Vietnam War Hero to Receive Posthumous Medal of Honor

Army News Service

WASHINGTON, April 17, 2012 – Army Spc. 4 Leslie H. Sabo Jr., a rifleman with the 101st Airborne Division during the Vietnam War, will posthumously receive the Medal of Honor in a May 16 ceremony, White House officials announced yesterday.

Sabo is credited with saving the lives of several of his comrades in Company B, 3rd Battalion, 506th Infantry, when his platoon was ambushed near the Se San River in eastern Cambodia on May 10, 1970. Sabo shielded a comrade from an enemy grenade and silenced a machine-gun bunker before he was killed.

Sabo's widow, Rose Mary Sabo-Brown, and his brother, George Sabo, have been invited to the White House for the ceremony. President Barack Obama recently telephoned Sabo-Brown to inform her that her late husband would receive the nation's highest award for valor.

"It was a very emotional day -- a very, very emotional day,” she said. I couldn't even sleep that night. And … when I did fall asleep finally and I woke up the next morning, I went, 'Now wait a minute, did I dream this? Is it really real?' I couldn't be more proud of him.

In her home near New Castle, Pa., Sabo-Brown has set up a museum of sorts in tribute to her late husband and his comrades who were killed in Cambodia.

When his platoon was ambushed from all sides by a large enemy force, Sabo charged the enemy position, killing several enemy soldiers. He then assaulted an enemy flanking force, successfully drawing their fire away from friendly soldiers and ultimately forcing the enemy to retreat. While the platoon was securing a re-supply of ammunition, an enemy grenade landed nearby. Sabo picked it up, threw it, and shielded a wounded comrade with his own body -- absorbing the brunt of the blast and saving his comrade's life.

Although wounded by the grenade blast, Sabo continued to charge the enemy's bunker. After receiving several serious wounds from automatic weapons fire, he crawled toward the enemy emplacement and, when in position, threw a grenade into the bunker. The resulting explosion silenced the enemy fire, but also ended Sabo's life.

Sabo's unit nominated him for the Medal of Honor, but the paperwork was lost until Tony Mabb, a Vietnam veteran of the 101st Airborne Division and a writer for the Screaming Eagle Association magazine, came across a thick file on Sabo while on a research trip to the National Archives military repository in College Park, Md.

Mabb contacted his congresswoman, who recommended that the Defense Department reconsider a medal of valor for Sabo. Mabb also made contact with Sabo's widow.

"The Leslie I know would give his life to anybody," she said. "He would. He would give you the shirt off his back. That's the kind of man he was."

(From a White House news release, with additional reporting by Elizabeth M. Collins of Soldiers magazine.)

Navy Names Zumwalt-class Destroyer USS Lyndon B. Johnson

From Department of Defense

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced April 16 the next Zumwalt-class destroyer will be named the USS Lyndon B. Johnson.

The selection of Lyndon B. Johnson, designated DDG 1002, continues the Navy tradition of naming ships after presidents and honors the nation's 36th president.

USS Lyndon B. Johnson is the 34th ship named by the Navy after a U.S. president.

"I am pleased to honor President Johnson with the naming of this ship," Mabus said. "His dedication to a life of public service included bravely stepping forward to fight for his country during our entry into World War II."

A Texas congressman, Johnson was the first member of Congress to enlist in the military following the start of World War II. After his naval service, Johnson was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1948, where he served as both minority and majority leader before being elected vice president Nov. 8, 1960.

Following President John F. Kennedy's assassination Nov. 22 1963, Johnson succeeded to the presidency, finished the remaining term, and was reelected for a full term as president, by the greatest percentage of total popular vote (61 percent) ever attained by a presidential candidate.

Johnson's time as president was marked by the passage of programs that greatly influenced and impacted education, healthcare and civil rights for generations to come. He signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 into law, enacting comprehensive provisions protecting the right to vote and guarding against racial discrimination. His work on civil rights continued with the passage of the Voting Rights Act, which guaranteed voting rights for all people, regardless of race.

Johnson signed legislation establishing Medicare, which allowed millions of elderly Americans access to cheaper medical services. He also launched the Head Start Program, which provided preschool children from low-income families with classes, medical care, and other services.

As a naval officer, Johnson requested a combat assignment after the attack on Pearl Harbor and served in the Pacific theater during World War II. After returning from active duty service, Johnson reported back to Navy leaders and Congress on what he believed were deplorable conditions for the warfighters, and continued to fight for better standards for all military members.

