Vietnam War MOH recipient Roberts retires from the Army - News - Stripes
Col. Gordon R. Roberts, who received the Medal of Honor as a sergeant during the Vietnam War, retired from the Army on Friday at Fort Bragg.
Roberts was the most senior soldier on active duty wearing the nation's highest military honor, said Maj. Gen. Kenneth S. Dowd, commander of Fort Bragg's 1st Theater Sustainment Command. Not a one-time hero, Roberts also has two Silver Stars, the third-highest award for valor....
...Roberts looks boyish in a photograph of the ceremony at which President Nixon placed the blue Medal of Honor ribbon around his neck. At 61, Roberts wears glasses, and gray hair contrasts with his black beret.
In his remarks, Roberts did not talk about assaulting and destroying three enemy bunkers pinning down his 101st Airborne Division infantry company. He did not mention being under fire from North Vietnamese soldiers and pulling wounded comrades off the battlefield.
He did talk about the joy he received from soldiering and being around soldiers more than 44 years and his love of his family.
"I served with so many great soldiers over the years, and not always in war," he said.
Roberts, a Medical Service Corps officer, was deputy chief of staff in Kuwait last year as the 1st Theater Sustainment Command oversaw the removal of U.S. vehicles and equipment from Iraq before the Dec. 31 deadline. The two-star command is in charge of logistics for the Middle East, and its soldiers split their time between Fort Bragg and Kuwait...
...Roberts said he is looking forward to seeing his daughter Kerri's softball games at Appalachian State University and spending time with his wife, Alissa.
"I plan to spend eternity with her," he said. "Everything else is a distraction."
No real comment is needed. I'll just say enjoy your retirement COL Roberts, you've earned it!
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