2 Soldiers Awarded Posthumous Silvers Stars
The Stars & Stripes reports that two Soldiers of the 1-503rd were awarded Silver Stars posthumously for action under fire. Pfc. Harrison J. Meyer and Staff Sgt. Thomas Vitagliano were both killed in Ramadi, and were credited with knowingly placing themselves in harm's way in an effort to save their fellow Soldier's lives. The Silver Star is the 3rd highest medal of valor bestowed in the Army.
Pfc. Meyer, a medic in 3rd Platoon, D Company, was on a patrol on 11.26.2005, when a sniper shot Pvt. Brian Grant. Pfc. Meyer provided aid and comforted Pvt. Grant until he was evacuated, although he later died in a hospital. After the evacuation, the patrol moved to find the sniper. As they ran across a street, five soldiers were shot in the legs by a machine gunner. Pfc. Meyer, who was shot in the calf and abdomen, found cover, but four soldiers were exposed in the street. Without order, Pfc. Meyer ran back out to move his wounded comrades, and was shot several times and mortally wounded. He was 20 years old.
SSG Vitagliano, of 5th Platoon, C Company, was with several soldiers on a patrol in Ramadi on 1.17.2005 when they were attacked by RPG and machine-gun fire. During the fight, a taxi drove up, and the soldiers ordered all of the occupants out. The driver stayed in the vehicle and made strange movements. According to the after action report, SSG Vitagliano "placed himself between the vehicle and [another soldier] by pushing him out of the way of the vehicle... As the vehicle detonated, SSG Vitagliano was killed instantly." Two other soldiers also were killed. But the soldier Vitagliano pushed out of the way survived with wounds and internal bleeding." Pfc. George R. Geer and Pfc. Jesus Fonseca were the other two soldiers killed. SSG Vitagliano was 33 years old.
The article also has several statistics on the 2nd BCT:
- Number of soldiers in the 2nd brigade: 3900
- Number of 2nd Brigade soldiers killed: 68
- Purple Hearts awarded: 498, with "several hundred more pending"
- Silver Stars awarded to date: 2
- Bronze Stars awarded to date: 12
- Suspected insurgents captured or killed: 2100
Pfc. Meyer, a medic in 3rd Platoon, D Company, was on a patrol on 11.26.2005, when a sniper shot Pvt. Brian Grant. Pfc. Meyer provided aid and comforted Pvt. Grant until he was evacuated, although he later died in a hospital. After the evacuation, the patrol moved to find the sniper. As they ran across a street, five soldiers were shot in the legs by a machine gunner. Pfc. Meyer, who was shot in the calf and abdomen, found cover, but four soldiers were exposed in the street. Without order, Pfc. Meyer ran back out to move his wounded comrades, and was shot several times and mortally wounded. He was 20 years old.
SSG Vitagliano, of 5th Platoon, C Company, was with several soldiers on a patrol in Ramadi on 1.17.2005 when they were attacked by RPG and machine-gun fire. During the fight, a taxi drove up, and the soldiers ordered all of the occupants out. The driver stayed in the vehicle and made strange movements. According to the after action report, SSG Vitagliano "placed himself between the vehicle and [another soldier] by pushing him out of the way of the vehicle... As the vehicle detonated, SSG Vitagliano was killed instantly." Two other soldiers also were killed. But the soldier Vitagliano pushed out of the way survived with wounds and internal bleeding." Pfc. George R. Geer and Pfc. Jesus Fonseca were the other two soldiers killed. SSG Vitagliano was 33 years old.
The article also has several statistics on the 2nd BCT:
- Number of soldiers in the 2nd brigade: 3900
- Number of 2nd Brigade soldiers killed: 68
- Purple Hearts awarded: 498, with "several hundred more pending"
- Silver Stars awarded to date: 2
- Bronze Stars awarded to date: 12
- Suspected insurgents captured or killed: 2100
posted by Ryan Kirk @ 5:01 PM
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