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    Daniel Cole

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    Posts posted by Daniel Cole

    1. Everything should be listed on his DD 214. The easiest way to get them is just go to eBay and purchase. Unless its the MOH all are available. To get them the offical way, go to the Vets webpage (Govt version) and down a doc that is a request for records. Send this off an a little while later they'll show up. I did this for my wife's Aunt who was an Army nurse.

      I'll find the name of the doc and web page and post.

      Bottm line there are lots of ways as the other posts suggest.

      Dan

    2. According to the VFW Magazine here are the listing of decoration awarded and pending for the War on Terrorism. I pulled this from the VFW website. You can read the article there.

      http://www.vfw.org/index.cfm?fa=news.magDt...=1&mid=3646

      Medal of Honor

      Sgt. 1st Class Paul Smith*

      Army, Engineer Corps

      2nd Plt., B Co., 11th Eng. Bn., 3rd Inf. Div.

      Baghdad, Iraq, April 4, 2003

      Hometown: Holiday, Fla.

      While leading his unit in constructing an Iraqi prison near Baghdad International Airport, Smith and his men were attacked. Rather than retreat, Smith manned a .50-caliber machine gun, killing 50 of the enemy. He took return fire from automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades. He finally died when he was hit in the head. His actions saved the lives of some 100 GIs outside the courtyard walls. (VFW profiled Smith in May 2005, p. 42.)

      Awarded April 4, 2005

      Distinguished Service Cross (ARMY)

      Maj. Mark E. Mitchell

      Army, Special Forces

      HQ & HQ Det., 3rd Bn., 5th SFG

      Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan Nov. 25-28, 2001

      Hometown: Milwaukee, Wis.

      Mitchell led a 15-man team to take control of some 500 al Qaeda prisoners who threatened to take over a prison near Mazar-e-Sharif. His team prevented the prison escape, which would have stalled a major offensive of the Afghan Northern Alliance in Afghanistan.

      Awarded Nov. 21, 2003

      Master Sgt. Donald R. Hollenbaugh

      Army, Headquarters,

      U.S. Army Special Operations Command

      Fallujah, Iraq, April 26, 2004

      Hometown: Prescott, Wash.

      With a platoon of Marines on the outskirts of Fallujah, Hollenbaugh was attacked by more than 300 enemy fighters. At one point, he was the only American standing. He personally eliminated multiple enemy-controlled weapons positions, preventing further attacks on U.S. forces.

      Awarded June 10, 2005

      Staff Sgt. Daniel A. Briggs

      Army, Headquarters,

      U.S. Army Special Operations Command Fallujah, Iraq, April 26, 2004

      Hometown: Unknown

      While supporting Marines, Army combat medic Briggs provided critical medical attention to severely wounded Leathernecks. His actions under fire directly prevented further U.S. casualties.

      Awarded April 12, 2005

      Col. James H. Coffman, Jr.

      Army, Adviser to Quick Reaction Force

      3rd Bn., 1st Iraqi Special Police Commando Brigade

      Mosul, Iraq, Nov. 14, 2004

      Hometown: Barrington, Mass.

      Coffman was the only American on site when a police station in Mosul was attacked, killing or severely wounding all but one of the Iraq police officers. Though wounded, Coffman continued to fight for four hours and helped evacuate the wounded.

      Awarded Aug. 24, 2005

      Air Force Cross

      Senior Airman

      Jason Dean Cunningham*

      Air Force, Special Operations (Pararescueman)

      38th Rescue Squadron

      Shah-e-Kot Valley, Afghanistan March 2, 2002

      Hometown: Carlsbad, N.M.

      After his helicopter was shot down by a rocket-propelled grenade, Cunningham dragged wounded troops across the line of enemy fire seven times. Though he was shot twice, he continued to treat patients. He died before he could be evacuated. All of those he treated survived.

      Awarded Sept. 13, 2002

      Tech. Sgt. John Chapman*

      Air Force, Special Operations (Combat Controller)

      24th Special Tactics Squadron

      Gardez, Afghanistan, March 4, 2002

      Hometown: Windsor Locks, Conn.

      Chapman volunteered to help rescue Navy Petty Officer Neil Roberts during Operation Anaconda. When the helicopter carrying the rescue team crash-landed, they were met with a hail of gunfire. Exposed to the enemy, Chapman provided cover fire allowing the rest of the team to set up a defensive position. Though he killed two of the enemy and saved the lives of fellow members, Chapman was mortally wounded.

