America's North Shore Journal

On March 25 I posted an article titled Iraq: Amazing News From Combat. In it I told the story of a small group of Kentucky National Guard troops who were ambushed by a vastly superior force in Iraq, and their incredible response to the attack.

Well, the reports have gone up the chain of command, and Raven 42 has been recognized for its heroics. Castle Argghhh has the awards, and they are impressive.

The team leader who helped clear the trench of enemy has been awarded the Silver Star. Unusual? Not really. Oh, wait, yes it is. That team leader is Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester, the first woman to win a Silver Star since World War Two.

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When the fight was over, 27 insurgents were dead, six were wounded, and one was captured.

Hester, 23, who was born in Bowling Green, Ky., and later moved to Nashville, Tenn., said she was surprised when she heard she was being considered for the Silver Star.

“I’m honored to even be considered, much less awarded, the medal,” she said. Being the first woman soldier since World War II to receive the medal is significant to Hester. But, she said, she doesn’t dwell on the fact. “It really doesn’t have anything to do with being a female,” she said. “It’s about the duties I performed that day as a soldier.”

Hester, who has been in the National Guard since April 2001, said she didn’t have time to be scared when the fight started, and she didn’t realize the impact of what had happened until much later. “Your training kicks in and the soldier kicks in,” she said. “It’s your life or theirs. … You’ve got a job to do — protecting yourself and your fellow comrades.”

Nein, who is on his second deployment to Iraq, praised Hester and his other soldiers for their actions that day. “It’s due to their dedication and their ability to stay there and back me up that we were able to do what we did that day,” he said.

Hester and her fellow soldiers were awarded their medals at Camp Liberty, Iraq, by Army Lt. Gen. John R. Vines, Multinational Corps Iraq commanding general. In his speech, Vines commended the soldiers for their bravery and their contribution to the international war on terror. “My heroes don’t play in the (National Basketball Association) and don’t play in the U.S. Open (golf tournament) at Pinehurst,” Vines said. “They’re standing in front of me today. These are American heroes.”

Three soldiers of the 617th were wounded in the ambush. Hester said she and the other squad members are thinking about them, and she is very thankful to have made it through unscathed. The firefight, along with the entire deployment, has had a lasting effect on her, Hester said. “I think about it every day, and probably will for the rest of my life,” she said.