Woodpecker Lips

[Sneaky SF Dude]

Thread to tell the stories...

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,24537160-5007133,00.html

Lashed to vehicle in Afghanistan, wounded SAS soldier fought on

By Ian McPhedran

The Courier-Mail

October 23, 2008 12:20am

Soldier Afghnaistan
Bravery ... a wounded SAS soldier lashed himself to a patrol vehicle to ensure his safe evacuation, then fought in during a gun battle.


DESPITE being shot twice during an ambush in Afghanistan, an SAS soldier lashed himself to the front of his patrol vehicle so he wouldn't be left behind if he passed out from loss of blood and kept on fighting.

The Digger is expected to be recommended for a high level bravery award.

Suffering from serious upper body wounds, the soldier struggled on to the front of his SAS long range patrol vehicle (LRPV) and, under heavy fire, used a rope to attach himself firmly between the vehicle's bull bar and radiator.

Once he was secured, and there was no chance that he would fall off if he fainted, he picked up his rifle and resumed firing at the enemy during a two-hour fighting withdrawal.

more at the link...

[Sneaky SF Dude]

http://www.army.mil/-news/2008/09/17/12493-sky-soldier-awarded-distinguished-service-cross/

Sky Soldier awarded Distinguished Service Cross

Sep 17, 2008
BY Staff Sgt. Brandon Aird, 173rd ABCT Public Affairs

VICENZA, Italy -- Staff Sgt. Erich Phillips, mortar platoon sergeant for Chosen Company, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment, also known as "The Rock," was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross Sept. 15, 2008, in Vicenza, Italy for his actions Aug. 22, 2007, at Ranch House in Nuristan Province, Afghanistan.

The DSC is the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the Army, and only the fifth awarded to a servicemember during Operation Enduring Freedom.


more at link

[coyote1880]

The Digger story is something he and his will laugh about later.

Not that combat is funny, but sometimes the things that happen during it can be.

Every once in a while, I look back and miss those days.

Not often, but on occasion.

[coyote1880]

In the case of Phillips,

All I can say is I wish we had that damn ugly air craft back then.

Warthogs are incredible to me.

Not as much as an AC130, but still a beautiful sight.

[crux]

The Digger story is intense. They had just given the Taliban a major bloody nose. Apparently there was no time time to throw him in the back, so he jumped on the hood and they boogied out of there under intense fire. I have no confirmation of this but there maybe more medals in the end.

The second story , I remember when it was reported in the MSM. All doom and gloom about a base overrun, they were wrong again.

[Sneaky SF Dude]

http://news.soc.mil/releases/News%20Archive/2008/July/080703-01.html

Chief Warrant Officer 5 David F. Cooper is being awarded the DSC for extraordinary heroism when he selflessly chose to fly as a single attack helicopter at low levels over an active firefight to draw enemy fire away from United States Special Operations ground forces on the scene. He acted with complete disregard for his own safety as he single handedly took aerial action against an armed and numerically superior enemy during a combat engagement in central Iraq in 2006.

more at link...

Story I heard was his partner went down, he was out of ammo, so he landed and loaded ammo from the downed bird. Don't know if that part is true.

[fit4u]

Whoa, those are some stories! God Bless them.

[crux]

<no link>

On a clear night last spring in Afghanistan's eastern mountains, a U.S. infantry platoon went looking for an al-Qaida operative named Habib Jan, and they found him. Outside an abandoned village clinging to a rocky hillside, the platoon was ambushed in a rain of deadly rifle and machine gun fire. Twenty-seven Americans and five Afghan Army fighters together fought 90 or 100 of Habib Jan's Islamist extremists.

For 17 hours , the American platoon was pinned down. Bullets snapped and hissed as the enemy slowly closed in. Ammunition ran low. Water ran out. Sniper rounds plucked at the soldiers' helmets and sleeves and drilled through boots as they shifted and returned fire. Night stretched into day and on into night again and the fighting intensified.

As Habib Jan's men volleyed machine gun fire and rockets down on the platoon, an Afghan soldier under McQuade's command was struck in the thigh. Medic Jose Rivas, a sergeant from New York City, dragged the wounded man inside a low adobe building and began working to save him as enemy sniper rounds ricocheted around the room.

