Veterans Day/Medal of Honor
On November 11, we celebrate Veterans Day.
America is blessed with patriotic men and women who courageously served in conflict. Such service requires our reflection and appreciation.
One way we show appreciation is through the highest decorated military honor, the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Who has received the Medal of Honor?
What are their stories?
Unfortunately, I cannot tell all of their stories.
However, you can check out their stories at the Congressional Medal of Honor Society.
Notwithstanding all the stories, I can highlight those with known connections to Virginia’s Ninth District.
The Medal of Honor recipient list includes Russell County’s Patton George Whitehead (Whited).
Due to the lack of preservation of records, there is not much detail surrounding Private Whitehead’s service.
What we do know is he served the U.S. Army during the Indian Campaigns and received a Medal of Honor for gallantry in action.
In 1877, Private Whitehead was presented with the Medal of Honor, and his actions were significant enough to not only receive the Medal, but to have it to presented to him by General William T. Sherman.
The next Ninth District figure who received a Medal of Honor served during the Philippine Insurrection.
As part of their defeat in the 1898 Spanish-American War, Spain ceded its territory in the Philippines to the United States.
Nonetheless, American forces faced armed resistance and opposition from some Filipinos.
During the conflict, Army Corporal James Robert Lee Gillenwater of Rye Cove in Scott County was put in a position where he had to fend off a heavy insurgent force.
With the assistance of one other soldier, Corporal Gillenwater fought valiantly and carried two bodies from the field of action, one killed and one severely wounded.
In March 1902, Corporal Gillenwater received his Medal of Honor.
As the 20th century dawned, America was a rising power and world conflicts would challenge America.
We called upon new generations of servicemembers to rise to the occasion.
Facing these challenges, the U.S. Marine Corps delivered remarkable action during World War II.
By 1944, the United States was closing in on the Japanese homeland. American forces were deployed as part of Operation Stalemate II to combat Japanese forces on the island of Peleliu (peh-luh-loo).
Of those deployed to Peleliu was 20-year-old Corporal Lewis Kenneth Bausell of Pulaski.
On the first day of fighting, Corporal Bausell put himself at the head of his squad and led a charge against a hostile pillbox.
As the squad reached the pillbox, a live grenade was hurled towards the squad.
Corporal Bausell dove on top of the grenade to shield his men from the explosion, giving up his life.
America honored Corporal Bausell’s ultimate sacrifice by posthumously awarding him the Medal of Honor.
The National Museum of the Marine Corps describes Peleliu as “the bitterest battle of the war for the Marines” as the number of perished Marines exceeded that of any other amphibious operation in the Pacific Theater.
One of our bloodiest wars since World War II was the Vietnam War, where Carroll County’s Charles Bedford Morris participated in a truly devastating battle.
Despite a gunshot wound to his chest and sustaining several other wounds, Sergeant Morris engaged in combat, commanded his men, and even administered first aid to his wounded men and dragged the wounded to a protective area.
Morris’ platoon staved off the enemy and captured enemy ambush plans. Uncovering this information prevented an ambush and saved many lives.
Morris’ heroism was honored in 1967, when President Lyndon B. Johnson presented Morris the Medal of Honor at the White House.
Today, Morris is buried in Carroll County.
Another Vietnam Veteran is Marine Corps Captain Wesley Lee Fox.
Captain Fox faced heavy fire from a hidden enemy force as he led Company A, which had less than 90 active men out of 240.
Against all odds, Captain Fox steered his unit into a better position and beat back the enemy force. Captain Fox refused medical attention until his wounded men were evacuated.
President Nixon awarded Captain Fox the Medal of Honor in 1971.
After Fox retired from the Marines in 1993, he served eight years as Deputy Commandant of Cadets at Virginia Tech.
In 2015, I met Captain Fox at a Blacksburg Post Office ceremony. The ceremony showcased the unveiling of the Medal of Honor postage stamp.
If you know other stories, please share them with my office.
We honor all our veterans and these heroes on Veterans Day.
If you have questions, concerns, or comments, feel free to contact my office. You can call my Abingdon office at 276-525-1405 or my Christiansburg office at 540-381-5671. To reach my office via email, please visit my website at https://morgangriffith.house.gov/.
