Medal of Honor to be awarded for 1970 act of heroism

[PhilipLaos]

All I know about this is what came over my breaking news feed. Which is this:

WH announces Pres Obama to award Medal of Honor, posthumously, to US Army Specialist Leslie H. Sabo, for heroism in 1970 in Cambodia.

Anybody know anything else about it?

Philip

[101combatvet]

In the rear, Mr. Sabo and seven of his comrades, all of whom eventually died, fought desperately to keep Bravo Company from being surrounded.
"Green tracers are flying above our heads. We're firing back with red tracers," said Mr. Rios, who was in the 2nd platoon with Mr. Sabo. "After 30 minutes, we were taking casualties. I could hear the screaming, I could hear guys calling 'medic!'"
After several hours, Mr. Sabo saw a wounded comrade about 10 yards away and ran to help him.
"I saw him get up," recalled Mr. Brown. "My first reaction was, 'What the [expletive] are you doing?' "
As Mr. Sabo started first aid, the North Vietnamese hurled a grenade from a nearby ditch. Mr. Sabo threw himself onto his injured comrade, shielding him from the blast. Grenade fragments penetrated his back, but he jumped up and attacked, throwing his own grenades into the enemy ditch and killing two North Vietnamese Soldiers.
As the day wore on, Bravo Company was running out of ammo. Mr. Sabo sprinted through fire again to strip three ammunition belts from fallen Soldiers, throwing one to Mr. Koziol and one to another man. As he ducked behind a tree, he took a bullet in the leg.
With the 2nd and 3rd platoons pinned down and darkness falling, it fell to the 1st platoon to break the siege and secure a landing zone to evacuate about 30 wounded men.
As helicopters arrived, Mr. Sabo again stepped from behind cover and opened fire with his M-16, forcing the enemy Soldiers to duck. That allowed the 1st platoon to kill a North Vietnamese Soldier who had been standing in the landing zone and gave the choppers time to retrieve the wounded.
But then Mr. Sabo's ammo ran out. As he was loading another clip, the enemy opened fire, hitting him multiple times.
Mr. Koziol, who was among the wounded, watched from a helicopter.
"I saw him when he dropped his rifle, dropped to his knees and fell face-first in the dirt," he told the Ledger.
The next day, U.S. troops returned to pick up the dead. They had to drag the bodies a mile to a chopper landing zone because the pilots didn't want to land closer. Mr. Brown and another Soldier loaded seven corpses onto a helicopter.

http://www.military.com/news/article...d-for-moh.html

http://www.virtualwall.org/ds/SaboLH01a.htm

[PhilipLaos]

The medal will be given to Spc. Sabo for actions in combat on May 10, 1970, while serving as a rifleman in Cambodia.

That day, his platoon was ambushed by enemy forces and Sabo charged the enemy position, killing several enemy soldiers.
His actions drew fire away from his fellow soldiers and forced a retreat of enemy forces. A grenade later landed near where he was resupplying and he threw it away and shielded a wounded comrade with his body, saving his life. He crawled toward the enemy encampment, threw a grenade into the bunker, which ended the enemy fire but also killed Sabo. Sabo’s widow, Rose Sabo-Brown, and his brother, George Sabo, will join Obama at the White House to commemorate his service to his country, according to the statement.

From:: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/04/16...#ixzz1sFnzSZ00

[101combatvet]

True American hero!

[skiplc]

[PhilipLaos]

One wonders what the story is about it taking so long to recognize this act of heroism.

I expect that will come out in due time.


Philip

[101combatvet]

Originally Posted by philiplaos

One wonders what the story is about it taking so long to recognize this act of heroism.

I expect that will come out in due time.


Philip

I believe the unit was OPCON to the 4th ID during or around the time of that operation.... the paper work got lost in the shuffle. Seen it happen with decorations.

[lakechampainer]

[PhilipLaos]

Originally Posted by 101combatvet

I believe the unit was OPCON to the 4th ID during or around the time of that operation.... the paper work got lost in the shuffle. Seen it happen with decorations.

I thought it might have been due to the fact that little was released about operations in Cambodia until much later.


Philip

[Frisbee]

Currahee

[Boonierat]

Interestingly, 3-506 Inf was the only unit of the 101st Airborne Division to participate in the Cambodia Incursion, attached to the 4th Inf Div and part of Task Force PURSUIT. A veteran of the battalion, Jerry Berry, wrote a book about that often forgotten part of the Cambodian operations:

[Frisbee]

Originally Posted by Boonierat

Interestingly, 3-506 Inf was the only unit of the 101st Airborne Division to participate in the Cambodia Incursion, attached to the 4th Inf Div and part of Task Force PURSUIT. A veteran of the battalion, Jerry Berry, wrote a book about that often forgotten part of the Cambodian operations:

Boonie,

The 3/506th, although a unit of the 101st Abn, was OPCON to First Field Force in II Corp and part of the 1st Brigade and I think later on in the war the 2nd Brigade.

BTW, I have had contact with Jerry in the past ordering the 506th regiment crest for my shadow box from his web site. Great guy.

[Trailboss49]

It is always good to see a man honored for his sacrifice. No telling how he will play a role model for others someday.