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	Fellow SKs Mike Rivera, the President of the local Father Howard Lesch 4th Degree Assembly 1564 of the Knights of Columbus talks to Army Lt Shannon Kay who describes his service in Iraq in 2004/2005 for which he earned 2 Purple Hearts for wounds received in battle plus a Silver Star for bravery under fire. Lt Kay was honored by Assembly 1564 and was awarded their annual Wounded Warrior Scholarship for 2008. The award was made at the Purple Heart Memorial (seen in the background) located at the Air Force Armaments Museum on Eglin Air Force Base. Recognition of Purple Heart Veterans of the War on Terrorism is demonstrative of the guiding principle of the 4th Degree of the KofC which is patriotism. Lt Kay will use the award to help pay expenses at Excelsior College in New York. Presently assigned to Camp James E. Rudder, he earned his first Purple Heart in December 2004 near Mosul Iraq when his Stryker vehicle was hit by a terrorist suicide vehicle. Although wounded, Lt Kay (then Staff Sergeant) continued firing from his damaged vehicle for over 30 minutes to keep the vehicle from being overrun until help arrived. He was also awarded the Silver Star for bravery for his actions on that day. His second Purple Heart was earned in Mosul several months later for injuries sustained when his vehicle was hit by an IED. Lt Kay said of his award that he especially appreciated it because it reflected the fact that the majority of Americans support the troops. SK Frank liberatori Program Director SB High grad earns Silver Star for bravery in Iraq Michel Nolan, Staff Writer Article Launched: 01/29/2006 12:00:00 AM PST Lt Shannon Kay recalls the fireball as the suicide car bomber rammed the rear of his Stryker armored infantry vehicle. The massive explosion and subsequent firefight are seared in the Rancho Cucamonga native's memory. "It was a huge physical force - the biggest I ever felt," said Shannon, 29. "Some of the guys inside were kind of unconscious, so we dropped a ramp and dragged people out. It was just a natural reaction - any soldier would have done the same." Shannon's actions that day, his courage under fire as he saved the lives of seven members of his squad on a bloody road in Western Mosul, Iraq, earned him the Silver Star. According to the military report, "The fireball was enormous and the Kevlar blankets, tires and other components of the Stryker were on fire. The entire area was littered with burning debris." Shannon, who was bleeding from shrapnel wounds to his head, shoulder and hand, refused medical attention and helped put out the vehicle fire while under ambush attack from small arms, rocket-propelled grenades, or RPGs, and mortar fire. "I wanted to live up to what I thought a soldier is," said Shannon by phone from Fort Benning, Ga., where he is now an instructor in the Army Squad Designated Marksmanship Program. "I've seen multiple firefights before, but they do kind of surprise you. Once you're over there, you say 'this is the drill now' and just do your job." Later, Shannon says he was operated on in a little field hospital by a "great doctor and physician's assistant. They removed the shrapnel from my head and finger but had to leave the stuff in my shoulder." Now in Georgia with his wife, Julie, and 18-month-old son, Killian, Shannon attended Officer Candidate School. "I wanted to be with my guys and so I deployed with my unit and postponed school," he said. "Now, I'm back on track and will go to school in the near future." Shannon attended Etiwanda High School in Rancho Cucamonga and went to San Bernardino High School during his senior year, graduating in 1995. An all-around athlete, he played water polo at Etiwanda High and San Bernardino High and at Chaffey College and was voted All-American for water polo, swimming and basketball at the University of La Verne, according to his mother, Mary-Chris Kay. "Shannon is a natural leader. He has a strong sense of duty and honor," said Mary-Chris. "He's always been a risk-taker and daredevil in sports - he was always the 'go-to' guy." According to Mary-Chris, Shannon didn't have to go to Iraq but went because he didn't want to leave the men he trained with. "Every one of his men had to have been something special or he wouldn't have chosen to go with them," she said. The incident took place Dec. 11, 2004, along Route Santa Fe, where the platoon had discovered a large cache of enemy mortar rounds, RPGs and partially complete, improvised explosive devices. While civilian traffic was being diverted, the suicide car bomber broke the traffic pattern and accelerated toward the Stryker, where Shannon was manning the left-rear hatch. After evacuating his men and while still under fire, the military report said, "Kay moved from Stryker to Stryker in his unit, securing additional equipment to get his Stryker back in the fight. He put his crew back in the smoldering Stryker and brought its heavy firepower to bear. After approximately 45 minutes of heavy fighting and after Kay killed at least eight of the enemy, the battalion commander called for a gradual withdrawal back to the forward operating base to treat casualties." "That day was such a morale booster," he said. "We got banged up but no one got killed." The Silver Star is the Army's third-highest award for heroism in combat. It is presented to any person who, while serving in any capacity with the U.S. Armed Forces, is cited for gallantry in action against an enemy of the United States while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force. Shannon was honored at a special ceremony last week by the Fort Benning post's deputy commander, Brig. Gen. Jim Yarbrough. Accompanying the award was the commendation: "His actions are in keeping with the finest traditions of military heroism and reflect distinct credit upon himself, this command and the United States Army." Shannon's mother and his father, Scott Kay, cried as the general read the commendation. "We both cried. The general had a lot of nice things to say," Scott said. "It was quite an honor - he acted so bravely. We are so proud and thankful that he survived." According to Scott, 211 Silver Stars have been awarded to more than 600,000 soldiers in Iraq. Now a world-history teacher at Arroyo Valley High School, Shannon's father was a Pacific High School basketball standout and later a CIF-Southern Section championship-winning coach at San Bernardino High School. "I was raised in a competitive family," Shannon said. "The will to win is very powerful."


