Newsletter: A Day Long Coming

Statement

Dear Friend,

For all the challenges faced by our nation, spending the week in the most beautiful congressional district in the country leaves me revived and hopeful.

I hosted town halls at Priest Lake, Bonners Ferry, Moscow, Lewiston and Cottonwood. On Monday, I'll be in Emmett, on Tuesday, Cascade. The following week, we'll have our final town halls of the August break in Nampa, Aug. 26, and Meridian, Aug. 27. I'll have a summary of what I learned in a later edition of the newsletter.

Today, I'd like to focus on this week's highlight: The long overdue recognition of a modest and courageous American soldier, Sgt. Michael Atwell of Osburn.

Atwell was just 18 years old when he put himself in the line of enemy fire during the Battle of Dak To in 1967, keeping the enemy at bay during a three-day battle. Now 65, he has finally been awarded the Silver Star -- the military's third-highest decoration for valor.

Atwell wouldn't have received the honor absent the intervention of two men who served with him as they faced the North Vietnamese Army at Hill 875. At a reunion in 2011, Col. Ron Leonard and Maj. Larry Moore decided to petition the Army for the medal.

On Wednesday at the American Legion Hall in Post Falls, I helped present the award, along with an American Flag flown over the Capitol.

"It is at last time to recognize this soldier's extraordinary courage and valor," said Leonard, who traveled to the ceremony from Fairfax Station, Va.

"This day has been long coming," said Moore, of Knoxville, Tenn. "Mike Atwell is a brave soldier."

Moore and Leonard described Atwell as quiet and effective. Accepting the award, Atwell was brief: "I'm not going to say a lot. We had a lot of good people. This Silver Star is for all of them -- couldn't have done it without them."

Then, the three men hugged. It was a moment that brought tears for me and many in the audience. The story made the Coeur d'Alene Press, Spokesman Review online and KIVI-TV.

During the Nov. 20 to Nov. 23, 1967, battle Atwell was operating from an exposed forward position. He delivered "continuous devastating fire on the enemy," according to the Army citation. "Atwell endured wave after wave of enemy counterattacks…which ultimately allowed friendly forces to secure Hill 875."

"Private First Class Atwell's gallantry in action is in keeping with the finest traditions of military service and reflects great credit upon himself, the 503d Airborne Infantry Brigade and the United States Army," says the citation. Atwell's Company B was outnumbered by a ratio of 7-to-1.

After a 6-year Army Career, Atwell worked for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. His postings included Mountain Home Air Force Base and the Eastern Environmental Office in Kellogg. He was twice deployed to Iraq and twice to Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina. Atwell retired from the Corps in 2011.

Col. Leonard and Maj. Moore began collecting records about the Battle of Dak To in 2011, submitting an application for the award to the Army in 2012. Early in 2013, they brought the matter to my office. Our expert on veterans' affairs, Tori Shockey, helped revise the application three times. On June 26, 2014, Secretary of the Army John McHugh approved the award.

My highest priority as your representative is to ensure your government is responsive. Sgt. Atwell's story is an example of how we can help.

Please feel free to contact me by visiting my website at www.labrador.house.gov, by signing up for my e-newsletter, or by following me on Facebook or Twitter.

Also, you should know that if you, or someone you know, is having problems with a federal agency, you can visit my "Constituent Services" webpage for assistance. As your elected representative, my staff and I are here to help; we will do our best to untangle any federal complications you might have.

Thank you,

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