While on a mission in enemy territory, Rose risked enemy fire multiple times to reach and tend to wounded soldiers. He himself was wounded repeatedly during his efforts.
Currently, there are only 71 living recipients of the United States’ highest military award – the Medal of Honor. In the entirety of its existence, there have been 3,522 recipients in total.
Alabama has been home to 33 of the recipients and is currently home to three of the living honorees: Command Sergeant Major Bennie G. Adkins, Captain Gary Michael Rose, and Lieutenant Colonel James Michael Sprayberry.
Adkins lives in Opelika, while Rose and Sprayberry both live in Madison County. On April 30th, 2019, Rose and Sprayberry had their names added to the Huntsville-Madison County Veterans Memorial. They joined four prior recipients from the county whose names were already on the memorial.
Colonel Leo Thorsness of Madison was a Vietnam veteran who passed away in 2017. Staff Sergeant Paul Bolden of Hobbs Island and Colonel Cecil Bolton of Huntsville were World War II veterans. Private Richard Taylor was born in Huntsville, though he later moved to Indiana and fought in the Civil War for the Union.
Captain Gary Michael Rose
Rose was a combat medic in Vietnam who served with the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne). He received the Medal of Honor in 2017 from President Donald Trump.
While on a mission in enemy territory, Rose risked enemy fire multiple times to reach and tend to wounded soldiers. He himself was wounded repeatedly during his efforts.
The most severe of his wounds was received on the second day of fighting. While retrieving a wounded soldier and dragging him back to the rest of the company, a grenade landed nearby which covered Rose with shrapnel and severely wounded his foot. Rose used a stick as a crutch and continued tending to the wounded while ignoring his own injuries.
According to a news release from the Madison County Military Heritage Commission, Rose and his teammates were extracted after four days of combat. The helicopter they were in was shot down, and a Marine door gunner was shot in the neck.
As the helicopter was descending, Rose provided care to the injured Marine which saved the man’s life.
Rose was thrown from the helicopter before it hit the ground, and after it crashed, he pulled the other wounded servicemen from the wreckage, knowing that the helicopter could explode at any moment. He then provided treatment which saved the lives of his comrades.
Lieutenant Colonel James Michael Sprayberry
Sprayberry moved to Madison County from Sylacauga in 2014. He received his Medal of Honor from President Richard Nixon.
During his combat tour, Sprayberry volunteered to lead a mission into enemy territory to rescue a large group of soldiers who had been captured. He volunteered in spite of the heavy enemy defenses that he knew they would encounter.
Without regard for his own safety, Sprayberry broke through the defenses, moved the captured soldiers to cover, and then began neutralizing the enemy positions.
During the next seven-and-a-half hour battle, Sprayberry personally killed twelve enemy soldiers, destroyed two enemy machine gun placements and many enemy bunkers, and saved the lives of several comrades.
When Rose and Sprayberry’s names were added to the memorial, retired Brigadier General Bob Drolet, the chairman of the Huntsville-Madison County Veterans, officiated the ceremony. He was joined by retired Naval Commander Cledo “Clay” Davis, president of the Madison County Military Heritage Commission.