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LOS ANGELES - Local water director Xavier Alvarez was sentenced to three years' probation and fined $5,000 in federal court Monday morning for falsely claiming he was awarded the Medal of Honor. MP3 Audio: Alvarez Medal of Honor claimBefore he was sentenced, Alvarez told Judge R. Gary Klausner that he was "very remorseful" for his false claims of military valor. "I'd like to apologize to everyone in this whole nation," said Alvarez, who represents south Pomona Xavier Alvarez. (Staff photo) on the Three Valleys Municipal Water District board. As part of Alvarez's terms of probation, the court recommended he perform...

The Stars and Stripes and the Boeing Corp have created a special section devoted to the following people's stories: Medal of Honor recipient Lt. Michael P. Murphy Medal of Honor recipient Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Monsoor Medal of Honor recipient Pfc. Ross McGinnis Master Sgt. Scott Innis Capt. Jared A. Laurin 1st Sgt. Paul Archie Staff Sgt. Murray Rice 1st Lt. Colin Cremin Capt. Seward Matwick Staff Sgt. Matthew Ritenour Sgt. Ken Thomas Sgt. 1st Class Jose Rodriguez Master Gunnery Sgt. Michael C. Sharp 2nd Lt. Brian M. Stann Chief Warrant Officer 3 Richard Chenault Staff Sgt. Jon Hilliard...

Early in the morning of June 6, 1944, Americans heard on their radios that thousands of American and British soldiers had landed on the beaches of northern France. They were fighting German soldiers. This day marked the beginning of the end of one of the bloodiest wars ever: World War II. The American and British invasion of France was a top-secret mission called "Operation Overlord." When they landed on the beaches of Normandy on June 6, the goal of every soldier was to drive the German military back. Thousands of men died during that effort, either in the churning...

Jack Lucas, who at 14 lied his way into military service during World War II and became the youngest Marine to receive the Medal of Honor, died Thursday in a Hattiesburg, Mississippi, hospital. He was 80. Jack Lucas, seen here being acknowleged by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton in March, had been battling cancer. Lucas had been battling cancer. Ponda Lee at Moore Funeral Service said the funeral home was told he died before dawn. Jacklyn "Jack" Lucas was just six days past his 17th birthday in February 1945 when his heroism at Iwo Jima earned him the nation's highest military...

Jack Lucas, who at 14 lied his way into military service during World War II and became the youngest Marine to receive the Medal of Honor, died Thursday in a Hattiesburg, Miss., hospital. He was 80. Lucas had been battling cancer. Ponda Lee at Moore Funeral Service said the funeral home was told he died before dawn. Jacklyn "Jack" Lucas was just six days past his 17th birthday in February 1945 when his heroism at Iwo Jima earned him the nation's highest military honor. He used his body to shield three fellow squad members from two grenades, and was nearly...

JACKSON, Miss. - Jack Lucas, who at 14 lied his way into military service during World War II and became the youngest Marine to receive the Medal of Honor, died Thursday in a Hattiesburg, Miss., hospital. He was 80. Lucas had been battling cancer. Ponda Lee at Moore Funeral Service said the funeral home was told he died before dawn. Jacklyln "Jack" Lucas was just six days past his 17th birthday in February 1945 when his heroism at Iwo Jima earned him the nation's highest military honor. He used his body to shield three fellow squad members from two grenades,...

JACKSON, Miss. - A World War II veteran who received the nation's highest military honor when he was only 17 is in the fight of his life, battling cancer, his biographer said. Eighty-year-old Jack Lucas, who lied his way into the Marines at age 14, was nearly killed when he used his body to shield his fellow Marines from grenades on Iwo Jima in February 1945. He was just a few days past his 17th birthday at the time. He received the Medal of Honor from President Truman later that year, becoming the youngest Marine to receive the award. D.K....

WASHINGTON, June 3, 2008 – Medal of Honor recipient Army Spc. Ross A. McGinnis joined a select group of military heroes during a Pentagon ceremony here today. Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England hosted the event that added McGinnis’ name to the roster of other Army Medal of Honor recipients. Army Secretary Pete Geren and Gen. Richard R. Cody, the Army’s vice chief of staff, also attended the event at the library and conference center. Medal of Honor recipients “are our nation’s most-revered heroes,” England said. “And every time a name is added, that individual’s story enriches the significance of...

