"Captain Dry, for the very last 25 years of his life, tried to have his son recognized by the Navy," said Gordon I. Peterson, co-author of the Proceedings article.
Peterson said he and a former classmate decided to write the article after learning that Dry's name was not inscribed on a wall at Memorial Hall that contains the names of Naval Academy graduates who have fallen in combat.
"Only several weeks ago I received a phone call I thought would never come," Robert Dry said at yesterday's ceremony, referring to the call from Rear Adm. Joseph Kernan about the decision to honor his brother with the Bronze Star.
Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who was a member of Dry's Class of 1968, also spoke to the audience, which included about two dozen of Dry's relatives, many of his academy classmates and current midshipmen.
Finally, a medal
"I've been looking forward to this day for a long time," said Air Force Col. John Dramesi, one of the Hanoi Hilton prisoners the mission was to rescue.
Dry's name is now inscribed on the wall at Memorial Hall, and the citation for his Bronze Star award reads: "By his heroic leadership, courageous actions and loyal devotion to duty, Lieutenant Dry reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service."
josh.mitchell@baltsun.com
