Elmendorf Airmen receive Purple Hearts

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Francesca Popp
  • 3rd Wing Public Affairs
ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska --  Two 3rd Logistics Readiness Squadron vehicle operators were each presented a Purple Heart during a ceremony here today.

Airman 1st Class Benjamin Crain and Staff Sgt. Larry Franklin received the medal for injuries sustained while supporting Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom, respectively.

Airman Crain deployed to Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, in March to fill an "in-lieu-of" tasking. There, he was assigned to the Army's 424th Medium Truck Detachment. He was responsible for clearing roadways and intersections of other vehicles, and identifying possible improvised explosive devices or explosively formed projectiles.

His deployment was cut short when the lead vehicle he was driving in the convoy was hit June 10. He was on a supply run in Iraq, about 100 miles south of Baghdad near Forward Operating Base Kalsu.

"Myself and the first gun truck were tasked to search the overpasses for any possible IEDs or EFPs," said the 21-year-old Airman, noting he was about a half mile ahead of the convoy. "As we approached each overpass, we would slow down and scan it for the devices. We'd then mark it as clear and move on. That particular night, we had just passed the second overpass and about 100 meters down the road, my vehicle was struck by the EFP."

Airman Crain, an Orland, Calif., native, said he got out of the truck after being struck and tried to pull the passenger out, but was unable to physically due to his own injuries. He said the people in the gun truck pulled up and started doing combat life saver techniques on Airman Crain and the passenger. They were both medically evacuated, and Airman Crain was eventually sent to a military hospital in Baghdad.

Airman Crain sustained shrapnel wounds to his face, arms and legs, and vision and hearing loss. He stayed in the Baghdad hospital for a few days and, once the extent of the injuries became apparent, the doctors there decided to send him to the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany.

The Airman said that while he was in the hospital he didn't want to go home, because he would be leaving his comrades behind. "I feel I should still be there helping them out," he said.

Sergeant Franklin, also filling an ILO tasking, was on a convoy mission about 37 miles from Kandahar, Afghanistan, about the time Airman Crain was arriving to Camp Arifian. The sergeant was assigned to the 207th Infantry Brigade, an Alaska Army National Guard unit deployed from neighboring Fort Richardson, as a .50-caliber gunner for convoy patrols and security operations.

The sergeant's convoy was about an hour and a half into the mission on the morning of March 21. The convoy was ambushed and began taking on small arms fire.

"We were going out on a typical resupply route to FOB Logman from Kandahar. I was the gunner (in the second gun truck). The first gun truck went through a mountainous part of the route with no problems, but as we passed I noticed an individual on top of a bluff signaling a light source into the valley. It immediately attracted my attention," said the 22-year-old sergeant from Meade County, Ky. "I rotated the turret to the direction of the possible threat, shined a spotlight into the valley and noticed two individuals lying approximately 100 yards out from my location."

Sergeant Franklin said he returned fire and attempted to radio the convoy commander and other gunner to tell them they were being attacked from the right. In a matter of moments, a ricochet round hit and knocked of his Kevlar helmet. Unconscious, Sergeant Franklin collapsed into the cab of the truck.

The convoy moved to a safer location about two miles away and checked Sergeant Franklin's injuries, all the while he was in and out of consciousness.

"As the team pushed through the kill zone, they realized I needed some medical attention," he said. "At first, my command suggested (the team) drive me to the next safe haven, but some British troops come (on the radio) and said they were evacuating one of their soldiers and were able to get me as well."

Sergeant Franklin was flown back to Kandahar and diagnosed with a severe concussion, with inflammation in various areas of his brain. He was there for about seven days before being sent to Landstuhl.

"I showed the docs there that I was going to able to make it back and they let me go back down range to finish (the tour) with the rest of my guys," he said. "When I got back, everyone was worried about me, not knowing a lot about an internal brain injury. My boss slowly allowed me to work my way back in to the truck team. I eventually became a truck commander in various vehicles throughout the convoy.

Sergeant Franklin completed his tour in Afghanistan and returned to Elmendorf June 14, seven days before Airman Crain.

As for receiving the Purple Heart, the LRS Airmen agree they will wear it proudly and appreciate being recognized.

The Purple Hearts were awarded to the vehicle operators by Col. Tom Tinsley, 3rd Wing commander. The medal is given to any person wounded in action while serving with the U.S. Armed Forces.