Photo By Staff Sgt. Nathaniel Smith | Lt. Col. Stephen L. A. Michael, commander of the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry...... read more read more
By Spc. Nathaniel Smith
4th BCT, 1st Inf. Div. Public Affairs
BAGHDAD – Spc. Jose Reyna doesn't like to talk about June 28, yet it's a day he'll never forget. The irony is that for his actions that day, he will be called a hero for the rest of his life.
To Reyna, it was nothing special. If you ask, he'd say he just did what anyone else in his platoon would do. The Army showed it disagrees by awarding Reyna the Bronze Star Medal with "V" Device for Valor in a ceremony at the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division's headquarters building in southern Baghdad, Nov. 8.
Reyna, an infantryman with Company B, 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division from San Antonio, was on patrol in southern Baghdad's Doura region on June 28 when the two-section convoy he was in was ambushed.
A truck in Reyna's section was struck by a deep-buried improvised explosive device, and immediately faced small arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades.
With one vehicle already disabled and the gunner in his truck injured he read the situation and reacted by getting in the turret and fought back. He even managed to render first aid to his driver while laying down suppressive fire until reinforcements arrived to take wounded to the cache.
"I grew up in the Army. I've grown up on these stories, but never thought I'd live or see them. Every day I'm around Soldiers, I realize they're living it every day," said Col. Ricky Gibbs, commander of the 4th BCT, 1st Inf. Div., which 2-12 Inf. is currently attached to.
Army 1st Lt. Timothy Gross, Reyna's platoon leader from Grand Junction, Colo., felt Reyna receiving the Bronze Star for valor was fitting.
"This is completely appropriate, completely deserved. He's one of those guys who pushes in any situation," Gross said. "Reyna did an outstanding job. Only one in the section of trucks that was hit who was still fully capable to return fire, suppress the enemy, and push back the enemy assault.
"It could have been a lot worse if he wasn't rocking the .50 cal (.50-caliber machine gun), pushing back."
Reyna said it felt good to be honored, but insisted any one of his fellow Soldiers would have reacted the same under the circumstances he faced.
"I'm honored, people saying I should be awarded this, and people saying I did a good job," he said, "but I know every man in my platoon and in my company would do the same thing.
"It does mean a lot to be recognized. I appreciate the award they're giving me."
Gross emphasized that while he agrees the rest of the platoon would have acted similarly, Reyna still displayed rare boldness under enemy fire.
"It brings great credit to third platoon, but the great thing about it is that everybody in third platoon would have done the same thing, all of them would have, if they were able to do so," Gross said. "But Reyna definitely went above and beyond; it's not a common thing."
Gibbs, a native of Harker Heights, Texas, put the meaning of the award in perspective for the young Soldier.
"Years down the road, you're going to remember this, and you ought to with great pride because you have served your country with honor, dignity and you've lost some very close friends," he said. "This is in honor of those Soldiers who were lost on the battlefield that day."
| Date Taken: | 11.12.2007 |
| Date Posted: | 11.12.2007 13:12 |
| Story ID: | 13811 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 762 |
| Downloads: | 572 |
This work, 'Warrior' receives Bronze Star for Valor, by SSG Nathaniel Smith, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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