Valor medal honors mom

By Hal Bernton
Seattle Times staff reporter

STEVE BLOOM / THE OLYMPIAN Wearing her newly pinned Bronze Star, Spc. Rebecca Finnick hugs her son Scott after yesterday's welcome-home ceremony for the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, at Fort Lewis. Finnick was one of three soldiers decorated for heroism in Iraq.

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FORT LEWIS — For Army Spc. Rebecca Finnick, an April 5 convoy was supposed to be a routine visit to monitor the rebuilding of a prison in Mosul, Iraq. But along the way, her unarmored Humvee came under fire from insurgents hiding behind gravestones, and Finnick was thrust into the thick of a short but fierce firefight.

Finnick's conduct in that combat yesterday earned her a Bronze Star for valor for actions that underscored the frontline roles that women often play in Iraq combat.

The 30-year-old Finnick was cited for unleashing an initial volley of fire that helped protect the convoy from direct hits by rocket-propelled grenades. She then rescued a wounded gunner from a Humvee's turret. After giving her first aid, Finnick took to the turret to provide security while injured soldiers were evacuated to the hospital.

"You don't think about things," Finnick said yesterday. "It all goes by so fast ... it was like a dream."

The Ridgecrest, Calif., woman deployed to Iraq in fall 2003 with the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, the first unit to go into combat with the eight-wheeled Stryker vehicles. While in Iraq, Finnick was separated from her 7-year-old son, Scott. But he was on hand as Finnick was congratulated by fellow soldiers.

Finnick received her medal during a formal ceremony to welcome back the more than 4,800 members of the brigade, most of whom returned in October.

During the ceremony, two other brigade members also received medals.

Spc. Joshua Miller received the Silver Star for voluntarily placing himself in peril to save the life of a fellow soldier when his foot-patrol squad was ambushed by insurgents. Miller single-handedly fended off a 20-man assault on his squad's position. Then, under heavy fire, he managed to rescue his vehicle commander, who was trapped in debris.

Sgt. Charles Quintanilla received the Bronze Star for decisive and aggressive actions to fend off 25 insurgents armed with AK-47s and rocket-propelled grenades.

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

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