XPost: alt.politics, az.politics, tx.politics   
   From: NoObedienceSkills@NoSubservienceSkills.NoComplianceSkills   
      
   ALFRED V. RASCON   
      
   Rank and organization:Specialist Fourth Class, U.S. Army, Reconnaissance   
   Platoon, Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion (Airborne), 503rd Infantry,173d   
   Airborne Brigade (Separate)   
   Place and date: Republic of Vietnam, 16 March 1966   
   Entered service at: ----   
   Born:1945, Chihuahua, Mexico   
      
   Citation:   
      
   "Specialist Four Alfred Rascon, distinguished himself by a series of   
   extraordinarily courageous acts on 16 March 1966, while assigned as a medic   
   to the Reconnaissance Platoon, Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion   
   (Airborne), 503rd Infantry, 173d Airborne Brigade (Separate). While moving   
   to reinforce its sister battalion under intense enemy attack, the   
   Reconnaissance Platoon came under heavy fire from a numerically superior   
   enemy force. The intense enemy fire from crew-served weapons and grenades   
   severely wounded several point squad soldiers. Specialist Rascon, ignoring   
   directions to stay behind shelter until covering fire could be provided,   
   made his way forward. He repeatedly tried to reach the severely wounded   
   point machine-gunner laying on an open enemy trail, but was driven back each   
   time by the withering fire. Disregarding his personal safety, he jumped to   
   his feet, ignoring flying bullets and exploding grenades to reach his   
   comrade. To protect him from further wounds, he intentionally placed his   
   body between the soldier and enemy machine guns, sustaining numerous   
   shrapnel injuries and a serious wound to the hip. Disregarding his serious   
   wounds he dragged the larger soldier from the fire-raked trail. Hearing the   
   second machine-gunner yell that he was running out of ammunition, Specialist   
   Rascon, under heavy enemy fire crawled back to the wounded machine-gunner   
   stripping him of his bandoleers of ammunition, giving them to the   
   machine-gunner who continued his suppressive fire. Specialist Rascon fearing   
   the abandoned machine gun, its ammunition and spare barrel could fall into   
   enemy hands made his way to retrieve them. On the way, he was wounded in the   
   face and torso by grenade fragments, but disregarded these wounds to recover   
   the abandoned machine gun, ammunition and spare barrel items, enabling   
   another soldier to provide added suppressive fire to the pinned-down squad.   
   In searching for the wounded, he saw the point grenadier being wounded by   
   small arms fire and grenades being thrown at him. Disregarding his own life   
   and his numerous wounds, Specialist Rascon reached and covered him with his   
   body absorbing the blasts from the exploding grenades, and saving the   
   soldier's life, but sustaining additional wounds to his body. While making   
   his way to the wounded point squad leader, grenades were hurled at the   
   sergeant. Again, in complete disregard for his own life, he reached and   
   covered the sergeant with his body, absorbing the full force of the grenade   
   explosions. Once more Specialist Rascon was critically wounded by shrapnel,   
   but disregarded his own wounds to continue to search and aid the wounded.   
   Severely wounded, he remained on the battlefield, inspiring his fellow   
   soldiers to continue the battle. After the enemy broke contact, he   
   disregarded aid for himself, instead treating the wounded and directing   
   their evacuation. Only after being placed on the evacuation helicopter did   
   he allow aid to be given to him. Specialist Rascon's extraordinary valor in   
   the face of deadly enemy fire, his heroism in rescuing the wounded, and his   
   gallantry by repeatedly risking his own life for his fellow soldiers are in   
   keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great   
   credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army."   
      
   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_V._Rascon   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)