Veteran Receives Silver Star for Heroism in Vietnam Contributed by Bill Faith
Ft. Bragg, N.C. - Richard L. Smith was serving with Company B, 229th Assault Helicopter Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division, when he first came under fire on Nov. 17, 1965.
The place was Albany Drop Zone in Vietnam’s Ia Drang Valley, site of the first major engagement in the war. A Specialist-Five helicopter crew chief, Smith rushed onto the battlefield to rescue several wounded Soldiers his team had come to evacuate from the firefight.
His exploits that day weren’t forgotten – they were recounted in “We Were Soldiers Once…and Young,” a book co-authored by retired Lt. Gen. Harold G. Moore, who was Smith’s battalion commander during the battle, and former war correspondent Joe Galloway, who was a reporter on the ground who witnessed many acts of heroism that day.
Smith deployed to Vietnam three times and spent more than 22 years on active duty before retiring as a sergeant first class, but he seldom talked about his wartime experiences until recently.
[. H/T: 1stCav]
There really were heroes in Viet Nam, Johnny. Real ones. Don't you wish you were one?
Contributed by Bill Faith on September 14, 2006 at 08:56 PM in , , |
