the dots” for fear of offending the powers that be in the national media, such as CBS. Here is what we know. First of all, Kerry did not “volunteer” for service in Vietnam....

A faded 35-year-old operations order recovered from the Naval Historical Center in Washington bears directly on the ongoing dispute between Senator Kerry and the Swiftboat Veterans for Truth about who wrote the key after-action report that ended Mr. Kerry's service in Vietnam. The report appears in the official Navy records and is posted on Mr. Kerry's campaign Web site. According to a Navy communications expert, Troy Jenkins, who has examined the message traffic, the report in question was sent from the USCGC Spencer, Commander Lonsdale's command ship, at 11:20 that night. Only three of the officers on the mission that...

New Document Indicates Kerry Wrote Disputed Vietnam Report BY THOMAS LIPSCOMB - Special to the Sun October 1, 2004 Conclusion: Kerry wrote the disputed after action report that is the basis for his bronze star.

A faded 35-year-old operations order recovered from the Naval Historical Center in Washington bears directly on the ongoing dispute between Sen. John Kerry and the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth about who wrote the key after-action report that ended Kerry's service in Vietnam. The report appears in the official Navy records and is posted on Kerry's presidential campaign Web site. The report details Kerry's participation in a naval operation on the Bay Hap River on March 13, 1969, in such glowing terms that he was awarded a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star for pulling Special Forces officer James Rassmann...

Two Marines awarded Bronze Star for counter-ambush Submitted by: MCB Camp Pendleton Story Identification #: 2004923193850 Story by Lance Cpl. Samuel B. Valliere MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (Sept. 23, 2004) -- One Marine carried on a relentless, one-armed fight. Another is credited with spearheading a counterattack that left an estimated 30 insurgents dead. Their tenacious response to an enemy ambush last spring near Fallujah, Iraq, earned them the Bronze Star Medal, awarded Friday in a ceremony at Camp Margarita. According to command accounts, Sgt. Eric Kocher and Staff Sgt. Dan Lalota fought valiantly enough to merit the U.S....

The U.S. Navy has launched a new probe into Sen. John Kerry's Silver Star citation, after the Navy Secretary whose signature appears on the document said he never signed the award. "It is a total mystery to me," former Navy Secretary John Lehman told the Chicago Sun-Times in August. "I never saw it. I never signed it. I never approved it. And the additional language it contains was not written by me," he complained. The Lehman document is the last of three versions of Kerry Silver Star citation that have been posted to Kerry's campaign website. On Friday, Navy Inspector...

Navy Launches Second Kerry Medal Probe The U.S. Navy has launched a new probe into Sen. John Kerry's Silver Star citation, after the Navy Secretary whose signature appears on the document said he never signed the award. "It is a total mystery to me," former Navy Secretary John Lehman told the Chicago Sun-Times in August. "I never saw it. I never signed it. I never approved it. And the additional language it contains was not written by me," he complained. The Lehman document is the last of three versions of Kerry Silver Star citation that have been posted to Kerry's...

Navy Says Kerry's Service Awards OK'd 16 minutes ago By ROBERT BURNS, AP Military Writer WASHINGTON - The Navy's chief investigator concluded Friday that procedures were followed properly in the approval of Sen. John Kerry's Silver Star, Bronze Star and Purple Heart medals, according to an internal Navy memo. Vice Adm. R.A. Route, the Navy inspector general, conducted the review of Kerry's Vietnam-ear military service awards at the request of Judicial Watch, a public interest group. The group has also asked for the release of additional records documenting the Democratic presidential candidate's military service. Judicial Watch had requested in August...

Version One Version Two Del Sandusky, the man steering Kerry's boat, told a different version to NEWSWEEK. He says his boat was jarred by an explosion, probably from a rocket, knocking the soldier, Jim Rassmann, off the boat. Kerry was thrown against the bulkhead, injuring his arm. Sandusky says he could see muzzle flashes from the jungle and bullets skimming across the water. Sandusky says he can't remember if anyone was still shooting when Kerry pulled Rassmann from the river, but in any case, the boat was banged up and taking on water. (Source: Newsweek) Version Three Aug. 10, 2004,...

