CJ: For our troops, from our troops

Your assignment: Are you or someone you know currently serving in our Armed Forces?  Are you a veteran who served in combat? Please share your special memory of individuals with whom you served? Submit your report below:

"None Braver"
This tribute is to the airmen and soldiers who served at Bagram AB during Anaconda and to our good friends who didn't make it home. A special tribute to the 274th Forward Surgical Team, who I was attached to and met my best friend, but also the small group of PJs who taught me to work and hard and enjoy life even while we were being mortared. "Always, live large!" There are truly "None Braver." That was a life-changing time for me as we evacuated the wounded, but I served with people of great quality and I am better for it. You are my heroes!
--Leigh Ann Erdman, Maj, USAF

Aloha and Mahalo
I remember! The Vietnam Memorial seems to attract me every time I visit Washington D.C., on business or on vacation. I no longer have to refer to the guide to find the names of my friends CPT Ellis Greene or CPT Robert Williams and others with whom I served. I see the reflections of these young men surrounding 62-year-old me. I think of what lives they may have lived and suffer a tinge of guilt that I survived. Aloha Bob, Ellis and all my fellow veterans. Mahalo to the soldiers of today--God Bless you.
--Ty Fuller, LTC (Ret) U.S. Army, Waipahu, Hawaii

A tribute to those I led
The men I lead and fought with in Iraq last year will forever be in my thoughts as I would surely not be here now without them. They were and are magnificent warriors. Sgt. Ryan Gilbert, my young but ever so intuitive right hand man and often my conscience. Spc. Nick Pangelinan, my driver and shadow. Ever alert on the road, and could get a HMMWV through the eye of a needle if he needed to. Spc. Conyers Lamb, my master of rigging things up and making them work, something out of nothing was no challenge for him. Spc. Emmett Jarvis, my pit bull, with him on the machine gun I never worried about being covered, on a raid he was truly an unstoppable force. PFC Brent Harmon, my rock, so very cool and calm in a fight with limitless endurance. Pfc. Glenn Brewer, my most versatile soldier, when pared with any in the section they became a deadly "one, two punch". He was often taken from me to be the Commanders gunner on certain missions. Spc. Devin "Dirty Red" Rogers, extremely intelligent and hardworking but accident-prone and a dirt magnet. Pfc. Louis Abreu, a good heart and such a happy go lucky persona, attributes not normally associated with a warrior. He could turn it off in an instant and make his machine gun sing. Pvt. Trevor Hawthorn, the last man to join our team. He came to us in what would turn out to be our last months in country and we all had our doubts about him. All those doubts went away on June 3 2004 when he earned his CIB in a raid that shook the pillars of heaven. Last but not least, Pfc. Bradley Cuatt, "THE Cuatt" as he was known, accident prone and disorganized but when the rubber met the road he was there. When my Section became "over strength" with personnel he was moved to another platoon. He was severely wounded in the leg during a night ambush in Kufa, Iraq. One of those things when the platoon did every thing right but stuff still went wrong. I will always wonder what would have been if I had fought to keep him with me. It was an honor and a blessing to fight with these fine Infantrymen. They were easy to lead and they pushed me to be a better leader, I will be forever in their debt.
--SSG Robert R. McBride U.S. Army, Ft. Benning Georgia

No monuments or statues yet, just memories
I would like to give special thanks to 5-52 ADA and the 507th Maintenance Company, who were the bravest of all air defenders and demonstrated that by going straight into the valley of death, braving bullets, RPGs and mortars on their dangerous trek to Baghdad. These brave air defenders and maintenance Soldiers took the air defense fight straight to the enemy's heart. For they complained to no one, they just simply performed their duty with undaunted courage never turning tale but facing a tacit adversary and fighting back against all odds. No monuments or statues have yet to be erected to honor these heroes of 5-52 ADA and the 507th only the memory of their heroic deeds remains in the hearts and minds of those of us, who witnessed their bravery in the line of fire. 5-52 ADA and the 507th Maintenance Company we salute you.
--Enrico Tamez, El Paso, Texas

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