DeKalb Middle School had the honor and rare opportunity to host two Medal of Honor recipients and family members of a third in a tribute ceremony Friday morning.
83 year old Leo Thorsness, a retired colonel in the United States Air Force and 71 year old Harold (Hal) Fritz, a retired United States Army Officer both received the Medal of Honor for their actions in the Vietnam War. The two national heroes were scheduled to arrive in Smithville on a Blackhawk helicopter but inclement weather prevented it. They rode into town instead in a Chevrolet Suburban.
Members of the community and local veterans greeted the war heroes with handshakes and salutes as they entered the school and some waved flags in a show of patriotism.
Family members of the late World War I hero Sergeant Alvin C. York were also honored guests including York’s son and daughter Andrew Jackson York and Betsy Ross York Lowery along with two of his grandchildren, Gerald York and Deborah Marie York, who is the executive director of the Sergeant York Patriotic Foundation. The program featured a power point tribute to Sergeant York as well as to a DeKalb County Medal of Honor recipient, the late Charles P. Cantrell, who served in the War with Spain in 1898. Plaques of appreciation were presented to the York family and to Thorness and Fritz.
Veterans in attendance sat together during the tribute program, which also featured video vignettes about Thorsness and Fritz. Members of the Smithville Volunteer Fire Department presented flags and student Bill Miller led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance with Thea Tippin singing the National Anthem.
(VIEW VIDEO OF TRIBUTE PROGRAM BELOW)
Principal Randy Jennings helped with the introductions and reminded the students of the significant sacrifices these men made for their country. “As students you guys look up to a lot of people; basketball players, singers, actors, and all those people you put on that pedestal. We use that term hero very loosely a lot of times. Those are just famous people. They are not necessarily heroes. Here are the real heroes. We are honored to have our Medal of Honor recipients with us,” said Jennings.
After making brief remarks, Thorsness and Fritz participated in a question and answer session with Tom Duggin serving as moderator. The questions were previously selected from students. Following the assembly, Thorsness and Fritz visited a few classrooms before they departed the school in the Suburban.
Thorsness was held as a prisoner of war for six years in North Vietnam and spent much of the first three years enduring torture sessions and extensive stints in solitary confinement.
He received the Congressional Medal of Honor for his service in the skies above Vietnam and is one of only 79 living medal recipients. He is a native of Walnut Grove, Minnesota.
Thorsness flew 92 successful missions in all, but he was forced to eject from his plane midway into his 93rd. He injured both of his legs in the ejection and was captured by members of the North Vietnamese military.
Thorsness was released from captivity in 1973, at which point he retired from the Air Force. He received the Medal of Honor from President Richard Nixon in a White House ceremony on October 15, 1973.
In 1966, Fritz, a native of Chicago Illinois, was working toward a career in veterinary medicine when he got his draft notice. After advanced armor training, he was accepted for Officer Candidate School. In 1968, he was sent to Vietnam. While he was there, Fritz led a column of heavily armored vehicles on a dirt highway near Quan Lo. He was suddenly blown out of his armored vehicle from a huge explosion by a large force of North Vietnamese soldiers. Fritz’s force was caught in a crossfire. Fritz jumped into an armored vehicle, took a heavy toll on the attackers, and led his tiny force in a point-blank charge that temporarily drove the enemy back. He was hit several times, and one particularly heavy blow on the left side of his chest knocked him down.
Fritz had tried to call headquarters but didn’t know if the transmission had been received. As he readied his men for a last stand to protect the wounded, he saw the aerial of a U.S. tank coming down the road. It was part of a tank platoon that had overheard his call for help. Eventually, he and his wounded troopers were evacuated by helicopter.
Later that day when he returned to the battlefield, he found a battered cigarette lighter that had been given to him as a going-away present by his wife. It had been in his left breast pocket and had stopped an enemy bullet that would otherwise have killed him.
He returned to the U.S. in the spring of 1968 and learned in 1971 that he would receive the Medal of Honor by President Richard Nixon.
“Some of the unsung heroes, the men and women that served in the various branches of service in the United States who came back, they were not awarded the Medal of Honor but their valor and dedication are equal to anyone who has the Medal of Honor,” said Fritz in his remarks during the tribute program Friday.
“The Medal of Honor is given in the name of Congress. It’s not won. It’s presented and awarded to a recipient. We are recipients of the Medal of Honor and we wear our ribbons proudly not for ourselves but for the men and women that have served, that are serving, and will serve in the armed forces of the United States,” he said.
“War is a terrible thing. But I believe beyond my lifetime that somebody or maybe some people sitting in this audience will be the key to finding a way to peaceably settle disagreements between individuals and countries. You are going to play a role in that. You are going to be part of that solution. Your contributions are very important. The two greatest weapons in the world today are faith and education. Always extend your hand out to your fellow American to help them. They in turn will help you and others. That’s what makes America so great. That’s why men and women serve. Because we want to preserve freedom, not only for today but for the future,” Fritz concluded.
“We are so blessed just by being born in America. We wear this medal for those who can’t. We wear it for everybody who served,” said Thorsness.
Only 79 Medal of Honor recipients are still living. It’s the country’s highest military honor, given for valor in combat and action that saved the lives of fellow soldiers, sailors and Marines.
A total of 45 million men and women have fought in America’s wars, but only 3,500 have received the Medal of Honor.
DeKalb Middle was one of only a few mid-state schools selected to receive a visit from Medal of Honor recipients as part of “Nashville Salutes”, a three day event focusing on these heroes and what they stand for while preserving their legacy through the Medal of Honor Foundation’s Character Development Program, which incorporates the ideals of courage and selfless service into the middle and high school curriculum to build character and promote responsible citizenship.
Tena Davidson, an educator at DeKalb Middle School, discovered the program and introduced it to students in her class last year. Principal Jennings thanked Davidson for her efforts in making Friday’s program possible.