SSG Peter Woken awarded German Medal of Honor
Parachutecutie sends us a link to the story of Peter Woken who was awarded the Medal of Honor for Gallantry in Action of the Federal Republic of Germany in the German ambassador’s residence for his part in rescuing German Corporal Tim Focken in Afghanistan on October 17, 2010. Woken was the last of eight Americans to be awarded the medal for their actions that day;
Focken and his unit were on patrol when he was shot in the left shoulder area by a sniper and the unit was pinned down by heavy enemy fire. Though disabled, Focken still encouraged his fellow soldiers in the fight. He was awarded the Bronze Cross of Honor of the Bundeswehr and the Bundeswehr Foreign Duty Medal-Combat for his service.
Focken vividly remembers watching the US Blackhawk abort a first landing attempt and then reappear a second time. “Somehow I got another surge of energy,” he said. Focken was able to run to the helicopter and jump onboard despite his severe injury. He called it a great honor to see his rescuer again.
The sight of the wounded Focken making his way to the copter and the knowledge that he was still motivating his troops, though injured, has stuck with Staff Sergeant Woken. “He ran and jumped and continued to stay conscious,” Woken said. “I believe he did that for his team.”
There’s more about the night at the Ambassador’s Residence at the German Missions in the United States link.
Category: Real Soldiers
German uniforms (if those are Germans) look slick. Why can’t the US Army get the dress uniform right?
Really? I thought they looked kinda ate up. In fact I was finding an interesting contrast between the US in a strack looking black uniform, and the Germans in messy looking grey, a bit of turn about from what it might have looked like about 68 years ago. weird
Got kinda hazy in here …
HooYah Army!
Focken awesome!
Interesting play on their last names; Focken & Woken or Woken & Focken. Good guys none the less.
Thanks for your actions pal.
@1
Really? Wow the German Army HATES the grey uniform. The cut is loose and saggy. And there are different greys so it became more like a similarform in the past.
add: The segment about “coalition forces isn´t just a term” and “recongnize each other as brothers (in arms)” is one of THE accomplishments of the War in Afghanistan. Our Grandfathers may have fought against each other – but just 60yrs later (and that is just a blink of the eye in history) we are fighting side by side and pulling each other out of the kill zone.
As todays EU foreign and security policy meeting ended with no further decisions on how the political side of the EU will cooperate their respective forces, it´s the allied forces worldwide that are way ahead. They talk and negotiate about a concept of how to combine forces – but it´s already there, down the range.
From my own experiences with US and other allied forces my greatest respect to those who serve, wherever you serve and looking forward to operate with you again and again, may it be in the Middle East, Africa or wherever our Nations will send us.
I’m also curious about the German uniforms and maybe someone who knows can answer-there is a picture of the good Gefreiter at the link above and he is wearing a badge beneath his ribbons, can anyone tell me what badge it is? I know that he was wounded and that the Wehrmacht once had a wound badge, is that it? Do they still have that badge or a similar one?
@68w58
That is the german military proficiency badge. There is no award vor getting wounded – but we get a medal for being in combat