Medal Of Honor Winner from Iraq: Remembered at the Airport

[William E. Thompson]

Medal of Honor winner SFC Paul R. Smith is remembered by his engineer company four days after his death at the Baghdad International Airport.
http://photojournalismstock.com/smith/preview/03iraq0725.jpg
www.photojournalismstock.com

[bigjeff]

Medal of Honor winner SFC Paul R. Smith is remembered by his engineer company four days after his death at the Baghdad International Airport.
http://photojournalismstock.com/smith/preview/03iraq0725.jpg
www.photojournalismstock.com

Wat was his contribution?

[Ratamacue]

Medal of Honor winner SFC Paul R. Smith is remembered by his engineer company four days after his death at the Baghdad International Airport.
http://photojournalismstock.com/smith/preview/03iraq0725.jpg
www.photojournalismstock.com
Wat was his contribution?
http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/mohiraq.htm

[bigjeff]

Medal of Honor winner SFC Paul R. Smith is remembered by his engineer company four days after his death at the Baghdad International Airport.
http://photojournalismstock.com/smith/preview/03iraq0725.jpg
www.photojournalismstock.com
Wat was his contribution?
http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/mohiraq.htm

Just read it on the site.Wat a brave GI he is.

RIP.

[seruriermarshal]

REGIMENTAL PRAYER

Almighty, merciful, and loving Father,
you are the one who hears all our prayers and grants our petitions.

We ask you to remember, as we do,
the tremendous sacrifice made by those who went before us.
They have given their lives so that we might live and breathe freely.
We ask you to receive them into your hands.

Father, give us the strength and wisdom to learn from their example,
to uphold freedom and life at home and around the world.

Keep us vigilant as we guard the frontiers of freedom.

Give our leaders the wisdom and the strength to lead well.

Grant all of us courage and confidence.
Be, for all of us, troopers, a wise counsel in keeping peace
and a strong shield for us against our enemies.
Oh heavenly Father, give us the determination
that the peace and freedom won at such a high price be lasting!

Father, hold all of the troopers in the palm of your almighty hand
and protect them in the shadow of your wings.

Amen.

[RGRBOX]

I remember the run up to his award, and the website that was on-line in his behaf... very moving...

[William E. Thompson]

http://www.army.mil/medalofhonor/

http://www.sptimes.com/2004/webspecials04/medalofhonor/default.shtml

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, March 3, 1863, has awarded in the name of Congress the Medal of Honor to


Sergeant First Class Paul R. Smith
United States Army

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty:

Sergeant First Class Paul R. Smith distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action with an armed enemy near Baghdad International Airport, Baghdad, Iraq on 4 April 2003. On that day, Sergeant First Class Smith was engaged in the construction of a prisoner of war holding area when his Task Force was violently attacked by a company-sized enemy force. Realizing the vulnerability of over 100 fellow soldiers, Sergeant First Class Smith quickly organized a hasty defense consisting of two platoons of soldiers, one Bradley Fighting Vehicle and three armored personnel carriers. As the fight developed, Sergeant First Class Smith braved hostile enemy fire to personally engage the enemy with hand grenades and anti-tank weapons, and organized the evacuation of three wounded soldiers from an armored personnel carrier struck by a rocket propelled grenade and a 60mm mortar round. Fearing the enemy would overrun their defenses, Sergeant First Class Smith moved under withering enemy fire to man a .50 caliber machine gun mounted on a damaged armored personnel carrier. In total disregard for his own life, he maintained his exposed position in order to engage the attacking enemy force. During this action, he was mortally wounded. His courageous actions helped defeat the enemy attack, and resulted in as many as 50 enemy soldiers killed, while allowing the safe withdrawal of numerous wounded soldiers. Sergeant First Class Smith’s extraordinary heroism and uncommon valor are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, the Third Infantry Division “Rock of the Marne,” and the United States Army.

[Frost]

Brave guy..

just a little thing about the title of this topic; you don't win the USCMOH, you recieve it. A minor detail I know, but the USCMOH is not a 'price' that you try to win, it's an award that you get for doing something extremely brave. To quote BHD; 'nobody asks to be a hero, it sometimes just turns out that way'. It's true; he didn't ask for the situation, but he acted the right way, saved quite a few guys and got killed himself; a true hero.

[XS203598]

Medals for valor are awarded. They are not "won" or even "earned." In the case of a Purple Heart, it is awarded for wounds received in action.

[William E. Thompson]

Perhaps I used the wrong choice of words when I said "won". But awarded seems a bit trivial. In my book, when I heard the .50 cal stop, Smith won the award and saved my life and the lives of everyone at the TOC. In battle we win or lose. We are not awarded success. In battle everyone is having a bad day. Nothing good or heroic is happening, just survivle and sacrifice. To say that there is some body of more honorable men or women who could posibly bestow or grant Smith this award seriously cheapens what he did. Unfortunatly this is how our military awards system works and therefore these awards are awarded. Again, I feel on April 4th 2003 SFC Smith won the Medal of Honor. On April 4th 2005 it was awarded.

"Cotton Bailers."

[Frost]

hmm, yes I guess it depends on how yu look at the word 'win'. I can understand your view of it and I agree that he 'won' the day and the battle, but I still think the medal was rewarded to him and that he didn't win it. The only thing he 'won' was the live of his fellow soldiers at the cost of his own

[LibertyUnites]

hey william, do you have a bigger picture of your avatar?

[Bombtrack]

hey william, do you have a bigger picture of your avatar?

Try his website ;)

Good work William, nice pictures

[RGRBOX]

No matter weather he won it, received it, or was rewarded it... this brave man, brother, son, uncle, husband and father has lost his life to help his fellow man survive... he is a loss to us all. When I read his bio, and you read his letters home, and you see what good he has done, and how good a father, and a husband he was to his family.... all of the medals in the world won't make up for his families lose.........

[Aerosoul]

No matter weather he won it, received it, or was rewarded it... this brave man, brother, son, uncle, husband and father has lost his life to help his fellow man survive... he is a loss to us all. When I read his bio, and you read his letters home, and you see what good he has done, and how good a father, and a husband he was to his family.... all of the medals in the world won't make up for his families lose.........

x2.

**** the terminology debate.

RIP.

[ranger75bn]

a brave man


:(


Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?"
And I said: "Here am I. Send me!"
Isaiah 6:8

Rangers lead the way

[km5]

"We should not mourn that such men died, we should be thankful that such men lived"



RIP

[zulu261]

Well yeah but the MOH wont bring him back to life.

RIP.

[Alex-L]

Ah great I knew a comment such as CoRes would come up

Regardless, he did a outstanding job in helping to save his men, such a award is a small token to what he has done, men like him should be celebrated for their galantry.

as km5 said "We should not mourn that such men died, we should be thankful that such men lived"

[RGRBOX]

Ah great I knew a comment such as CoRes would come up

Regardless, he did a outstanding job in helping to save his men, such a award is a small token to what he has done, men like him should be celebrated for their galantry.

as km5 said "We should not mourn that such men died, we should be thankful that such men lived"

Hooah!!!

[Former Gold Falcon]

The fact that while wearing the Blue Max everyone (including the CIC) is required to salute the recipient says it all.

Furthermore, I've no doubt there exists a special place in Vahalla for men such as him.


T.