Project Hero

QandO has the next Silver Star recipient tribute up on their site.



Our hero this week is MSG Sarun Sar, Silver Star

The day of the attack they were conducting aerial reconnaissance, not one of their normal missions, according to Sar. In fog and extreme cold 9,000 feet up in the snow-covered mountains, the first Blawkhawk helicopter landed and immediately came under enemy fire. Sar landed in the second helicopter, dismounted, and rushed to prevent the enemy from damaging the aircraft and harming his team members.

He pursued one of the attackers into a building, and was struck in the helmet with a round from an AK-47 assault rifle fired from 7-10 feet away. "It felt like I was hit in the head with a hammer," Sar later recalled. For a moment he was disoriented, screaming "I'm hit! I'm hit!" to the medic, but within a few seconds he established that the wound was not life threatening, and he continued to fight. After the battle, he and his men administered first aid to two injured Afghan civilians, stabilizing them for medical evacuation to a coalition hospital.

Of the twelve personnel, only Sar and another soldier were wounded; no one was killed that day. "This country has given me so much, and this is a small price to pay, said Sar. "The hero is the guy in the cemetery right now, he and his family," referring to his weapons sergeant, who died in a separate battle in June. "He's the one who gave his life for his country. He's also an immigrant, from Mexico."