American Valor Quarterly Issue 5 - Winter 2008/09 | Page 3
American Valor Quarterly
A Publication of the American Veterans Center
www.americanveteranscenter.org
World War II Veterans Committee
www.wwiivets.com
National Vietnam Veterans Committee
www.vietnamvetscommittee.org
Winter 2009
Special Feature
- In This Issue -
The 11th Annual Conference
Last Veterans Day weekend, some of America’s
most distinguished veterans gathered to share
their experiences with an audience of students
and fellow veterans. Here, we share these
stories with you.
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The American Veterans Center’s
2008 Awards
Each year, the Center honors veterans and
service members from World War II to today
in an annual awards banquet to cap off the
conference. In this issue are printed the 2008
award citations.
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Articles
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The 11th Annual
Conference
The American Veterans Center’s signature educational event of the year,
the Annual Conference brings together
America’s greatest military heroes over
Veterans Day weekend, where they
pass their lessons on to younger generations. Now over a decade old, the
conference also allows us to record
their stories and experiences for posterity. In this issue, we spotlight just a
few of these stories of valor.
The Filthy Thirteen The U.S. Army’s Real Dirty Dozen
For the first time since the night of June 5, 1944, the
surviving men of the Filthy Thirteen - the unit that
inspired the story of the “Dirty Dozen” - came together
to tell their story.
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P.O. Box 1142 -
22 Top-Secret Intelligence Gathering in WWII the topSixty years went by before the veterans of
secret intelligence facility at Fort Hunt, Virginia were
able to talk about their experiences. Here, two veterans
recount their role at P.O. Box 1142.
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Call To Service The Korean War Story of
Lt. General Julius W. Becton, Jr.
One of America’s first black men to achieve the rank of
general officer, Julius W. Becton, Jr. first saw combat in
Korea, where he would be decorated for actions during
the breakout from Pusan Perimeter.
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Hall of Fame baseball pitcher Bob Feller
signs baseballs for U.S. Naval Academy
Midshipmen at the 11th Annual Conference.
Feller, who commanded a gun crew on the
USS Alabama during World War II, participated on a panel devoted to Major League
Baseball players who served during the war.
The Medal of Honor Valor in Vietnam
There is no greater award for valor in combat than the Medal
of Honor. At the 11th Annual Conference, three recipients
of the Medal for their heroism in Vietnam recalled the actions
for which they were made members of our military’s most
exclusive fraternity.
The Medal of Honor Today A New Generation of Valor
More than 1.5 million Americans have served in Operation
Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. Despite
countless acts of valor, only five hold our nation’s highest
military award. Here, five men who served with these heroes
share their stories.
On the Cover...
The Filthy Thirteen by artist Joel Iskowitz
Turn to page 39 to see how you can obtain a copy of this new
art print signed by the surviving men of the Filthy Thirteen.
Tune in to AVC TV!
at www.americanveteranscenter.org
Not able to make the Annual Conference? Now you can join in and hear these first-hand
accounts from America’s greatest military heroes from home. All of the conference sessions from
the 11th Annual Conference as well as many earlier conferences are now available for you to view
online. Just visit the American Veterans Center’s website at www.americanveteranscenter.org.
“Buck” Compton of the famed
“Band of Brothers” speaks at the conference
as televised live on C-SPAN.
Videos include the Doolittle Raiders, Band of Brothers, The Chosin Few, Battle of Ia Drang,
Heroes of Today, and much more!
AMERICAN VALOR QUARTERLY - Winter 2008/09 - 3