Silver stars long overdue.

It was November 29, 1967, near the peak of U.S. participation in the Vietnam War. Jim C. Pittman was one of two "point men" (the lead position) in an Army patrol making its way through the dense Vietnamese jungle. Along the Dong Nai River bank, the soldiers suddenly came across a small party of Viet Cong soldiers and in the fighting that ensued killed five of the VC. However, two Viet Cong holed up in a tunnel in the bank still returned fire.

In an interview reported by AP in March of this year, retired Colonel William S. Schroeder explained the action. At the time of the firefight, Schroeder was in a helicopter hovering above the engagement: "Pittman jumped down the bank and sprayed the area with his M16, killing two more [Communist Viet Cong].... He looked up at me and moved his hand across his throat to indicate the VC were dead. Pittman then stiffened and I knew he had been hit."

It was at this point that George "Doc" Hauer, an 18-year-old Army medic, came to Pittman's rescue. With enemy machine gun fire spraying the area, Uauer ran down the riverbank with his medical kit and covered Pittman's body with his own. Years later, Schroeder told the Associated Press: "It was one of the most heroic actions I've ever seen."

Watching the scene from above, Colonel Schroeder fired back at the Viet Cong and attempted to rescue the pair of soldiers. When he could not get into the proper position, he radioed for a Medivac helicopter. Hauer helped get the wounded Pittman aboard the Medivac copter and thought that was the last he would see of the man whose life he had saved.

After the engagement, Schroeder took the young medic aside and showed him the machine gun a Viet Cong soldier had trained on him. Its firing mechanism had jammed. Schroeder gave Hauer the bullet that "had his name on it" and told the medic he would put him in for a Silver Star, the military's third-highest award. (Schroeder also nominated Pittman for the Silver Star.)

But Hauer never did receive the Silver Star he was promised. In 2003, wondering if Pittman had survived, Hauer decided to look him up. Hauer found Pittman, who was living in Michigan, after an Internet search, according to an article about their reunion in The Grand Rapids (Mich.) Press. Pittman is still unable to walk as a result of his battle injuries. After further online searching, Hauer, who lives in Alabama, and Pittman tracked down Colonel Schroeder, living in retirement in Florida. When Schroeder learned that neither man had received the Silver Star he had nominated them for, the retired colonel embarked on another mission to rectify the oversight.

Colonel Schroeder's persistence paid off and the medals, misdirected in the confusion of war, finally arrived. "I was so happy [the medals were approved]. They received their just reward. They deserved it.... We're unable to do a lot for soldiers. Decorations and awards are about all we can give them," Schroeder told Florida's TCPalm.com news.

He pinned the medals on the two heroes during a ceremony held in Melbourne, Florida, in March. The grown children of both men expressed obvious appreciation of their fathers' heroism. Jim H. Pittman said, "I feel so blessed to have him as a father." According to the News, Jim shook Hauer's hand at the ceremony and told him: "I can't repay you for what you've done. You brought my dad back to me."

And Hauer's daughter Shay told the AP: "We live in a time when everyone is searching for meaning and you hear a story like that.... It shows you that you can make a difference and serve God by helping others."