thedrifter
08-02-05, 12:42 PM
Major honored for Iraq rescue
By John Hoellwarth
Times staff writer
A major from Baton Rouge, La., was awarded the Silver Star on July 14 for gallantry in combat while serving as the commander of Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, in Iraq.
Then-Capt. Jason E. Smith led a rescue convoy through Fallujah on April 13, 2004, to reach Marines surrounded by enemy forces who needed support to evacuate casualties.
“To me, it wasn’t an option to just leave those guys there,” said Smith, whose father Walter Smith was awarded a Silver Star for gallantry during the Vietnam War.
Smith, who returned from Iraq more than a year ago, is now serving as an inspector-instructor with 3rd Battalion, 23rd Marines, in Baton Rouge.
In Iraq, Smith set out to find the stranded Marines without accurate information about their location. Instead, his award citation said, Smith relied on smoke from a disabled Amphibious Assault Vehicle to guide his convoy to the platoon.
Insurgents in Fallujah increased their fire to keep Smith’s convoy from reaching the surrounded Marines. Whenenemy fire forced the line of vehicles to a crawling pace, Smith dismounted his vehicle and rushed forward to lead the convoy on foot.
“Disregarding his own personal safety and while exposed to enemy fire, Captain Smith returned fire and coordinated counter-attacks on enemy militia,” reads his citation.
Once he reached the stranded platoon, Smith organized a defensive perimeter and supervised the evacuation of the platoon’s casualties.
He found the body of a Marine inside a disabled vehicle and ordered a tank to tow the vehicle back to the base camp.
Smith then traveled on foot behind his Marines’ convoy until it reached friendly territory.
The citation said his “calm demeanor and forceful character bolstered the fighting spirit of his Marines.” It described his leadership as “bold,” his judgment as “wise” and lauded his “total dedication to duty.”
The medal, the nation’s third-highest for valor, was presented to Smith during a ceremony at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans, in Belle Chasse, La.
— With Associated Press reports
Ellie
By John Hoellwarth
Times staff writer
A major from Baton Rouge, La., was awarded the Silver Star on July 14 for gallantry in combat while serving as the commander of Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, in Iraq.
Then-Capt. Jason E. Smith led a rescue convoy through Fallujah on April 13, 2004, to reach Marines surrounded by enemy forces who needed support to evacuate casualties.
“To me, it wasn’t an option to just leave those guys there,” said Smith, whose father Walter Smith was awarded a Silver Star for gallantry during the Vietnam War.
Smith, who returned from Iraq more than a year ago, is now serving as an inspector-instructor with 3rd Battalion, 23rd Marines, in Baton Rouge.
In Iraq, Smith set out to find the stranded Marines without accurate information about their location. Instead, his award citation said, Smith relied on smoke from a disabled Amphibious Assault Vehicle to guide his convoy to the platoon.
Insurgents in Fallujah increased their fire to keep Smith’s convoy from reaching the surrounded Marines. Whenenemy fire forced the line of vehicles to a crawling pace, Smith dismounted his vehicle and rushed forward to lead the convoy on foot.
“Disregarding his own personal safety and while exposed to enemy fire, Captain Smith returned fire and coordinated counter-attacks on enemy militia,” reads his citation.
Once he reached the stranded platoon, Smith organized a defensive perimeter and supervised the evacuation of the platoon’s casualties.
He found the body of a Marine inside a disabled vehicle and ordered a tank to tow the vehicle back to the base camp.
Smith then traveled on foot behind his Marines’ convoy until it reached friendly territory.
The citation said his “calm demeanor and forceful character bolstered the fighting spirit of his Marines.” It described his leadership as “bold,” his judgment as “wise” and lauded his “total dedication to duty.”
The medal, the nation’s third-highest for valor, was presented to Smith during a ceremony at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans, in Belle Chasse, La.
— With Associated Press reports
Ellie