THIS DAY OFF HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO YOU IN PART BY...

*GORDON, GARY I.

Rank and organization: Master Sergeant, U.S. Army. Place and date: 3
October 1993, Mogadishu, Somalia. Entered service at: ----- Born: Lincoln,
Maine. Citation: Master Sergeant Gordon, United States Army, distinguished
himself by actions above and beyond the call of duty on 3 October 1993,
while serving as Sniper Team Leader, United States Army Special Operations
Command with Task Force Ranger in Mogadishu, Somalia. Master Sergeant Gordon's
sniper team provided precision fires from the lead helicopter during an
assault and at two helicopter crash sites, while subjected to intense automatic
weapons and rocket propelled grenade fires. When Master Sergeant Gordon
learned that ground forces were not immediately available to secure the
second crash site, he and another sniper unhesitatingly volunteered to
be inserted to protect the four critically wounded personnel, despite being
well aware of the growing number of enemy personnel closing in on the site.
After his third request to be inserted, Master Sergeant Gordon received
permission to perform his volunteer mission. When debris and enemy ground
fires at the site caused them to abort the first attempt, Master Sergeant
Gordon was inserted one hundred meters south of the crash site. Equipped
with only his sniper rifle and a pistol, Master Sergeant Gordon and his
fellow sniper, while under intense small arms fire from the enemy, fought
their way through a dense maze of shanties and shacks to reach the critically
injured crew members. Master Sergeant Gordon immediately pulled the pilot
and the other crew members from the aircraft, establishing a perimeter
which placed him and his fellow sniper in the most vulnerable position.
Master Sergeant Gordon used his long range rifle and side arm to kill an
undetermined number of attackers until he depleted his ammunition. Master
Sergeant Gordon then went back to the wreckage, recovering some of the
crew's weapons and ammunition. Despite the fact that he was critically
low on ammunition, he provided some of it to the dazed pilot and then radioed
for help. Master Sergeant Gordon continued to travel the perimeter, protecting
the downed crew. After his team member was fatally wounded and his own
rifle ammunition exhausted, Master Sergeant Gordon returned to the wreckage,
recovering a rifle with the last five rounds of ammunition and gave it
to the pilot with the words, "good luck." Then, armed only with his pistol,
Master Sergeant Gordon continued to fight until he was fatally wounded.
His actions saved the pilot's life. Master Sergeant Gordon's extraordinary
heroism and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest standards
of military service and reflect great credit upon him, his unit and the
United States Army.

 

*ANDERSON, JAMES, JR.

Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Marine Corps, 2d Platoon,

Company F, 2d Battalion, 3d Marines, 3d Marine Division. Place and date:

Republic of Vietnam, 28 February 1967. Entered service at: Los Angeles,

Calif. Born: 22 January 1947, Los Angeles, Calif. Citation: For conspicuous

gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the

call of duty. Company F was advancing in dense jungle northwest of Cam

Lo in an effort to extract a heavily besieged reconnaissance patrol. Pfc.

Anderson's platoon was the lead element and had advanced only about 200

meters when they were brought under extremely intense enemy small-arms

and automatic weapons fire. The platoon reacted swiftly, getting on line

as best they could in the thick terrain, and began returning fire. Pfc.

Anderson found himself tightly bunched together with the other members

of the platoon only 20 meters from the enemy positions. As the fire fight

continued several of the men were wounded by the deadly enemy assault.

Suddenly, an enemy grenade landed in the midst of the marines and rolled

alongside Pfc. Anderson's head. Unhesitatingly and with complete disregard

for his personal safety, he reached out, grasped the grenade, pulled it

to his chest and curled around it as it went off. Although several marines

received shrapnel from the grenade, his body absorbed the major force of

the explosion. In this singularly heroic act, Pfc. Anderson saved his comrades

from serious injury and possible death. His personal heroism, extraordinary

valor, and inspirational supreme self-sacrifice reflected great credit

upon himself and the Marine Corps and upheld the highest traditions of

the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.

 

*SIJAN, LANCE P.

