Fra Noi Embrace Your Inner Italian
The Chicagoland Italian American Charitable Organization is proud to be able to support a wounded veteran each year at its Honor and Hope Gala. This year, CIACO donate $10,000 to retired Army Captain Raymond A. Fleig and his family.
In July 2007, Captain Raymond A. Fleig U.S. Army (Retired) was a Platoon Leader in Iraq with the 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division. While he was on a Forward Operating Base (FOB Hammer) they received incoming mortar rounds.
After the initial barrage, his Platoon Sergeant, the next in the chain of command, and he went to check accountability of the 63 soldiers in their platoon. The insurgents attacked again. 20 of his men were hit including Captain Fleig. His friend, Soldier Courtney T. Johnson was killed. He was only four or five feet away from him. When the medics came by for the initial triage they bypassed him thinking they could not help him. Two of his soldiers apparently declined help from the medics to come and help him.
Captain Fleig came home in pieces and his wife Tiffany helped put him back together. It has been a very long and trying time for their family over the past six and a half years but the bravery he exhibited in battle is only a fraction of the perseverance he’s demonstrated in his recovery.
CIACO is proud to honor him and will make a $10,000 contribution to his family. We wish we could do more.
