Not to get off topic, but there's a US Army Ranger getting the Congressional Medal of Honor next month. The only reason I saw anything about it is because I'm on the Army page on FB. This will be the second time Obama has awarded the CMH, both to living soldiers, but it's not as publicized as when Clinton awarded it to 2 Delta snipers in Mogadishu (both died), and GW Bush awarded the first one for this conflict in the ME (lost his life as well).
I hate it when a service member's gallantry goes almost unnoticed, and congrats to CPL Pun. Just an awesome feat of heroism.
And for those wondering why he took them on himself, he was at a checkpoint, which for anyone who was in the US military, we call them LPOPs (listening post, observation post). He was forward of his unit's position as an early warning to them of an enemy attack. Once he discovers an enemy element moving towards their main position, he was to relay the enemy unit size and armament back to them, and then move back to their position. He was pretty much surprised and overwhelmed by the enemies size, and never had the chance to break contact to make it back to them. And with them settled down into what the US military would refer to as a patrol base, they're to hold that ground (unless completely overrun, then they'd have predetermined fall back positions) even if their check point has been overrun.
CPL Pun indirectly saved the lives of his fellow service members by taking out that enemy element himself, which would be why he wasn't awarded the VC. Had they have taken him out and made it to his unit's main position, then I honestly believe lives would have been lost, but since there were no others directly in the vicinity that he directly saved, he'll never officially be recognized as having saved any ones life.
