I come to Dayton, Ohio, for business a couple times each year. In Dayton today, I took a run along the Miami River on a nice waterside bike trail. I've run the trail before, but always to the South, away from the city. For a change of pace I ran toward the city, today, passing under eight bridges in twenty minutes. Despite the urban environment above, it actually is quite peaceful along the river's edge. There were surprisingly few people on the trail as well.

During the run I came upon a memorial dedicated to servicemen from the area who served in Vietnam. As I ran by names etched in granite, I recognized William H. Pitsenbarger's name - he was an Air Force para-jumper who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for enabling the evacuation of wounded soldiers in the midst of a fire-fight. I came back to the memorial to get the names of the other Medal of Honor winners - six from four counties. Four were killed as a result of their actions, two are still living - including one who is currently on active duty as the Brigade Commander for Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

Here are the names and citations of the awardees listed on the memorial:

Airman 1st Class William H. Pitsenbarger

PRIVATE FIRST CLASS Douglas E. Dickey

SGT FIRST CLASS Sammy L. Davis

SPECIALIST FOUR Joseph G. LaPointe, Jr.

Lance Corporal Joe Calvin Paul

COL Gordon Ray Roberts