Rivas quickly realized that the man would die without surgery, and McQuade, assessing his various predicaments, agreed. McQuade kept 20 men to hold off al-Qaida and dispatched 12 others to carry and protect the wounded Afghan.

For three hours, Habib Jan's men tried to kill them as the team struggled downhill, dashing from rock to rock and shooting back as best as they could.

At one point Rivas halted to run IVs into the dying man to boost his falling blood pressure. While bullets thudded around them, Rivas sheltered the Afghan soldier with his body, and soldiers held the IV bags.

Then they picked him up and zigzagged on through the sleet of fire. When another man went down injured, Rivas crawled back to give aid - as bullets struck the sand, gravel and rock around him.

McQuade's men were taking fire from a high ridgeline. Staff Sgt. Christian Bryant wormed his way uphill under intense fire, leading a team toward the enemy guns. As the men found positions, he inched from soldier to soldier, steadying them with his presence and encouraging them to fire carefully to conserve ammunition.

With the American ammo supply running critically low, a Blackhawk helicopter suddenly thundered up over a ridgeline and through the smoke and storm of bullets, tilted sideways, and dumped crates of bullets and bottled water at the troopers' feet. Then it spiraled on down the mountain, where its crew picked up the wounded Afghan soldier.

Rivas, the medic, watched them go. Then he headed back uphill into the fight.

As dusk fell, fire from the slopes above the American position grew hotter and rounds began striking into corners previously thought safe. Fresh al-Qaida fighters were pouring over the border from Pakistan to join Habib Jan's fighters.

McQuade's men could see the enemy's muzzle flashes as they fired, and they spotted a sniper in a cave across the narrow valley. They brought up a couple of Viper anti-tank missiles and destroyed the position in a ball of fire, bringing cheers.

But the fight wore on. "We're just getting hammered," McQuade radioed. Reinforcements are on their way, he was told, but it would take hours.

Hold on.

As McQuade's men fought for their lives, the Army sprang to help. From fire bases down the valley and miles away, 105 mm and 155 mm howitzers and 120 mm mortars opened up, detonating heavy shells on enemy positions identified by McQuade's spotters. Air Force A-10 Warthogs and three Apache helicopter gunships joined the fight, vectored onto their targets by Bryant, working his radio under heavy fire.

"I've got all the assets in our half of the country," crowed McQuade.

A B-1 bomber swooped in, dropping a bomb, as directed, so close that the concussion blew several cheering troopers off their feet.

But it wasn't until well after dark that an AC-130 gunship arrived to pour deadly fire on the enemy. One by one, the enemy guns went quiet.

"And that's pretty much all she wrote," McQuade said. The battle "was a bit of bad decision-making by the enemy."

And Habib Jan?

Directed by McQuade's exhausted but jubilant men that night in Afghanistan, the AC-130 gunship followed a trail down the valley and came upon a group of six men fleeing the battlefield. After ensuring that no friendlies were nearby, the gunship opened up. The next day McQuade and his men had a look at the bodies.

Habib Jan was dead.

Three American soldiers were awarded Silver Stars for valor in that battle. Their actions are detailed in official Army accounts drawn from eyewitness reports, radio transmissions and other corroborating evidence used as a basis for awarding the medals.same story here

http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=53663&archive=true

A day or so before Habib Jan’s death was confirmed, an Afghan working at Camp Main glimpsed a photo of the corpse. The man lifted his eyes from the photo and told Bryant: “Yeah, that’s Habib Jan — and he owes me money.

[geauxtohell]

Thread to tell the stories...

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,24537160-5007133,00.html

Lashed to vehicle in Afghanistan, wounded SAS soldier fought on


Indeed.

Those guys are studs. I think the entire British Military is top notch, though didn't have much interaction with them.

[geauxtohell]

In the case of Phillips,

All I can say is I wish we had that damn ugly air craft back then.

Warthogs are incredible to me.

Not as much as an AC130, but still a beautiful sight.

You know, the AF was about to scrap the Warthogs, before they figured out the future of the AF was CAS and not interdiction.

If you are a Warthog pilot, you have to feel like you got an 11th hour parole.

