A Story Worth the Retelling

Allah posted this at HotAir today, not realizing it had been around for a bit.

Doesn't matter. It's a great story and it bears retelling.

In March of 2006, a surgical team led by (then) Captain John Oh, 759th Medical Detachment, Forward Surgical Team, Task Force Med, removed an unexploded RPG round from the belly of Spc. Channing Moss. The warhead had detached itself from the fuel rod and the detonator, but there was enough there to kill Spc. Moss, and even detached, the unexploded round was a lethal threat to everyone in the room.

Under the guidance of two EOD (explosive ordnance disposal) personnel, they removed the RPG,

And saved his life.

On Feb 1, 2007, Major Oh received the Soldier's Medal for his actions that day in March. The Soldier’s Medal is the Army’s highest decoration for valor not involving actual combat with the enemy. Well, he was involved with the enemy's deadly weapon, right in his face, and in the faces of his surgical team.

Assisting him in the procedure, Lt. Col William Brock was awarded the Army Commendation Medal with "V" device. For valor.

LTC Brock, SGT Troy Galvan, awarded the Soldier's medal for pulling a fellow soldier from a burning vehicle at an accident near Ft. Hood, and MAJ Oh

Valor.

UPDATE: Commenter CavMedic (who I'm just guessin is a medic in the 1st Cav, practically a neighbor) reminds us this took place in Afghanistan, adds that the MEDEVAC crew who flew Spc. Moss in were awarded Air Medals with V device, and links a larger pic of the award ceremony for Brock and Oh here.

posted by Dave In Texas at 08:04 PM

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