Sunday, January 31, 2010
St Louis Soldier Earns Bronze Star Along Side Special Ops Italian Troops in  Afghanistan 

Jacob Compton, a 22-year-old U.S. Army specialist from Granite City, eaned the Bronze Star, while serving with Special Ops Italian Troops. 
 
He had enjoyed working with the hard-fighting Italians, their only disputes being of the culinary variety. Compton, an Applebee's man, had grown tired of pasta. They served pasta for breakfast, lunch and dinner and put whole octopus on it,"   

Bullets were raining down on Jacob Compton as he sat behind the wheel of his up-armored Humvee. A bullet flattened one tire, then two, then three. A sniper's bullet shattered a window, then a second, then a third.

Bullets riddled the engine compartment. Bullets collapsed the suspension.

But Compton refused to move - his bullet-blasted Humvee was the only thing standing between a well-armed group of Taliban fighters and 10 Italian soldiers pinned down outside their vehicles.

Compton, a 22-year-old U.S. Army specialist from Granite City who could easily pass for a high school student, had seen heavy combat before....

After arriving at his base and making introductions, Compton saw a 10-year-old boy being treated for gunshot wounds. The boy had been hit twice in the stomach and once in the head.

"He rolled around and moaned before he died," Compton recalled last week in an interview about his experiences in the Middle East...

On May 29, Compton found himself in Bala Murghab Valley as part of Operation Iron Fist.

While positioned in "an old British mud castle" as support for an Afghan National Army offensive, Compton and his fellow soldiers came under heavy fire from a group of insurgents....

Toward the end of the battle, Compton's group ran out of 40 mm ammunition. Compton left his covered position under heavy fire to resupply the group, allowing for a successful withdrawal of troops.

Just three weeks later Compton found himself driving the lead vehicle on a convoy tasked with building a checkpoint near a Taliban stronghold in Bala Murghab.

Compton's group were working with Afghan National Army soldiers and special forces troops from the Italian Army.

He had enjoyed working with the hard-fighting Italians, their only disputes being of the culinary variety.

Compton, an Applebee's man, had grown tired of pasta.

"They served pasta for breakfast, lunch and dinner and put whole octopus on it," Compton said.

Now, the convoy was preparing to move toward an enemy strong point near Farrari Village.

The soldiers quickly came under fire from a mud hut, and a large group of Taliban soldiers then captured the high ground with a flanking maneuver.

Soon, 10 Italian soldiers were pinned down under heavy fire.

Compton drove through enemy fire to the front line, where he wedged his Humvee between the pinned down soldiers and the Taliban contingent.

Bullets began crashing into the vehicle as Compton maneuvered his gunner into position.

The battle lasted two hours.

As a result of Compton's two battles, 55 Taliban fighters were killed and seven were captured.

Compton was credited with helping save the lives of 100 Italian, U.S. and Afghan soldiers.

He received the Bronze Star for his efforts.

http://suburbanjournals.stltoday.com/articles/
2010/01/31/madison/special_feature/0131cvj-bronze000.txt
 
 

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[Formerly Italy at St Louis]