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thedrifter
11-18-07, 07:20 AM
Decoration day
By JILLIAN COMPTON - jcompton@nwherald.com


Thousands of miles and hundreds of days separated Gunnery Sgt. Scott Ottesen on Sunday from the fighting that he saw during two tours in Iraq.

But the McHenry native and father of three finally received the medal he earned for his leadership in two skirmishes after U.S. Rep. Melissa Bean ushered the lost paperwork through the application process.

“While he’s been no less an hero without the medal, I know everyone here in the 8th District would like to see him get his medal,” Bean said, just before she pinned the medal to his dress uniform.

He received the honor on Veterans Day as Wauconda High School dedicated its Freedom Shrine, which is a framed collection of important documents such as the Declaration of Independence and the Gettysburg Address.

Ottesen said he was honored to receive the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with Combat Distinguishing Device. But he only looked out for his fellow Marines as any others would have.

“I’d rather have my Marines back than the medal,” he said. “There’s nothing I can do about that.”

He served in the Marines for four years after signing up on his 17th birthday and joined the reserves in 1994.

On April 5, 2005, his amphibious assault vehicle was directly hit by a rocket-propelled grenade as the convoy returned from a search for missiles or rockets buried in Haqlaniyah, a city 85 miles northwest of Baghdad. He led his section of four vehicles to cover the exposed soldiers.

“We returned fire until we were clear of the kill zone,” Ottesen said.

Almost four months later, his section maneuvered through intense fighting to take injured American and Iraqi soldiers to a rescue helicopter. The forces had been going door-to-door looking for insurgents July 28, 2005, when an insurgent shot a Marine through the door. That sparked a fierce battle.

“They were still fighting [as we rescued the injured,]” Ottesen said. “The insurgents were holed up in a two-story apartment building and the Marines were on another building.”

Ottesen likely will receive another medal for his service in 2003, but the paperwork for that still is being processed, Bean spokesman Jonathan Lipman said.

Ottesen’s message Sunday focused on supporting the troops still overseas. He remembered that his comrades especially enjoyed letters from grade-schoolers.

“Don’t give up on the troops there in Iraq,” he said. “We are winning this battle, no matter what you may hear in the newspaper.”

Ellie