A Bronze Star Finally Finds Its Home

By Kendra Bobowick

“We’re here to honor George Bresson. We love and miss him dearly,” said Petty Officer Daniel Kearns, who looked at the many faces gathered at the VFW Post 308 in Newtown on December 5.

A longtime Sandy Hook resident and Vietnam veteran, the late Mr Bresson had earned a Bronze Star Medal, which he never saw in his lifetime. The medal has at last arrived in his family’s hands.

“You have to be in a tough, terrible situation to earn this,” said Mr Kearns. Mr Bresson’s star is distinguished with a “V” to identify the award as resulting from an act of combat heroism or valor. Mr Kearns turned to Sergeant Carl Bergquist, who recounted the Battle of Suoi Tre that Mr Bresson had fought against the Viet Cong in Vietnam. He also recognized guest Carl Besson, who had traveled that day to join the Newtown VFW members. Mr Besson and Mr Bresson had been bunkmates and “fought hand-to-hand together.”

Under attack and within 20 feet of enemies intent on killing them, the bunkmates were among the bloody battle’s survivors. As the Viet Cong “swarmed” and “charged the perimeter,” air strikes and soldiers from the field “rushed in,” read Sgt Bergquist.

Eventually the hurried counterattack “chopped down,” the enemy.

Sgt Bergquist turned to retrieve a shadowbox displaying Mr Bresson’s collection of medals, now including his Bronze Star. He stood beside Mr Bresson’s sister Joan Bowles, who spoke lovingly of her brother who had died 20 years ago of stomach cancer.

“You can never do more, you should never wish to do less — my brother was just doing his duty,” she said. “He did not talk much about Vietnam, but he talked about this battle.”

Remembering her brother, she said he died in 1988, approximately 20 years after the Battle of Suoi Tre. Ms Bowles recalled, “He said, ‘I had 20 more years than a lot of people I know.’”

Her brother was not “bitter or sad. He was brave.”

Thinking of his late friend George Bresson, fellow Vietnam veteran Mr Besson remembered the Battle of Suoi Tre. “Often, I thought surviving — I thought is was the best thing that happened to me. It changed my life and affected George a lot also.” Pausing for a moment, he added, “I will always miss George.”

Finding The Star

“When my brother got the Bronze Star, he mailed it to my parents, but they never received it,” said Ms Bowles, who will keep the award for her brother. The family wrote to the Army, hoping to recover the medal. “They said records of it were burned …” Years later, family member Fran Bresson had been on the Internet, searching lists of Bronze Star recipients, and sent another request to receive the medal George Bresson had earned. The family eventually contacted Senator Joseph Lieberman for help.

At last, they received the medal, and Fran Bresson and others built its display case. “I’ll take it home and display it proudly,” Ms Bowles said.

At the VFW ceremony on December 5, Mr Bresson had explained, “I had a nightmare.” Without elaborating on its details, he soon inquired about George Bresson’s medal. “Joan told me he never got it, so I thought I would get it for him.” He soon contacted Carl Besson, who helped gather the medals now placed in the same handmade display case.

According to armyawards.com, the Bronze Star Medal is awarded to any person who, while serving in any capacity in or with the Army of the United States after December 6, 1941, distinguished himself or herself by heroic or meritorious achievement or service.

The Battle of Suoi Tre

From Internet accounts: On March 19, 1967, American helicopters dropped two infranty battalions off in a clearing near Suoi Tre to build a fire support base for use in search and destroy missions against the communists.

The next day, a Viet Cong attack started before dawn, headlined by mortars, and followed by a large-scale infantry charge. They overwhelmed parts of the American perimeter and forced them to withdraw inwards. After a period, American reinforcements broke through to assist their besieged colleagues, and firepower and artillery helped them gain the upper hand.