On May 4th of this year, an awards ceremony was held on the grounds of the 24th Marine Regiment in Kansas City Mo. Robert L. Rimpson, a PFC in the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War, was awarded the Bronze Star for his actions during Operation Starlite.
The genesis of Operation Starlite came from information provided by an enemy defector. In August of 1965, the commander of South Vietnamese forces in I Corps, Major General Nguyen Chanh Thi, met with Lieutenant General Lewis Walt, commander of Marine forces serving in Vietnam.
The 42nd Silver Star Medal earned by Marines fighting in OEF (Operation Enduring Freedom) and/or OIF (Operation Iraqi Freedom) was presented to Sergeant Miguel Madrigal on January 31st 2013, at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego. Sergeant Madrigal is a Warrior and a Patriot and I thank him for his service to our great Nation.
The Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD) San Diego CA is one of the show places of the Marine Corps. The facility is located adjacent to the San Diego International Airport (Lindbergh Field), and occupies approximately 400 acres. The Marine Corps Base at San Diego was originally established by Major General Joseph H. Pendleton in July of 1914. He recognized the strategic value of the harbor and surrounding areas as a place where Marines could be trained and deployed throughout the Pacific when needed.
On August 17 2010, Lance Corporal Jeffrey Cole found himself embarking upon another patrol. Although not an unusual event for a Marine, this particular patrol would end up having a profound impact on his life and the lives of his fellow Marines. At the time, LCpl Cole was serving in Marjah, which is located in the Helmand Province area of Afghanistan.
On May 18th, Sergeant Clifford Wooldridge was awarded the Navy Cross for his actions during combat operations in Afghanistan's Helmand Province. The award was presented by Undersecretary of the Navy, Robert Work, during a ceremony held at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms CA.
