Retired Lt. Col. David Gauntlett received the Bronze Star Medal with Valor during an Oregon National Guard ceremony in Salem on Oct. 19, 57 years after his actions in Vietnam. From May 12 to 14, 1969, then-Sgt. Gauntlett, a 20-year-old Air Force radio operator, stayed at his radio through three days of mortar attacks at Song Be in Phuoc Long Province, continuing to coordinate airstrikes despite a shrapnel wound. His 1969 award recommendation was lost until a fellow veteran rediscovered the original citation around 2000, launching a five-year effort involving Rep. Val Hoyle's office to validate the recommendation. Hoyle is pushing a National Defense Authorization Act amendment to prevent similar delays for other veterans.
