thedrifter
12-12-08, 05:52 AM
CAMP SCHWAB, Okinawa (December 12, 2008) -- Marines who return to Okinawa from the fight sometimes return with stories of war; covering the Marine to their left and right, even putting themselves in harm's way for their comrades.
But for three Marines with 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion who recently returned from Iraq, it was different. Their actions went above and beyond the average story.
The Marines were awarded Bronze Stars with combat distinguishing devices, Nov. 26, during a ceremony at the Reconnaissance Battalion headquarters here, for their heroic actions in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
"I'm just in absolute awe, standing there with my legs shaking as those warrants were read. I thought: my God, I'm standing amongst heroes," said Lt. Col. Oliver B. Spencer, commanding officer of 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, after the ceremony.
Capt. Luke Lazzo
While searching abandoned houses in the Al Jazeera Desert, Lazzo's platoon was ambushed with heavy small arms fire, wounding three Marines.
Exposing himself to enemy fire, Lazzo provided cover fire to allow three of his Marines to withdraw from the building where enemy fire was concentrated.
Realizing one Marine was still inside the building, Lazzo directed fire for his platoon while they took up fighting positions around the building. Inspired by his actions, the platoon continued to engage the enemy inside the building.
When a second breach point was made, Lazzo led one of two teams into the building and engaged the enemy while attempting to extract the fallen Marine from the rubble.
Despite receiving small arms fire, he continued to dig until the Marine was recovered and moved to safety.
After Lazzo cleared the building, he positioned his vehicles to create a 360-degree defensive perimeter with interlocking fields of fire, obtained accountability of all personnel and gear and directed airstrikes on the remaining insurgents inside the house.
"Everyone involved thought about everybody else out there before they thought about themselves. That's just the kind of platoon we have," Lazzo said.
Sgt. Scott D. Redmond
On July 10, while conducting a foot-mobile insert to a clandestine observation post, one of the Marines in Redmond's five-man reconnaissance team tripped an anti-personnel mine in an uncharted minefield.
Redmond, a corporal at the time, immediately fell to his knees after suffering leg wounds from two pieces of shrapnel.
He performed first aid on his own wounds and then looked to assist his fellow team members.
"It felt like a bee sting in the back of my leg and I heard a very loud noise," Redmond said. "The adrenaline rush is so much that you don't feel it as much."
Upon hearing the calls of help from nearby Marines, Redmond, aware of the danger, advanced through the minefield to aid his comrades.
After stabilizing the casualties, he evacuated one of the injured Marines out of the minefield to the casualty collection point.
Ignoring his own injuries, Redmond treated the wounds of the other two Marines and assisted in their evacuation to a medical treatment facility.
His actions prevented any further casualties, and preserved the life and limbs of two severely wounded Marines.
"It was just pure muscle memory. I knew what to do without thinking about it every inch of the way," Redmond said.
Sgt. George J. Callum
During mounted and dismounted clearing operations, Callum's platoon was engaged by enemy insurgents brandishing small arms and fragmentation grenades.
When Callum arrived, he quickly dismounted his vehicle and began firing at insurgents inside the building and identifying targets for his vehicle's crew-served weapon to engage.
Throughout the hour-long engagement, Callum continuously exposed himself to enemy fire while moving between several covered positions to engage insurgents in the house.
"Everyone out there was exposed to enemy fire, and just trying to get the job done and defeat the enemy," Callum said.
While moving to another position, a fragmentation grenade detonated several yards away and knocked him off his feet. Callum immediately regained his bearing and continued moving to his intended firing position to engage the enemy.
During the effort to extract the wounded Marine from the building, Marines became aware of an insurgent priming a grenade amidst the rubble.
As one of the Marines jumped out of the building to avoid the blast, Callum used his own body to shield the Marine from the grenade's fragmentation.
Sgt. Michael H. Ferschke, a team leader with Company A, 3rd Reconnaissance Bn. was killed in action during the engagement.
"I'd rather give this award back and every other award that was given to everyone else during this deployment, to have Ferschke standing next to us right now," Callum said.
Callum said there are plenty of other Marines in the platoon who acted heroically and deserve awards.
"Its reassuring to know that the training, the camaraderie and cohesiveness that we built in the several months of training prior to the deployment, and during the deployment, that these guys would act and respond that way," Lazzo said.
Spencer said he listens to the audio book of Flags of Our Fathers, and after hearing of what the Marines on Iwo Jima were able to accomplish, he wanted to meet Marines of that caliber.