JACKSON, Miss. - A World War II veteran who received the nation's highest military honor when he was only 17 is in the fight of his life, battling cancer, his biographer said. Eighty-year-old Jack Lucas, who lied his way into the Marines at age 14, was nearly killed when he used his body to shield his fellow Marines from grenades on Iwo Jima in February 1945. He was just a few days past his 17th birthday at the time. He received the Medal of Honor from President Truman later that year, becoming the youngest Marine to receive the award. D.K....

WASHINGTON - President Bush on Monday presented the nation’s highest military award to a young soldier killed in Iraq when he threw himself on a hand grenade tossed into a Humvee where four other soldiers sat. Ross McGinnis of Knox, Penn., was 19 years old when he gave his life to save the lives of his colleagues. “The Medal of Honor is the nation’s highest military distinction,” the president said. “It’s given for valor beyond anything that duty could require or a superior could command

9:50 A.M. EDT THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. Welcome to the White House. A week ago on Memorial Day, the flag of the United States flew in half-staff in tribute to those who fell in service to our country. Today we pay special homage to one of those heroes: Private First Class Ross Andrew McGinnis of the U.S. Army. Private McGinnis died in a combat zone in Iraq on December the 4th, 2006 -- and for his heroism that day, he now receives the Medal of Honor. In a few moments, the military aide will read the citation, and the Medal...

The President spent the weekend in Washington on the Saturday gave the commencement address at Furman University in South Carolina. On Sunday attended church in the morning and in the evening Ford's Theatre Gala at the held at National Theatre in Washington as the Ford's Theater is currently closed for renovations. Today the President spoke at a ceremony at the White House before awarding the Medal of Honor posthumously to the parents of U.S. Army PFC Ross McGinnis, of Knox, Pennsylvania, who was killed in Iraq in 2006. Later the President participated in a meeting on the Economy and Tax...

WASHINGTON, June 2, 2008 – President Bush presented the Medal of Honor to fallen Army hero Spc. Ross A. McGinnis’ parents during a White House ceremony here today. Video President George W. Bush leads the applause to honor U.S. Army Pfc. Ross A. McGinnis after presenting the Congressional Medal of Honor posthumously to his parents, Tom and Romayne McGinnis, of Knox, Pa., June 2, 2008, at the White House. White House photo by Chris Greenberg   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. “The Medal of Honor is the nation’s highest military distinction; it is given for valor beyond anything...

Recipients of the Medal of Honor are the bravest of the brave, the truest of America’s heroes. Last Friday at the start of this “holiday” weekend, the White House announced the name of the newest Medal of Honor recipient - the fourth for service during the Iraq War. All four medals and one for service in Afghanistan have been awarded posthumously. To read the stories of these men - not just stories of their bravery and of how they died, but of how they lived - is to find convincing evidence that this nation has indeed produced yet another “greatest...

RFFM.org Also Honors All Who Paid the Ultimate Price to Defend Our Freedom An Interview With Doug Sterner, Creator of Home of Heroes web site Interview by Dan Gura, Contributing Editor Gura writes, "Today I offer something not on the lighter side, but one which will make you stand a little straighter, a little prouder to be an American." Do you know who Jason L. Dunham is? How about Paul Ray Smith? You should because they are two of America’s finest sons; they are heroes in the War on Terror. These days the press doesn’t seem to care very much...

WASHINGTON — A 19-year-old soldier who died shielding platoon members from a grenade blast will be posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor next month, Army officials said Friday. Army Pfc. Ross McGinnis, of Knox, Pa., is the fourth man awarded the medal for actions in Iraq and the second soldier. Prior to his deployment, McGinnis served in the 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, out of Schweinfurt, Germany. McGinnis’ commanders recommended him for the nation’s highest military honor just days after his death, noting his quick thinking and heroism. On Dec. 4, 2006, McGinnis...

Spc. Ross McGinnis Photo by courtesy Related LinksMedal of Honor: Pfc. Ross A. McGinnisFor more photos, see: WASHINGTON (Army News Service, May 23, 2008) - President Bush has announced that Spc. Ross McGinnis will posthumously be awarded the Medal of Honor in a White House ceremony June 2, two weeks shy of what would have been his 21st birthday. McGinnis will be just the second U.S. Soldier to receive the medal for actions in Operation Iraqi Freedom and a special Web site dedicated to his heroics has been created by the Soldiers Media Center at www.army.mil/medalofhonor/McGinnis. The site includes a...

