Published: March 21, 2008 06:35 pm            

Marine interpreter wins Bronze Star

Cleburne man honored for skills translating Arabic during missions

A Marine sniper sergeant and translator from Cleburne who taught himself to speak Arabic has been awarded the Bronze Star for his skills in interpretation.

Andrew Maddox, 21, said he was honored to receive the award, which came as a surprise.

Maddox received the medal during an unexpected ceremony March 4 in South Korea.

He was participating in an annual international training program called Foal Eagle, and during the 25 day mission, his company, the Weapons Company, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, learned from and helped teach Korean armed forces.

Most of the training occurred in snowy conditions at the Rodriguez Live Fire Complex.

While standing in formation at the complex with Korean troops and 150 fellow Marines, Maddox heard his name being called.

He made his way to the front, not knowing exactly what to expect.

“I reported to the captain and saluted him,” Maddox said. “Then the first sergeant began reading the award citation, which is a synopsis of why I’d been awarded the medal.”

Amidst the snowy Korean air, officers clipped the Bronze Star on Maddox’s left chest pocket and presented him with a red booklet containing the official award citation from the secretary of the Navy.

Maddox said he was extremely honored.

“My captain had told me in December that he put me in for the medal,” Maddox said. “That’s a big enough honor in itself, just to be nominated for a Bronze Star. It’s a very prestigious medal.

“To have it awarded only three months later was kind of a surprise. It went through pretty quickly.”

Maddox won the award for his skills as an Arabic translator during his second deployment to Iraq. He is quick to point out his success is the result of a team effort.

“I was just doing my job over there,” he said. “I was blessed to be doing what I did. But other people were translating too. Though mine was a little more high profile, I wasn’t the only one. It was definitely a team effort. What we did as a team had a lot of strategic value to the operation over there.”

Maddox’s skills in interpretation helped his company achieve “vastly improved stability in the city and relations with the Iraqi people,” according to the award summary.

“Maddox directly influenced the public to support and favor coalition forces,” according to the summary. “His actions led the battle for the people’s hearts and minds.”

Maddox was the sole interpreter for his company during deployment in Ramadi, Iraq, and was the only Marine recognized during the ceremony.

Maddox graduated from Rio Vista High School in 2004. His parents live in Cleburne and attend Cleburne Bible Church. His mother, Mary Ellen Maddox, is a homemaker, and his father, Barney Maddox, is a physician.

“We’re very proud of what Andrew has accomplished,” Mary Ellen Maddox said. “We’re glad he was able to make that kind of contribution in Iraq.”

        

• Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.