Page 64 - History of War - Issue 25-16

Heroes of the Medal of Honor

LESLIESABOJR

Barely a year into his military career, Sergeant Sabo would become legend in
one of the most awe-inspiring acts of courage and valour of the Vietnam War

WORDS DOM RESEIGH-LINCOLN
orn on 22 February 1948 in the Austrian Sabo joined the United States Army in April the army granted him a brief window of leave and
town of Kufstein, Leslie Halasz Sabo 1969 and attended Basic Combat Training the two were joined in matrimony.
BJr was the third son of two upper- at Fort Benning, Georgia, before moving onto With AIT now wrapped up, he was assigned to
class members of a once-powerful Hungarian Advanced Individual Training (AIT) in September. Bravo Company, Third Battalion, 506th Infantry
family. The Sabos had lost their fortune in the A soldier in training he may have been, but Regiment, 101st Division. Trained as a ril eman,
aftermath of World War II, but they had also that didn’t stop his life from moving forward in Sabo was deployed to Vietnam in January 1970
lost something far more precious – one of their other ways. Before joining the forces, Sabo had and thrust into the heart of conl ict that had been
sons, who died during the bombing raids of the proposed to the love of his life, Rose Buccelli, but raging since 1955. But Sabo wasn’t afraid – he
war at the age of one. The end of the war also the two had planned their wedding for the same wrote to his wife regularly, describing how much
saw the arrival of the Red Army. Fearing the month as his new phase of training. Thankfully, he enjoyed the discipline of the army and how his
installation of a totalitarian infrastructure, his platoon had often come into contact with troops
mother and father decided to pull up their roots Below: Due to administrative errors, the petition to reward from the main force the US was i ghting against,
Sabo’s efforts with the Medal of Honor was lost in the
and l ee the country with Leslie and his older the North Vietnamese Army (NVA).
1970s. More than 42 years later, his widow Rose was
brother George, to seek a new life elsewhere. inally presented with his posthumous award On 10 May 1970, Sabo’s platoon had been
The Sabos arrived in the United States in temporarily attached to the Fourth Infantry
1950 when Leslie was just two years old. The Division and tasked with performing interdiction
family initially moved to the centre of the US steel tactics (the act of disrupting an enemy’s
industry, Youngstown Ohio, but soon relocated to normal activities) in Cambodia along the Ho
Ellwood City, Pennsylvania. Despite hailing from Chi Minh Trail (the main logistical route used by
war-torn Europe, Sabo Sr expected nothing more the NVA during the war). The plan was to use
than strict discipline and patriotism from his ground troops such as the Fourth that could be
family for their new adopted home. The USA had supported with heavy air support when contact
welcomed them in the aftermath of the war and with the enemy was made. Things, however, did
enabled them to start afresh – it was the least not go as expected.
they could do to pay back such a gesture. While two platoons’ worth of American GIs
His sons took their father’s sentiment to heart, made their way along the trail, an ambush was
but these were two young boys growing into men sprung. 150 NVA soldiers had been tracking the
in late 1950s and early 1960s USA, so Sabo and movement of the troops and begun to gather
his brother were just as excitable and carefree as surreptitiously in the cover of the surrounding
any other youth of their time. Sabo often enjoyed jungle. Then, the NVA attacked. Soldiers fell
bowling or shooting pool and his brother recalled straight away and the American troops were in
him being a decent kid all round. disarray. As the reality of the ambush dawned
That clean-cut image saw Sabo through his on Sabo, he charged the enemy. Shouting at
early education and he soon graduated from his men to do the same, he headed down the
Lincoln High School in 1966. He then went on to line and brought an offensive against the NVA
study at Youngstown University, but after a year of attackers at the other end of the column of
college, he realised it wasn’t for him. Following his troops. Some of the NVA soldiers retreated,
premature departure from education, Sabo took giving the Americans a brief moment of respite.
a job in the industry of his hometown – steel. He Now out of ammunition, Sabo sprinted across
would continue working at a local steel mill until the open i eld and began reloading his ril e
he was drafted in to the army two years later. next to an injured American soldier. Suddenly a

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