Kawundo.com
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (WSAV) – There was a special reunion Saturday at the Operation Patriots Forward Operating Base’s (OPFOB) annual gala.
When Craig Ostergard was given the Sgt. Baez Honor Courage Commitment award at the gala, he looked down the aisle to see his Vietnam counterpart, Ri Nay, ready to present him the award.
The surprise was orchestrated by OPFOB, a South Carolina organization dedicated to fostering positive experiences for veterans and first responders and preventing suicide in these communities.
“We saw the opportunity to do something special for a man who has given so much back to veterans in this area,” said OPFOB founder JR Brown. “Once you serve with someone in battle, you are brothers for life. Sometimes life gets in the way of reconnecting. We made sure that these two heroes’ lives intersect once again.”
The Sgt. Baez Honor Courage Commitment Award was created last year to honor Brown’s long-time friend and fellow Marine, Carlos Baez, who battled terminal liver cancer.
“Carlos meant the world to me, so to be able to honor somebody with his name, and to keep his name alive with this award means that this person means just as much to me, OPFOB, and our mission” explained Brown. “So I don’t take this lightly.”
Ostergard was awarded two Bronze Stars for his service as an Army Infantry Officer in Vietnam. He later graduated from the University of Akron and began his business career with a Fortune 500 corporation where he worked his way up to Executive Vice-President.
In 1984, he moved his family to Hilton Head where he built up two real estate companies and served the local community on eight different Boards.
“I am honored to receive this award, but I don’t do this for accolades. I just wanted to make a difference in the lives of men and women who served our country so proudly and come home with no purpose, and no one to connect with like they do on the battlefield,” said Ostergard. “I am incredibly proud of what OPFOB has been able to accomplish in a short period of time, and the number of lives we have been able to save just through camaraderie and fellowship.”
He and Nay began their service together in Vietnam in the early 1970s in Fubonn Province.
By overcoming language barriers, and with trust, they achieved their mission, OPFOB said.
“Our platoon was a brotherhood, fighting together, living together and surviving together every day,” said Nay. “When I was first approached about the opportunity to come back, surprise him and honor him, I jumped at the chance. He is my brother in arms and a man that deserves to be honored and recognized for his hard work.”
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