      Awarded Jan. 10, 2003

      Navy Cross

      NAVY

      Two Navy SEALs earned the Navy Cross in Afghanistan in 2001 and 2002. But at the request of the Naval Special Warfare Command, we are not revealing their names or the details of their valorous actions.

      Hospitalman Apprentice

      Luis E. Fonseca, Jr.

      Navy, Medical Corps

      Amphibious Assault Vehicle Plt., C Co., 1st Bn., 2nd Regt., RCT 2, 1st MEF

      Nasiriyah, Iraq, March 23, 2003

      Hometown: Fayetteville, N.C.

      Fonseca was with a group of Marines sent to capture the Saddam Canal Bridge when they were attacked on all sides. He tended to five Marines and got them back to his vehicle. Eyewitness accounts say that the 5-foot-5-inch, 140-pound corpsman lifted a 6-foot, 210-pound Marine over his back to carry him to safety. His actions that day saved numerous lives.

      Awarded Aug. 11, 2004

      SEAL member (name classified)

      Navy, Special Operations (SEAL)

      SEAL Delivery Team 1

      Asadabad, Afghanistan, June 27-28, 2005

      As part of a four-man recon unit, this SEAL fought valiantly against a numerically superior and entrenched enemy force in Konar Province. He then evaded the enemy for days before being rescued.

      Awarded July 2006

      Gunner?s Mate 2nd Class Danny P. Dietz* and Sonar Technician (Surface) 2nd Class

      Matthew G. Axelson*

      Navy, Special Operations (SEAL)

      Delivery Vehicle Team 2

      Kunar Province, Afghanistan, June 28, 2005

      Hometowns: Littleton, Colo./Cupertino, Calif.

      As part of a reconnaissance mission tasked with finding a Taliban leader near Asadabad, the SEALs on the ground continued to fight for the safety of their teammates. Their actions cost them their lives, but gave one of the other SEALs an opportunity to escape.

      Awarded Sept. 13, 2006

      MARINES

      Note: The source for the dates awarded for Marine recipients of the Navy Cross is the Sept. 26, 2006, Marine Corps Times.

      In some cases, the award date may have been the date the citation was officially issued as opposed to publicly awarded.

      Sgt. 1st Class Justin D. Lehew

      Marine Corps, Infantry

      Amphibious Assault Plt., A Co., 1st Bn., 2nd Regt., 1st MEF

      Nasiriyah, Iraq, March 23, 2003

      Hometown: Temecula, Calif.

      While securing a bridge over the Euphrates River, Lehew and his men were attacked by ?hundreds? of Iraqis. Lehew?s platoon held its position while evacuating 77 casualties.

      Lehew wielded a .50-caliber machine gun, ?knocking out enemy fighters with an impressive display of lethal accuracy.?

      ?His unimaginable bravery and heroism in the face of overwhelming odds were overshadowed by several events that unfolded that day, including the story of Jessica Lynch and her ambushed unit, whom Lehew and his men rescued,? wrote the authors of Home of the Brave.

      Awarded July 24, 2004

      1st Lt. Brian R. Chontosh

      Marine Corps, Infantry

      Anti-Armor Plt., Weapons Co., 3rd Bn., 5th Regt., 1st Marine Div., 1st MEF

      Hwy. 1 near Ad Diwaniyah, Iraq, March 25, 2003

      Hometown: Rochester, N.Y.

      Heading north to Baghdad, Chontosh?s platoon was ambushed and one of his Marines was killed instantly. He jumped out of the vehicle and opened fire with his rifle, then his pistol and then used Iraqi rifles and finally an Iraqi grenade launcher to wipe out more than 20 enemy soldiers.

      ?It came down to love and hate,? Chontosh told his local Rochester, N.Y., newspaper. ?I loved my Marines and hated the guys who were trying to kill them.?

      Awarded May 6, 2004

      Lance Cpl. Joseph B. Perez

      Marine Corps, Infantry

      I Co., 3rd Bn., 5th Regt., 1st Marine Div., 1st MEF

      Route 6, Iraq, April 4, 2003

      Hometown: Houston, Texas

      In an area south of Baghdad, Perez was the point man for his platoon, which was assigned to clear the area. Insurgents attacked and Perez, who took much of the fire, charged the enemy trench. He then fired a rocket at a machine gun bunker, destroying it and killing four Iraqi soldiers. Though wounded, he continued to direct his squad.

      Awarded May 6, 2004

      Sgt. Scott C. Montoya

      Marine Corps, Infantry

      Scout Sniper Plt., F Co., 2nd Bn., 23rd Regt., 4th Marine Div. (Reserve), 1st MEF

      Baghdad, Iraq, April 8, 2003

      Hometown: Montclair, Calif.

