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Hero from Seminole to receive Silver Star
© St. Petersburg Times SEMINOLE -- Staff Sgt. Arin Canon, the American soldier who led his squad of Rangers up a mountain ridge in Afghanistan to rescue wounded buddies and retrieve fallen comrades, will receive a Silver Star on Jan. 16. The medal is the Army's third-highest decoration for gallantry. The rescue mission was part of Operation Anaconda, a three-week offensive last March against members of al-Qaida and the Taliban. It was Canon's first time in combat. During the 17-hour ordeal, seven Americans died, including 30-year-old Spc. Marc Anderson of Brandon -- the highest number of American combat deaths in a single day by any unit since 18 Rangers and Special Operations soldiers were killed in Mogadishu, Somalia, in 1993. "I am very proud to serve my country," said Canon, 25, who grew up in Seminole and joined the Army as soon as he graduated from Osceola High School in 1996. It wasn't long before he was selected for the Rangers, an elite group of Army soldiers who are trained for raiding and close combat. Canon wouldn't elaborate on earning the Silver Star, except to say that other soldiers who fought in the battle also will receive awards. But said Glenn Canon, 47, who plans to attend the ceremony in Savannah, Ga., where his son is stationed: "I am so proud. I always knew that he would excel in this." Arin Canon married Angela Sanders, also from Seminole, during a military-style wedding last summer in Savannah. But Canon's job, which requires him to be overseas for undetermined periods of time, isn't easy on the newlyweds. "We both sacrifice a lot, but it's for the greater good," he said.
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From the Times South Pinellas desks 2002: The Year in Review |
