Soldiers who risked lives in ‘Pablo’ areas to get Bronze Cross

MANILA, Philippines - Water was everywhere in New Bataan, Compostela Valley last Dec. 4 but 1Lt. Alex Deazeta, 27, and his troops were unfazed.

Not minding the risks, Deazeta and his men from the Army’s 66th Infantry Battalion gathered residents and boarded on two military trucks to bring them to an evacuation center.

Their determination to perform their duty, however, was not enough to save them from the fury of typhoon “Pablo.”

The soldiers and the civilians in the community were engulfed by a sudden surge of floodwaters with boulders, mud and tree trunks.

Despite being swept by the floodwaters, the Army troops were able to save the residents but not without a price – seven of them died and several others were wounded during the incident.

The heroism of Deazeta and the 66th IB, however, will not be left unnoticed as the Army is set to award them today with Bronze Cross medals, one of the highest honors given to soldiers.

The Bronze Cross medal is given to soldiers for acts that involve risking their lives other than combat operations. It is next in succession to the Medal for Valor award, the Distinguished Conduct Star, and Gold Cross medal.

Twenty-one soldiers who were injured during the onslaught of “Pablo” will receive the award in ceremonies to be held in Quezon City and Davao.

Army chief Lt. Gen. Emmanuel Bautista will confer the Bronze Cross medal to Deazeta and three others at the Armed Forces Medical Center in V. Luna, Quezon City, where they are confined.

Also to be awarded in the military hospital are 2Lt. Jose Nuas, Pfc. Albert Puyunan, and Pvt. Ryan Magno.

A similar awarding ceremony will be held at the 10th Infantry Division headquarters in Davao. Seventeen soldiers will be honored in the ceremony.

“Their ultimate display of heroism, dedication, devotion to duty and selflessness greatly contributed to the great desire to save human lives whom the battalion has sworn to secure and protect,” the award citation read.

Army spokesman Maj. Harold Cabunoc said the soldiers who made a sacrifice to save people in typhoon-hit areas are their new breed of heroes.

“We are proud of our soldiers who continuously risk their lives while serving in the frontlines. During calamities, our soldiers are the first responders who perform disaster response operations to help the victims of natural calamities,” he said.