'Black Jack' Trooper Honored for Lifesaving Actions (Kraig Lemme)

"Heroic and selfless" is how Spc. Kraig Lemme was described when he was awarded the Soldier’s Medal in a ceremony at Black Jack Field, Fort Hood, Texas, for saving the lives of three tankers whose Abrams had turned turtle in a canal in Iraq.

The Soldier’s Medal is one of the highest honors a Soldier can receive, and is reserved for those who distinguish themselves by a heroic act that does not occur in combat.

Lemme, 24, from Tucson, Ariz., and an infantryman with Company A, 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, recalled the events of an early morning in October 2004 when he was serving with the 1st Cavalry Division in Iraq.

“We were out on a mission – command and control,” Lemme explained. “We heard over the radio that a tank had flipped over into a canal.”

Lemme immediately headed to the canal with Spc. Randy Mikai, Spc. Geraldo Garza and their commander.

The Soldiers decided the best option was to try and pull the overturned Abrams from the canal with another tank using tow cables. Though they couldn’t move the tank, they were able to raise it above the waterline and gain access to the hatches.

A trained rescue swimmer, Lemme helped the three Soldiers trapped inside climb through the hatch and swim to shore. Fortunately, there were no severe injuries though the tankers were fatigued and shaken.

Lemme said that while he is honored to be awarded the Soldier's Medal, the fact that the three Soldiers are still alive today is most important.

“I was just doing my job, like any Soldier would,” he said.

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