February 10, 2020
3 inducted onto Wall of Valor
“Help us Lord to never forget them,” prayed chaplain Rafael Maachuca during the John J. Pershing VA Medical Center Wall of Valor Ceremony 2020 Monday at the National Guard Armory in Poplar Bluff. He was praying everyone remember wall of valor recipients the late Raymond Henry Cooper of Poplar Bluff, Billy Edward Fisher of Doniphan and James Craig Hahs of Sikeston. Each soldier had been awarded the Bronze Star medal with Combat Valor Device, as well as all soldiers who have kept the nation free...
“Help us Lord to never forget them,” prayed chaplain Rafael Maachuca during the John J. Pershing VA Medical Center Wall of Valor Ceremony 2020 Monday at the National Guard Armory in Poplar Bluff.
He was praying everyone remember wall of valor recipients the late Raymond Henry Cooper of Poplar Bluff, Billy Edward Fisher of Doniphan and James Craig Hahs of Sikeston. Each soldier had been awarded the Bronze Star medal with Combat Valor Device, as well as all soldiers who have kept the nation free.
Hahs and his family and the Cooper family were present for the induction ceremony.
VA Chief of Staff Dr. Donald A. Gagliano said, “Today, we gather to honor true hometown heroes. All military men and women know they may someday face a moment that tests their training and character, but not everyone encounters such a moment during their service. The three individuals we are here to honor faced that moment and responded with strength and courage.”
Himself a veteran who served during the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan, Gagliano said, “I can tell you that joining the military is a life-changing choice. You learn to focus less on yourself as an individual and become instead part of a team in a way no other experience can match. The decision means someday you may need to put the mission above all else. Combat veterans are especially aware of that fact. And without exception, these honorees acted with great bravery to advance the mission and protect their fellow soldiers.
“Because our veterans are collectively responsible for the freedoms we hold dear today, as a nation, we must always honor and respect their service. We must remember that the price of our democracy is high and be ever-grateful to those willing to pay it. At the John J. Pershing VA Medical Center, our Wall of Valor is a unique way that we, as a community, can show our gratitude to local veterans who have served with extraordinary distinction. But there is something even more important than this outward representation of our appreciation I want you to remember…
“Today, we honor three men who demonstrated outstanding valor in protecting our freedoms,” Gagliano said. “They stood up when the time came, did their duty without regard for their personal safety, showed great leadership and courage, and exemplified what it means to be an American. Yet I say to you or your loved-ones, that although this ceremony is important, it is not the framed citation describing your actions hanging on our Wall of Valor that I want you to remember…it is what is in our hearts today and every day. Your communities, your families, your fellow veterans and your caregivers at this medical center join together in honoring your actions with respect and gratitude that will be in our hearts wherever we go. And that is a true legacy. Thank you so much for your service.”
The Wall of Valor ceremony kicked off the national salute to hospitalized veterans week which will include proclamations from the governor and legislators, said J. Dale Garrett, voluntary service chief.
“We will end this week with our Valentine for Veterans featuring Urban Blaze, The Bob Lewis Family Band and Neal McCoy,” Garrett said.
Garrett said, he hopes the week also creates an awareness for the need for volunteers.
In presenting the awards to Cooper, Fisher and Hahs, Dale Day reflected on each soldiers’ acts of heroism.
Day said, on Nov. 9, 1969, in connection with ground operations against an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam. Hahs was assigned to Company C, 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry, 199th Infantry Brigade.
“Hahs was the platoon sergeant in an ambush when his unit made contact with a company size enemy force. Throughout the battle, he retained complete control over his men.
“He continually exposed himself to the intense enemy fire in order to better direct his men and return fire, and he advanced to a forward position to effectively call in artillery fire.”
His aggressive actions and outstanding leadership contributed significantly to the defeat of the enemy and earned him the respect and admiration of all with whom he served, the document states.
Continuing with Cooper’s information, Day said, Cooper’s heroic service was in connection with operations while on patrol July 30, 1966, in the Soi Rap River, Rung Sat Special Zone, Republic of Vietnam. Cooper was serving as a crew member, helmsman and Action Boat Commander of River Patrol Boat 70 at the time. The patrol boat was ambushed by rifle fire, which penetrated the hull and exploded.
“Momentarily stunned and knocked to the deck by the explosion, Cooper regained his feet and assumed the helm. Observing the boat commander had been knocked overboard by the explosion, Petty Officer Cooper assumed command of the boat.”
He reversed the boat’s direction, removing it from the area of the ambush and directing gunners to fire on the enemy.
While neither Fisher nor his family were present, Day said, Fisher’s award was in connection with military operations April 25, 1968, against a hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam.
“Pvt. 1st Class Fisher distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous action … while serving as a rifleman with Company D, 5th Battalion, 7th Cavalry during a rescue mission near the A Shau Valley, The first platoon and command element of his unit became pinned down by hostile fire, sustaining several casualties, he volunteered to go forward in order to carry back the casualties while traveling an enemy infested road.
“Exposing himself several times to the hostile fire, he rescued the casualties and brought them to a secure area for evacuation,” the document reports. “His display of personal bravery and devotion to duty is in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service.”
Vanessa Ruesler of the VA sang the national anthem, while U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Larry Kimbrow (retired) led the Pledge of Allegiance and the Daughters of the American Revolution served refreshments.
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