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Ret. Marine 1st Sgt. John Lord honored at ball; four fellow unit members present<\/strong> Today’s Guest Post is brought to us by HMCS(FMF).<\/span><\/p>\n Fifty years after Ret. Marine 1st Sgt. John Lord led his unit through an ambush during the Vietnam War, he was awarded the Navy Cross for his efforts.<\/p>\n The Navy Cross is the second highest award a Marine can receive, outranked only by the Medal of Honor.<\/p>\n Lord first received the Bronze Star for his efforts in 1975, seven years after he put himself in the crosshairs of a hidden North Vietnamese Army battalion to rescue his wounded comrades.<\/p>\n On that fateful day, July 28, 1968, Lord\u2019s platoon commander and senior leadership were wounded during an ambush. Lord \u201cunhesitatingly maneuvered across the fire-swept terrain and skillfully deployed the platoon against the enemy,\u201d according to the award citation.<\/p>\n Lord then located one of the few remaining operational radios and began directing air support until reinforcements could arrive, all while rescuing his injured comrades.<\/p>\n The day after the battle, Ret. Lt. Col. Michael Sweeney began advocating for the Navy Cross on Lord\u2019s behalf for his heroic actions. Forty-three years later, Sweeney\u2019s efforts were realized.<\/p>\n Lord traveled from his home in Mesa, Ariz., to receive the award with family in Vancouver during the Marine Corps Birthday Ball on Saturday. The ceremony itself was a break in tradition, but a break considered by the hundreds in attendance worthwhile to recognize the 2,460th Marine to ever receive the Navy Cross.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is one of the greatest honors of my career,\u201d said an emotional Lt. Col. Health Freeman before introducing Lord. \u201cIt\u2019s because of the love and faithfulness of those he served with and those he served under \u2026 his award was upgraded and that was so rightfully deserved.\u201d<\/p>\n In between a 12 sword salute and the traditional birthday cake presentation, Lord was finally presented with the Navy Cross 43-years in the making.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The article in its entirety may be viewed at The Columbian<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\nBy Katy Sword<\/p>\n