SFC Paul Ray Smith awarded Congressional Medal of Honor Posthumously

Let's remember that America has a lot of heroes. This is one of them.

The Washington Post

By Peter Baker
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, April 5, 2005; Page A01

"Ambushed, outnumbered and under fire, Sgt. 1st Class Paul Ray Smith took matters into his own hands. Jumping on top of an armored vehicle in place of its injured crew, he aimed a .50-caliber machine gun at the advancing Iraqi Republican Guard and opened fire.

"By the time he had gone through three ammunition belts, the enemy attack had been repulsed and his unit saved. According to the Army's official account, Smith single-handedly killed 20 to 50 enemy soldiers and saved 100 of his own. The only American to die in the skirmish that night outside Baghdad was Smith, struck down by a bullet to the head."

Let's remember Sgt. First Class Paul Ray Smith, who joins with the two most recent previous winners of the CMO, Sgt. First Class Randall Shughart and Master Sgt. Gary Gordon the two Ranger Sergeants in Mogadishu in 1993 who knew they were needed to battle the combatants going after the downed Blackhawk helicopter and told the pilot of the helicopter they were in to put them down into the middle of the firefight. Sadly, the CMO is mostly awarded posthumously.

Remember these Americans who gave their lives for us.