American Veterans Center

Today, May 1, we mark Silver Star Service Banner Day—a solemn opening to Military Appreciation Month. While many are familiar with the Blue and Gold Stars, the Silver Star Service Banner specifically honors our nation's wounded, ill, and dying service members. It is a symbol of the sacrifice made by those who have faced the enemy and carry the scars of that encounter today. Today, we highlight Colonel Robert Howard. He is one of the most decorated Soldiers in American history. Not only was he awarded a Silver Star himself, he was also awarded 8 Purple Hearts, a Distinguished Service Cross, four Bronze Stars, and the Congressional Medal of Honor. He was wounded 14 times in 54 months, and he kept on going. He embodied the very definition of sacrifice we honor today. From the battlefields of the Pacific to the mountains of Afghanistan, thousands of Americans have returned home changed by their service. The Silver Star Banner serves as a reminder to their communities that a hero lives among them—one who has sacrificed much and asked for little in return.

Joseph Rodgers  landed with the U.S. Marine Corps in the second wave at the epic Battle of Iwo Jima. He explains the brotherhood he shared with his fellow marines.

In May 1967, on his 75th mission, Vietnam Veteran Charlie Plumb was shot down over Hanoi. He was taken prisoner and tortured. He spent 2,103 days – nearly 6 years – as a Prisoner of War. While a Prisoner of War, he served as a chaplain for two years. He shares the story of the first pair of shoes he wore after spending 6 years in captivity.

Marine Corp Veteran Andrew Biggio (@TheRifle_) explains why Marines hated 29 Palms

Medal of Honor recipient and UH-1H ambulance helicopter pilot Patrick Henry Brady explains how he was saved from being washed out of flight school. He would go on to serve in Vietnam where he volunteered to rescue wounded men from four sites in enemy territory. He utilized three helicopters to evacuate a total of 51 seriously wounded men and was awarded the Medal of Honor.

WWII Veteran Ed Miklavcic shares the tough story of what it was like being attacked by Kamikazes each day on Iwo Jima

John Charles George joined the Army in 1943 and began his training with the 82nd Airborne Division in Georgia. Following his training he would be reassigned to the 101st Airborne Division. He would make his first combat jump with the 101st out of a heavily damaged airplane and into the Netherlands as part of Operation Market Garden. He would then move with the 101st into Belgium, the bitter cold, and the fierce combat known as The Battle of the Bulge. During his combat service he would be awarded two Purple Hearts.

Robert "Bob" Johnson joined the Army shortly after the Vietnam War ended. He participated in Operation URGENT FURY, the 1983 rescue of American students on the Caribbean island of Grenada. Johnson piloted a UH-60 Blackhawk filled with Navy SEALs and a handful of State Department Representatives en route to a dangerous and little known island country.

When the producers of "Top Gun: Maverick" needed real-life pilots to help fly the actors while filming, Commander Frank “Walleye” Weisser was one of the few with the skillset needed to pull-off the incredible stunts.

WWII Pilot George Bartlett shares the story of how he flew 75 missions against the Japanese while fighting in the pacific

WWII Veteran Staff Sgt. Ray Lambert served as a U.S. Army medic, landing during the first wave at Omaha Beach on "D-Day." He explains here the moment he had to take out a German soldier who was trying to stab him with a bayonet.

In early 1970, Gary Littrell was one of four American advisers assisting the 23rd Battalion of the South Vietnamese Army as it looked for North Vietnamese Army units that had been harassing U.S. Special Forces camps in Kontum Province. After 473 South Vietnamese Rangers ran into a concentration of approximately five thousand enemy troops, they established a defensive perimeter on a hill against a ferocious mortar attack. The battalion commander and one of the American advisers were killed in the first day of the fighting. Then two other advisers were wounded, leaving Sergeant Littrell in command. Over the next four days Littrell would fight and encourage his men not to give up. For his actions during the battle Gary Littrell would be awarded the Medal of Honor by President Richard Nixon on October 15, 1973.

During Operation Desert Storm, Herbert Raymond “H.R.” McMaster served as Commander for Eagle Troop, 2nd Armored Cavalry Division. During the Gulf War, he earned a Silver Star for leading a small contingent of U.S. tanks to destroy around fifty tanks, forty trucks, and twenty-five armored personnel carriers without taking any losses.

WWII Bombardier Paul "Bud" Haedike explains why German flak was deadlier than German fighters

Colonel William F. Andrews is one of the most decorated airmen of the 1991 Gulf War. He received the Air Force Cross for heroism after he was shot down on February 28, 1991. He was captured and held prisoner for eight days, for which he received the POW Medal. Col. Andrews also received the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor for his actions during Desert Storm.

Kelly Elmlinger enlisted as an Army medic and served ten years with the 82nd Airborne Division’s Combat Aviation Unit. She served three back-to-back combat deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq. She shares a heartbreaking story about the true cost of war.

Wilbur Jackson “Jack” Myers was drafted in 1943 and joined the 692nd Tank Destroyer Battalion and traveled to Europe in September 1944.  He served as an anti-tank gunner and eliminated machine gun nests, observation posts and vehicles. He operated a three-inch anti-tank gun and later worked in a 40-ton M36 tank destroyer. Here he explains how to knock out a WWII Tiger Tank.

Watson Crumbie Jr. was 16 years old when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. The day he turned 18, Watson enlisted in the United States Marine Corps wanting to avenge those lost at Pearl. After battling through Saipan, Watson became part of the 6th Marine Division during the invasion of Okinawa acting as an assault demolitionist. He would spend the entire 82 days it took to capture Okinawa fighting on the island.

WWII Tanker Walter Stitt tells fellow WWII Tanker Harry Miller how he survived getting out of a burning tank.