USS Lyndon B. Johnson will be the third Zumwalt-class (DDG 1000) destroyer. Construction began on the ship at General Dynamics-Bath Iron Works April 4 and is expected to deliver to the Navy in fiscal 2018. The multimission DDG 1000 class destroyers are designed for sustained operations in the littorals and land attack and will provide independent forward presence and deterrence, support special operations forces, and operate as an integral part of joint and combined expeditionary forces. This warship integrates numerous critical technologies, systems, and principles into a complete warfighting system. Zumwalt ships will be 600 feet in length, have a beam of 80.7 feet, displace approximately 15,000 tons, and capable of making 30 knots speed. Each ship will have a crew size of 148 officers and Sailors.

NAVSUP Serves Up Excellence at Sea Air Space Expo 2012

From NAVSUP Corporate Communications

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md, (NNS) -- Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP) demonstrated one of its top quality-of-life responsibilities at the Navy League's annual Sea-Air-Space Expo, which runs April 16-18.

Through food cooking and preparation demonstrations, Navy culinary specialists (CSs) worked together to serve samplings of a variety of dishes, ranging from chicken saltimbocca with mushroom asparagus and herb linguini to oriental pepper steak to country collard greens.

CSs who took top awards at the March 2012 Annual Military Culinary Arts Competition in Fort Lee, Va.- the largest culinary competition in North America-brought their award-winning dishes back for an encore presentation at the symposium.

"It's great to be able to go to a show like this and meet some of the young enlisted men and woman who are responsible for providing the quality of life afloat and ashore in these expeditionary environments that our Sailors need to be effective. They provide day to day warfighting readiness through their skills," said NAVSUP Commander and Chief of Supply Corps Rear Adm. Mark Heinrich.

"It's an honor and a blessing to be here," said Culinary Specialist 3rd Class Cameron Johnson, currently stationed at Naval Station Norfolk Galley. "A lot of people don't get an opportunity to do something like this and I'm proud to be here for the Navy and representing my culinary team. I love being a CS and cooking for others."

NAVSUP's exhibit features five daily cooking demonstrations, accompanied by twice-daily educational sessions on the Navy Operational Fitness and Fueling Series (NOFFS) by NAVSUP Nutrition Program Manager and Registered Dietician Jennifer Person-Whippo.

"Healthy and nutritious meals made from scratch that are also great tasting...that's what's going to fuel our Sailors out at sea and keep them motivated and keep them going," said Cmdr. Danny King, Navy Food Service director for NAVSUP. "This Expo is a great opportunity to show off the combination of our registered dietician, our corporate chef, representatives from our Navy Food Management Teams, and our CSs...it's bringing all the great roles together."

"I think this Expo is a great opportunity to introduce people to the Operational Fueling and Fitness Program," said Person-Whippo. "The fueling program gives service members knowledge on portion size, which foods they should eat, and actually designs a program for them according to their weight and their goals."

"We're really excited to be able to provide this kind of information at this year's Sea-Air-Space Expo," said NAVSUP Corporate Chef Michael Harants. "There are more than 7,300 CSs throughout the Navy and CSs deployed around the globe feed on average more than 92.5 million wholesome and nutritious meals per year, ensuring the Navy's fighting forces operate at peak performance and are ready to respond to threats worldwide. CSs have a huge impact every day. This is a big responsibility and we are very proud to provide support and manage the Navy's food service."

The Navy League holds its annual Sea-Air-Space (SAS) Exposition April 16-18, at the Gaylord National Harbor Convention Center in National Harbor, Md. As the largest maritime symposium in the world, SAS attracts approximately 10,000 attendees. It features more than 150 defense industry exhibits and professional seminars with top civilian and military leaders from the U.S. Department of Defense, Homeland Security, Maritime Administration and the defense industry who provide up-to-the-minute developments on policy and programs of the maritime services.

NAVSUP's primary mission is to provide U.S. naval forces with quality supplies and services. With headquarters in Mechanicsburg, Pa., and employing a diverse, worldwide workforce of more than 22,500 military and civilian personnel, NAVSUP oversees logistics programs in the areas of supply operations, conventional ordnance, contracting, resale, fuel, transportation, and security assistance. In addition, NAVSUP is responsible for quality of life issues for our naval forces, including food service, postal services, Navy Exchanges, and movement of household goods.

USO Tour Shows Nation’s Gratitude, Vice Chairman Says

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.

