VALLEY CITY, N.D. — A North Dakota Army National Guard member now wears a medal that has adorned no other North Dakota Guardsmen’s uniform ever: the NATO Meritorious Service Medal.
Sgt. Sam Hemphill, of Bismarck, N.D., received the award Saturday, May 14, from Brig. Gen. Alan Dohrmann, who commanded international forces during KFOR 12, a Kosovo Force mission from 2009-2010.
“I couldn’t be more proud of Sam and the actions he took,” Dohrmann said.
Fewer than 50 military and civilian personnel from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s 28 member countries are selected each year for the prestigious award.
A 14-year National Guard veteran, Hemphill served as a squad leader with Company A of the 231st Brigade Support Battalion while deployed to Kosovo. While conducting a foot patrol on a route the evening of Dec. 1, 2009, Hemphill’s squad came across an accident where a pedestrian had been seriously injured when hit by a passing truck.
Hemphill quickly assessed the situation, determined the man would likely die without intervention and that no local first responders were yet available. He separated his squad into teams so that traffic and onlookers could be controlled while medical treatment was provided.
“Everyone in my squad did a different and exceptional job,” Hemphill said. “Sgt. (Ashley) Timian and Spc. (Scott) Kraft provided valuable lifesaving aid. Sgt. (Terry) Rishling secured the area and handled crowd control and Spc. (Jennifer) Thome maintained communications.”
Rishling died just two months later in Kosovo of natural causes.
As Hemphill conducted the medical assessment, the injured man began choking on his blood. Hemphill pulled off his undershirt and made a makeshift neck brace to stabilize the man before rolling the victim on his side to clear the airway.
In the details for the award recommendation, Lt. Col. Lee Nordin, battalion commander, described what happened once Hemphill realized that the backed-up traffic would prevent local medical providers from arriving in time to save the man’s life.
“The squad had limited medical supplies, but Sgt. Hemphill was undeterred,” Nordin wrote. “At this point, he made a second life-saving decision. He secured a riot control shield from his vehicle and ordered his squad to use it as a makeshift backboard. Under the direction of Sgt. Hemphill, the squad secured the victim to the shield with their rigger belts and prepared him for transport.”
Hemphill then coordinated with a civilian on site for transportation and had his squad clear the road and provide escort to the hospital.
“Because of Sgt. Hemphill’s leadership, innovation and rapid decision making, the victim was receiving life-saving care in the Giljan hospital just 20 minutes after the squad arrived on the scene of the accident,” Nordin wrote.
Despite the level of trauma, the story has a happy ending.
“We checked in with the local Kosovo police, and they were able to give us a full report,” Hemphill said. “The man spent a few weeks in Pristina and made a full recovery.”
Hemphill is quick to defer credit to the soldiers he served with for their response.
“Even though it is an individual award, I could not have done it without my squad,” he said. “They are the real heroes of Kosovo.”
Maj. Deb Lien said that Hemphill is an exemplary junior non-commissioned officer.
“It was great to see that he accepted the award on behalf of his soldiers,” she said.