Rank and organization: Captain, U.S. Air Force, 4th Allied POW Wing,
Pilot of an F-4C aircraft. Place and date: North Vietnam, 9 November 1967.
Entered service at: Milwaukee, Wis. Born: 13 April 1942, Milwaukee, Wis.
Citation: While on a flight over North Vietnam, Capt. Sijan ejected from
his disabled aircraft and successfully evaded capture for more than 6 weeks.
During this time, he was seriously injured and suffered from shock and
extreme weight loss due to lack of food. After being captured by North
Vietnamese soldiers, Capt. Sijan was taken to a holding point for subsequent
transfer to a prisoner of war camp. In his emaciated and crippled condition,

he overpowered 1 of his guards and crawled into the jungle, only to be

recaptured after several hours. He was then transferred to another prison

camp where he was kept in solitary confinement and interrogated at length.

During interrogation, he was severely tortured; however, he did not divulge

any information to his captors. Capt. Sijan lapsed into delirium and was

placed in the care of another prisoner. During his intermittent periods

of consciousness until his death, he never complained of his physical condition

and, on several occasions, spoke of future escape attempts. Capt. Sijan's

extraordinary heroism and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty

at the cost of his life are in keeping with the highest traditions of the

U.S. Air Force and reflect great credit upon himself and the U.S. Armed

Forces.

 

*BENFOLD, EDWARD C.

Rank and organization: Hospital Corpsman Third Class, U.S. Navy, attached to
a company in the 1st Marine Division. Place and date: Korea, 5 September 1952.
Entered service at: Philadelphia, Pa. Born: 15 January 1931, Staten Island,
N.Y. Citation: For gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and
beyond the call of duty while serving in operations against enemy aggressor
forces. When his company was subjected to heavy artillery and mortar barrages,
followed by a determined assault during the hours of darkness by an enemy force
estimated at battalion strength, HC3c. Benfold resolutely moved from position
to position in the face of intense hostile fire, treating the wounded and lending
words of encouragement. Leaving the protection of his sheltered position to
treat the wounded when the platoon area in which he was working was attacked
from both the front and rear, he moved forward to an exposed ridge line where
he observed 2 marines in a large crater. As he approached the 2 men to determine
their condition, an enemy soldier threw 2 grenades into the crater while 2 other
enemy charged the position. Picking up a grenade in each hand, HC3c Benfold
leaped out of the crater and hurled himself against the on-rushing hostile soldiers,
pushing the grenades against their chests and killing both the attackers. Mortally
wounded while carrying out this heroic act, HC3c. Benfold, by his great personal
valor and resolute spirit of self-sacrifice in the face of almost certain death,
was directly responsible for saving the lives of his 2 comrades. His exceptional
courage reflects the highest credit upon himself and enhances the finest traditions
of the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for others.

 

*LORING, CHARLES J., JR.

Rank and organization: Major, U.S. Air Force, 80th Fighter-Bomber Squadron,

8th Fighter-Bomber Wing. Place and date: Near Sniper Ridge, North Korea,

22 November 1952. Entered service at: Portland, Maine. Born: 2 October

1918, Portland, Maine. Citation: Maj. Loring distinguished himself by conspicuous

gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the

call of duty. While leading a night of 4 F-80 type aircraft on a close

support mission, Maj. Loring was briefed by a controller to dive-bomb enemy

gun positions which were harassing friendly ground troops. After verifying

the location of the target, Maj. Loring rolled into his dive bomb run.

Throughout the run, extremely accurate ground fire was directed on his

aircraft. Disregarding the accuracy and intensity of the ground fire, Maj.

Loring aggressively continued to press the attack until his aircraft was

hit. At approximately 4,000 feet, he deliberately altered his course and

aimed his diving aircraft at active gun emplacements concentrated on a

ridge northwest of the briefed target, turned his aircraft 45 degrees to

the left, pulled up in a deliberate, controlled maneuver, and elected to

sacrifice his life by diving his aircraft directly into the midst of the

enemy emplacements. His selfless and heroic action completely destroyed

the enemy gun emplacement and eliminated a dangerous threat to United Nations

ground forces. Maj. Loring's noble spirit, superlative courage, and conspicuous

self-sacrifice in inflicting maximum damage on the enemy exemplified valor

of the highest degree and his actions were in keeping with the finest traditions

of the U.S. Air Force.