American Forces Press Service

NAVAL AIR STATION NAPLES, Italy, April 17, 2012 – The USO's spring tour not only brightens the day for service members and their families living overseas, but also shows them the nation is grateful for their sacrifices, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told a crowded auditorium here yesterday.

“We really are here to see you and thank you for what you are doing in uniform -- serving the United States of America overseas,” Navy Adm. James A. Winnefeld Jr. said.

The USO has been entertaining troops overseas for decades, Winnefeld said, noting that the Navy named a ship after Bob Hope, who’d headlined many of the tours.

The vice chairman said leading this tour is a privilege, and he thanked the USO, its volunteers and the cast for working hard to bring enjoyment to troops overseas.

Winnefeld is joined by comedian/actor Anthony Anderson; former Major League Baseball pitcher Randy “The Big Unit” Johnson; performer Jason “Wee-Man” Acuna, actor and pitchman Dennis Haysbert; Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders Allyson Traylor, Brittany Evans and Kelsi Reich; and former “American Idol” contestants Diana DeGarmo and Ace Young.

Following the show here, service members and their families said they enjoyed an “awesome” show and spoke of their appreciation for the traveling celebrities.

“I liked it a lot,” said Valerie Stein, a Navy spouse who watched the Naples show with her husband. “It shows that everyone is thinking about us over here and cares about us.”

Her husband, Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Joel Stein, said he also enjoyed the show and it had a “good group of celebrities.”

“I'm a baseball fan, so I liked Randy Johnson [the most], but I like ‘The Unit,’ too,” he said, referring to a 2006-2009 series in which Haysbert starred as a member of a special operations unit. “I liked all of those guys.”

Valerie Stein, a native of Westerfield, N.Y., said the Stein family has been in Italy for a year, and she noted the USO tour is important because it “brings a piece of home” to the base.

“Just keep up the good work and keep the celebrities coming as much as they can,” she added. “It helps us get through being away and everything.”

Another Navy spouse, Heather Hawkins, said she enjoyed the cheerleaders during the show.

“It was awesome, and I had a really good time,” she said. “We came from Texas, so the Cowboys [cheerleaders] were awesome to see there.”

Hawkins said she cried when the cast sang “God Bless America,” and thanked the families in the audience. “That means a lot, and it is hard, because you are apart sometimes,” she said.

If she had an opportunity to speak to the USO talent, she added, she would express her gratitude.

“I'd thank them for taking the time out -- they're busy, I know they're busy -- and I don't think they fully understand how much it does mean that they recognize the troops and the sacrifices they make,” she said. “Even the families -- I really appreciated that. Sometimes the families get [forgotten].”

Hawkins said she would encourage more celebrities to travel overseas on USO tours.

“I don't think they understand what it means to see familiar faces from home,” she said. “It kind of keeps the morale of the troops up, and families’ as well.”

USS Dallas Recognizes Sailors' Children during Month of the Military Child

By Lt. Cmdr. Jennifer Cragg, Commander, Submarine Group 2 Public Affairs

GROTON, Conn. (NNS) -- More than 100 children of active duty Sailors assigned to USS Dallas (SSN 700) were recognized during a "Month of the Military Child" event held aboard the Los Angeles-Class attack submarine in Groton April 15.

The event hosted aboard Dallas, which included D.C. Olympics and an ice cream social was in support of the Month of the Military Child. Children of U.S. service members stationed around the world will be honored throughout April for their contributions and sacrifice.

Cmdr. Jack Houdeshell, Dallas' commanding officer and his crew organized a series of events to show their appreciation.

"A month set aside by the Navy to recognize our military children is significant and so critically important in the overall personnel readiness of our Dallas Sailors," said Houdeshell. "In April, we can show how much we do care and value their support."

Jill Henry, Dallas' ombudsman, received the certificates through the Blue Star Families' Outstanding Military Child Certificate Program.

"April is the month of the military child and this is the perfect time to recognize these young heroes and let them know they are not forgotten," said Henry.

Master Chief Electronics Technician (SS) Tomas Garcia, Dallas' chief of the boat discussed the command's philosophy toward recognizing the support provided by their families including the youngest members.

"In keeping with our command philosophy we have fostered a command culture of taking care of our children and recognizing the sacrifices they endure to allow us to defend our nation," said Garcia.

"The children endure just as much as the adults too and many times more, with having to change schools, make new friends and deal with the stresses of having only one parent at home most of the time," said Henry.