Air Force Silver Star honors combat "warrior"

By Jennifer Sullivan
Seattle Times staff reporter

Tech. Sgt. Whalen ignored bullet in arm.

E-mail this article Print this article Search archive Most read articles Most e-mailed articles

CAMP MURRAY, Pierce County — In the year since Tech. Sgt. Kevin Whalen battled al-Qaida and Taliban insurgents with a busted grenade launcher and a bullet lodged in his left arm, the Olympia man has become a legend among fellow National Guardsmen.

Whalen was awarded the Purple Heart, given to soldiers wounded in war. And yesterday, in an auditorium packed with his family, neighbors and more than a hundred reservists, the Air National Guardsman received one of the military's top honors, the Silver Star.

"This is a warrior medal," Maj. Gen. Frank Scoggins said during the ceremony. "The third-highest [award] this nation gives for valor and heroism. Kevin Whalen is a hero."

The only higher Air Force honors are the Medal of Honor and the Air Force Cross.

On July 19, 2003, Whalen was part of a Special Forces patrol convoy in eastern Afghanistan.

	Maj. Gen. Frank Scoggins, left, presents the Silver Star to Tech. Sgt. Kevin Whalen in a ceremony yesterday for his bravery in a firefight against al-Qaida and Taliban fighters in Afghanistan.

When the first vehicle in the convoy was hit by enemy fire, Whalen opened fire with his grenade launcher at rebels who were shooting from three directions.

When the grenade launcher failed, Whalen picked up his rifle and radioed for help. Though he had been hit in the arm, Whalen insisted that others receive medical attention first, according to National Guard officials.

Col. Michael Stewart said the Silver Star medal is "extremely rare," and Whalen is the first person he's bestowed it on.

The last state National Guardsman to receive the Silver Star was Master Sgt. Larry Gibson, who earned the award for valor in combat in Vietnam in 1966. However, he didn't receive the medal until 2000 because the nominating records had been lost.

Yesterday's ceremony put Whalen in some distinguished company. U.S. Sen. John Kerry and President Lyndon B. Johnson were both awarded the Silver Star, as was U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona. It also was awarded posthumously to Pat Tillman, the former safety for the NFL's Arizona Cardinals. Tillman died in Afghanistan in April.

"I'm proud, of course," said Whalen, 33, after the ceremony. "It's nice to feel appreciated by colleagues."

"Today is all about Kevin Whalen," said Scoggins before pinning the star on Whalen's uniform, "the sacrifices he has made and the sacrifices his family made."

Whalen brought his mother, wife, neighbors and niece onstage to give them flowers.

He gave his niece, Cambria Wells, a U.S. flag flown during combat and a plaque to thank her for the 80 boxes of Girl Scout cookies she sent him while he was in Afghanistan.

After the ceremony, while with his wife, Laura, and their 3-year-old daughter, Makaela, Whalen called the attention "overwhelming." He said the week has been marked with celebrations, including his and Laura's wedding in Lacey last Saturday.

He will soon start working as an intelligence specialist at McChord Air Force Base.

Jennifer Sullivan: 206-464-8294 or jensullivan@seattletimes.com

Information from The Associated Press was included in this report.

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

E-mail this article

Print this article

Search archive

More local news headlines...