Charlotte, NC

Normally, I put the photo to the left of your screen, but, this time — well, a hero needs to be “front and center.”

Sgt, Zachary D. Tellier joined the Army a year after he and his lovely wife, Sara, moved to Charlotte in 2004. While she remained brave and kept the home fires burning here, he was assigned as a combat infantryman with the 4th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, stationed at Fort Bragg.

Though on a tour of duty in Afghanistan, he was due to fly to Atlanta for a brief leave this month. Sara had been anxiously shuttling between Charlotte and the Georgia metropolis, where Zachary had family … just waiting for that day when her arms could be around him again.

In April, though, his unit was on mounted patrol when a vehicle drove over a bomb. It exploded and set the vehicle on fire, according to official reports.
While gunfire erupted, Tellier — a member of the proud 82nd Airborne –pulled two of his comrades out of the wreckage, suffering severe burns to his hands. For that, he was awarded the Bronze Star with valor. Previously, he had gotten two Purple Hearts.

But that was just part of the story. The rest goes like this:

After he was burned, he jumped up in the turret to return fire, according to a member of his unit. A lieutenant made Tellier get out of the vehicle due to his injuries.

Sadly, he died as a result of those injuries.

While debating Bush’s funding and hearing all the rhetoric coming off Capitol Hill about the handling of the war, we here in America all too easily forget the bravery and tenacity of the young men and women who are on the ground, sweat-mixed-with-sand drenching their bodies as they fight in unbearable heat.
We forget that many of them would give anything for a cool drink of water — even something as simple as a candy bar and a moment’s rest.
They, as we, may not support our President’s stance on Iraq, but they do their job as they’re told — hoping against hope that they’ll come back safely to their loved ones — and soon.

Unfortunately, Sgt. Tellier didn’t have the chance to do that. Instead, his actions made sure that two others would live to love their children again.
For his unselfish actions in the line of duty … for the fact that he put his own life on the line for the safety and security of his comrades … this writer firmly believes Sgt. Zachary Tellier should be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.

He was one of us; a Charlotte resident (incidentally, we’re doubly proud of those who re-locate here. To think that, of all the cities and towns across America, they chose Charlotte to be their home is quite an honor!).

He was … and is … an American HERO!