Wednesday Hero ~ Chief Master Sgt John Gebhardt
This Weeks Soldier Was Submitted By Anna
Superintendent of the 22nd Wing Medical Group at McConnell Air Force Base
Have you heard of Chief Master Sgt. John Gebhardt? Maybe you have and maybe you haven't. CMSgt. Gebhardt gained some notoriety recently. Not for an action that he took on the battlefield, but rather for a picture taken of him.
In 2006, CMSgt. John Gebhardt was photographed holding a little Iraqi girl that had been injured. Her family had been attacked by insurgents. Both of her parents were killed, along with many of her siblings, and she had been shot in the head and left for dead. But she was tougher than that. She was brought to Balad Air Base Hospital where she was operated on and ultimately saved. As you can imagine, it was an extremely hard time for this little girl. Her recovery was hellish. But when CMSgt. Gebhardt would hold her, she seemed to be comforted. He spent many nights sleeping in a chair with her in his arms. The picture wast taken by a fellow airman while CMSgt. Gebhardt and the little girl were napping. Said CMSgt. Gebhardt, "I'm sure that probably just gave her some inner peace that she could reach."
These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll.
2 comments:
Hello Flag Gazer:
I followed you here from "Badgers Forward". And this weeks hero? Excellent portrayal of a Warrior being a warrior. It is far from all bullets and bombs. This is truly, winning hearts and minds warfare, at its best. And don't think that GI sees it as an unpleasant detail. He's loving every minute of it. And deep down, he is "just another American Soldier, no one special!"
Keep it up, and nuf sed
Thank you for visiting.
The character of the American Soldier is something that shines linke a beacon of hope!
Post a Comment