      Despite a hail of gunfire, Montoya rescued a wounded Iraqi civilian and returned to carry four Marines to safety. He told the Orange County (Calif.) Register that a Biblical passage went through his mind: ?Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.?

      Awarded Jan. 23, 2005

      Cpl. Marco Martinez

      Marine Corps, Infantry

      1st Plt., G Co., 2nd Bn., 5th Regt., 1st Marine Div., 1st MEF

      Al Tarmiya, Iraq, April 12, 2003

      Hometown: Las Cruces, N.M.

      When a unit of 42 Marines was ambushed at al Tarmiya, Martinez fired a captured rocket-propelled grenade into the building where enemy fire originated. He then stormed the building, single-handedly killing four Iraqis.

      Awarded on May 3, 2004

      Sgt. Willie Copeland, III

      Marine Corps, Infantry

      2nd Plt., B Co. , 1st Recon Bn., 1st Marine Div.

      Sunni Triangle, April 7, 2004

      Hometown: Smithfield, Utah

      Copeland administered first aid to Capt. Brent Morel during an insurgent attack near Fallujah and stayed with him until an armored carrier arrived. Morel died as a result of his wounds.

      Awarded April 21, 2005

      Capt. Brent Morel*

      Marine Corps, Infantry

      2nd Plt., B Co., 1st Recon Bn., 1st Marine Div.

      Al Anbar Province, Iraq, April 7, 2004

      Hometown: Martin, Tenn.

      Morel gave his life while leading Marines in a charge against a larger group of insurgents who were attacking with grenades, mortars and machine guns. He and his men killed 10 Iraqis before Morel was fatally wounded. He was the only Marine to die in this action.

      Awarded May 21, 2005

      Staff Sgt. Anthony Viggiani

      Marine Corps, Infantry

      C Co., BLT, 1st Bn., 6th Regt., 22nd MEU

      Siah Chub Kalay, Afghanistan, June 3, 2004

      Hometown: Strongsville, Ohio

      While leading an assault against an enemy-held ridge in eastern Afghanistan, two of Viggiani?s Marines were wounded. Viggiani charged a cave, hurling a fragmentation grenade and killing three of the Afghan enemy. That allowed him and his men to advance, killing 14 more Taliban.

      ?Despite the wide range of armaments and units that came together to eliminate the enemy force, it was Viggiani?s efforts that resonated from the day?s fighting,? Gunnery Sgt. Keith Milks wrote in Leatherneck magazine.

      Awarded Feb. 24, 2006

      Sgt. Robert J. Mitchell, Jr.

      Marine Corps, Infantry

      K Co., 3rd Bn., 1st Regt., RCT 1, 1st Marine Div., 1st MEF

      Fallujah, Iraq, Nov. 13, 2004

      Hometown: Phoenix, Ariz.

      Mitchell saved the lives of several Marines trapped inside the home of enemy insurgents. He charged through AK-47 fire and exploding grenades to assist the critically wounded. While applying first aid to a Marine, he had to pause and stab a wounded insurgent who was reaching for his weapon. Though Mitchell suffered shrapnel wounds to the face and legs, he helped evacuate all of the wounded through the impact zone.

      Awarded July 28, 2006

      Sgt. Maj. Bradley A. Kasal

      Marine Corps, Infantry

      Weapons Co., 3rd Bn., 1st Regt., 1st Marine Div.

      Fallujah, Iraq, Nov. 14, 2004

      Hometown: Afton, Iowa

      Kasal was attempting to rescue Marines in a Fallujah home when an insurgent threw a grenade at them. Kasal rolled on top of a fellow Marine to absorb the shrapnel with his own body. Shot seven times by an AK-47 and wounded by 40 pieces of shrapnel, he lost 60% of his blood. Kasal later refused medical attention until all of the other Marines had been treated.

      Awarded May 1, 2006

      Sgt. Jarrett A. Kraft

      Marine Corps, Infantry

      81mm Mortar Plt., Weapons Co., 3rd Bn., 5th Regt., RCT 1, 1st Marine Div., 1st MEF

      Fallujah, Iraq, Dec. 23, 2004

      Hometown: Fresno, Calif.

      A large force of insurgents attacked Kraft?s unit in a dense residential area of Fallujah. Kraft placed himself between enemy fire and his men. They succeeded in killing 28 Iraqis and wounding many more. Though Marines were killed, Kraft saved the lives of many others.