The White House announced Friday that a Pennsylvania soldier who jumped on top of a grenade in Iraq and saved the lives of his comrades will posthumously receive the Medal of Honor. The nation's highest military honor will be given to 19-year-old Army Pfc. Ross McGinnis of Knox, Pa., on June 2. McGinnis "distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism," said White House deputy press secretary Tony Fratto. McGinnis was perched in the gunner's hatch of a Humvee when a grenade sailed past him and into the truck where four other soldiers sat. He shouted a warning to the others, then jumped...

Three Valleys Municipal Water District Director Javier Alvarez was asked to resign by Director Brian Bowcock Wednesday May 21, 2008 during the boards monthly meeting. ((Will Lester/Staff Photographer) ) • Photo Gallery: Alvarez asked to resign• PDF: Alleged lies told by AlvarezCLAREMONT - A local water representative Wednesday called for the resignation of Director Xavier Alvarez, who has pleaded guilty to falsely claiming he won the Medal of Honor.At a meeting of the Three Valleys Municipal Water District, Director Brian Bowcock called Alvarez a "disgrace," read from a lengthy list of what he called Alvarez's lies and urged him...

5/7/2008 - SALT LAKE CITY (AFPN) -- Don't let the education office fool you; there are some people out there who have become commissioned officers without having their bachelor's degrees. Retired Col. Bernard Francis Fisher, a Medal of Honor recipient, received his diploma in fine arts from the University of Utah during a commissioning ceremony of nine second lieutenants from ROTC Det. 850 May 3, almost 57 years after he originally attended the university. Colonel Fisher received the diploma for his remarkable career in the Air Force, bravery in combat, numerous awards including the Medal of Honor and faithful service...

President Bush is expected to award a Clarion County soldier the Medal of Honor in June, which would make Spc. Ross A. McGinnis the fifth soldier who served in Afghanistan or Iraq to receive the nation's highest honor. McGinnis, 19, of Knox died Dec. 4, 2006, from wounds he suffered when he threw himself on a grenade to save the lives of four other soldiers in his Humvee. Citing anonymous sources, the Army Times on Monday said the president has approved the award. Maj. Nathan Banks, a Pentagon spokesman, said the Defense Department can't comment on the matter until the...

THE story of a US soldier who sacrificed his life for his comrades has moved US President George W. Bush to tears. When a grenade bounced off his chest and fell to the floor near his fellow troops, Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Monsoor acted out of instinct. His actions didn't stem from a lack of training. His instant reaction was to protect his comrades. PO Monsoor was one of the US military's most highly trained combatants, a navy SEAL. The navy said he committed a selfless act by jumping on the grenade and taking the full force of the...

Five years ago this week, American soldiers and Marines liberated Baghdad from Saddam Hussein’s Republican Guards and the foreign "fedayeen" who had flooded into the despot’s capital. For those of us who were there, it was an unforgettable event. But, as Ambassador Ryan Crocker so cogently noted this week while he and General David Petraeus were testifying before Congress, "the euphoria of that moment evaporated long ago." The assembled lawmakers, perched on their raised daises, barely noted the anniversary, while subjecting the warrior and the diplomat to a 16-hour-long spectacle. For the general and the ambassador, it had to be...

WASHINGTON, April 9, 2008 – Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor, a Navy SEAL who posthumously received the Medal of Honor yesterday for his heroic actions in Iraq, joined a rarefied fraternity of military heroes at the Pentagon today. In September 2006, Monsoor leaped onto a grenade and used his body to absorb a blast that likely would have killed two fellow SEALs and several Iraqi soldiers. For his heroism, the Defense Department today enshrined Monsoor’s name alongside the 3,446 other Medal of Honor recipients honored in its Hall of Heroes. “To stand in this room, surrounded by...

WASHINGTON, April 8, 2008 – President Bush today posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor to Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor, a Navy SEAL whose mortal sacrifice in Iraq saved the lives of two fellow SEALs and several Iraqi soldiers. Video President George W. Bush weeps Tuesday, April 8, 2008 during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House before presenting the Medal of Honor to George and Sally Monsoor for the actions of their son Petty Officer 2nd Class, Michael A. Monsoor, a Navy SEAL, during combat in Iraq. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer...

