His parents, LeAnne and Mike Tate, moved here in June 1993 when Mike retired from the Marine Corps.
Thursday morning at work at Northwoods Bank, LeAnne beamed with pride, a stack of StarTribune newspapers piled neatly on a corner of her desk.
Capt. John M. Tate (right) of Park Rapids received the Silver Star for his actions while conducting combat operations in the Malaab district of Ramadi, Iraq. Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno awarded the medal during a Dec. 4 ceremony at Al Taqaddum Air Base, Iraq. (US Army Photo)
She said her son told her about the incident in February that earned him the military honor, but she didn’t know he was put in for the medal, so it was a surprise.
According to the StarTribune story, John Tate methodically led his forces through a small section of Ramadi, Iraq for six hours after one of Tate’s platoons hit an improvised explosive device Feb. 24.
He moved two other platoons into position along with Bradley armored vehicles. The troops moved from block to block. With engagements every 30 minutes, it took six hours to cover 500 meters, but casualties among Americans were kept to a minimum and the insurgents were removed from the neighborhood.
The fourth highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the US armed services is designated solely for valor in the face of the enemy.
Full Story Here...
