'To stand was to die'
<p>Idaho Congressman Raul Labrador, left, and retired U.S. Army Major Larry Moore, right, listen to retired U.S. Army Colonel Ronald Leonard speak of Michael Atwell's bravery and achievements in the Vietnam War at Atwell's Silver Star Medal ceremony Wednesday at the American Legion Post 143 in Post Falls. Atwell received the Silver Star Medal, the United State's third highest military combat decoration for valor, for his acts of heroism from November 20 to November 23. 1967, in Vietnam.</p>
<p>The Silver Star Medal is the United State's third highest military combat decoration for valor.</p>
<p>Retired U.S. Army Colonel Ronald Leonard, right, and retired U.S. Army Major Larry Moore, center, congratulate Silver Star Medal recipient Michael Atwell at Atwell's Silver Star Medal ceremony Wednesday at the American Legion Post 143 in Post Falls.</p>
POST FALLS -Despite soldiers being killed around him, a wounded Michael Atwell charged with his machine gun and saved American lives doing so.
Nearly 47 years after he displayed such gallantry during the Vietnam War, the Osburn man was finally awarded the Silver Star medal on Wednesday.
Just as his Army leaders described him during the war, the slender Atwell, 65, remained quiet and humble after receiving the honor during an emotional ceremony at the Post Falls American Legion.
"I'm not going to say a lot," Atwell said softly in front of about 40 veterans and others. "It was a pretty stressful time. We had a lot of good people. This Silver Star is for all the guys. I couldn't have done it without them."
Atwell received the honor - the military's third-highest decoration - from Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Idaho, and his retired Army leaders Col. Ronald Leonard, who made the trip from Virginia, and Maj. Larry Moore, from Tennessee.
As an 18-year-old serving with the 173rd Airborne Infantry Brigade, Atwell was involved in the Battle of Dak To. From Nov. 20 to Nov. 23 in 1967, his unit launched an assault on the North Vietnamese Army occupying Hill 875 despite being outnumbered seven to one.
"Private First Class Atwell caught the enemy by surprise and disrupted a mounting counterattack on his company's right flank," the award states. "Delivering continuous devastating fire on the enemy force, (Atwell) remained in an exposed forward position until he was evacuated."
Atwell endured "wave after wave" of counterattacks, which ultimately helped the Army secure Hill 875.
"To stand was to die," a chaplain with the brigade said, describing the intense battle.
Fellow soldier Alfred Undiemi wrote in an email that he saw where Atwell had been shot in the face, but Atwell kept moving ahead and firing.
"Mike kept charging up the hill, dodging the incoming mortars, RPGs (rocket-propelled grenades) and everything else they were firing at us," Undiemi wrote. "He did not stop firing and, in doing so, Mike's actions saved a lot more lives."
Moore said that Atwell "again and again" showed bravery above and beyond that of a private first class.
"(Atwell's) enormous firepower assault rallied the riflemen to his cause and they followed him up the hill on the attack," Moore said. "His standing and facing the enemy contributed greatly to our victory."
Fighting back tears, Moore said he lost nearly half of the soldiers in his platoon during the battle.
"We were sitting ducks for the enemy," Moore said. "Mike fought all the way."
Leonard said Army "bureaucracy" prevented Atwell from receiving the medal earlier. He said Moore approached him three years ago at a reunion of the 173rd about helping him make sure that Atwell finally be honored. The Army leaders enlisted Labrador's office to help with the paperwork and process.
"It's because of you and your brethren that we continue to enjoy the freedoms we have," Labrador told Atwell. "I want to personally thank you for your efforts."
Leonard said Atwell's honor has been "a long time coming."
After a six-year Army career, Atwell worked for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. His postings included Mountain Home Air Force Base and the Eastern Environmental Office in Kellogg. He was twice deployed to Iraq and twice to Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina. Atwell retired from the Corps in 2011.
Leonard called Atwell "a great American soldier."
"It demands our actions and attention to recognize this remarkable man's conduct in combat," Leonard said. "That's why we are here today, very close to 47 years after the fact."