President Bush has presented America's highest military award to the parents of a Navy special operations sailor killed in Iraq two years ago. VOA White House Correspondent Scott Stearns has the story. In September of that year, Monsoor and three SEAL snipers took up a rooftop position during a firefight with insurgents. The Defense Department says a grenade thrown from the street below hit Monsoor in the chest and dropped to the roof. The 25-year-old gunner covered the grenade with his body - saving the lives of his comrades, but suffering wounds that took his life 30 minutes later. President...

THE PRESIDENT: Good afternoon, and welcome. The Medal of Honor is America's highest decoration for military valor. Over the years, many who have received the medal have given their lives in the action that earned it. The name of Petty Officer Michael Anthony Monsoor will now be among them. In September 2006, Michael laid down his life for his brothers in arms. Today, we remember the life of this faithful Navy SEAL. And on behalf of a grateful nation, we will present Michael Monsoor's family with the Medal of Honor that he earned. I welcome the Vice President. Secretary of...

Vietnam War Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient Airman First Class William Hart Pitsenbarger, US Air Force After A1C William H. Pitsenbarger's death, he was recommended for the Medal of Honor, but the recommendation was downgraded to the Air Force Cross, the second highest Air Force Award. Pitsenbarger's parents received the Air Force Cross on his behalf in September 1966. Pitsenbarger's actions became Air Force legend for embodying the pararescue motto -- "that others may live." After a campaign to have his award reviewed in the 1990s, his award was upgraded to the Medal of Honor. Pitsenbarger's father accepted the Medal...

CAMP VICTORY, Iraq, April 4, 2008 – He was a husband, father, soldier and leader, but today Sgt. 1st Class Paul R. Smith, the 3rd Infantry Division’s 51st Medal of Honor recipient was remembered here simply as a hero. Task Force Marne soldiers who organized a remembrance ceremony for U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Paul R. Smith, April 4, 2008, stand in the courtyard where Smith gave his life in defense of others five years ago. For his selfless service, Smith was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in 2005. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Jasmine Chopra  (Click photo for...

Summary of Action Petty Officer Second Class (SEAL) Michael A. Monsoor For actions on Sept. 29, 2006 Petty Officer Michael A. Monsoor, United States Navy, distinguished himself through conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as a Combat Advisor and Automatic Weapons Gunner for Naval Special Warfare Task Group Arabian Peninsula in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom on 29 September 2006. He displayed great personal courage and exceptional bravery while conducting operations in enemy held territory at Ar Ramadi Iraq. During Operation Kentucky Jumper, a combined Coalition battalion clearance and...

Michael A. Monsoor, a Garden Grove High School graduate, has been selected to receive the prestigious Medal of Honor posthumously for his exceptional courage during a firefight in Iraq when he threw himself on a live grenade to save the lives of his teammates. ... "Without hesitation and showing no regard for his own life, he threw himself on to the grenade, smothering it to protect his teammates who were lying in close proximity," an incident report posted on the Navy SEAL Web site reads. "The grenade detonated as he came down on top of it, mortally wounding him."

NARRATIVE NOMINATING SSG DAVID BELLAVIA FOR THE MEDAL OF HONOR DURING OPERATION PHANTOM FURY FALLUJAH, IRAQ On the night of 10 November 2004 Third Platoon, A Company, Task Force 2-2 IN near OBJ Wolf in Fallujah, Iraq, was ordered to attack to destroy six to eight Anti Iraqi Forces (AIF). 1LT Edward Iwan, the A Company Executive Officer, had identified six to eight AIF who had entered a block of twelve buildings. These AIF had engaged A55 and tanks from Team Tank with automatic weapons and rocket fire. Having a 25 mm cannon malfunction, 1LT Edward Iwan cordoned off the...

3/18/2008 - MANAS AIR BASE, Kyrgyzstan (AFPN) -- Manas Air Base Airmen, Soldiers and transitory personnel got a firsthand glimpse into history this week. Three Medal of Honor recipients from the Vietnam War toured the base and spoke at several local engagements on their stop here before touring other locations in the U.S. Air Forces Central area of responsibility. Retired Army Col. Robert L. Howard, Marine Capt. John J. McGinty III and Army Command Sgt. Maj. Gary L. Littrell highlighted Manas Air Base's contributions in the war on terrorism. "Americans appreciate the great service you've provided for our country," Colonel...

