Three engineers were presented one of the highest honors awarded in the Corps of Engineers July 12 by Mobile Districts United States Army Corps of Engineers [USACE] Commander Col. James DeLapp for their work in the Latin American Program for Mobile District USACE.
The de Fleury Medal has four orders: Steel, Bronze, Silver and Gold. Delapp presented the Bronze order to Deputy District Engineer for Latin America Lt. Col. Humberto Boppell, Maj. James Westgate Mobile District South America [SOUTHAM] Officer in Charge [OIC] who is located in Bogota, Columbia and Mobile District Central America [CENTAM] OIC Maj. Roberto Solorzano who is located in Soto Cano, Honduras.
Although nominated at different times for exemplary service to USACE, it was a target opportunity to present the orders to all three engineers, during the U.S. Southern Commands [SOUTHCOM] Engineer Conference alongside SOUTHCOM engineer Col. Charles Samarais.
"I was able to present three de Fluery's at the SOUTHCOM Engineer Conference yesterday to our LATAM Officers, which was very well deserved," DeLapp said.
Named in honor of François Louis Teissèdre de Fleury, a French Engineer in the Continental Army the de Fleury Medal is an award of the U.S. Army Engineer Association honoring the French Engineer for his courage under fire at the 1779 battle at Stony Point, New York, winning him the accolades of Congress. During the battle to recapture the point, the Americans scrambled up the rocky slope with de Fleury in the lead. First over the wall, de Fleury followed by a wave of American bayonets rushed to the flagpole and cut the British colors from their staff.
For his heroic behavior, the Continental Congress awarded a medal struck in his honor.
It is understood the de Fleury Medal was the first Congressional Medal struck, if not the first medal authorized. On the medal's front is "A Memorial and Reward for Courage and Boldness" in Latin. In the center appears the image of a helmeted soldier standing amidst the ruins of a fort, holding in his right hand an unsheathed sword, and in his left the staff of the enemy's flag, which he tramples underfoot.
On the reverse, again in Latin: "Fortifications, Marshes, Enemies Overcome." Depicted in the center, is the fortress at Stony Point with both turrets and a flag flying. At the base of the hill are two shore batteries, one of which is firing at one of six vessels on the Hudson River. Beneath the fort is the legend: "Stony Point Carried by Storm, July 15, 1779."
"It was an honor to recognize these great officers, who were very deserving of this award, in front of a combined and joint engineer force on behalf of the Chief of Engineers and Regiment." DeLapp concluded.
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