Valor Tales

AMERICAN AWARDS - A Brief History America, fiercely against many European military traditions, did not have a formal system for any awards or decorations for decades after its forming. In fact, they were so anti-European, that the US Navy didn’t have the rank of admiral until the Civil War (nearly 100 years after the country’s founding) because it was too Imperial. There were two Revolutionary War-era awards however. Both were awarded in exceptionally small numbers (three awards each) and neither were awarded beyond the end of the war. The oldest, and first, American award was the Fidelity Medallion. It was awarded to the soldiers who captured British Major John Andre. Andre was famously the British point of contact for Benedict Arnold (a disaffected American general who turned traitor and gave Britain intelligence in exchange for a British generalcy). Only three men of the New York Militia received the award and it was never bestowed again. Often referred to (incorrectly) as A...

A recent comment over at valorguardians.com pointed out that there has never been a company “J” in the US Army, leaving the letter J to be a bit lonely and left out. Being a student of military history, I realized that I’d never heard of a company J, but there are India, Kilo, and Lima companies in most modern 3rd battalions. So where did the missing J go and why? First come the popular, modern theories. These are the ones brought up by scuttlebutt, rumor, and theories passed down from generation to generation as gospel. Most of these have to do with the phonetic alphabet used. Most people if you ask now would say the reason for there not being a company J is that no self-respecting man wants to be in “Juliett” company. Apparently serving in a company with a woman’s name would be too emasculating. While on its face, this might seem like a plausible and entirely reasonable explanation to a young inquiring private, it doesn’t pass the sniff test. Is “India” any less effeminate? By ...

Francis (Frank) Junior Pierce was born December 7, 1924 in Earlville, Iowa. On his 17th birthday the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. A week later, Frank had enlisted in the US Navy. After boot camp he was trained as a Hospital Corpsman in Portsmouth, Virginia. He was then assigned to the naval hospital at Parris Island, South Carolina, where he remained until August 1942. Sent to join the Fleet Marine Force, Pierce received training at Camp Lejeune. By January 1944 he sailed from Camp Pendleton with the 4th Marine Division for the Marshall Islands, still enemy held. As a corpsman with the 2nd Battalion, 24th Marines, he served through several major battles in the Pacific Theater. At Kwajalein Atoll the 2nd Battalion suffered heavy casualties after an enemy ammo dump exploded. The regiment then joined the attack on the Marianas. Initially held in reserve on the day of the invasion of Saipan (June 15th, 1944), the 24th Marines were called up after heavy fighting was encountere...

As I recently wrote, unwitnessed valor on the battlefield can go unrewarded. Sometimes, this recognition is merely delayed. This month, former Lance Corporal James Stogner of the United States Marine Corps was awarded the Navy Cross for his actions 52 years ago in Vietnam. As you'll read below, his actions are well deserving of the Medal of Honor, but sadly there were too few witnesses to justify that award. Stogner was an 18 year old Marine assigned to Company C, 1st Battalion, 9th Marines in April, 1967. Military history buffs will know this battalion by its macabre nickname "The Walking Dead". They earned this nickname after being engaged in combat operations for 47 months and 7 days from June, 1965 to July, 1969, with only a brief respite in late 1966. During this time the battalion, with a nominal end strength of 800 men, had 2,892 Marines and corpsmen come through. They suffered an extremely high casualty rate, seeing more than 25% killed in action. Fif...

Jacklyn "Jack" Lucas was the youngest American Marine to receive the Medal of Honor for actions in World War II. He also has the distinction of being perhaps the only person to survive throwing themselves on not one but two grenades. Long after the war he again somehow cheated certain death, so read on for that. Born on Valentine's Day, 1928, Jack grew up in North Carolina and was a cadet at Edwards Military Institute in Salemburg, NC on 7 Dec, 1941. He was cadet captain, captain of the football team, and played several sports. At just 14, in 1942, he went UA from the school, crossed into Virginia and bribed a notary public to attest he was 17, forged his mother's signature, and enlisted at the nearest Marine Corps Recruiting Station. He graduated Parris Island and was made a Marine. He spent the next couple of years trying to get a combat assignment. Eventually he was trained as a heavy machine gunner. Assigned to the 6th Base Depot of the V Amphibious...

On March 23, 2019, another hero of the Vietnam War received his eternal reward when Lieutenant Colonel Howard V Lee, USMC (ret) passed at the age of 85. He leaves behind four children, a sister, numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and a grateful nation.  While a senior at Pace College, Lee enlisted with the Marine Corps' Platoon Leaders Class. Attending OCS in 1955, he was commissioned as a supply officer. He later transitioned to platoon commander and was in charge of a company of Marines in 1964 that was sent to the Dominican Republic and present for their civil war in 1965.  Lee served his first tour of duty in Vietnam the following year. In command of Company E, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines "The Magnificent Bastards", Lee's unit participated in Operations Double Eagle and Hastings. During the subsequent Operation Prairie, which sought to eliminate North Vietnamese Army forces from south of the demilitarized zone.  Already cited for gall...