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. 4 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. 8 Articles 15 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. 29 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. 25 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. 33 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