Soldiers Earn Stars for Military Service in Iraq

Aug 30, 2007
BY Rebecca Street

Tiedeman received a Silver Star, the third highest award given for distinctive valor and the fourth highest award given in general to members of the Armed Forces.

At the 230th Navy Armory in Millington, Tennesee on Saturday, August 25, 2007, David Tiedeman an Inactive National Reservist from Colorado and Bob Betterton of Memphis Tennessee received respectively a Silver Star and a Bronze Star with Valor for “gallantry in action against an enemy of the United States.”

On April 4, 2005 Tiedeman and Betterton assisted 200 Iraqi Army soldiers search for a terrorist arms cache. They had know each other for only one month when they embarked on the mission to find the suspected hiding place for terrorist weapons, and they had no idea that one of them would end up saving the others’ life—nor did they know they would be rewarded for their brave actions.

When they started the mission they did not know that the hiding place for the weapons was manned with insurgents waiting for their arrival--the insurgents ambushed the US and Iraqi forces, and a firefight ensued.

The Americans and Iraqis fought back, pushing to the ditches where the insurgents had placed their weapons before the ambush. In the heat of the battle Tiedeman stopped when one of his soldiers, Sgt. Stephen Kennedy, had been seriously injured by the insurgents. At this time, Betterton had crawled into the water-filled ditch to fight back, and was shot several times, resulting in serious injures. Tiedeman, caught between helping Kennedy and helping Betterton, received aid when a humvee arrived, allowing Tiedeman time to pull Betterton out of the trench by his flack jacket.

Betterman received a Bronze Star with Valor, which when awarded for bravery, as in this case, acts as the fourth highest combat award and the ninth highest general military decoration.

Tiedeman, a member of the Inactive Ready Reserve, now works for the Department of Homeland Security. Betterton survived his wounds, and has been training in Texas while recuperating—but will be going back to Iraq soon. Tiedeman received a Silver Star, the third highest award given for distinctive valor and the fourth highest award given in general to members of the Armed Forces. Betterman received a Bronze Star with Valor, which when awarded for bravery, as in this case, acts as the fourth highest combat award and the ninth highest general military decoration. “Valor” indicates the Bronze Star as an award for distinction in combat.

According to the Army’s Institute of Heraldry, the Silver Star, along with the Bronze Star for Valor, may be awarded to any person who, while serving in any capacity with the U.S Armed Forces, distinguishes him or herself by extraordinary heroism involving one of the following actions: • In action against an enemy of the United States
• While engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force
• While serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party

Both medals came into existence in the 1940s, the Silver Star created by an Act of Congress in 1942 in order to reward both civilians and military personnel with the medal. The Bronze Star, higher in distinction than the Purple Heart, was authorized by Roosevelt in 1944, and in 1962, John F. Kennedy allowed the medal to be awarded to Americans or foreigners serving with “friendly forces,” as was the case when Tiedeman and Betterman acted so bravely when assisting Iraqi forces they were helping to train.

. The Valor device identifies the award as resulting from an act of combat heroism

Rebecca Street writes for Army.com.
Army.com would like to extend a special thanks to Mrs. Tiedeman.