OCR Text |
Show HILLTOP TIMES 4 TIMES October 8, 2009 iHola to National Hispanic Heritage Month! Honoring a true hero Master Sgt. Roy P. Benavidez 'Tango Mike, Mike' (His call sign, for That Mean Mexican) dragged Editofs Note: During Hispanic the woundHeritage Month recognition articles ed to the have so far introduced Loreta Janet aircraft Velazquez in "Local historical figure while remembered..." and U.S. Army, Priv. under David B. Barkley-Cantu in "Claiming extremely his heritage." We continue with our heavy enHispanic Heritage month of remememy fire. brance by introducing you to another During his Medal of Honor recipient, US. Army, efforts to Master Sgt. Roy P. Benavidez. His give the name and story were made known Master Sgt. Benavidez helicopafter his actions on May 2,1968, near ters the best advantage for deparLoc Ninh, Vietnam ture he ran alongside them to give BY STAFF SGT. SHANE W. BUSS them protective fire. Equal Opportunity Specialist As he returned to the deceased n May 2,1968, Staff Sgt. team leader's location he attempted Benavidez was at this time to gather his body and any classiassigned to Detachment fied records so they would not fall B-56,5th Special Forces Group, 1st into the hands of the enemy. UnSpecial Forces, Republic of Vietnam. fortunately, he was wounded by On that morning, while monitoring small arms fire to the abdomen and the operation of a tactical mission grenade fragments to his back. At the same time, a helicopter pilot was being conducted, those on the mission came under heavy enemy small mortally wounded causing a crash. arms fire. Benavidez returned to the downed The call went out for an emergen- craft and extracted the wounded cy evacuation of the ground patrol. and dead and set up a defensive fighting position. He distributed While many helicopter extractions ammunition and water to the men, attempts were made, they were not reinstalling the will to live and fight. able to gather all of the friendly forces. Benavidez, during the final extraction of his fellow soldiers, finally Upon the return of one helicopallowed himself to prepare to board ter to the danger zone Benavidez boarded the craft bound for his fel- the helicopter when he spotted two low soldiers. He realized that all the enemy soldiers that the helicopter team members were either severely gunner could not engage rushing the craft. He again put his life in danger wounded or dead and directed the killing them before they could do helicopter to a nearby clearing. any further damage. He then made While under fire, he then jumped a final inspection of the area to enfrom the helicopter and ran apsure no classified documents would proximately 75 meters to assist the crippled team. Prior to reaching the be left behind and then joined his team's position, Benavidez sustained fellow soldier. multiple injuries to his head, leg and Benavidez saved the lives of eight face. men while putting himself in harm's way and receiving multiple wounds. Despite his injuries, he took When the odds were against him, he charge of the situation. He began to reposition the team members for kept going showing pride in his fellow man and country. He was later the best possible extraction under awarded the Medal of Honor and the severe conditions. He redirectlater recognized by the U.S. Navy ed fire, loaded wounded and dead when they named a T-AKR 306, a team members, along with throw"Bob Hope" class ship, the USNS ing smoke canisters to direct the Benavidez. helicopters for extraction. He then BY STAFF SGT. SHANE W. BUSS Equal Opportunity Specialist I n the ongoing series of articles that introduce notable military members of Hispanic heritage during Hispanic Heritage Month, this article reviews an individual whose service lasted a total of 39 years. His name is Senior Master Sgt. Noel Sepulveda. Courtesy photo Sepulveda, now 53, was a HispanicAmerican member of the Air Force The Air Force Chief of Staff John P. Jumper pins Reserve as a medical inspector at the the Airman's Medal and Purple Heart to Master Air Force Inspection Agency, Kirtland Sgt. Noel Sepulveda on April 15, 2002. Air Force Base, N.M. Asking how many doctors, nurses and Sepulveda was born in Sangerman, Puerto Rico. When he was nine years old his people with medical experience were in the mother moved to New Jersey. Ten years later, crowd, he told the first person in line to get the names of every person with medical exhe joined the Air Force on April 12,1969. perience and tell him how many people there Arriving in Vietnam in February 1970, the were. sergeant returned to the United States on a Suddenly, he heard a voice saying, "Serlitter in July 1972. He was wounded while serving as a medic with the Army's 1st Cavgeant, get over here," turning towards the voice's direction was Air Force Surgeon alry Division. During Operation Desert Storm, Sepulveda General Lt. Gen. Paul K. Carlton. The general asked, "Sergeant, will you tell me what the served with the 822nd Aero-medical Staging Squadron, now called the 920th Rescue Wing, hell you're doing?" at Patrick Air Force Base, Fla. Sepulveda explained that he'd set up red, Then, Sept. 11,2001, he was working at green, blue and yellow