There are three different versions of the Bronze Star incident from what I’ve been able to gather. John Kerry said that his boat made a high speed turn throwing a green beret from the boat when he was making a eulogy on January 20, 1998 and he asked it be printed in the Congressional Record. I first became aware of this version on Friday when Fox News had a report on it, which there seems to be absent from their web site. I was relieved to see that at least one news source bothered doing some investigative work rather than...

WASHINGTON - The latest mystery surrounding John Kerry's Vietnam war medals is how the language describing his actions was embellished when Kerry asked for copies of the commendations years later. Kerry apparently asked sometime in the 1980s for copies of the commendations that accompanied his Silver Star and Bronze Star. His campaign Web site carries the original and the later versions of the commendations. The new citation for his Silver Star lauds the ex-Navy lieutenant's "brave action, bold initiative and unwavering devotion to duty" during a Feb. 28, 1969, enemy ambush. That language, signed by Reagan-era Navy Secretary John Lehman,...

John Kerry placed in the Congressional Record on January 28, 1998 the eulogy he gave (apparently) at the funeral of a former swiftboat companion. He describes what could be an entirely different version of the Rassmann falling in the river/mine exploding story. * * * 

Eagle Point vet who was there backs Kerry’s assertion that bullets were flying the day he won two medals on a river in VietnamBy PAUL FATTIG Robert E. Lambert doesn’t plan to vote for John Kerry. But the Eagle Point man challenges claims by a group called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth that there was no enemy fire aimed at the five swift boats, including the one commanded by Kerry, on March 13, 1969 on the Bay Hap River in the southern tip of what was then South Vietnam. Lambert, now 64, was a crew member on swift boat PCF-51...

I am going to bend over backwards to be fair to Kerry. Five PCFs, 3, 23, 43, 51 and 94 (Kerry), were proceeding down river and came to a fishing weir, a bunch of nets strung across the middle of the river. PCFs 3 and 94 were sent ahead and passed to the left and right of the nets, near the bank. As it passed the weir, PCF-3 was damaged by a mine. Given the situation (restricted waters) and the possiblilty of ambush and / or another mine (I would have had one!), wouldn't hitting the the throttles be the...

The link is to form DD215 deleting "Vietnam Service Medal" from form DD214 and adding "Vietnam Service Medal with 4 bronze stars". The date on the form is 3/12/2001. http://www.johnkerry.com/pdf/jkmilservice/DD-215_Correction.pdf

John Kerry's Final Mission in Vietnam John Kerry's last mission in Vietnam was a deadly Swift boat patrol up the Bay Hap River where everything was ventured but nothing gained -- except another medal and more horrific memories. By Douglas Brinkley March 13, 1969, would prove among the worst and best days John Kerry spent in Vietnam. Three years earlier, with the main thrust of the antiwar movement yet to come, Kerry had graduated from Yale University, delivering his class oration. Although he had just signed up with the U.S. Navy, in that address he questioned U.S. involvement in Southeast...

Finally figured it out Posted by McQ I've been bothered by a passage that was contained in a NYT article that all three of us had a go at this last Friday. You remember the one, it was the topic of the day. The NYT entitled it: "Friendly Fire: The Birth of an Anti-Kerry Ad". But in that article there was this paragraph: A damage report to Mr. Thurlow's boat shows that it received three bullet holes, suggesting enemy fire, and later intelligence reports indicate that one Vietcong was killed in action and five others wounded, reaffirming the presence of...

The clearest analysis I've seen on what probably happened during this incident is here. The author's conclusions match what I've been thinking, even down to the fact that Kerry's swift boat ran into something submerged instead of getting hit by another mine. At issue are the records concerning the Rassmann incident on March 13, 1969, in which PCF-3 struck a mine, Rassmann fell in the water, and Kerry pulled him out of the water. The media is especially enamored of the fact that Thurlow, who's making some of the main charges, got a Bronze Star which sites him for courage...