A Navy SEAL who sacrificed his life to save his comrades by throwing himself on top of a grenade will be posthumously awarded the nation's highest military honor. The family of Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor will receive the Medal of Honor on his behalf during a White House ceremony, according to a Marine Corps Times report Monday. The report, which cited an anonymous Department of Defense official, said it was not clear when the medal would be presented. Monsoor was part of a sniper security team on Sept. 29, 2006, in Ramadi with three other SEALs and...

A Navy SEAL sacrificed his life to save his comrades by throwing himself on top of a grenade Iraqi insurgents tossed into their sniper hideout, fellow members of the elite force said. Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor had been near the only door to the rooftop structure Sept. 29 when the grenade hit him in the chest and bounced to the floor, said four SEALs who spoke to The Associated Press this week on condition of anonymity because their work requires their identities to remain secret. "He never took his eye off the grenade, his only movement was...

WASHINGTON, March 4, 2008 – The Defense Department posthumously inducted Army Master Sgt. Woodrow Keeble today into its Hall of Heroes, a day after President Bush bestowed the Medal of Honor on the Korean War hero. Left to right: Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England, Russell Hawkins, Kurt Bluedog, Army Secretary Pete Geren, and Vice Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Richard Cody stand by during a Pentagon unveiling of a Medal of Honor awarded to the late Master Sgt. Woodrow Keeble, the first full-blooded Sioux Indian, for his heroism during the Korean War, March 4, 2008. Hawkins is...

In the aftermath, he had been wounded at least five different times by fragmentation and concussion grenades in the chest, arms, right calf, knee, right and left thighs.  Eighty-three fragments were later removed.  He never complained and refused medical evacuation until his men were settled into their night defensive positions.  Born on the Sisseton-Wahpeton Indian reservation in 1917, Woodrow Wilson Keeble joined the North Dakota National Guard in 1942 while the Chicago White Sox were trying to recruit the big athlete.  He served with Company I, 164th Infantry Regiment, Americal Division, the first US Army unit on Guadalcanal. They...

WASHINGTON, March 3, 2008 – President Bush today presented the Medal of Honor to the family of the late Army Master Sgt. Woodrow Keeble, the first full-blooded Sioux Indian to receive the nation’s highest military award, for heroism during the Korean War. Army Master Sgt. Woodrow Keeble was posthumously presented the Medal of Honor by President Bush, March 3, 2008. Photo courtesy of Vets Incorporated  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Keeble, a veteran of both World War II and the Korean War, was honored during the presentation ceremony at the White House for risking his life to save...

WASHINGTON - During the final allied offensive of the Korean War, Master Sgt. Woodrow Wilson Keeble risked his life to save his fellow Soldiers. Almost six decades after his gallant actions and 26 years after his death, Keeble will be the first full-blooded Sioux Indian to receive the Medal of Honor. The White House announced this morning that Keeble will receive the Medal of Honor posthumously in a ceremony scheduled for 2:30 p.m. March 3. Keeble is one of the most decorated Soldiers in North Dakota history. A veteran of World War II and the Korean War, he was born...

Inside the Vietnam War [TV-14 LSV Ratings N/A] Monday, February 18, 2008, at 08P Inside the Vietnam War takes you inside covert operations, gives you a seat at the military strategy table and lets you witness the emotional toll of war through the eyes of the soldiers and the pilots who undertook dozens of death-defying missions. Woven together with testimonials from more than 50 Vietnam veterans, archival audio and video footage, and never-before-seen photos, the special features the harrowing firsthand accounts of the brave men and women who lived through the war. 5 minute preview video...Battle at Ia Drang

Our Troops Rock!  Thank you for all you do!   For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday... Thank the Veterans who served in The United States Armed Forces.   Looking forward to tomorrow's freedom? Support The United States Armed Forces Today!     ~ Hall of Heroes ~ Tibor Rubin Info from this website.               Tibor Rubin: An Unusual Hero Of The Korean War by Seymour "Sy" Brody Tibor Rubin's bravery during the Korean War is probably unparalleled in the history of America's fighting heroes. That is why many organizations and individuals are involved in a...

