Momentum for local Medal of Honor growing
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| Marine Lance Corporal (Retired) Ricardo C. Binns |
The nomination, made by retired Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel Robert Adelhelm, Jacksonville, Florida, was initially submitted earlier this year with the recommendation of U.S. Congressman Raul Labrador. The recommendation is now with the U.S. Marine Corps, with a decision expected sometime in June.
The Navy Cross is the second highest award for valor and bravery that can be awarded to a Marine. On Monday, Binns will ride in the Bonners Ferry Memorial Day parade.
You can read about the Bonners Ferry Marine's heroism by clicking here.
Adelhelm first heard about Binns' heroism while studying at the Officer's Basic Course, where part of the curriculum was the Battle of Hill 488. After his retirement, he happened to meet and work with a man who'd been on the hill that day, Charles Bosley, who told him more about the events of that June, 1966, night. The more he heard, the more Adelhelm became convinced that a fellow Marine, deserving of the nation's highest honor, had been denied.
Over a period of years, he gathered documenation and statements from the survivors of the battle, some of whom have since died.
"The events covered in LCol. Adelhelm's exhaustive research are worthy of close scrunity and in my view deserve a further review by the highest authority," wrote retired Navy Rear Admiral David Harlow. "The awarding of the Navy Cross for valor, bravery, sacrifice and support of fellow Marines in deadly combat was extremely well deserved. This is a major award, but LCol. Adelhelm's efforts raise the question that possibly LCpl. Binns is deserving of the next and highest of our country's awards, the Congressional Medal of Honor."
Ray Hildreth, now living in Tulsa, Oklahoma, who was on the hill that fateful night, wrote in support of the upgrade, saying "Rick Binns was wounded multiple times by gun fire and shrapnel from grenades and refused morphine offered by our Corpsman so that he could remain alert and in the battle. The indomitable spirit that Rick Binns displayed during the battle was an inspiration to those of us that remained able to fight."
"I was with LCpl Binns when we first saw and engaged the enemy before he ordered us back to anther defensive position," wrote former Marine Tom Powell. "The enemy firing became intense from hundreds of enemy tryinig to take our position. While returning fire, I was shot and would have been killed it it wasn't for LCpl Binns pulling me to cover and treating my wound. Although I was wounded, I saw all the actions going on around me and I witnessed what LCpl Binns did during the battle. He moved from position to position through intense enemy fire helping engage the enemy where needed and at close range. He was loading magazines and passing out ammo, helping treat others who were wounded, he was firing and yelling at the enemy and encouraging us to hold our positions. I can still remember the way his eyes looked and how he fought like hell ... I saw what he did. His actions were heroic. It is still hard to believe anyone could do what he did under those conditions. He is a hero, and if it wasn't for him, we would not have survived that battle."
"I was surprised that he was not considered," wrote Bosley in support of Adelhelm's upgrade request. "I was surprised that he wasn't awarded the MOH, but figured it was because of politics. I was just a PFC (private first class) at the time and did what I was told. I was just glad to have survived that battle. I and the others survived because of LCpl Binns, and for that I am very grateful to him."
"Although many years have passed, the documented facts gathered and provided by LCol Adelhelm in support of making things right for a fellow and most worthy Marine deserve the consideration of further review," Harlow wrote.
To read more on Ricardo C. Binns and the quest to have him recognized as a hero, visit Adelhelm's website by clicking here.