[geauxtohell]

<no link>

On a clear night last spring in Afghanistan's eastern mountains, a U.S. infantry platoon went looking for an al-Qaida operative named Habib Jan, and they found him. Outside an abandoned village clinging to a rocky hillside, the platoon was ambushed in a rain of deadly rifle and machine gun fire. T[U]wenty-seven Americans and five Afghan Army fighters together fought 90 or 100 of Habib Jan's Islamist extremists.



Good story. I am really surprised that Konar Province turned so sceptic. It was relatively calm when I was there it was the provinces from Paktia and Khost along the border to Helmand that were the hot spots. Things have certainly changed.

I have my theory as to why Konar turned out badly, but it is only a theory so I will keep it to myself.

[Adlerian Thinker]

The Digger story is something he and his will laugh about later.

Not that combat is funny, but sometimes the things that happen during it can be.

Every once in a while, I look back and miss those days.

Not often, but on occasion.

Would love to hear the funny ones. :flag:

[Sneaky SF Dude]

My friend and mentor died yesterday. The Nation is poorer for it. He was a good man and a helluva Warrior. Rest In Peace Sir.

De Oppresso Liber

[crux]

My friend and mentor died yesterday. The Nation is poorer for it. He was a good man and a helluva Warrior. Rest In Peace Sir.

De Oppresso Liber

Damn, that's a shame. He had great insights, he seemed like a good man

I am sorry for your loss

My condolences to his family.

Rest in Peace Sir

[Sneaky SF Dude]

Thank you.

[geauxtohell]

My friend and mentor died yesterday. The Nation is poorer for it. He was a good man and a helluva Warrior. Rest In Peace Sir.

De Oppresso Liber


Sorry to hear that, Sneaky.

[coyote1880]

Sad times here brother.

But Valhalla is celebrating.

My condolences to his family.

All of them.

[Sneaky SF Dude]

Thanks Brothers

[Sneaky SF Dude]

http://news.smh.com.au/technology/a-bomb-technician-fights-back-after-iraq-explosion-20081123-6er6.html

[enchantedking]

Thread to tell the stories...

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,24537160-5007133,00.html

Lashed to vehicle in Afghanistan, wounded SAS soldier fought on

By Ian McPhedran

The Courier-Mail

October 23, 2008 12:20am

Soldier Afghnaistan
Bravery ... a wounded SAS soldier lashed himself to a patrol vehicle to ensure his safe evacuation, then fought in during a gun battle.


DESPITE being shot twice during an ambush in Afghanistan, an SAS soldier lashed himself to the front of his patrol vehicle so he wouldn't be left behind if he passed out from loss of blood and kept on fighting.

The Digger is expected to be recommended for a high level bravery award.

Suffering from serious upper body wounds, the soldier struggled on to the front of his SAS long range patrol vehicle (LRPV) and, under heavy fire, used a rope to attach himself firmly between the vehicle's bull bar and radiator.

Once he was secured, and there was no chance that he would fall off if he fainted, he picked up his rifle and resumed firing at the enemy during a two-hour fighting withdrawal.

more at the link...
hey sneaky sorry about your lost. being a combat vet myself I can tell you, we are feeling your pain.
It always saddens me when a good american gives their life so we are able to live free:frown:
the sad part about it, there are many in this country who could really careless about our men and women serving in the front linesJUST LIKE OUR NEW CIC AND THE PEOPLE IN HIS ADMINISTRATIONS:frown:

[Sneaky SF Dude]

This thread is not for that type of post. Please remove it.

[AZslim]

My friend and mentor died yesterday. The Nation is poorer for it. He was a good man and a helluva Warrior. Rest In Peace Sir.

De Oppresso Liber

Very sorry for your loss.

[5thIDSoldier]

My friend and mentor died yesterday. The Nation is poorer for it. He was a good man and a helluva Warrior. Rest In Peace Sir.

De Oppresso Liber

I salute you both, Sneaky. God bless. :flag:

With your words above, he must really have been something to see in the field.

[USMCmom]

My friend and mentor died yesterday. The Nation is poorer for it. He was a good man and a helluva Warrior. Rest In Peace Sir.

De Oppresso Liber

I am so sorry for your loss of your friend...
Will keep you and the family in my prayers...
God Bless & Take Care

[H-minus]

My friend and mentor died yesterday. The Nation is poorer for it. He was a good man and a helluva Warrior. Rest In Peace Sir.

