Today's Medal of Honor Moment for 19 August

Heh.  Don't believe the ads. Satellite internet access is a viable choice only if your only other option is dial-up.  The weather is killing me here this week.  And it isn't good when the sky is clear, for that matter.   Unless other's pick up the slack - this is all there'll be today!

We open today's Medals with the Civil War, with an iconic flag capture, moving to a Canadian-born Sergeant assuming command after the officers are disable (I can hear the snickers now - "Oh, you mean from the time they left camp?") and even an uncharacteristically wordy citation for the Civil War era.
 

BROWN, CHARLES

Rank and organization: Sergeant, Company C, 50th Pennsylvania Infantry. Place and date: At Weldon Railroad, Va., 19 August 1864. Entered service at:------. Birth: Schuylkill County, Pa. Date of issue: 1 December 1864. Citation: Capture of flag of 47th Virginia Infantry (C.S.A.).

CAYER, OVILA

Rank and organization: Sergeant, Company A, 14th U.S. Volunteers. Place and date: At Weldon Railroad, Va., 19 August 1864. Entered service at:------. Birth: Canada. Date of issue: 15 February 1867. Citation: Commanded the regiment, all the officers being disabled.

HOTTENSTINE, SOLOMON J.

Rank and organization: Private, Company C, 107th Pennsylvania Infantry. Place and date: At Petersburg and Norfolk Railroad, Va., 19 August 1864. Entered service at: Philadelphia, Pa. Birth: Lehigh County, Pa. Date of issue: 2 February 1865. Citation: Captured flag belonging to a North Carolina regiment, and through a ruse led them into the arms of Federal troops.

KENNEDY, JOHN

Rank and organization: Private, Company M, 2d U.S. Artillery. Place and date: At Trevilian Station, Va., 11 June 1864. Entered service at: ------. Birth: Ireland. Date of issue: 19 August 1892. Citation: Remained at his gun, resisting with its implements the advancing cavalry, and thus secured the retreat of his detachment.

MARTIN, SYLVESTER H.

Rank and organization. Lieutenant, Company K, 88th Pennsylvania Infantry. Place and date: At Weldon Railroad, Va., 19 August 1864. Entered service at:------. Birth: Chester County, Pa. Date of issue: 5 April 1894. Citation: Gallantly made a most dangerous reconnaissance, discovering the position of the enemy and enabling the division to repulse an attack made in strong force.

TAYLOR, WILLIAM

Rank and organization: Sergeant, Co. H, and 2d Lt. Co. M, 1st Maryland Inf. Place and date: At Front Royal, Va., 23 May 1862. At Weldon Railroad, Va., 19 August 1864. Entered service at: ------. Birth: Washington, D.C. Date of issue: 2 August 1897. Citation: When a sergeant, at Front Royal, Va., he was painfully wounded while obeying an order to burn a bridge, but, persevering in the attempt, he burned the bridge and prevented its use by the enemy. Later, at Weldon Railroad, Va., then a lieutenant, he voluntarily took the place of a disabled officer and undertook a hazardous reconnaissance beyond the lines of the army; was taken prisoner in the attempt.

We then find ourselves with a Buffalo Soldier of the 9th Cavalry having a bad day in New Mexico, 1881.

 

WOODS, BRENT

Rank and organization: Sergeant, Company B, 9th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: New Mexico, 19 August 1881. Entered service at: Louisville, Ky. Birth: Pulaski County, Ky. Date of issue: 12 July 1894. Citation: Saved the lives of his comrades and citizens of the detachment.

The Medal takes a break until World War Two, in Italy. This is one of the awards that was awarded very late, after the review of probable discrimination in awards during WWII.
 

*NAKAE, MASATO

Private Masato Nakae distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action on 19 August 1944, near Pisa, Italy. When his submachine gun was damaged by a shell fragment during a fierce attack by a superior enemy force, Private Nakae quickly picked up his wounded comrade's M-1 rifle and fired rifle grenades at the steadily advancing enemy. As the hostile force continued to close in on his position, Private Nakae threw six grenades and forced them to withdraw. During a concentrated enemy mortar barrage that preceded the next assault by the enemy force, a mortar shell fragment seriously wounded Private Nakae. Despite his injury, he refused to surrender his position and continued firing at the advancing enemy. By inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy force, he finally succeeded in breaking up the attack and caused the enemy to withdraw. Private Nakae's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit on him, his unit, and the United States Army.

Then, the final two Medals for this day in history are in Vietnam, in Quang Tri, 3 years apart.  I think even Bill will stand in awe of the airmanship of Major Pless.
 

*FRATELLENICO, FRANK R.

Rank and organization Corporal, U.S. Army, Company B, 2d Battalion, 502d Infantry, 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division. Place and date: Quang Tri Province, Republic of Vietnam, 19 August 1970. Entered service at: Albany, N.Y. Born: 14 July 1951, Sharon, Conn. Citation: Cpl. Fratellenico distinguished himself while serving as a rifleman with Company B. Cpl. Fratellenico's squad was pinned down by intensive fire from 2 well-fortified enemy bunkers. At great personal risk Cpl. Fratellenico maneuvered forward and, using hand grenades, neutralized the first bunker which was occupied by a number of enemy soldiers. While attacking the second bunker, enemy fire struck Cpl. Fratellenico, causing him to fall to the ground and drop a grenade which he was preparing to throw. Alert to the imminent danger to his comrades, Cpl. Fratellenico retrieved the grenade and fell upon it an instant before it exploded. His heroic actions prevented death or serious injury to 4 of his comrades nearby and inspired his unit which subsequently overran the enemy position. Cpl. Fratellenico's conspicuous gallantry, extraordinary heroism, and intrepidity at the cost of his life, above and beyond the call of duty, are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit on him, his unit, and the U.S. Army.

PLESS, STEPHEN W.

Rank and organization: Major (then Capt.), U.S. Marine Corps, VMD-6, Mag-36, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing. Place and date: Near Quang Nai, Republic of Vietnam, 19 August 1967. Entered service at: Atlanta, Ga. Born: 6 September 1939, Newman, Ga. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a helicopter gunship pilot attached to Marine Observation Squadron 6 in action against enemy forces. During an escort mission Maj. Pless monitored an emergency call that 4 American soldiers stranded on a nearby beach were being overwhelmed by a large Viet Cong force. Maj. Pless flew to the scene and found 30 to 50 enemy soldiers in the open. Some of the enemy were bayoneting and beating the downed Americans. Maj. Pless displayed exceptional airmanship as he launched a devastating attack against the enemy force, killing or wounding many of the enemy and driving the remainder back into a treeline. His rocket and machinegun attacks were made at such low levels that the aircraft flew through debris created by explosions from its rockets. Seeing 1 of the wounded soldiers gesture for assistance, he maneuvered his helicopter into a position between the wounded men and the enemy, providing a shield which permitted his crew to retrieve the wounded. During the rescue the enemy directed intense fire at the helicopter and rushed the aircraft again and again, closing to within a few feet before being beaten back. When the wounded men were aboard, Maj. Pless maneuvered the helicopter out to sea. Before it became safely airborne, the overloaded aircraft settled 4 times into the water. Displaying superb airmanship, he finally got the helicopter aloft. Major Pless' extraordinary heroism coupled with his outstanding flying skill prevented the annihilation of the tiny force. His courageous actions reflect great credit upon himself and uphold the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the U.S. Naval Service.