Special Agent Bonacasa’s parents, Diana and Vincent, receive medal
for their late son,
from Col. Howard Wagner
NEWBURGH – The families of American heroes Tech Sgt. Joseph Lemm
and Staff Sgt. Louis Bonacasa, who were killed during “outside the
wire” human intelligence missions being conducted in Bagram, Afghanistan
on December 21, 2015, were honored with the posthumous awards at the Stewart
Air Guard Base on Saturday.
Both men, elevated posthumously to the rank of special agent, were killed
as they defended their comrades from a suicide bomber with an improvised
explosive device while on mission. They were the second and third members
of the New York State Air National Guard to be killed in combat after
9/11, after the death of Staff Sgt. T.J. Lobraico Jr. in September, 2013.
Col. Howard Wagner, current commander of the 105th Airlift Wing at Stewart,
said when tasked with presenting the medals to their families, he took
some time to research, and reflect, on the meaning of heroism.
“We hear the term used for so many people and so many actions. So,
what exactly is a hero? Stepping forward to save their teammates, to shield
them from harm, rather than stepping back to try to save themselves. That
is a hero,” said Wagner. “They did it right and we recognize
that here today.”
Brig. Gen. Timothy LaBarge, who was base commander at the time of the
deaths of Lemm and Bonacasa, said he remembered feeling a sense of pride
the day the two men’s bodies were brought home from overseas. That
pride, which had been a confusing feeling at the time, came back with
clarity as the medals were being presented to the men’s families.
“I remember thinking this is a very strange emotion; why do I feel
proud? The pride doesn’t make the pain go away. The proud doesn’t
bring Joseph and Louis back yet, paradoxically, there was a lot of pride
there that night, and I wasn’t sure why. I was feeling an enormous
sorrow that night, but the pride was there also because of the courageous
action and the way that they performed,” said LaBarge. “Do
these medals, or that paradoxical answer of their courage, does it make
the pain go away? It most certainly does not, but it does help to explain
the sorrow combined with the pride, and at least for me personally that
tells me that I was then, and continue to be today, in the presence of
people who honor me with their courage.”
Commander of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations Keith Givens,
who was on the same task force as Lemm and Bonacasa, agreed with LaBarge
saying the overall demeanor of the entire 105th Airlift Wing, during the
medal presentation Saturday, was one of pride. Givens said the Bronze
Star with Valor, awarded to both men’s families, especially represents
the level of heroics the two men were engaged in on that day.
“No military member wakes up in the morning and says I want earn
a Bronze Star. It’s actually a pretty rare medal, but to get it
with valor means that, in that very last moment, you did something very
heroically which both of these heroes did right before the attack,”
said Givens.
In addition to the Bronze Star with Valor, both Tech Sgt. Lemm and Staff
Sgt. Bonacasa were awarded the Purple Heart, the Air Force Commendation
Medal, the Combat Action Medal, New York State Conspicuous Service, the
New York State Conspicuous Service Star, the New York State Medal for
Merit and the New York State Long and Faithful Service Award.
