By Scott Gruber
Special to American Forces Press Service
NEW YORK -- Defense Secretary William S. Cohen honored
former Ohio Sen. John Glenn and five enlisted men, Dec. 10,
during the USO's 1999 Holiday Gala aboard the Intrepid Sea-
Air-Space Museum in New York City.
Cohen, his wife Janet Langhart Cohen, the armed forces
service chiefs and a host of entertainers attended the
fund-raising gala hosted by former Marine Corps Commandant
Gen. Carl E. Mundy. Mundy is the United Service
Organizations president and chief executive officer.
Before joining Mundy to present the awards, Cohen lauded
the USO for it's service to America's troops. He said the
USO is a bridge linking military men and women to the
citizens they serve.
"Civilian volunteers serving the military," Cohen said.
"Every time you reach out with a hug or a handshake to
those who wear the uniform -- every time you say, 'You are
in our hearts; America cares' -- the bond between America
and its military, indeed the very fabric of the nation
itself, grows that much stronger."
The defense secretary presented the USO's Spirit of Hope
award to Glenn in recognition of his years of advocacy for
the men and women of the armed forces, and his
contributions to aviation and space exploration. The award
is presented to distinguished Americans whose patriotism
and service to the troops reflects that of Bob Hope.
In November 1997, Hope was designated the first honorary
veteran of the United States Armed Forces for his decades
of entertaining troops, around the world in peace and war.
Other recipients of the Spirit of Hope award include Johnny
Grant, the Honorary Mayor of Hollywood; the Country Music
Association; South Carolina Sen. Strom Thurmond; Mary
Sethness, a USO volunteer for over 56 years; Walter
Cronkite and Hawaii Sen. Daniel K. Inouye.
Glenn entered the Naval Aviation Cadet Program in March
1942, and was commissioned in the Marine Corps in 1943.
During World War II, he flew 59 combat missions in the
South Pacific. During the Korean War, he flew 63 missions
with Marine Fighter Squadron 311 and 27 missions as an
exchange pilot with the Air Force.
For his service in World War II and Korea, he received
numerous awards and commendations, including the
Distinguished Flying Cross (on six occasions), the Air
Medal with 18 Clusters, the Navy Unit Commendation, the
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, and the American Campaign
Medal.
Following his service in Korea, Glenn won an assignment as
a Marine test pilot, and set a transcontinental speed
record in 1957, for the first supersonic flight from Los
Angeles to New York. In 1959, Glenn was selected to be one
of the seven astronauts of NASA's Project Mercury. On Feb.
20, 1962, he made history as the first American to orbit
the earth, completing three orbits in his 5-hour flight.
Glenn retired from the Marine Corps as a colonel in 1965,
becoming a business executive with Royal Crown Cola. He was
elected to the U.S. Senate in 1974, where he served on the
Governmental Affairs committee. Glenn made history again as
the first popularly elected senator from Ohio to win four
consecutive terms.
In 1998, Glenn returned to space as a payload specialist
aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery. During the nine-day
mission, which orbited the earth 134 times, Glenn conducted
research on space flight and the aging process.
Cohen then presented Service Member of the Year awards to
an enlisted member of each service.
Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Mathew Bailey, assigned
to Coast Guard Station, Atlantic City, N.J., received the
"USO Coast Guardsman of the Year" award. While on patrol
off the coast of Atlantic City, Bailey received a radio
call indicating that a young boy and woman were in danger
of drowning in the surf.
Although his boat was not rated for surf conditions, Bailey
maneuvered the boat into the breaking waves and was able to
maintain the boat's position long enough to pull the
victims aboard. Both victims were taken by on-scene
paramedics to the hospital, though the woman unfortunately
never regained consciousness. However, Bailey's courage and
dedication to duty saved the life of the child.
Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Daniel M. Briehl, stationed with at
Marine Corps Air Station, Miramar, Calif., received the
"USO Marine of the Year" award. Briehl was a security guard
at the American Embassy in Kenya, Aug. 7, 1998, when the
building was ripped apart by terrorist bombs. Already cut
and bruised by flying debris and glass, Briehl immediately
entered the building to look for survivors.
Even after sustaining additional injuries from a two-story
fall down an elevator shaft, Briehl continued to dig
through the rubble, freeing trapped survivors. Briehl has
received numerous awards for his bravery, including the
Purple Heart and the Navy and Marine Corps Medal.
Navy Petty Officer Nathan L. Moore stationed at Helicopter
Anti-Submarine Squadron Six, Naval Air Station, North
Island, Calif., received the "USO Sailor of the Year"
award. Moore was recognized for his ongoing service on the
potentially deadly flight deck of an aircraft carrier. His
keen eye, hard work, and dedication to the Navy's core
values, as well as that of the sailors he trains, have
averted numerous accidents, and saved the lives of
countless pilots and crew members.
Air Force TSgt. James L. Morrison II assigned to the 16th
Airlift Squadron (Special Operations) in Charleston, S.C.,
received the award for "USO Airman of the Year" award.
Morrison was performing scanner duties on a C-141B cargo
plane fully loaded with personnel and vehicles when a
phosphorus signal flare was inadvertently launched inside
the cargo compartment, landing under the engine of one of
the vehicles.
Without hesitation, Morrison immediately swept the burning
flare out from under the vehicle and initiated smoke and
fume elimination procedures. His quick thinking prevented a
potential disaster and possibly saved the lives of 92
service members.
Army Sgt. Christopher Voldarski, D Company, 2nd Battalion,
505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division,
Fort Bragg, N.C., received the "USO Soldier of the Year"
award. While serving as a member of the security and
peacekeeping force for Task Force Falcon, Voldarski noticed
a pair of suspicious men looting a house where a recently
returned refugee and her small daughter lived. Voldarski
detained the men, forced them to return the stolen items,
and ensured the safety of the woman and her daughter, who
were hiding in a closet.
The USO is a congressionally-chartered, nonprofit
organization providing morale support to the men and women
of the Armed Forces. The USO receives no direct government
funding.
For nearly 60 years, the USO has provided entertainment
programs to service men and women abroad. The USO's mission
is to remind the troops that those at home care, as well as
to remind those at home that there are still thousands of
service members in harm's way, many in remote locations
around the world.
For more information on contributing to the USO, please
call 1-800-876-7469 or visit the Web site at www.uso.org/
(Editor's note: Gruber works for the USO)
