Hero Stories for July 2014

‘I told myself that I was going to die'   Former Army Sgt. Kyle White is uncomfortable with being called a hero. But after receiving the Medal of Honor on May 13, he realizes that he cannot avoid the label. White received the nation’s highest award for military valor in recognition of his actions during a patrol in the steep, rugged mountains near Aranas in eastern Afghanistan. He was serving as a radiotelephone operator with C Company, 2nd Battalion (Airborne), 5...

REQUIREMENTS To even consider a pursuit of this magnitude is admirable, but just as the Marine Corps is not for everyone—not just anyone can be a Marine. These are the initial questions a Marine Recruiter or Officer Selection Officer (OSO) will ask to determine your eligibility. Officer Enlisted   At least 17 years old at time of enlistment At least 20 at time of commissioning Has not reached 29th birthday at enlistment Has not reache...

NEW BRAUNFELS -- A New Braunfels Marine Corps sergeant was killed in action Wednesday in Helmand province, Afghanistan, according to the Department of Defense. Sgt. Thomas Z. Spitzer, 23, of New Braunfels, was assigned to 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, the DoD reports. Spitzer, who served as a mortarman, enlisted in the Marine Corps on Aug. 17, 2009, according to Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, headquarters of th...