| Chuck Simmins brings us the stories of two of America's heroes who made the ulitmate sacrifice. Let us honor their memories today and let us work this Fall towards electing some politicians who won't undermine their mission. God bless, and thank you, Amanda and Terrence. |
There have been complaints in the media that there are no heroes from the War on Terror. That is not true but it serves their interests well to portray our soldiers as less than courageous. I have been honored to play a small part in memorializing two American soldiers that you have never heard about. Both died in defense of the United States. Both not only did their duty, but did it well. America is a better place because of these two.Amanda Pinson felt called to defend her country. She was a member of the storied 101st Airborne, working as a signals analyst in Iraq.
While standing at a bus stop on-base, out of a clear blue sky a mortar bomb fell, killing her and a fellow soldier next to her. A sad story, but not uncommon in the War on Terror. What followed my note of this death, however, is remarkable. I heard from family, friends, and fellow soldiers about Amanda. What had begun as a short note turned into comment after comment about this extraordinary young woman. I received comments from members of her unit, from soldiers she worked with, and from soldiers who had heard about her. Her family wrote, former teachers, old friends, friends of friends, and complete strangers. But outside of the city of St. Louis, her family and friends, and the soldiers she knew, almost no one will ever know about Amanda Pinson. ThatÂ’s a shame.
One of her supervisors from Iraq calls her a hero:
I would like to just pass on some comments about this American Hero and Soldier. She was a kind person that everyone in this organization loved. She was always there to give me that first smile at shift change, ask how things were going, and ask how I was doing. She always shared pictures of loved ones back home and was so proud of her family. I will never forget her smile, her kindness, and love for her country. She made an everlasting impression on all soldiers she worked with. This everlasting impression is Army wide which is evident by all the individual calls and emails sent to express their sympathy.
She was deeply concerned for soldiersÂ’ safety and news of soldiers that had been injured or worse only increased her energy for her job. She was inexhaustible in her work. She was an expert and I continually called on her to take on some of the hardest work due to her abilities and love for her job. Due to this HeroÂ’s skills and hard work, soldiersÂ’ lives were saved. Soldiers in this Division and the ones that worked with her will benefit from her work for a long time. I was glad to hear the soldiers from G2 at Fort Campbell were there to give SGT Pinson the respect and honor that everyone here was praying for. The family will continue to be in my thoughts and prayers. I will always remember SGT Pinson as a true friend, a superb leader, and most of all a Hero. She will never be forgotten.
Another American soldier you wonÂ’t hear about is Lieutenant Colonel Terrence Crowe from Buffalo, New York.
Lt. Col. Crowe was on a training mission in Tel Afar, training the new Iraqi Army when he was killed. Terrence Crowe taught ROTC at Canisius College in Buffalo. It was his job to instill in Army officers the skills and character qualities they would need to lead men.His country called upon him to do the same in a foreign land. In June 2005, Tel Afar was a dangerous place. The terrorists had to be displaced, and a combined force of Americans and Iraqis was tasked with the job. Lt. Col. Crowe and an American sergeant were with a patrol of about 17 Iraqi soldiers when they were ambushed. As he always did, Crowe was leading from the front. When the firing began, he was hit almost immediately. Many of the Iraqis retreated, leaving Sgt. 1st Class Gary Villalobos and a handful of Iraqi soldiers to fight. They did, and Sgt. Villalobos was able to recover CroweÂ’s body.
Lieutenant Colonel Terrence Crowe was a teacher. He could have practiced his trade in a classroom on a military base. With his rank, he could have delegated patrolling to someone junior to him. He chose to do neither. It was important for him to be with that Iraqi patrol, out in front, teaching by example. The lessons that Iraqis learned from Terrence Crowe will make Iraq a better place. Almost no one outside of Buffalo and Iraq will ever know about Terrence Crowe. ThatÂ’s a shame.
Neither Amanda Pinson nor Terrence Crowe will be remembered like Alvin York or Audie Murphy. Neither sought out combat, and their deaths were as random as possible. Both of them represent the unsung heroes of the War on Terror who you will never read about or see on the 6 oÂ’clock news. Their memories live on in the hearts of their loved ones and those they touched. A young woman and a teacher, American soldiers.
My brief interview with Navy Cross awardee Captain Brian Chontosh will post on my blog at 3 pm.