OMAHA, Neb. - More than half a century after their service in the jungles of Vietnam, 14 veterans of Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, were formally presented Bronze Star Medals during a ceremony Sept. 18, 2025, at American Legion Post 1 in Omaha.
U.S. Army Maj. Gen. John W. Weidner, chief of staff for U.S. Strategic Command, presided over the ceremony. Col. Robert Newbauer, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District, served as master of ceremonies. Families, friends and community members filled the Legion hall to witness long-overdue recognition of valor and meritorious service.
Bravo Company deployed to Vietnam’s central highlands in early 1967. From bases such as Camp Enari and the Oasis, the Soldiers carried out border security and interdiction missions to disrupt enemy infiltration routes feeding the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
Within days of arrival, the company was committed to Operation Sam Houston, enduring heavy combat in Pleiku and Kon Tum provinces. They went on to participate in multiple campaigns, including Operation Francis Marion and the 1968 Tet Offensive. Over two years, Bravo Company engaged in 94 separate firefights, ambushes or mine incidents, sustaining 31 killed and 52 wounded out of 110 men.
By 1969, the Panthers had participated in nine major operations, earned unit citations and, in their own words, “decisively denied the enemy freedom of movement along the western highlands border.”
At the ceremony, five veterans were awarded the Bronze Star Medal with Valor device for heroism in combat: 1st Lt. John E. Shaeffer, Sgt. Don J. Cantacessi, and Specialists Ronald Coleman, Roy F. Pline and Stephen Wittenberg. Each citation recalled moments when Soldiers rushed into fire to aid comrades, provided critical leadership under pressure or exposed themselves to danger so others could survive.
Nine additional Soldiers received Bronze Star Medals for meritorious service, upgrading earlier Army Commendation Medals. These awards recognized the daily grind of combat leadership; squad leaders, riflemen, and fire team leaders whose tactical competence and devotion to their fellow Soldiers carried Bravo Company through some of the most difficult fighting of the war.
Among those recognized were Spc. Arturo G. Cuellar, Spc. Charles P. Emery, Sgt. George A. Jones, Sgt. Dale G. Liefer, Sgt. Thomas P. Saumur, Spc. Marvin S. Weis, Spc. Ronald A. Wulff, and Spc. Clarence Kirshner, a combat medic.
“These Soldiers endured the worst of war,” Newbauer said during his remarks. “Their bravery and steadfast commitment to each other reflect the highest ideals of military service. It is an honor to stand with them as they receive long-overdue recognition.”
For decades, many of the veterans’ actions went underrecognized, a reflection of award practices of the era. Junior enlisted Soldiers often received the Army Commendation Medal while officers received Bronze Stars, even for the same missions. Surviving officers of Bravo Company worked tirelessly to correct that imbalance, submitting evidence, testimony and official documentation.
In March 2025, U.S. Army Human Resources Command finalized the Bronze Star awards. Thursday’s ceremony was the culmination of that process and a visible acknowledgment that the Army had set the record straight.
Weidner’s keynote address captured the spirit of the day:
“The veterans of Bravo Company set the conditions for me and my generation to grow up and thrive in a world shaped by freedom and opportunity,” said Weidner. “You had a profound and positive influence on geopolitics for decades to come, shaping a more peaceful and prosperous world for all. On behalf of the United States Army, and the nation you served with such distinction, it is my profound privilege to help recognize your courage, your unwavering commitment, and your enduring sacrifice.”
The ceremony included an invocation by Nebraska Army National Guard Chaplain (Capt.) Jillian Petersen, the national anthem performed by Tami Hall, and the playing of “The Army Goes Rolling Along” in honor of the Army’s 250th birthday. American Legion Post 1 provided the venue, offering not just a space but what many veterans called a homecoming.
For the Soldiers of Bravo Company, the medals may have come decades late, but the recognition rang true. As families and fellow veterans stood to applaud, the message was clear: their courage had not been forgotten.