      Awarded May 11, 2006

      Sgt. Jeremiah Workman

      Marine Corps, Infantry

      Mortar Plt., Weapons Co., 3rd Bn., 5th Regt., 1st Marine Div.

      Fallujah, Iraq, Dec. 23, 2004

      Hometown: Richwood, Ohio

      Workman helped rescue Marines trapped inside a building controlled by insurgent forces. He then aided wounded Marines in a neighboring yard. He suffered grenade shrapnel wounds, but continued to provide intense fire long enough to recover additional wounded Marines.

      Awarded May 12, 2006

      Lance Cpl. Todd J. Corbin

      Marine Corps, Infantry (Tactical Vehicle Driver)

      Weapons Co., 3rd Bn., 25th Marines (Reserve), RCT 2, 2nd Marine Div., 2nd MEF

      Haditha, Iraq, May 7, 2005

      Hometown: Sandusky, Ohio

      Corbin was driving in a four-vehicle convoy when an improvised explosive device hit it. He positioned his truck between the enemy and the wounded, before carrying his patrol leader to safety. On five more occasions, Corbin braved enemy fire to recover the dead or wounded. Only after loading his vehicle, did he depart.

      Awarded July 4, 2006

      Nominated for Medal of Honor

      Cpl. Jason L. Dunham*

      Marine Corps, Infantry

      K Co., 3rd Bn., 7th Regt., 1st Marine Div.

      Husaybah, Iraq, April 14, 2004

      Hometown: Scio, N.Y.

      Dunham led 14 men to rescue a convoy of ambushed Marines. When an Iraqi grenade landed by his unit, Dunham placed his helmet over it before covering the grenade with his body. The blast killed Dunham, but saved the lives of his fellow Marines.

      Award status pending. (Approved and awarded by President Bush - Dan)

      Pfc. Christopher Adlesperger*

      Marine Corps, Infantry

      K Co., 3rd Bn., 5th Regt., 1st Marine Div.

      Fallujah, Iraq, Nov. 10, 2004

      Hometown: Albuquerque, N.M.

      In saving the lives of many fellow Marines, he personally killed at least 11 insurgents. One month later, he was killed in action.

      Award status pending.

      Sgt. Rafael Peralta*

      Marine Corps, Infantry

      1st Plt., A Co., 1st Bn., 3rd Regt., 3rd Marine Div.

      Fallujah, Iraq, Nov. 15, 2004

      Hometown: San Diego, Calif.

      Volunteering for an assault mission, Peralta was the first to enter a Fallujah home where he was hit in the face by rifle fire. Moments later, a grenade was thrown at Peralta and his fellow Marines. He grabbed it and cradled it against his body to shelter the others. He gave his life, but saved many more.

      Award status pending.

      E-mail jblankenship@vfw.org

      RCT= Regimental Combat Team

      MEF= Marine Expeditionary Force

      MEU= Marine Expeditionary Unit

      SFG=Special Forces Group

      * Awarded posthumously

      Heros All

    3. The most recent publication of the the VFW Magazine has a great summary of the MOH (awarded and Submitted), and awarded Army, Navy and Air Force Crosses. You never hear much about the heroics in the press today.

      When I get home I'll post a summary.

      Dan

    4. When I lived in Germany there was "neu Deutsch" which we words like "gefaxed" for faxed. Any time I made a gross grammatical error when speaking German, I default to calling it neu deutsch.

      Here is my 1957er S & L Piece and Ernst Ju"ngers in the case (photo from Haus Wilfingen). (Haus Wilfingen never told me where his issue piece is)

    5. The back of the Army MOH says on the eagle suspension "The Congress to",, the star or medal is then engraved. I think the President awards it, Congress approves the awards. Congressional Medal of Honor is actually eroneous. Medal of Honor is correct.

    6. I'll post when I get home the details on construction from my Army book. The book is an official Govt work so I would 'Assume" it to be realitively correct.

      I should have said silver gilt but will confirm.

      Dan

    7. That's a very nice photo. Navy is still my favorite.

      I have a book on the MOH published by the Arny around 1949. It says the medal is made of Silver. Anyone know if the unissued pieces are silver? Is the current MOH silver?

      Dan

    8. World Medal did a great job. He made my von Richthofen ordenspange which is pictured on his site. He also mounted some others for me for different projects. This subject really gets folks fired up because everyone is quick to think you are trying to defraud someone. For me it made my collections of medals that individuals would have owned more interesting. No different than Neil O'Connor's "Famous Chest" groups.

      I'd still like to know who can do this. I think it is a needed service.

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