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This story popped late yesterday. It was brought to our attention by Andy Kravetz of the Journal Star; he wanted it to have the widest possible dissemination, so he came here. Andy is a friend of TAH, and the story is, well. Read on for yourself.<\/p>\n
\u2018Indebted to him forever\u2019: Peoria Medal of Honor recipient honored<\/strong><\/p>\n By Andy Kravetz \u201cI can\u2019t thank everyone enough for what they did that day,\u201d said Mike Mitchell, then a 20-something sergeant with the U.S. Army in Vietnam. \u201cIf he hadn\u2019t done what he did that day, then I wouldn\u2019t have three children and seven grandchildren. I can\u2019t thank him enough.\u201d<\/p>\n Spc. Bart \u201cDoc\u201d Fabian spoke of Fritz\u2019s calm demeanor when a company of North Vietnamese soldiers ambushed their column of M113 armored personnel carriers. Fritz, then a 24-year-old first lieutenant, gathered up what was left of the fighting force and led a counterattack that bought the two dozen troopers enough time until relief arrived.<\/p>\n For his actions, exactly 50 years ago Friday, Fritz, 74, earned the nation\u2019s highest military award for valor, the Medal of Honor. And to commemorate that day, a celebration was held at the Peoria Riverfront Museum, where more than 200 gathered to pay tribute to Fritz and to the men who served with him. Members of the Richwoods High School Marines JROTC unit presented the colors and escorted the four veterans into the room while the audience applauded.<\/p>\n \u201cI love this guy. There is no two ways about it. I am indebted to him forever. There\u2019s no way that I wouldn\u2019t have been here tonight,\u201d said Fabian, who earned the Silver Star, the nation\u2019s third-highest award for valor, that day.<\/p>\n The appearance of his friends \u2014 Fabian, Mitchell, William Lister and Jim Colwell \u2014 was a surprise. When John Morris, the museum\u2019s president, announced they were there and when Fritz saw them come onto the stage in the museum\u2019s Giant Screen Theater, he was emotional. Hugs were given, words exchanged and that unbreakable bond that combat veterans often talk about was clear for all to see.<\/p>\n The event started at 5:11 p.m., as 11 means much to Fritz.<\/p>\n It was the number of his old U.S. Army unit, the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, nicknamed the \u201cDarkhorse\u201d regiment. And it represents the date of the ambush \u2014 Jan. 11, 1969 \u2014 when the column was coming back from a mission in the B\u00ecnh Long Province. Due his \u201cextraordinary courage and selflessness displayed by (Fritz), at the repeated risk of his own life,\u201d he was awarded the Medal of Honor, the nation\u2019s highest military honor for valor under fire.<\/p>\n The battle<\/p>\n Troop A was in a seven-vehicle convoy down Highway 13, which is north of what was then Saigon. What happened next is the stuff that even John Wayne couldn\u2019t pull off in a movie. The troopers with the 11th ACR had just left a convoy of fuel trucks and were returning to their base when they entered a gully. As they began to come out, Mitchell, who was riding with Colwell in the last APC, or \u201ctrack,\u201d remembers being \u201cblown up into the air.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe took an RPG round and it hit the gas tank,\u201d he said. \u201cJimmy here was caught on fire.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The rest of the article, and the MOH citation, which is a ‘must read’ may be viewed here: Journal Star<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\nPEORIA \u2014 The four men minced no words. If it wasn\u2019t for the actions of Hal Fritz 50 years ago, they likely wouldn\u2019t be here.<\/p>\n