Title
Proclamation recognizing and commending Marine Captain Joseph Bertagna for his dedication to this country and its citizens, his bravery and skill that is reflective of the United States Marine Corps, and his actions that resulted in his receipt of the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Body
WHEREAS, this Country is blessed with individuals who provide untiring service to the United States as members of the United States Marine Corps, Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard; men and women who give unselfishly of themselves to serve their country proudly, freely, and valiantly; and
WHEREAS, Marine Captain Joseph Bertagna is one such man whose bravery in rescuing ground troops in eastern Afghanistan in July of 2003 has led to his receipt of the Distinguished Flying Cross medal, the nation's highest honor for achievement in flight; and
WHEREAS, on July 19, 2003, Captain Bertagna and Captain Geoff Warlock were assigned to make contact and monitor a seven-vehicle ground patrol during a sweep, a fairly usual assignment; however, after being called away briefly and returning, Captains Bertagna and Warlock learned that the group had been ambushed and were now pinned down by machine-gun and small-arms fire; and
WHEREAS, the soldier communicating with the officers could not tell them his location, but was able to mention a major road nearby; using the road as a guide, Captain Bertagna dropped the Harrier that he was flying low to make himself visible to the ground troops which also made him open to attacks from the Taliban surface-to-air missiles, a move that went against the rule book; and
WHEREAS, once Captain Bertagna received the bearings from the ground troops, he turned and launched an attack on the enemy position, firing his weapons for the first time in combat, causing the attackers to flee; providing coordinates to medical helicopters so that they could get to the three injured soldiers, he then continued to fly low in a show-of-force pass to pre...
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