De Oppresso Liber

http://tbn1.google.com/images?q=tbn:_wzp5fSGgadiyM:http://auntirvina.files.wordpress.com/2007/06/flag-at-half-staff.jpg

[Sneaky SF Dude]

http://www.militarytimes.com/news/2009/02/army_dsc_020609w/

They should be singing songs about him...

[rhet 2]

http://www.militarytimes.com/news/2009/02/army_dsc_020609w/

They should be singing songs about him...

These, ladies and gentlemen, ARE MEN. American MEN. Not spoiled, self-centered, lazy, irresponsible brats. MEN.

"“It was a big surprise,” he said. “I don’t really care about medals. If I had a choice, I would pretty much be giving the medals to the people that passed away in Iraq. They gave a bigger sacrifice than I did.”

God give Worthington and the other MAN the Manchus lost that day sweet rest and eternal joy and give their families comfort in the knowledge that this is not goodbye, merely so long until the Day of Reunion in the House of the LORD.

God give the Manchus Victory in the Cause of Righteousness and give the Iraqi people the means of escaping slavery to the forces of eternal darkness which have torn their world apart for so many centuries.

And give the American people the grace to know the difference between MEN and worthless beasts, to honor those who are honorable, trust those who are trustworthy, serve those who serve.

Take the medal, son, and keep on being the role model you really are.

I pray my grand children grow up to be just like you and your Brothers in Arms.

Viva La Manchus.

And throw their enemies who skulk in darkness like the pestilence they are into the garbage heaps of what used to be and is no more.

[PhantomPholly]

Thanks Sneaky!

[crux]

A strange thing...
When I think about what surrounds me, the institutional corruption, the random violence, the fear and desperation. I feel the reasons why I am here more and more sharply. As we grow in our soldiers skills, surviving by finding the hidden dangers, seeing the secret motives and the shifting politics... we grow a set of skills that is unique and powerful in this situation.

We also see what you cannot see in the States, you are surrounded by the love of Christ and faith in freedom and humanity, like a fish you think water is 'a puff of air' because it is always there, you do not notice it... we who are out of the water look back and see the world we love surrounded by enemies, poison and envy that wants to fall on you like a storm of ruin.

We who joined with vague notions of protecting our country see how desperate the peril, how hungry the enemy and how frail the security we have is. So the more I love you all the more I feel I must keep fighting for you. The more I love and long for home the more right I feel here on the front line standing between you and the seething madness that wants to suck the life and love out of our land.

Does that mean I cannot go home? I hope not, because I want this just to be the postponement of the joy of life, not the sacrifice of mine. If it costs me my life to protect our land and people then that is a small thing, I just hope that fate lets me return to the promise land and remind people just how great our land is.

War is a young mans game, and I am getting an old mans head... it is a strange thing. I just hope that I am not changed so that I cannot take joy in the land inside the wire when I make it home. I want to be with you all again and let my gun sit in the rack and float on my back in a tube down a lazy river...


Illinois National Guard Sgt. Scott Stream, 39, of Mattoon, Ill., was killed Tuesday in Afghanistan. Above(edit) is a letter he wrote to a friend on New Year's Eve. The Tribune received a copy of the letter from Stream's mother.


http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-090226soldier-letter,0,7802298.story

[meggers49]

I am humbled by their service and their honor.

These are people who have done great things and most of the world has no clue. They go to bed at night snug and smug and only due to the grace of God and the service of these people who ask for little more than respect. I am not worthy to hold their hats.

It is said so often by people that the words might ring hollow, but in all sincerity and from the bottom of my heart I say, "Thank you all and God bless you." May God give peace to those who live and rest to those who have died.

[stoked]

The Digger story reminded me of that character on Mad Max!

[Sneaky SF Dude]

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/05/army_dsc_award_052309w/

Acts of heroism

Fast, fierce fight results in one DSC, two Silver Stars

[Sneaky SF Dude]

White House confirms Medal of Honor

By Gina Cavallaro - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Jul 24, 2009 11:31:13 EDT

Sgt. 1st Class Jared Monti, a fire support specialist who was killed June 21, 2006, in Afghanistan, will receive the Medal of Honor for his actions in combat.

