Face of Defense: Airman Honors Father With Bronze Star

By Air Force Capt. George Tobias

Air Force Space Command Public Affairs

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo., June 21, 2011 – An Air Force Space Command chief master sergeant used the occasion of her retirement ceremony here to take care of one last troop -- her father, who was presented with the Bronze Star Medal he earned four decades ago.

Chief Master Sgt. Nancy Geisler, a contracting superintendent and area manager for the command, recognized her father, retired Army Sgt. 1st Class Daniel Porter at her June 13 retirement ceremony. Geisler coordinated with the Army to present Porter with the medal he earned for service in Vietnam from 1969 to 1970 with the 4th Infantry Division, currently located at Fort Carson, Colorado Springs, Colo.

For Geisler it was important to recognize her father's service.

"My father told me while I was young that he had received a Bronze Star," she said. "So I kept that in the back of my mind, and with my upcoming retirement I wanted to present a shadow box to my father of his Bronze Star and his citation, but he told me that the Army never presented him his Bronze Star."

Geisler then decided that at her retirement ceremony, her father should be presented his Bronze Star medal. While they had the orders that showed Porter earned the medal, no records of the citation could be found.

This prompted the 4th ID to regenerate the citation, allowing Army Col. Timothy Coffin, deputy commander of Space and Missile Defense Command and Army Strategic Command, to present it and the Bronze Star to Porter.

"Now is the time to make history right," Coffin said as he presented the medal.

Service members today enjoy great support from the nation, but "that was not the case back in 1969 and 1970 during the period of time that Sgt. 1st Class Porter was in Vietnam,” Coffin said.

"The 4th ID is still today overseas serving in Afghanistan, serving in combat operations," he said. "We have young soldiers today doing the same things that, 41 years later, Sergeant Porter has been recognized for."

Geisler also commented on the disparity of support that today’s service members enjoy, as compared to their predecessors who’d served in Vietnam.

"It is very rewarding to me to see that he finally got recognized for his service," Geisler said of her father’s award.

Geisler said her father was very pleased when he heard he would be presented his Bronze Star.

"He said he was so proud and told all his friends where he lives that the Army finally did him right," she said.