	The Fr. Howard Lesch Assembly 1564 is located to the east of Home Depot in Ft Walton Bch on 205 Carol Ave. The Faithful Navigator for 2007-2008 Fraternal Year is Michael A. Rivera. You can contact the Assembly by phone at (850)243-4444, or by email to web master Henry Fair . Assembly Meeting Information: 3rd Thursday each month, 7:00 PM at each local councils meeting places as posted on the Activities page calendar. The Fr. Howard J. Lesch Assembly was founded 16 August 1971 through the efforts of many knights. Our Assembly is named after Fr. Howard J. Lesch a beloved Priest from our local area. Father Lesch retired as a military chaplain after serving 26 years in the Air Force. He assisted in his priestly duties at virtually all of the churches in our area. He was a Life Member of the KofC and served over 10 years as the Faithful Friar of Assembly 1564 in which position he was a beacon of ideas for enhancing the contributions made by the Assembly to the community at large. Membership in Assembly 1564 is comprised of Sir Knights from Saint Marys Council 4444 from St Mary's Parish in Ft Walton Beach, Christ Our Redeemer Council 13527 from Christ Our redeemer parish in Bluewater, Father Howard J. Lesch Council 7667 from Holy Name of Jesus Parish in Niceville, Emerald Coast Council 11893 from Corpus Christi parish in Destin, Emerald Coast Council has members from Corpus Christi, St. Rita, and Resurrection Parishes, and a few members from Our Lady of Victory Council 7968 in Crestview. The Assembly brings together the Knights from these five Councils to work together in fraternity and as a united team of area Catholics to fulfill the principle of the 4th Degree in our Community and Church Activities--Patriotism. Membership meetings are rotated amongst the component councils and the Officers in the Assembly come from all five Councils. Our assembly works hard collecting funds for various projects in the community.


	Other Sites of Interest: LIFE INC Diocese of Pensacola - Tallahassee Christ Our Redeemer Council # 13527 Fr. Howard J. Lesch Council # 7667 St Peters Parish Fr. Thomas G. Larigan Council # 7027 St. Mary's Parish St. Mary's School Hurlburt Field Chapel Eglin AFB Chapel Saint Rita Parish Emerald Coast Council # 11893 Our Lady of Victory Council # 7968 Father Michael J. McGivney Guild


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	Knights of Columbus Fr. Howard Lesch Assembly 1564 205 Carol Ave P.O. Box 448 Ft Walton Beach, Fl 32549


	Phone: 850-243-4444 Email: web master