After hearing the warrants read for the Marines in his unit, he said he doesn't need to go out to meet those heroes from past wars that epitomize the Corps, those high caliber Marines are right here in his battalion.
But for three Marines with 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion who recently returned from Iraq, it was different. Their actions went above and beyond the average story.
The Marines were awarded Bronze Stars with combat distinguishing devices, Nov. 26, during a ceremony at the Reconnaissance Battalion headquarters here, for their heroic actions in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
"I'm just in absolute awe, standing there with my legs shaking as those warrants were read. I thought: my God, I'm standing amongst heroes," said Lt. Col. Oliver B. Spencer, commanding officer of 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, after the ceremony.
Capt. Luke Lazzo
While searching abandoned houses in the Al Jazeera Desert, Lazzo's platoon was ambushed with heavy small arms fire, wounding three Marines.
Exposing himself to enemy fire, Lazzo provided cover fire to allow three of his Marines to withdraw from the building where enemy fire was concentrated.
Realizing one Marine was still inside the building, Lazzo directed fire for his platoon while they took up fighting positions around the building. Inspired by his actions, the platoon continued to engage the enemy inside the building.
When a second breach point was made, Lazzo led one of two teams into the building and engaged the enemy while attempting to extract the fallen Marine from the rubble.
Despite receiving small arms fire, he continued to dig until the Marine was recovered and moved to safety.
After Lazzo cleared the building, he positioned his vehicles to create a 360-degree defensive perimeter with interlocking fields of fire, obtained accountability of all personnel and gear and directed airstrikes on the remaining insurgents inside the house.
"Everyone involved thought about everybody else out there before they thought about themselves. That's just the kind of platoon we have," Lazzo said.
Sgt. Scott D. Redmond
On July 10, while conducting a foot-mobile insert to a clandestine observation post, one of the Marines in Redmond's five-man reconnaissance team tripped an anti-personnel mine in an uncharted minefield.
Redmond, a corporal at the time, immediately fell to his knees after suffering leg wounds from two pieces of shrapnel.
He performed first aid on his own wounds and then looked to assist his fellow team members.
"It felt like a bee sting in the back of my leg and I heard a very loud noise," Redmond said. "The adrenaline rush is so much that you don't feel it as much."
Upon hearing the calls of help from nearby Marines, Redmond, aware of the danger, advanced through the minefield to aid his comrades.
After stabilizing the casualties, he evacuated one of the injured Marines out of the minefield to the casualty collection point.
Ignoring his own injuries, Redmond treated the wounds of the other two Marines and assisted in their evacuation to a medical treatment facility.
His actions prevented any further casualties, and preserved the life and limbs of two severely wounded Marines.
"It was just pure muscle memory. I knew what to do without thinking about it every inch of the way," Redmond said.
Sgt. George J. Callum
During mounted and dismounted clearing operations, Callum's platoon was engaged by enemy insurgents brandishing small arms and fragmentation grenades.
When Callum arrived, he quickly dismounted his vehicle and began firing at insurgents inside the building and identifying targets for his vehicle's crew-served weapon to engage.
Throughout the hour-long engagement, Callum continuously exposed himself to enemy fire while moving between several covered positions to engage insurgents in the house.
"Everyone out there was exposed to enemy fire, and just trying to get the job done and defeat the enemy," Callum said.
While moving to another position, a fragmentation grenade detonated several yards away and knocked him off his feet. Callum immediately regained his bearing and continued moving to his intended firing position to engage the enemy.
During the effort to extract the wounded Marine from the building, Marines became aware of an insurgent priming a grenade amidst the rubble.
As one of the Marines jumped out of the building to avoid the blast, Callum used his own body to shield the Marine from the grenade's fragmentation.
Sgt. Michael H. Ferschke, a team leader with Company A, 3rd Reconnaissance Bn. was killed in action during the engagement.
"I'd rather give this award back and every other award that was given to everyone else during this deployment, to have Ferschke standing next to us right now," Callum said.
Callum said there are plenty of other Marines in the platoon who acted heroically and deserve awards.
"Its reassuring to know that the training, the camaraderie and cohesiveness that we built in the several months of training prior to the deployment, and during the deployment, that these guys would act and respond that way," Lazzo said.
Spencer said he listens to the audio book of Flags of Our Fathers, and after hearing of what the Marines on Iwo Jima were able to accomplish, he wanted to meet Marines of that caliber.
After hearing the warrants read for the Marines in his unit, he said he doesn't need to go out to meet those heroes from past wars that epitomize the Corps, those high caliber Marines are right here in his battalion.