The Payson Roundup /

Back to gallery

Sixty-one uniformed Army National Guard soldiers stood at attention as a two-star general stepped up to address them. The Adjutant General, Major General David P. Rataczak, first apologized to the 44 area soldiers who had seen combat in Iraq, but had not yet received the deserved Combat Action Badge. Because of its central location, this military ceremony was held at the American Legion building in Payson, Arizona on Saturday, Dec. 2, 2006.

Richard Haddad/Roundup

The Adjutant General, Major General David P. Rataczak, first apologized to the 44 area soldiers who had seen combat in Iraq, but had not yet received the deserved Combat Action Badge. Some had waited more than three years. "Nobody goes to a theater of war looking for an award," Rataczak told the soldiers and their families. "When the rockets struck and the bullets were flying, you relied on your training, and each other. I'm proud of all of you for the way you reacted."