Captain Andrew Kim gets upgraded Silver Star

| May 22, 2017

The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that the Marine Corps upgraded the award that Captain Andrew Kim received for his actions in Iraq on August 6, 2003 from a Bronze Star to a Silver Star.

An Iraqi man approached Kim, his team chief, a linguist and a source. He suddenly drew a pistol and shot Kim’s team chief in the neck.

A sergeant at the time, Kim immediately returned fire, killing the assassin. He was then hit repeatedly by small arms fire from the rear. Disregarding his own wounds, Kim ushered his fallen team chief into a vehicle and exited the ambush’s kill zone, pursued by five Iraqis in a white pickup truck.

His vehicle sprayed by volleys of enemy fire, Kim drove to a light armored reconnaissance security element and ordered a deadly counterattack on the enemy — “bold” actions the Marine Corps concluded showed “undaunted courage and complete dedication to duty,” plus “gallantry and effectiveness under fire” that “saved the lives of all those conducting the mission,” according to this award citation.

Category: Marine Corps

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IDC SARC

BZ!

Ex-PH2

Good. More, please. The more like Kim, the better.

Graybeard

If all Kims were like Captain Andrew Kim.

ChipNASA

They may have upgraded his decoration but his balls are still brass.

Wilted Willy

BZ to you soldier, BZ! I’m so glad they all survived this chicken shit attack. I hope the fucker is happy now with his 72 virgin………….
goats!

MustangCryppie

Well done, Captain!

Sparks

You are my feel good story of the day Captain Kim!

Graybeard

Congratulations Captain Andrew Kim, Sir.
Well done, well deserved.

A Proud Infidel®™

BZ, SIR!!!

HMCS(FMF) ret

BZ to Capt. Andrew Kim!

Fjardeson

Great Job, Marine! You deserve it!

RCAF_Chairborne

Well done Capt Kim!! BZ

It annoys me how stingy the Canadian govt is with decorations.
There were a few of our guys who should have been awarded the VC for actions in Afghanistan, but weren’t.
The Canadian VC (which replaced the British VC in 1993) has NEVER been awarded!!! WTF?

11b-mailclerk

Perhaps a rather public campaign to shame the award authourity into reconsideration?

Publish a proposed narrative of the new award alog with equivalent ones previously awarded. (And of couse the corroberation of events)

And just keep hammering at it. Publicly.

11b-mailclerk

(And of course, the writeup by someone who can spell…)

Thunderstixx

Why do that, making up words is a sign of increaseeed intlligentseea !!!

Graybeard

Oh, like German, ja?

11B-mailclerk

FunkedUpSpellin……..

Silentium Est Aureum

BZ, Captain.

cato

No doubt a Marine’s Marine (a mustanger, the best).
Salute !

2banana

Why does ordering a recon vehicle to attack have anything to do with his medal?

Did he lead the attack?

IDC SARC

Perhaps it shows continued intent rather than breaking contact and retreating…more evidence of leadership under the stress of the event? I dunno.

USMC Steve

I didn’t see anything about ordering an LAV to do anything. It may have been a Light Armored Recon checkpoint, but that does not guarantee an LAV was present. Might have all been dismounted.

USMC Steve

I find myself wondering if he were still an enlisted swine, would that decoration have ever been upgraded. Based upon my knowledge of the Corps, most likely not. Should have started out as at least a SS.