Four Apache helicopter pilots from Company B, 1st Battalion, 149th Aviation Regiment (Attack), 36th Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB), were providing air support for Marine and Iraqi soldiers in Ramadi as the ground forces searched for insurgents in the heavily populated town.

The pilots, 1st Lt. Matthew Salo, Chief Warrant Officer 4 Robert Stacy, Chief Warrant Officer 4 William White, and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Marcus Moore, heard an IED explode over an open mike, followed by additional IEDs and a firestorm of insurgent fire. Because vital communication equipment had been destroyed by the IEDs, the Marines on the ground had no way of contacting their command post about the attack.

The Apache pilots became the ground forces’ only means of communication. As the Marines began to evacuate the wounded, the pilots contacted the command post and drew fire away from the ground forces, even though they were unable to return fire because of the potential for civilian casualties.

Once the evacuation team removed the wounded, the Apaches went to refuel, only to find that their helicopters were severely damaged by gunfire. “We knew the mission was vital and we had to go back in,” Salo said. The flight crews flew two more missions into the battle that raged for seven hours, all the while providing communication and air support under enemy fire. Eventually the Marines were able to evacuate under the cover of the Apaches, preventing countless casualties. For their part, the pilots were each awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Semper Vigilans Fortis Paratus et Fidelis
Pro Deo et Libertate — 1776

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