BOSTON — Today is National Medal of Honor Day – a day designated to recognize the efforts of those who have served their country and often sacrificed their lives in the service to others. The date of March 25 was chosen because on this date in 1863, that the first Medals of Honor were presented to six members of Andrews’ Raiders. (For more on Medal of Honor Day, click here.)
As many know, Bill is in production with his seventh book, this one on Boston area veterans, service members and those who support them. He has photographed a number of Medal of Honor recipients over the years and at least three honorees are included in Bill’s latest book, which is due out this summer.
On the morning that this photograph was taken by Bill Brett for his book, “Boston: Irish,” Thomas G. Kelley (left) and Thomas J. Hudner, Jr., both recipients of the Medal of Honor, were interested in making contact with New Hampshire’s Ryan M. Pitts, a former U.S. staff sergeant who was about to receive the Medal of Honor for his combat actions in Afghanistan. (Pitts is shown in the photo above with Ann Nee, whose husband was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart.)
As the two men spoke of Pitts they called him “brother” although Pitts is young enough to be either man’s grandson. “It is a pretty exclusive group,” said Tom Lyons, a veteran who has worked to recognize the Medal of Honor recipients, including at Medal of Honor Park in South Boston, photos from an event to mark the 43rd anniversary of the South Boston Vietnam Memorial, which is held in September at Gold Medal Park located in South Boston.
A Dorchester native who grew up in West Roxbury, Tom Kelley received the Medal of Honor for his actions in Vietnam in 1969 when he led eight boats to extract a U.S. Army infantry company. His great-grandfather, for whom he’s named, left Ireland for America and enlisted a short time later in the Union Army. He retired as a captain in 1990 and later served as commissioner of the state Department of Veterans’ Services.
Tom Hudner’s family left Ireland and made their way to Fall River, where they ran Hudner’s Markets. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Tom was an aviator in the Korean War who was awarded the Medal of Honor for trying to save the life of his wingman, Ensign Jesse L. Brown.
He retired as a captain in 1973 and served as the state Department of Veterans’ Services prior to Tom Kelley. The Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Thomas Hudner is currently being built in Bath, Maine, and will be commissioned in his honor.
Tom Lyons and some fellow veterans worked with their South Boston community to erect one of the first memorials in the country to recognize those who lost their lives in Vietnam. The South Boston Vietnam Memorial was dedicated on September 13, 1981, a full year before the Vietnam War Memorial was unveiled in Washington, D.C.
Here is some background on Pitts from Paul Doyle, who served as the researcher for this latest effort:
Ryan Pitts is shown in this photo with Ann Nee as Pitts presented the Purple Heart Medal to Nee, wife of John Nee who was wounded in Vietnam in 1968 and due to unforeseen circumstances did not receive the medal at that time.
On the morning of July 13, 2008 Pitts was part of Observation Post Topside in the Battle of Wanat in Afghanistan, when around 200 Taliban insurgents attacked American troops stationed near Quam, in Afghanistan’s far eastern province. At about 4:20 a.m., soldiers conducting surveillance identified potential insurgents. Soldiers at OP Topside were hit with small arms fire, rocket propelled grenades and hand grenades. Pitts and six other paratroopers at OP Topside were injured in the initial volley of enemy fire, and two paratroopers were killed. Pitts took grenade shrapnel in both legs and his left arm. For more than an hour after, Pitts continued to fight and defend his position and his teammates, despite his injuries.
Throughout the battle, despite the loss of blood and severity of his wounds, Pitts’ toughness, determination and ability to communicate with leadership while under fire allowed US forces to hold the observation post and turn the tide of battle.
All photos by Bill Brett
