Clinton L Romesha
Clinton L Romesha was born on the 17th of August 1981 in Lake City, California to a family with a military background with four siblings. His father is a Vietnam war veteran, his grandfather is a World War 2 veteran, and two of his brothers also joined the military. His father became a church leader in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and in high school, Clint had attended seminary but decided to not to become a missionary for the church. Instead, Clint enlisted in the US Army in September of 1999 and attended basic combat training and advanced individual training at Fort Knox, Kentucky. Upon completing M1 Abrams tank training, Clint was assigned to Company B, 1st Battalion, 63rd Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry, in Germany. He deployed to Kosovo in support of Kosovo Force and was then assigned to Company A, 2nd Battalion, 72nd Armor Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division in South Korea. After a tour in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Clint completed Long Range Reconnaissance Course, Advanced Leader Course, and Air Assault Training at Fort Carson, Colorado. He also trained as a Cavalry Scout and then deployed again to Iraq.
This brings us to May of 2009 when Clint once again deployed, but this time to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. His unit was assigned to Combat Outpost Keating in the Kamdesh District of Nuristan Province. Keating was located in a valley surrounded by steep mountains and Clint’s unit was replacing the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team. Over the course of his deployment, the outpost was regularly attacked but it was on the 3rd of October that Clint’s actions would earn him the Medal of Honor. What is now known as the Battle of Kamdesh began at about 6:00 in the morning on the 3rd and consisted of the outpost being attacked from three sides by about 300 Taliban fighters. There were about 85 International Security Assistance Force members on the outpost as well as 35 Afghan soldiers that abandoned there positions. The citation reads:
Staff Sergeant Clinton L. Romesha distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a Section Leader with Bravo Troop, 3d Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, during combat operations against an armed enemy at Combat Outpost Keating, Kamdesh District, Nuristan Province, Afghanistan on October 3, 2009. On that morning, Staff Sergeant Romesha and his comrades awakened to an attack by an estimated 300 enemy fighters occupying the high ground on all four sides of the complex, employing concentrated fire from recoilless rifles, rocket propelled grenades, anti-aircraft machine guns, mortars and small arms fire. Staff Sergeant Romesha moved uncovered under intense enemy fire to conduct a reconnaissance of the battlefield and seek reinforcements from the barracks before returning to action with the support of an assistant gunner. Staff Sergeant Romesha took out an enemy machine gun team and, while engaging a second, the generator he was using for cover was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade, inflicting him with shrapnel wounds. Undeterred by his injuries, Staff Sergeant Romesha continued to fight and upon the arrival of another soldier to aid him and the assistant gunner, he again rushed through the exposed avenue to assemble additional soldiers. Staff Sergeant Romesha then mobilized a five-man team and returned to the fight equipped with a sniper rifle. With complete disregard for his own safety, Staff Sergeant Romesha continually exposed himself to heavy enemy fire, as he moved confidently about the battlefield engaging and destroying multiple enemy targets, including three Taliban fighters who had breached the combat outpost’s perimeter. While orchestrating a successful plan to secure and reinforce key points of the battlefield, Staff Sergeant Romesha maintained radio communication with the tactical operations center. As the enemy forces attacked with even greater ferocity, unleashing a barrage of rocket-propelled grenades and recoilless rifle rounds, Staff Sergeant Romesha identified the point of attack and directed air support to destroy over 30 enemy fighters. After receiving reports that seriously injured Soldiers were at a distant battle position, Staff Sergeant Romesha and his team provided covering fire to allow the injured Soldiers to safely reach the aid station. Upon receipt of orders to proceed to the next objective, his team pushed forward 100 meters under overwhelming enemy fire to recover and prevent the enemy fighters from taking the bodies of their fallen comrades. Staff Sergeant Romesha’s heroic actions throughout the day-long battle were critical in suppressing an enemy that had far greater numbers. His extraordinary efforts gave Bravo Troop the opportunity to regroup, reorganize and prepare for the counterattack that allowed the Troop to account for its personnel and secure Combat Outpost Keating. Staff Sergeant Romesha’s discipline and extraordinary heroism above and beyond the call of duty reflect great credit upon himself, Bravo Troop, 3d Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division and the United States Army.
The fight lasted for about 12 hours and eight American soldiers were killed in action, making this battle the costliest engagement for ISAF during the war. Several days following the attack, US commanders deemed the outpost indefensible and it shut down. Clint separated from the Army in April of 2011 in order to spend more time with his family and moved to North Dakota for a job in the oil industry. He was working the day he received a phone call from a number in Washington DC and told the Colonel that he didn’t have enough vacation days saved up and that he would get there when he could. Originally, Clint thought that he was being written up for a Distinguished Service Cross but after arriving at the Pentagon and sitting through some PowerPoint presentations, learned that his DSC had been upgraded to the Medal of Honor. Clint would received the Medal of Honor from President Obama on the 11th of February, 2013 at a ceremony at the White House. He went on to write a book called “Red Platoon: a True Story of American Valor” in 2016 with the intention of writing the stories of the soldiers and families of the soldiers that served with him in Afghanistan. Clinton L Romesha and his wife Tamara have three children; Dessi, Gwen, and Colin.
