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Civilians saluted

Jan-17-2007 » Filed Under: General Military

BRENT CHAMPACO; The News Tribune

Scott Connely and Roger Bascom stood at attention Tuesday as a decorated war veteran saluted them and shook their hands.

Both had left their families and gone to Iraq, using their knowledge of computers to help their country’s war effort.

Two years ago – about four hours before they were about to fly home – a suicide bomber attacked the crowded dining tent in Mosul where they had gone for lunch. The blast killed 22 people, including six Fort Lewis soldiers, the largest number of dead sustained at one time by any local unit.

The two weren’t in uniform that December day in 2004, but they suffered like so many of the military personnel in the tent. Connely, who lives in Lacey, suffered severe leg injuries. Bascom, a Bremerton resident, suffered shrapnel wounds to his abdomen. Both could have died if they hadn’t been pulled to safety and quickly treated for their injuries.

On Tuesday, both received the Defense of Freedom Medal, the civilian Defense Department employee equivalent of the military’s Purple Heart. It was created after the 2001 terror attacks on New York and Washington, D.C.

Surrounded by more than 50 family members and friends, the men looked straight ahead as Brig. Gen. Nickolas Justice placed the gold medals, with their red, white and blue ribbons, on their chests. The first recipients of the medal were Defense Department workers killed or injured in the Sept. 11 attack on the Pentagon.

The Defense Department will honor another civilian employee injured in the dining hall attack later this month at Fort Gordon, Ga.

Justice is deputy program executive officer of Command, Control and Communications at Fort Monmouth, N.J. He noted that while soldiers are assigned to Iraq, civilian workers volunteer to go there.

“That makes that sacrifice and that service extremely precious,” said Justice, who appeared to fight back tears at one point Tuesday. [...]


Comments For "Civilians saluted":

I was there that day. One of my soldiers was using the restroom out front. I would have been inside if he was not sick. We evacuated alot of people that day. I am glad that people did make it. My company commander did not make it that day. I would have attended this ceremony had I known about it. Best wishes to you guys.

Posted by: F, Boss [TypeKey Profile Page] | January 17, 2007 2:05 PM

Roger and I are friends. We were both in Mosul that day - he was awaiting a flight home.

The irony here is that General Justice's command cut the funding for Roger's position six months ago - Roger was laid off before receiving this medal.

Nonetheless, things have truly worked out for Roger. He is now IT director for a credit union chain, a position of much greater responsibility than he held in support of 1/25. More importantly, he is closer to his family than he was before his brush with death.

Posted by: currahee [TypeKey Profile Page] | January 19, 2007 2:07 AM

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