The announcement was made by the White House in a news release Friday morning. The award will be presented to Monti’s parents in a Sept. 17 ceremony at the White House.

The soldier’s father, Paul Monti, told Army Times on Thursday that President Obama had called him Tuesday evening at his home in Raynham, Mass.

“The talk was very short and to the point. He said ‘Hello, how are you?’ and I said ‘Fine, Mr. President,’ and then he told me the Secretary of the Army and the Secretary of Defense have approved Jared for the Medal of Honor,” said Paul Monti, a retired teacher. “He said he was proud of Jared.”

Sgt. 1st Class Monti, 30, was assigned to 3rd Squadron, 71st Cavalry, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, when he was killed.

He will become the sixth service member to receive the Medal of Honor during operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and the first soldier to receive the nation’s highest award for valor in Afghanistan. Navy Lt. Michael Murphy is the only other service member to have received the award for actions in Afghanistan.

All of the awards have been given posthumously.

The announcement of the award and the call from the president, Paul Monti said, is “bittersweet” after the loss of his son.

“I’m reliving all of this all over again. I’d much rather have him than any medal,” Monti said.

Sgt. 1st Class Monti was single and had aspired to be a teacher, like his father.

He told his father he didn’t want to marry until his commitment to the Army was complete.

“He told me ‘I’m not getting married while I’m in the military, I don’t want to leave a widow behind; I’ve seen too many of my soldiers go through that too many times,’ ” Paul Monti said.

Account of the day.

quote:
On 21 June 2006, SFC Monti, then a staff sergeant, was the assistant patrol leader for a 16-man patrol tasked to conduct surveillance in the Gowardesh region. The patrol was to provide up-to-date intelligence, interdict enemy movement and ensure early warning for the squadron's main effort as it inserted into the province.


As nightfall approached, the patrol was attacked by a well organized enemy force of at least 60 personnel. Outnumbered four-to-one, SFC Monti's patrol was in serious danger of being overrun.

The enemy fighters had established two support-by-fire positions directly above the patrol in a densely wooded ridgeline. SFC Monti immediately returned fire and ordered the patrol to seek cover and return fire. He then reached for his radio headset and calmly initiated calls for indirect fire and close air support (CAS), both danger-close to the patrol's position. He did this while simultaneously directing the patrol's fires.

When SFC Monti realized that a member of the patrol, Private First Class (PFC) Brian J. Bradbury, was critically wounded and exposed 10 meters from cover, without regard for his personal safety, he advanced through enemy fire to within three feet of PFC Bradbury's position. But he was forced back by intense RPG fire. He tried again to secure PFC Bradbury, but he was forced to stay in place again as the enemy intensified its fires.

The remaining patrol members coordinated covering fires for SFC Monti, and he advanced a third time toward thewounded Soldier. But he only took a few steps this time before he was mortally wounded by an RPG. About the same time, the indirect fires and CAS he called for began raining down on the enemy's position. The firepower broke the enemy attack, killing 22 enemy fighters. SFC Monti's actions prevented the patrol's position from being overrun, saved his team's lives and inspired his men to fight on against overwhelming odds.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hard as nails

[RiverRat]

My son is a SSGT in the Army. He made 2 tours in Iraq. He came home unscathed. I am very proud of him and thankful he was returned uninjured. His grandfather [a Tech Corporal (spec3 nowadays) in WWII - made the Normandy landing D+2] would also have been proud. My stint during the Vietnam war was unremarkable.

God bless all of our troops - male and female. :flag:

[coyote1880]

My stint during the Vietnam war was unremarkable.

I doubt that.

Everyone has a story to tell.

Thank you for your service.

And tell me, you would not happen to have a tatoo of a rat would you?

I am thinking it was supposed to be on the back of the left hand.

[Sneaky SF Dude]

My son is a SSGT in the Army. He made 2 tours in Iraq. He came home unscathed. I am very proud of him and thankful he was returned uninjured. His grandfather [a Tech Corporal (spec3 nowadays) in WWII - made the Normandy landing D+2] would also have been proud. My stint during the Vietnam war was unremarkable.

God bless all of our troops - male and female. :flag:
Thank you and your family for your service