American Valor Quarterly Issue 2 - Spring 2008 | Page 6

The highlight of each year’s conference is always the awards
banquet, which calls attention to the greatest stories of
heroism from our uniformed men and women.
Pictured right are the American Veterans Center’s 2007
award recipients. From left to right (front row): Lt. General Hal Moore, recipient of the Joe Hooper Award;
Terry Shima, Joe Ichiuji, George Joe Sakato, and Kelly
Kuwayama of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, recipients of the Audie Murphy Award; Captain Thomas
J. Hudner, Jr., recipient of the Raymond Davis Award.
Standing in the back row are Earl Morse, recipient of
the Edward J. Herlihy Citizenship Award and founder
of “Honor Flight,” the service which flies World War II
veterans to Washington to see the National World War II
Memorial; Major Jason Amerine and Sergeant Jeremiah
Workman, recipients of the Paul Ray Smith Award; and American Veterans Center President James C. Roberts.
Easily the most moving moment of the entire conference
came at the close of the awards banquet, when Lt. General
Hal Moore “came out of retirement” for the evening to
present Army Sergeant Brent Bretz with his promotion to
Staff Sergeant. Sgt. Bretz was severely wounded in the line
of duty while serving in Iraq, losing both of his legs, and
undergoing countless surgeries throughout a long and agonizing recovery. Still, despite many setbacks, he perservered
in the finest tradition of the American soldier.
Sgt. Bretz had one with prior to being discharged from the
Army: To be promoted to the rank of Staff Sergeant. His
case was taken up by the Apache Bravo Young Marines, who,
along with the American Veterans Center, worked with the
Department of Defense to ensure that the promotion that
Sgt. Bretz had earned would in fact come to pass.
Conducting the official promotion ceremony, General Moore said to Sgt. Bretz, “This is one of the greatest honors of my life. To
be asked to pin the promotion of Staff Sergeant on this warrior who defeated his wounds and his memories. I thank you for your
service.”

All photos by Joe Portnoy/American Veterans Center

Of course, the conference had its light-hearted moments
as well, and provided plenty of time for attendees to
make new friends and catch up with old ones.
Pictured right is Donald Burgett, veteran of the 101st
Airborne Division in World War II and author of several books on the war including Currahee! A Screaming
Eagle in Normandy, the only book on the war personally
endorsed by Dwight D. Eisenhower. Mr. Burgett is receiving a kiss on the cheek from none other than Edith
Shain, who is best known as the nurse from the legendary “Times Square Kiss” photo taken on V-J Day by
Alfred Eisenstaedt for Life magazine.
AVQ

American Valor Quarterly - Spring 2008 - 6