Honoree: Robert L. Henderson, II

Hometown: Alvaton, KY
Branch of Service: Army National Guard
Rank: 1st Lieutenant
Player: Xiangyun Bai
First Lieutenant Robert L. Henderson, II, 33, of Alvaton, KY was assigned to the Army National Guard's Detachment 1, 2123rd Transportation Company, Owensboro, Kentucky. While serving in Diwaniyah, Iraq, his convoy came under small arms attack. 1LT Henderson sustained gunshot wounds but continued to drive his vehicle and lead the convoy out of the ambush. He strategically repositioned his vehicle so that the other soldiers could return fire and warn his convoy of the impending danger, saving many lives before he collapsed. 1LT Henderson died on April 17, 2004.
1LT Henderson signed up for the Kentucky National Guard when he was 17, and still in high school. He later attended Western Kentucky University studying business management. 1LT Hnderson was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star, a Purple Heart, and the Kentucky Distinguished Service Medal.
His co-workers remembered him as a hard worker, committed to doing his job and helping others. 1LT Henderson was a very loyal and true person and never backed down from a challenge. He loved his wife, and the two were expecting a son, who was born just a few short months after 1LT Henderson’s passing.