Yesterday I had the distinct honor and privilege of attending the ceremony honoring the valor of Cpl Jonathan Ayers and the presentation of the posthumous award of the Silver Star to his family.
I expected a somber event. But it was instead, by direction of Cpl Ayers mother Suzanne, a celebration of his life. Cpl Ayers served with Chosen Company, 2nd Bn, (Airborne) 503rd Infantry Regiment of the 173rd ABCT in Afghanistan.
That company compiled an impressive combat record there, but at a cost. Over 60 of the Chosen were awarded Purple Hearts, 16 of them posthumously. Cpl Jonathan Ayers was killed in action in the battle of Wanat, where 9 Sky Soldiers lost their lives. According to those who witnessed Cpl Ayers heroics, he epitomized the nickname by which the regiment is known: The Rock.
At another spot on the observation post, Spc. Jonathan Ayers laid down continuous fire from an M-240 machine gun, despite drawing huge volumes of small-arms and RPG fire from the enemy.
At least 5 or 6 RPGs exploded all around him and he never even flinched. Those that saw what he did said, "He just kept rocking on that 240."
The survivors said it was the most heroic thing they'd ever seen. Like a movie. They feel he saved their lives.He kept the enemy from getting anywhere near COP.
One of the things I was most impressed with during yesterday's ceremony was the level of support from the community.
Snellville is a suburban Atlanta town, and, as we all know, life sometimes seems too busy for things like this. But that wasn't the case yesterday. The auditorium at Shiloh High School, where Jon graduated, was packed. The Patriot Guard lined the walls with flags. There were dignitaries from state government (who announced the State Legislature had unanimously voted to name an intersection in Snellville the "Cpl Jonathan Ayers Intersection"), the Mayor of Snellville (who declared yesterday "Cpl Jonathan Ayers Day" in Snellville) and, of course, the military community.
Members of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Association were there. And the entire Shiloh High JROTC detachment was there acting as escorts and ushers.
The Major in charge of the ceremony said he'd contacted the 173rd ABCT to see if they would like to send a letter from the commander or some pictures for the ceremony. Instead, they sent Cpl Ayer's entire platoon. Additionally his former battalion commander was on hand to read the Silver Star citation and his former company commander there to honor his memory.
During the presentation of the award, the entire platoon was on stage with the family. You could really feel the closeness of the bonds between those who had survived Wanat and the family of Cpl Ayers. It was heartwarming to say the least.
Probably the most gratifying moment for me, besides the award, took place as everyone was leaving. The family had been escorted off the stage, and other members of the family in the audience were allowed to leave before anyone else left. Then Cpl Ayer's platoon mates stood and began to file out from the front of the auditorium. The entire crowd, unbidden, stood and gave them a standing ovation as they left, many patting them on the back and shoulders as they passed by. I saw a few glistening eyes in both the crowd and among the platoon members.
Cpl Jon Ayers would have been very proud of both his comrades and his hometown.
Yesterday I had the distinct honor and privilege of attending the ceremony honoring the valor of Cpl Jonathan Ayers and the presentation of the posthumous award of the Silver Star to his family.
I expected a somber event. But it was instead, by direction of Cpl Ayers mother Suzanne, a celebration of his life. Cpl Ayers served with Chosen Company, 2nd Bn, (Airborne) 503rd Infantry Regiment of the 173rd ABCT in Afghanistan.
That company compiled an impressive combat record there, but at a cost. Over 60 of the Chosen were awarded Purple Hearts, 16 of them posthumously. Cpl Jonathan Ayers was killed in action in the battle of Wanat, where 9 Sky Soldiers lost their lives. According to those who witnessed Cpl Ayers heroics, he epitomized the nickname by which the regiment is known: The Rock.
At another spot on the observation post, Spc. Jonathan Ayers laid down continuous fire from an M-240 machine gun, despite drawing huge volumes of small-arms and RPG fire from the enemy.
At least 5 or 6 RPGs exploded all around him and he never even flinched. Those that saw what he did said, "He just kept rocking on that 240."
The survivors said it was the most heroic thing they'd ever seen. Like a movie. They feel he saved their lives.He kept the enemy from getting anywhere near COP.
One of the things I was most impressed with during yesterday's ceremony was the level of support from the community.
Snellville is a suburban Atlanta town, and, as we all know, life sometimes seems too busy for things like this. But that wasn't the case yesterday. The auditorium at Shiloh High School, where Jon graduated, was packed. The Patriot Guard lined the walls with flags. There were dignitaries from state government (who announced the State Legislature had unanimously voted to name an intersection in Snellville the "Cpl Jonathan Ayers Intersection"), the Mayor of Snellville (who declared yesterday "Cpl Jonathan Ayers Day" in Snellville) and, of course, the military community.
Members of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Association were there. And the entire Shiloh High JROTC detachment was there acting as escorts and ushers.
The Major in charge of the ceremony said he'd contacted the 173rd ABCT to see if they would like to send a letter from the commander or some pictures for the ceremony. Instead, they sent Cpl Ayer's entire platoon. Additionally his former battalion commander was on hand to read the Silver Star citation and his former company commander there to honor his memory.
During the presentation of the award, the entire platoon was on stage with the family. You could really feel the closeness of the bonds between those who had survived Wanat and the family of Cpl Ayers. It was heartwarming to say the least.
Probably the most gratifying moment for me, besides the award, took place as everyone was leaving. The family had been escorted off the stage, and other members of the family in the audience were allowed to leave before anyone else left. Then Cpl Ayer's platoon mates stood and began to file out from the front of the auditorium. The entire crowd, unbidden, stood and gave them a standing ovation as they left, many patting them on the back and shoulders as they passed by. I saw a few glistening eyes in both the crowd and among the platoon members.
Cpl Jon Ayers would have been very proud of both his comrades and his hometown.
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COB6 spent 24 years in the active duty Army that included 5 combat tours with service in the 1st Ranger Battalion and 1st Special Forces Group . COB6 was enlisted (E-7) and took the OCS route to a commission. COB6 retired a few years back as a field grade Infantry officer.
Currently COB6 has a son in the 82nd Airborne that just returned from his third tour and has a newly commissioned daughter in the 4th Infantry Division.
Uber Pig was an Infantryman from late 1991 until early 1996, serving with Second Ranger Battalion, I Corps, and then 25th Infantry Division. At the time, the Army discriminated against enlisted soldiers who wanted use the "Green to Gold" program to become officers, so he left to attend Stanford University. There, he became expert in detecting, avoiding, and surviving L-shaped ambushes, before dropping out to be as entrepreneurial as he could be. He is now the founder of a software startup serving the insurance and construction industries, and splits time between Lake Tahoe, Boonville, and San Francisco, CA.
Uber Pig writes for Blackfive a) because he's the proud brother of an enlisted Civil Affairs Reservist who currently serves in Iraq, b) because he looks unkindly on people who make it harder for the military in general, and for his brother in particular, to succeed at their missions and come home in victory, and c) because the Blackfive readers and commenters help keep him sane.
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