America's North Shore Journal

Silver Star Simmons, who just left the Army this week to attend college in Florida, was honored for his actions during a June 8 attack near the end of the battalion’s rotation. Enemy forces attacked while a CH-47 Chinook helicopter was in the process of lifting a vehicle off the compound. The noncommissioned officer in charge at the compound for Company C, Simmons helped direct the helicopter out of the combat zone, then assessed the situation, according to a narrative submitted for the award. Seeing that soldiers in the 120 mm mortar pit were pinned down and unable to fire, he ran to the 81 mm mortar and started returning fire. He was credited with firing 35 rounds by himself, despite being wounded by shrapnel. He then ran between U.S. positions to gather … Read entire article »