 

*MUNRO, DOUGLAS ALBERT

Rank and organization: Signalman First Class,
U.S. Coast Guard Born: 11 October 1919, Vancouver,
British Columbia. Accredited to Washington. Citation:
For extraordinary heroism and conspicuous gallantry
m action above and beyond the call of duty as
Petty Officer in Charge of a group of 24 Higgins
boats, engaged in the evacuation of a battalion
of marines trapped by enemy Japanese forces at
Point Cruz Guadalcanal, on 27 September 1942.
After making preliminary plans for the evacuation
of nearly 500 beleaguered marines, Munro, under
constant strafing by enemy machineguns on the
island, and at great risk of his life, daringly
led 5 of his small craft toward the shore. As
he closed the beach, he signaled the others to
land, and then in order to draw the enemy's fire
and protect the heavily loaded boats, he valiantly
placed his craft with its 2 small guns as a shield
between the beachhead and the Japanese. When
the perilous task of evacuation was nearly completed,
Munro was instantly killed by enemy fire, but
his crew, 2 of whom were wounded, carried on
until the last boat had loaded and cleared the
beach. By his outstanding leadership, expert
planning, and dauntless devotion to duty, he
and his courageous comrades undoubtedly saved
the lives of many who otherwise would have perished.
He gallantly gave his life for his country.

 

*JACHMAN, ISADORE S.

Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company B, 513th Parachute

Infantry Regiment. Place and date: Flamierge, Belgium, 4 January 1945.

Entered service at: Baltimore, Md. Birth: Berlin, Germany. G.O. No.: 25,

9 June 1950. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above

and beyond the call of duty at Flamierge, Belgium, on 4 January 1945, when

his company was pinned down by enemy artillery, mortar, and small arms

fire, 2 hostile tanks attacked the unit, inflicting heavy. casualties.

S/Sgt. Jachman, seeing the desperate plight of his comrades, left his place

of cover and with total disregard for his own safety dashed across open

ground through a hail of fire and seizing a bazooka from a fallen comrade

advanced on the tanks, which concentrated their fire on him. Firing the

weapon alone, he damaged one and forced both to retire. S/Sgt. Jachman's

heroic action, in which he suffered fatal wounds, disrupted the entire

enemy attack, reflecting the highest credit upon himself and the parachute

infantry.

 

*FLAHERTY, FRANCIS C.

Rank and organization: Ensign, U.S. Naval Reserve. Born: 15 March 1919,
Charlotte, Mich. Accredited to: Michigan. Citation: For conspicuous devotion
to duty and extraordinary courage and complete disregard of his own life,
above and beyond the call of duty, during the attack on the Fleet in Pearl
Harbor, by Japanese forces on 7 December 1941. When it was seen that the
U.S.S. Oklahoma was going to capsize and the order was given to abandon
ship, Ens. Flaherty remained in a turret, holding a flashlight so the remainder
of the turret crew could see to escape, thereby sacrificing his own life.

 

*STOCKHAM, FRED W. (Army Medal)

Rank and organization: Gunnery Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps, 96th Company,
2d Battalion, 6th Regiment. Place and date: In Bois-de-Belleau, France,
13-14 June 1918. Entered service at: New York, N.Y. Birth: Detroit, Mich.
G.O. NO.:--. Citation: During an intense enemy bombardment with high explosive
and gas shells which wounded or killed many members of the company, G/Sgt.
Stockham, upon noticing that the gas mask of a wounded comrade was shot
away, without hesitation, removed his own gas mask and insisted upon giving
it to the wounded man, well knowing that the effects of the gas would be
fatal to himself. He continued with undaunted courage and valor to direct
and assist in the evacuation of the wounded, until he himself collapsed
from the effects of gas, dying as a result thereof a few days later. His
courageous conduct undoubtedly saved the lives of many of his wounded comrades
and his conspicuous gallantry and spirit of self-sacrifice were a source
of great inspiration to all who served with him.

Medal of Honor citations from The US Army Center for Military History

Also check out Doug Sterner's Home of Heroes.