Photo: Ranger Staff Sgts. James L. Wilbur and Scott M. Anderson awarded Silver Star, 3rd highest medal for valor
Mike Haskey mhaskey@ledger-enquirer.com Staff Sgt. Scott M. Anderson, left, and Staff Sgt. James L. Wilbur,right, both received the Silver Star Thursday morning during a Valorous Awards Ceremony at Fort Benning. 07/12/12
Spotted this via Twitter:
Two #Ranger awarded Silver Stars this week at Benning – you won't see this in the news.#hero#RLTWhttp://fb.me/Rx6h5MP3
Story from the Ledger-Enquirer. Photo above from same paper, different story: "Four Rangers recognized for actions in Afghanistan" – "Staff Sgt. Ryan L. Flora received the Joint Service Commendation Medal and Cpl. Ian T. Seymour was the recipient of the Army commendation Medal," along with Wilbur and Anderson winning the Silver Star.
Staff Sgt. James L. Wilbur, a soldier who halted an ambush of his squad in Afghanistan, said he was just in the right place at the right time to make a difference for members of the 3rd Battalion, 75th Regiment, based at Fort Benning.
"When things like this happens, it's more so just being in the right place at the right time," Wilbur said after a 10 a.m. ceremony Thursday in Marshall Auditorium at McGinnis-Wickam Hall. "It's absolutely what happened that day."
Wilbur and Staff Sgt. Scott M. Anderson were recipients of the Silver Star, the nation's third highest medal for valor.
Wilbur was part of an assault force in northern Afghanistan on April 27, 2011, when he recognized a spotter planning an ambush as the squad moved along a road clearing. After jumping over a wall, Wilbur was the target of gunfire from a machine gun and AK-47 in a compound.
