TO LISTEN TO GEORGE JONE'S 50,000 NAMES ON THE WALL
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15 Dec 73- Richard
M. Rees CPT 0-3, JCRC,
Survey Team Leader-KIA. His Awards include the following, in addition to the
DSC for the action in which he met his demise.
My DSC database lists the name of Captain Richard M. Rees,
who was awarded a Posthumous DSC for actions on December 15, 1973 while serving
with Field Team 6, Control Team B, Headquarters, Joint Casualty Resolution
Center. The SN I list for Captain Rees is: 274367706. Since I did not have the
citation for his award, which was issued under Department of the Army, General
Orders No. 24 (December 2, 1975), I did an FOIA on him.
I received the paperwork back yesterday from St. Louis,
which included a Silver Star Citation for First Lieutenant Richard M. Rees for
actions on 11 April 1968, while serving with Detachment A-302, Company A, 5th
Special Forces. (Paperwork also included an ARCOM for Captain Richard M. Rees
for actions during the period 23 February 1970 to 10 January 1971 while serving
with Company A, 2d Battalion, 508th Infantry, 82d Airborne). The
file for Captain Rees did NOT reflect award of the DSC, which I believe IS
legitimate. (If we can find the G.O. we can verify if indeed it is legit.)
While there is a possibility we are talking about two different Richard M.
Rees, I believe they are most likely the same person—former SF, KIA while
serving with the JCRC in 1973 and subsequently awarded the DSC. If they are one
and the same, and all this is correct, the records of one of your SF heroes at
St. Louis were never properly updated to reflect his DSC which means, a
generation from now, family members researching him would not be aware of his
uncommon valor.
I am hoping you will help me clarify this matter and if
Captain Rees, SF, KIA, was in fact awarded the DSC, we should seek to first
prove it, and then advise NPRC to update that record. It is the least we can do
for a fallen comrade. I am including two officers of the Legion of Valor in
this email in hopes they may also be able to help us clarify/resolve this
matter.
Thanks for any help.
Sincerely,
Doug
C. Douglas Sterner
3111 Thatcher Ave.
Pueblo, CO 81005
(719) 564-1755
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