Specialist Four Santiago J. Erevia(US Army)

 

     

On this day, 56 years ago, on May 21, 1969, Specialist Four Santiago J. Erevia,

24 years old, was serving as a radio telephone operator with Company C,

1st Battalion (Airmobile), 501st Infantry,

101st Airborne Division during a search-and-clear mission near Tam Ky in the Republic of Vietnam.

 

That day, after breaching the outer perimeter of a well-fortified enemy position,

his unit came under intense automatic weapons

and grenade fire from four enemy bunkers.

Several soldiers were wounded in the initial contact.

Erevia had been assigned to remain behind and assist the wounded

while the rest of the platoon pushed forward.

 

While administering first aid,

he realized that the four bunkers were laying down sustained fire toward the wounded

and the Company Command Post.

Understanding the threat, Erevia took the initiative. He crawled between wounded soldiers under fire,

collecting ammunition from their gear.

He armed himself with two M-16 rifles and a supply of grenades.

 

He then launched a solo assault on the bunkers.

Charging the first position, Erevia used grenades

and rifle fire to destroy the enemy troops inside.

He repeated the process at the second bunker, eliminating that threat as well.

The enemy fire was focused on him now,

but Erevia continued moving forward. At the third bunker,

he again used a combination of grenades and automatic fire to kill the enemy inside.

 

Out of grenades, he advanced on the fourth bunker, moving across open ground.

He closed the distance and destroyed the final enemy position using point-blank rifle fire.

His actions silenced all four bunkers

and immediately reduced the threat to the wounded and command personnel.

 

After securing the area, Erevia returned to the wounded

and resumed providing medical aid until evacuation was complete.

 

For his actions that day, Santiago J. Erevia was awarded the 

*Medal of Honor* by President Barack Obama on March 18, 2014.

He had previously been awarded the Distinguished Service Cross,

which was upgraded following a Pentagon review of overlooked valor awards.

Erevia died on March 22, 2016, in San Antonio,

Texas, and was buried with full military honors at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery.

 

Soec. 4 산티아고 J. 에레비아

(미 육군)

56년 전 오늘, 1969년 5월

 21일, 24세의 Spec. 4  

산티아고 J. 에레비아는 

베트남 공화국의 땀끼

(Tam Ky) 인근에서

 수색 및 소탕 임무를 

수행하던 

101공수사단 501보병연대

 1대대(공수기동) C중대 

소속 무전수였습니다.
 

그날, 그의 부대는

 견고한 적 진지의 외곽을

 돌파한 후, 

적의 벙커 4곳에서

 쏟아지는 기관총과 수류탄 

공격을 받았습니다. 

초기 교전에서 여러 명의 

병사가 부상을 입었습니다. 

에레비아는 나머지 

소대원들이 전진하는 동안 

뒤에 남아 부상자들을 

지원하는 임무를 맡았습니다.

응급처치를 하는 동안 그는

 4개의 벙커가 부상자들과 

중대 지휘소를 향해

지속적인 사격을 가하고

 있음을 깨달았습니다. 

위협을 감지한 에레비아는 

주도권을 잡았습니다. 

그는 총격을 받는 부상병들

 사이를 기어가며 그들의 

장비에서 탄약을 모았습니다. 

그는 M-16 소총 두 자루와 

수류탄으로 무장했습니다.

그 후 그는 벙커에 단독

 공격을 감행했습니다. 

첫 번째 진지로 돌격한

에레비아는 수류탄과 소총

사격을 사용하여 내부의

적군을 섬멸했습니다

두 번째 벙커에서도 같은

작전을 반복하여 적군의

위협을 제거했습니다.

이제 적군의 총격이 그에게

집중되었지만, 에레비아는

계속 전진했습니다.

세 번째 벙커에서는 다시

수류탄과 기관총 사격을

병행하여 내부의 적을

사살했습니다.

수류탄을 발사한 후,

 그는 네 번째 벙커로

진격하여 개활지를 

가로질러 이동했습니다. 

그는 거리를 좁히고 소총 

직사 사격으로 마지막 

적 진지를 파괴했습니다. 

그의 행동으로 네 개의 

벙커가 모두 침묵했고,

 부상자와 지휘관에 대한 

위협은 즉시 감소했습니다.

지역을 확보한 후, 

에레비아는 부상병들에게 

돌아가 대피가 완료될 때까지

 의료 지원을 재개했습니다.

그날 그의 공로로 

산티아고 J. 에레비아는 

2014년 3월 18일

 버락 오바마 대통령으로부터
*명예 훈장*을

수여받았습니다.

그는 이전에 수훈 십자 훈장을 받았는데,

국방부가 간과했던

용맹 훈장에 대한 검토를 거쳐 이 훈장이 상향

조정되었습니다.

에레비아는 2016년 3월 22일 텍사스주 샌안토니오에서

순직했으며,

포트 샘 휴스턴 국립묘지에

군 예우를 받으며

안장되었습니다.

 

 

2025년 5월 21일 수요일