I wanted to help get the word out on the story of a true American hero.
Sgt. 1st Class Paul R. Smith, who spent his boyhood in Tampa, became a man in the Army and died outside Baghdad defending his outnumbered soldiers from an Iraqi attack, will receive America’s highest award for bravery.
President Bush will present the Medal of Honor to Smith’s wife, Birgit, and their children Jessica, 18, and David, 10, at a ceremony at the White House, possibly in March.
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What Paul Smith did on April 4, 2003, was climb aboard an armored vehicle and, manning a heavy machine gun, take it upon himself to cover the withdrawal of his men from a suddenly vulnerable position. Smith was fatally wounded by Iraqi fire, the only American to die in the engagement.
Here’s the link to a great multimedia tribute to Sgt. Smith
I just posted some info about him on my blog, as well. Check it out.
Heroes in Iraq
Every American in war is a hero. We had over 50,000 fallen in Vietnam. Why is it so necessary today again to make this point to the American public? Do Americans just live headline to headline and day for day. Is it necessary to start a body count again to boost morale like it was 35 years ago.
Anonymous, I have made that point in previous posts. Everyone serving should be honored and respected for thier sacrafice.
As to the body counts, I don’t get the sense that the press is keeping tabs to boost morale. Rather quite the opposite.
Every American in the war is not a Hero. The term hero should be used to discribe only those that act in a way most of us can’t even know. Hero is should be used to tell the rest of us this is a truly special person who did the unthinkable. Hero is not the baseball player. Hero is not the everyday soldier who does his job very well. That’s an American soldier doing his job very well. Yes they are heroes to there friends and family but the word needs to be better protected. I’m sorry but a soldier is not a hero until he acts like one. Paul Ray Smith, Thats a hero. His story is very similar to another American hero Audie Leon Murphy. Please honor our service members but for the people that due to their actions are called heros lets not overuse the term or before we know it we will all be heros and we are not.
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