Vietnam vet receives long-overdue Silver Star

[unhappycamper]

Vietnam vet receives long-overdue Silver Star
By Chris Freiberg - Fairbanks Daily News-Miner via The Associated Press
Posted : Saturday Jan 19, 2008 6:48:52 EST

FAIRBANKS, Alaska — Nearly 40 years after he earned it for his actions during the Vietnam War, Andrew Wescott was finally awarded the Silver Star, the military’s fourth-highest decoration.

The former platoon sergeant was all smiles as Major Gen. Stephen Layfield, commanding general of U.S. Army Alaska, presented him with the award Wednesday.

“Just because we find something should be presented earlier doesn’t mean it’s forgotten,” Layfield said.

Wescott was awarded the Silver Star for his actions on the afternoon of Oct. 23, 1968, when he and his unit were sent to Vietnam’s demilitarized zone to assess the effects of recent bombings.

What they didn’t know was that the Viet Cong were already there, waiting for them. The platoon leader was ahead of the rest of the unit and died within moments of setting off an ambush. Wescott rushed into the fray to recover his body, taking several hits to his right side from small-arms fire in the process. He says the only thing that kept him going at that point was pure adrenaline.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/01/ap_silverstar_080118/

[democrank]

1. Bless you, Andrew Wescott.

~PEACE~