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The
US Army in
the
War on Terrorism
[Dedicated to Natalie
Elizabeth C. Ploessl, WI ARNG]
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On November 4, 1979,
militant Islamic students stormed the US Embassy in Tehran, Iran, and
took more than 90 people hostage. The Revolutionary Guards and police
did nothing to stop the take-over and Ayatollah Khomeini, who assumed
control of Iran in February, voiced his support for the
occupation. The American hostages were held until January 21,
1981; 444 days.
On April 18, 1983, 63
people were killed and 120 were injured in a 400-pound suicide
truck-bomb attack on the US Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon.
On October 23, 1983, simultaneous suicide attacks were made on US
and French compounds in Beirut, Lebanon. A 12,000-pound bomb
destroyed the US compound, killing 242, while 58 French troops were
killed when a 400-pound device destroyed their base.
On
October 7, 1985, the cruise ship, Achille Lauro, was seized by four
terrorists. One of the terrorists shot Leon
Klinghoffer, a 79 year old, wheelchair-bound, American
passenger whose body they then threw into the sea.
On
August 2, 1990, the Iraqi dictator, Saddam Hussein, began the
unprovoked invasion of his small, southern,
neighbor; Kuwait. On
November 29, the United Nations set the deadline for
Iraqi forces to leave Kuwait; January 15, 1991, midnight
EST.
On January 16, 1991, at
6:38 p.m. EST;
Operation DESERT STORM was announced, "The liberation of Kuwait has
begun!"
On December 9, 1992, Operation RESTORE HOPE; the first US troops landed in
Somalia to assist the UN in securing humanitarian relief from drug
warlords and delivering it to the people.
On February 26, 1993,
a massive explosion occurred in a parking garage of the World Trade
Center in New York City. Six people were killed, and more than 1,000
injured.
On
June 25, 1996, the
explosion of a fuel truck set off by terrorists outside the northern
fence of the Khobar Towers complex near King Abdul Aziz Air Base, Saudi
Arabia, killed 19 US military and injured over 260.
On
August 7, 1998, nearly
simultaneous bombings occurred at the US Embassies in Nairobi, Kenya
and Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. In Nairobi 291 people were killed and over
5,000 wounded. Ten people were killed and 77 injured in Dar Es Salaam.
On
October 12, 2000, two suicide bombers detonated their
explosives-packed boat next to the USS Cole in Aden, Yemen, killing 17
US sailors and wounding 39.
On September 11, 2001,
the United States was attacked by terrorists sent by fanatics. More
than 3,000 people were killed in New York City, Washington, DC, and a
Pennsylvania farm field. To quote FDR, "A date which will live in
infamy."
On
October 7, 2001, Operation ENDURING FREEDOM and airstrikes were begun
on
Al-Qaeda and Taliban positions in Afghanistan.
On March 20, 2003, Operation
IRAQI FREEDOM was announced, "The liberation
of Iraq has begun!"
On
October 9, 2004, the free people of Afghanistan cast votes for their
first democratically elected head of state.
On January 30,
2005, the free people of Irag held their
By December 8,
2005, Afghanistan has gone from two decades of brutal warfare,
including the Soviet occupation, civil war, and the Taliban regime, to
having a constitution, a democratically elected President, a
representative National Assembly, and Provincial Councils. Roads,
wells, schools, and clinics are being built around the country and
millions of children are going to school for the very first time.
On March 16, 2006, the 230-person Council of Representatives of the
free nation of Iraq
convened its inaugural meeting. The members were chosen in nation-wide
and fairly violence-free elections in December 2005. Iraq's political
leaders were continuing discussions to select key cabinet members for
the new executive branch of the government.
After his trial, former dictator of Iraq, Suddam Hussein was sentenced
to be hanged for murdering his own people. The death sentence was
upheld by an appellate court chief and carried out on December 30, 2006.
On February 11, 2007, Iraqi officials showed the world weapons; including mortar shells,
rocket-propelled grenades, and explosively formed penetrators; that
were manufactured in Iranian factories and used against Iraqi troops.
They also claim that Iranian government officials sanctioned the
transfer of the weapons to Iraq.
Medal of Honor
Master Sergeant
Gary I. Gordon
US Army
Lincoln,
Maine
Task Force RANGER
US Army Spec Ops Cmd
Mogadishu, Somalia
1993
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Medal
of Honor
Sergeant First Class
Randall D. Shughart
US Army
Newville,
Pennsylvania
Task Force RANGER
US Army Spec Ops Cmd
Mogadishu, Somalia
1993
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Medal
of Honor
Sergeant First Class
Paul R. Smith
US Army
Holiday,
Florida
11th Engineer Bn,
3d Infantry Div (Mech)
Baghdad
Airport, Iraq
2003 |
Medal of Honor
Corporal
Jason L. Dunham
US Marine Corps
Scio,
New York
3d Bn/7th Marine Rgt,
1st Marine Div
Al Anbar Province, Iraq
2004
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Medal of Honor
Lieutenant
Michael P. Murphy
US Navy
Patchogue,
New York
SEAL VDT-1,
SOC-Central
Asadabad, Afghanistan
2005
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Medal of Honor
Master-at-Arms
2C
Michael A. Monsoor
US Navy
h
Garden Grove,
California
SEAL VDT-3,
SOC-Central
Ramadi, Iraq
2006
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Insignia of Rank
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