Water official claims right to lie Court case touches on Medal of Honor Will Bigham, Staff Writer Article Launched: 01/03/2008 09:00:00 PM PST The water board member charged with falsely claiming he won the Medal of Honor has filed a motion to dismiss the federal case against him, saying the statute is unconstitutional because it violates the First Amendment. Xavier Alvarez, south Pomona's elected representative to the Three Valleys Municipal Water District, is the first person to be charged with violating the Stolen Valor Act of 2005. The act criminalizes false claims of military decorations or medals, including the Medal...

A friend of mine said he saw a televised discussion on TV in which Ron Paul called a Medal of Honor winner a coward. Anyone know anything about this?

Jefferson J. DeBlanc, a World War II fighter pilot who was awarded the Medal of Honor for shooting down five Japanese planes on a single day while running out of fuel, died Nov. 22 in Lafayette, La. He was 86 and lived St. Martinville, La.. The cause was complications of pneumonia, said his daughter, Barbara DeBlanc Romero. On Jan. 31, 1943, Mr. DeBlanc, then a lieutenant in the Marines, took off from Guadalcanal in his Wildcat fighter, leading a six-plane section of Marine Fighting Squadron 112. They were assigned to protect dive bombers and torpedo planes attacking Japanese ships off...

Jefferson J. DeBlanc, seated in the cockpit of a F4F Wildcat fighter plane, found ways to beat death for three years. But on Thanksgiving Day, DeBlanc, a Marine pilot in World War II's Pacific Theater, passed away from complications related to pneumonia. He was 86. So many World War II veterans have died recently that we don't often pause to pay them the honor they're due. DeBlanc may provide a chance to make up for it. DeBlanc wore the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military honor. DeBlanc, born in Lockport, enlisted in the Marines five months before Pearl Harbor....

Our Troops Rock!  Thank you for all you do!   For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday... Thank the Veterans who served in The United States Armed Forces.   Looking forward to tomorrow's freedom? Support The United States Armed Forces Today!     ~ Hall of Heroes ~Master Sergeant Roy Benavidez Info and photos from this website.             As the medevac chopper landed the wounded were examined one by one. Staff Sergeant Benavidez could only hear what was going on around him. He had over thirty seven puncture wounds. His intestines were exposed. He could not see...

Rank and organization: First Lieutenant (then 2d Lt.), U.S. Army, Company A, 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile). place and date: Vicinity of la Drang Valley, Republic of Vietnam, 14 November 1965. Entered service at: Pittsburgh, pa. Born: 20 November 1941, Washington, pa. G.O. No.: 7, 15 February 1967. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty. As a platoon leader in the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile), 1st Lt. Marm demonstrated indomitable courage during a combat operation. His company was moving through the valley to relieve a friendly...

Sgt. Rafael Peralta told his men he would die for them. Then he went out and proved it. Peralta was leading five Marines on a house-clearing mission Nov. 15, 2004, in the second week of a battle for the insurgent stronghold of Fallujah, Iraq. As he entered a room near the back of one home, gunfire hit him in the face and chest, leaving him barely breathing on the floor. Then a grenade rolled out of the room, landing a foot away from him. Peralta pulled it to his chest so he could shield his men from the blast. He...

AUSTIN -- Dolia Gonzalez was hoping that this Veterans Day would be the one when Texas would present her only son with the hero's medal that he had paid for with his life nearly 40 years ago. But at 78, Gonzalez says she doesn't mind waiting a little longer. She takes comfort in the fact that the son she lost on a Vietnam battlefield in February 1968 has not been forgotten. Not by his buddies in the service, not by his hometown in the Rio Grande Valley, not by Congress and not by his beloved Marine Corps. So waiting for...

A Hero Among US by: James F. Davis, November 09, 2007 The first Medal of Honor since 9/11 was recently awarded posthumously by the President to Michael Murphy. It saddens me that, of the major media, only one, Fox News, carried the ceremony live. This is the highest award for bravery in defending our country. Our people, especially our youth, need to know about the kind of person who risked his life so that the rest of us could live free. I discovered I had one such hero in my own family. After taking my uncle, Gerald F. Davis, to...