My wife and I were privileged to be in attendance at “A Celebration of Freedom Gala” honoring recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor, our nation’s highest military honor.

Established in 1861 by President Abraham Lincoln, the MOH is awarded to service men who exhibit extraordinary gallantry, valor and selflessness under extraordinary circumstances.

My wife and I were honored to be at a table with one such hero, Kenneth Stumpf, who earned his medal in Vietnam on April 25th 1967.

While on a search and destroy mission in the Quang Ngai Province, Stumpf and his six man squad came under heavy machine gun fire. Three of Stumpf’s men were wounded and cut off from the rest of their squad in a thick patch of bamboo and undergrowth. While the other men laid down a covering fire, Specialist Stumpf stumbled forward to the undergrowth and putting the most severely wounded soldier on his back carried him to safety. Under heavy enemy fire and at risk of his own life, Stumpf returned two more times and rescued his wounded squad members.

His story doesn’t end there. After American artillery blew away the thick vegetation that had obscured their view, Stumpf and another GI charged forward to attack the enemy positions. They came under intense fire. The other GI fell, shot through the chest. Stumpf continued forward killing enemy soldiers as he went. He destroyed all three enemy bunkers. For his selflessness and heroism on that day, he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor by President Lyndon Johnson on September 19, 1968.

We were in awe of the heroes that surrounded us. We fought back tears all evening as we listened to the stories of bravery and self- sacrifice; stories of men, many who in spite of oppression and discrimination, fought valiantly and risked their lives for their fellow man in defense of a nation that heretofore offered them little more than a promise; stories of pride and tradition; of husbands and brothers that ventured forth and gave the last full measure. It was an evening of inspiration and celebration.

It was also quite a contrast to the sentiments recently expressed by the Berkley, California city council, which my wife and I discussed during our ride home. The City of Berkley passed a resolution urging Marine Corp recruiters to leave their city while at the same time encouraging residents to impede the work of the recruiters. (After the fit rightfully hit the shan the city council reversed itself and instead just sent a letter to the marines condemning the war in Iraq.) Too bad the members of that council were not present Saturday night. They would have understood that the cost of our freedom is borne by men like Kenneth Stumpf, that the peace we enjoy is secured by the very men and women they would make persona non grata.

I wonder what they would say to men like Stumpf who have seen the horror of war up close, have risked life and limb in the defense of their fellow soldiers AND in service to their countrymen, which includes the Berkley protestors – men that still believe in and love their country. What would they say?

I think if I were Stumpf or any one of the other 43 heroes in attendance last weekend, I would offer the Berkley city council the words of Coriolanus in William Shakespeare’s play of the same title: “…Let every feeble rumor shake your hearts! Your enemies, with nodding of their plumes fan you into despair! Have the courage then to banish your defenders, till at length your ignorance…deliver you as most abated captives to some nation that won you without blows!”

None of us loves war especially those that are called to fight in them. But thank God for warriors! Thank God for men and women whose heroism and valor rise to the extraordinary circumstances in which they find themselves – men like Kenneth Stumpf. They are the good guys, the true protectors of our liberty.

Joseph C. Phillips is the author of “He Talk Like A White Boy” available wherever books are sold.