Former Navy corpsman awarded Silver Star for valor

Petty Officer 2nd Class Jonathan "Doc" Kong ran into heavy gunfire to save a wounded Marine.



File Under Badass... Last week, a former Navy hospital corpsman was awarded a Silver Star -- the military's third-highest award for valor -- for saving the life of a wounded Marine during an enemy ambush in Afghanistan.

Silver Star for Doc who fought to save Marine

Petty Officer 2nd Class Jonathan Kong was serving in the Sangin District of Afghanistan with the 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment in 2011 when he and fellow service members came under attack by Taliban fighters. During the firefight, Marine Cpl. Michael Dawers was shot in the chest and fell to the ground.

According to the Silver Star citation, Kong was initially pinned down by enemy fire but "courageously rushed from his covered position, boldly charged into the kill zone dodging a hail of bullets, and reached the casualty," pulling him to safety and administering "life-saving aid."

Marine killed by suspected drunk driver

23-year-old Andrew Silva had just returned from service in Afghanistan



Tragic news out of the Bay Area, where a U.S. Marine who had just returned from service in Afghanistan was struck and killed by a suspected drunk driver Tuesday morning while riding his motorcycle.

Marines, friends honor man killed in motorcycle accident

23-year-old Lance Cpl. Andrew Silva was riding in Fremont when he was hit by a Mini Cooper speeding in excess of 80 miles per hour, throwing him from his bike. He died at the scene. Silva, who was married with a young son, had just returned last month after serving a one-year tour in Helmand Province.

The driver, 23-year-old Alexander Yohn, was arrested and booked on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and hit-and-run causing death or injury.

Maj. Kurt Chew-Een Lee, First Asian American U.S. Marine Officer, dies at 88

Decorated hero of the Korean War



Major Kurt Chew-Een Lee, the first Asian American officer in the U.S. Marine Corps, who was decorated for his legendary service in the Korean War, has died this week at his home in Washington DC. He was 88.

Obituary: Maj. Kurt Chew-Een Lee, 88, was Korean War hero

The son of Chinese immigrants, Maj. Lee was a gung-ho Marine who climbed the ranks and broke barriers during a time strong racial prejudice. A recipient of the Navy Cross, the Marines' second-highest honor -- really, experts say deserved higher -- Maj. Lee is perhaps best known for his fierce bravery in combat during a assault by Communist Chinese forces in Korea on the night of November 2-3, 1950.

The 2010 documentary Uncommon Courage: Breakout at Chosin, recounts how Lee led 500 men through a nighttime blizzard and rebuffed an attack by enemy forces to save 8,000 Marines from capture at Chosin Reservoir.