9 月 20 日对大多美国人来说就是一个非常平常的周五，入秋的季节，天高气爽，海风吹过，温温凉沁，掠去了南加州圣地亚哥的燥热。近千人，包括一群记者，聚集在圣地亚哥的美国海军陆战队新兵训练营内，举行一个非常不寻常的仪式。 Marine Corps Recruit Depot - Brig. Gen. Chip W. Bierman, commanding general of Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego and Western Recruiting Region, awards Joe B. Cordileone the Silver Star medal during a morning colors ceremony aboard Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, Sept. 20. Cordileone, now the chief deputy San Diego City Attorney, was awarded the Silver Star medal for his actions during the first Battle of Khe Sanh on April 30, 1967. While serving as a rifleman with Company M, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, Cordileone’s company was attacked by a numerically superior enemy force. During the attack Cordileone unhesitatingly advanced multiple times to recover wounded Marines while exposing himself to sniper fire and sustaining fragmentation wounds. His actions saved the lives of at least 10 Marines. “The Corps taught us discipline, self-discipline, how to face adversity, instilled the will to keep going and continue no matter what,” said Cordileone, a San Diego, Calif. native. “The Marine Corps showed me that there are things greater than myself. It made me part of a family that I could rely on no matter what the hardship, no matter what the cost.” 现任圣地亚哥市首席监察官的 Joe B. Cordileone 在这里接受了由美国总统、三军总司令奥巴马签发并授予的银星勋章。在 1967 年 4 月 30 日的一次越战溪山战役中，作为一名步兵枪手的 Joe 和战友们一起攻击了数量上占优势的敌方的进攻，并多次毫不犹豫地抢救受伤的海军陆战队员，挽救了至少 10 海军陆战队的生命，而他自己却暴露的对方的冷枪之下，造成自己全身各处粉碎性骨折。 Joe 在授勋仪式上说：“海军陆战队教导我们什么是纪律，自律，如何面对逆境，灌输我们，无论在任何境况下，都要坚持。海军陆战队的精神就是总体的利益永远高于个人利益，我永远是这个大家庭里的一部分，无论在何时何地，无论有任何困难，不管以何种代价，这里，都是我的依靠。” 授勋 演讲 Marine Corps Recruit Depot - Brig. Gen. Chip W. Bierman, commanding general of Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego and Western Recruiting Region, awards Robert T. Moffatt the Bronze Star medal with combat distinguishing device during a morning colors ceremony aboard Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, Sept. 20. While serving as an assistant machine gunner with Company M, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, during the First Battle of Khe Sanh on April 30, 1967, Moffatt’s company was attacked by a numerically superior enemy force. When Moffatt’s machine gunner was mortally wounded, he unhesitatingly took charge of the machine-gun and continued engaging the enemy with suppressive fire. He exposed himself continuously to extreme danger knowing his Marines needed his protective fire to sustain their counterattack. During the attack Moffatt sustained severe head wounds, however, his disregard for his own safety saved the lives of his fellow Marines. “We were just young Marines defending our country,” said Moffatt, who currently resides in Riverside, Calif. “We were doing whatever it required to save each other’s lives, including giving our own. Once a Marine, Always a Marine.” 同一个仪式上，原机枪手 Robert T. Moffatt 被授予铜星勋章，同样是在溪山战役中， Robert 身边的机枪手身受重伤， Robert 毫不犹豫地拿过机枪射击以压制对方的火力，而他自己却暴露在对方的火力之下，造成脑部受伤，后来在医院里接受了多年的康复治疗。他在授勋仪式的讲演中详细的讲述了那场战斗的经过，多次落泪，也让在场的所有人为之动容，他说：“我是 1965 年在这里受训的，当时我不喜欢这里，我们就是一群年轻的海军陆战队员，为了国家，我们出生入死， Joe ， 感谢你和我的海军陆战队友们，是你们把我从战场上救下来，没有你们，我今天不会站在这里。现在看看这个兵营，感觉还是不错的，我要对今天即将毕业的新一代海军陆战队队员们说，我们每一个人都会不惜一切代价来掩护我们队友的生命，甚至不惜牺牲自己的生命， Once a Marine, Always a Marine.” 授勋 演讲 老兵 军官 动容
标签: 圣地亚哥