areas, each color repthe Pentagon as a Reserve program manresenting the severity of injuries. For example, the red area meant people were seriously ager in the Air Force Strategies and Policies injured and needed treatment and transport office. Sepulveda witnessed the terrorist atas quickly as possible. Yellow meant the intack against the Pentagon that day and used jured people could wait a bit for treatment. his medic skills learned from the Vietnam War and Operation Desert Storm to help the "The general asked me, 'Where the hell did people trapped inside the Pentagon building. you learn that?'" Sepulveda said. "'Sir, I was a Pentagon police officer George Coldfelter medic in Vietnam and during Operation Desrecalled handing Sepulveda what he thought ert Storm, so I have a little bit of experience in this area.' was a bundle of rags, but turned out to be a baby. When Sepulveda opened the bundle, 'The general said, 'Great!' and called over the baby was limp — didn't have any life at the civilian healthcare director and told him, all. He started doing CPR as he ran towards 'Here's my on-site medical commander,'" the window to hand the baby to paramedSepulveda recalled. Then, the general apics. Slapping the baby on the back one last pointed Sepulveda as the onsite medical comtime, suddenly, the infant started crying. That mander and civilian coordinator. made Sepulveda feel better, "because I was From that point on, Sepulveda said, he cohanding out a boy who was alive and crying." ordinated all the medical assets at the site for approximately 11 days. Sepulveda and other rescuers rushed to a nearby tunnel and set up a triage area for For his action following the attacks at potential victims in case of another terrorist the Pentagon, Sepulveda was presented the attack. "By about noon, I was on U.S. Route 27 Purple Heart and Airman's Medal, the naabove the tunnel with a bullhorn, trying to get tion's highest award for heroism not involving everybody organized," the sergeant said. "Ev- combat with an enemy, by Air Force Chief of erybody wanted to help, but nobody had taken Staff Gen. John P. Jumper at the Pentagon on time to organize anything." April 15, 2002. O ICBMs From page 1 keep the Minuteman III operational past 2030," Fuit told the Hill AFB leadership in attendance at the ceremony last week. The first Atlas D model missile went on alert at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., October 1959. "This began our commitment to the highest standards of performance in maintaining security and operating a series of the most powerful land-based missiles known to man," said Col. James Fisher, 526th ICBMSG commander, in remarks read by Fuit at the ceremony. Fisher was unable to attend due to a temporary duty assignment. Fisher was also quoted in his commitment to maintaining the current priorities of U.S. Air Force leadership to reinvigorate its nu- clear enterprise. "We are returning to excellence in acquisition, supply and sustainment with more emphasis than ever before in zero-defects due to high consequences." Fisher referred to the Minuteman III missile as the most reliable and cost-effective tool ever used -. to defend the nation and is treating*;: the current task to sustain the Min*1 uteman III through 2030 "as one that will last forever — certainly for our foreseeable future." Fuit concluded the ceremony by noting that past and future successes could not be maintained by the ICBM group alone and they rely on the support of the Team Hill community. "There is no way we could do our mission successfully without the support of helping agencies, such as the (Ogden Air Logistics Center) and the 309th (Maintenance Wing),along with other industry partners; and our local community," Fuit said. JAMES ARROWOOD/U.S. Air Force Col. Calvin Williams (left), vice commander of the 75th Air Base Wing, and Master Sgt. Eric Kirvan of the 526th ICBM Systems Engineering Branch, talk to Mark Johnson, director of the Ogden Air Logistics Center, at the ICBM celebration on Oct. 1. A replica of an ICBM missile can be seen in the background. • Hill AFB Job Openings Site Internal civilian announcements are posted on the Air Force Personnel Center Web site. Announcements for bargaining unit positions are posted on Fridays. All other announcements may be posted any day of the week. The Civilian Announcement Notification System is a subscription e-mail service available to \ assist employees in their job search. i Self-nominations for posted announcements can be made on-line at www.afpc.randolph.af.mil/resweb. or via the interactive voice response system at 1-800-997-2378 and TDD 1-800-382-0893. • For info on NSPS visit http://www.cpms.osd.mil/nsps. Ready For The Cold If you conserve, you can save our economy! Here's HofiL.You Get $1,000 OFF YOUR NATURAL GAS HEATING SYSTEM!* LENNOX For A "High Efficiency" w Comfort System PLUS! System Tune Up "A green sticker means your furnace is properly set for altitude and gas composition." Up To $1,500 in Stimulus T^x Credits** /i (Saving You Up to $2,500 Totals) LENNOX QUSSTMR Gm Ujme Mom COM/OUT srsnus Innovation never felt so good." •\ 801-528-9770 950 W. Kershaw If you conserve, you ton save.. |